C. Vivek Lal, M.D., tenured professor (Oct ‘25) in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named executive in residence of the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE). Lal’s appointment marks the beginning of a partnership between HIIE and the Heersink School of Medicine that will allow both entities an avenue to better serve patients.

UAB was well represented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery, with five faculty serving as presenters, discussants, and panelists thought leaders on the national stage.

Educational Research & Innovations in Clinical & Health Sciences (ENRICH) Week is underway at UAB Heersink School of Medicine. The annual conference brings together healthcare educators to discuss and promote innovations in teaching skills, curriculum development, and healthcare research. It is organized by UAB’s Healthcare Educators Academy (HEA), which provides faculty development and mentorship for early career educators in Medicine, Public Health, Health Professions, Optometry, Dentistry, and Nursing at UAB.

Several Research and Clinical Experience in Pathology (RaCE4Path) students presented posters at the 2025 UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dale J Benos Medical Student Research Day on September 15 and the UAB Undergraduate Research Expo on July 24.

A student walks into Cat Lewis, MSW, LICSW’s office and begins to share a challenge that has started to affect their ability to focus in school. Lewis listens closely, giving space for the story to unfold. Her role is to connect students with the right support—matching needs with resources so the weight they’re carrying feels lighter. For her, success means helping students return their focus not just to academics, but to managing life alongside medical school.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to introduce Kimberly Jerkins, a committed staff member of the Pediatric Administration team! 

Four doctors are set to join the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery’s Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship next August: Ben Hazen, M.D., Justin Leavitt, M.D., Paul Shadowen M.D., and Sierra Smith, M.D.

From its vibrant culinary scene to its stunning Appalachian foothills, Birmingham is gaining recognition as both a medical hub and a city where life outside the hospital thrives.

Jianmei Leavenworth, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

The UAB Department of Urology congratulates three of its faculty members who were recently promoted and awarded tenure.

In 2016, the rare disease Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim, or ZTTK Syndrome, was discovered by Erin Eun Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB Department of Pathology’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, alongside her research team. ZTTK is primarily identified in children and is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed musculoskeletal development and multi-organ anomalies, and is caused by loss of function in the SON gene. This gene creates a DNA and RNA binding protein, SON, that is required for the body to grow and develop naturally.

Robert Hollis, M.D., MSPH, assistant professor of the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, and Ridley Brown, BSN, RN, oncology navigator at the O'Neal Cancer Center, have been featured in the UAB MedCast episode: “What is the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) and why does it matter?”

Three psychologists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama were honored for their contributions to psychology at the Alabama Psychological Association Annual Conference.

A group of dedicated lifestyle medicine researchers within the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine is leading the institution’s first randomized quality improvement (QI) project. The multi-phase study hopes to optimize enrollment into Sports & Exercise Medicine’s Fitness, Lifestyle, and Optimal Wellness (FLOW) program.

Members of the UAB Department of Urology recently attended and presented at the 2025 Joint Meeting, 35th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology in Vienna, Austria. 

UAB’s SPARC center played a leading role at the 2025 BIOKDD workshop. The event featured cutting-edge AI research from UAB’s HySonLab and keynotes from leaders in data mining, highlighting BIOKDD’s ongoing impact on biomedical innovation.

Kimberly Hendershot, M.D., a professor in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, is now president of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

The UAB Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB) has launched a new article series titled Meet the Minds of CDIB, spotlighting the diverse faculty who power the department’s groundbreaking research. 

Julius E. Linn Jr., M.D., who died Aug. 4, 2025, at age 84, devoted five decades of his professional life to advancing medical communication and preserving Alabama’s cultural heritage. His death marks the end of a remarkable career at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that bridged the worlds of scientific research, medical publishing, and historical preservation.

Ben Gran is the lab manager for both Dr. Rita Basu and Dr. Ananda Basu who are clinical diabetes researchers at the UCDC. Gran has been with the Basu Lab for a decade supporting cutting-edge diabetes research studies. 

The UAB Department of Urology welcomed Dustin Hyatt, M.D., in August 2025 as a clinical associate professor in the Section of Academic Community Urology.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is pleased to announce a new endowed lectureship to honor the legacy of Loring W. Rue, III, M.D., professor emeritus in the UAB Department of Surgery. Dr. Rue’s leadership and dedication to improving trauma care makes him an instrumental figure in the history of the trauma program at UAB.

Early childhood literacy is a vital building block for healthy development and long-term success. Research shows that reading and language deficits can become fixed as early as age two, underscoring the importance of early intervention, especially for premature and sick newborns who face higher risks of neurodevelopmental delays.

The UAB ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic has been designated a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence (CTCE) by the ALS Association, a recognition that underscores its commitment to providing the highest standard of care for patients and families living with ALS.

Krishmita Siwakoti, M.D., PGY2, joined the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology in July 2025. A native of Kathmandu, Nepal, she completed both her undergraduate education and medical school there. Get to know Dr. Siwakoti better with three quick questions!

The UAB Department of Urology is pleased to announce a partnership with three global leaders in healthcare technology and pharmaceuticals to support its premier endourology fellowship program.

On August 7, 1997, Jennifer Creswell and her sister were driving when they were hit by a large truck, flipping their vehicle five times.

In Fall 2025, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the creation of a twelfth Learning Community (LC). This is the first time an LC has been added since the founding of the program in 2015, and it has been named after Latesha Elopre, M.D., MSPH, a beloved member of the Heersink School of Medicine family who tragically passed away earlier this year.

Complications following surgical procedures pose significant risks to pediatric patients. Detecting complications after an operation can pose a challenge due to heavy reliance on symptom reports from children and their caregivers. Children may struggle to effectively convey their symptoms, leading to delayed recognition of post-operative complications. A new article published in Science Advances may show a promising solution.

Jianyi “Jay” Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., professor and T. Michael and Gillian Goodrich Endowed Chair of Engineering Leadership, spoke at the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering seminar series last Friday, addressing students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and staff on the future of cardiac repair and the vital role of engineering in medicine.