Earlier this year, M.K. Sewell-Loftin, Ph.D., was honored with the esteemed American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant for her groundbreaking research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This significant award recognizes her innovative work aimed at improving understanding and treatment of a subtype that accounts for 15-20% of breast cancer cases and often leads to poorer prognoses compared to other forms.

Leveraging gamified learning, the Department of Family and Community Medicine is working to revolutionize medical education proving that, for learners, practice makes perfect. The 2025 Alabama Family Medicine Residency Cup kicked off competition this week with 11 residency programs across the state competing to answer daily, board-style questions designed to cover topics considered relevant for clinical application or for board examinations.

The UAB Department of Pathology boasts a long legacy of fostering physician-scientists who are skilled both in clinical practice and research. These practitioners bridge the crucial gap between the lab and patient care, using clinical experience to drive research leading to new treatments and therapies. Their efforts target individualized medicine, propel public health breakthroughs and ensure that scientific discoveries are translated directly to the bedside.

When someone dies by suicide, the words we use to describe their death can either deepen stigma or foster understanding. Today, mental health experts emphasize compassionate, factual language, recognizing that words can make a real difference in prevention, awareness, and healing.

Health care providers from across the state and region gathered to learn about diabetes, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, and more at the 2025 UAB Endocrinology Update, Aug. 23, at Hilton Birmingham Downtown at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

When most people think about their health, they focus on the body: the heart, the lungs, the muscles. But what about the brain? The brain deserves just as much attention, and protecting it should start earlier than you think.

The Department of Pathology is pleased to announce the promotion and tenure of eight of our esteemed faculty colleagues for 2025, effective October 1, 2025. 

Rachael Rafferty McCurdy, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, recently joined the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery as the new trauma performance improvement (PI) coordinator.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to introduce Dayna Cook-Heard, MAEd, a valued staff member of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Disease UAB Family Clinic! Cook-Heard has been a part of the Department of Pediatrics for 19 years. As Program Manager II, she supports quality management initiatives funded by Ryan White Part B and Part D federal grants while helping to strengthen program accountability and improve patient outcomes.

The UAB Department of Otolaryngology welcomed Anne Kane, M.D., in August 2025 as an associate professor and surgeon-scientist in the Division of Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery.

After more than three decades of unwavering service and leadership in trauma care, Holly Waller, RN, BSN, MPH, NE-BC, has been named a recipient of the UAB VIP Award, a recognition reserved for those who exemplify the values, integrity, and performance that define excellence at UAB.

At a time when science is reimagining what it means to prevent and potentially cure HIV, UAB Microbiology researchers carried their discoveries to the global stage.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics welcomed seven new faculty members in the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home!

UAB Callahan Eye Chief Executive Officer Jarrod Johnson, MBA, NHA, FACHE, has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of its “2025 Community Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know.”

With the growth of clinical research and trials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and to meet the evolving needs of investigators and study teams, two longstanding support programs—the UAB Department of Medicine’s Clinical Research Enterprise (CRE) and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP)—have merged to form the Clinical Research Support Enterprise (CReSt).

Nathalie Correa, Ph.D., joined the UAB Department of Radiology as an assistant professor in the Division of Physics and Engineering in August 2025.

According to the CDC, each year, 1 in 4 older adults experiences a fall, often leading to serious injuries like hip fractures, which can require surgery and months of recovery. While falls are common, the good news is that many are preventable, especially with a few simple safety steps at home and outdoors.

Tracy Brewer-Woods, administrative director in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was selected as a recipient of the 2025 UAB Medicine Excellence Awards. This is the highest honor available for staff.

In the UAB Department of Urology, a strong commitment to growth and professional advancement is shaping the future of clinical care, research, and education. By appointing faculty and staff to strategic roles, encouraging participation in institutionally recognized leadership development programs, and fostering an environment where initiative and ambition are celebrated, the department is cultivating a culture of excellence that empowers its team to lead with purpose and impact.

UAB Hospital has once again been recognized among the nation’s top hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery, according to the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 18 individuals in its 11th cohort of Institute for Leadership in August 2025.

The Department of Urology is proud to spotlight Amy Harlow, an administrative associate in our department, whose positivity, determination, and eagerness to grow shine through her work.

J. Victor Garcia-Martinez, Ph.D., professor and chair, Charles H. McCauley Endowed Chair, delivered the UAB Department of Microbiology’s inaugural State of the Department address on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. Garcia-Martinez, who joined the department as chair in August 2023, covered several aspects of the department’s research-driven and educational missions while highlighting the department’s recent accomplishments and forward-facing goals.

Since its launch, the Compassion Closet has been embraced and supported by UAB staff and the community alike, and its mission continues to grow.

The UAB Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC) is redefining decentralized drug discovery by transforming new scientific findings into actionable drug candidates. In response to an April 2025 Cell paper revealing a novel role of PHGDH in Alzheimer’s pathology, SPARC rapidly applied its AI-driven GeneTerrain Knowledge Maps (GTKM) platform to validate the mechanism and generate 18 small-molecule PHGDH inhibitors.

The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal (GI) Surgery has received reaccreditation for an additional three years as a fellowship program specializing in advanced GI surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS), and abdominal wall surgery.

Rachel June Smith, Ph.D., and Scott Cruikshank, Ph.D., have been selected as recipients of the 2025 FCIDD McNulty Civitan Scientist Award. Their collaborative study will use electrophysiological recordings, optogenetics, and computational tools to investigate dysfunctional neuronal circuits associated with SLC6A1 neurodevelopmental disorders.

Joseph Johnson, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has been awarded a Pilot and Feasibility Study grant from the UAB Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC). His study, titled “Immunologic Phenotyping of Fracture-Related Infection Patients at Risk for Treatment Failure,” seeks to improve clinical outcomes for patients with fracture-related infections (FRIs) through early immunologic intervention.

A multi-institutional study led by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) has revealed a previously underappreciated mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 infection contributes to long-term lung damage. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, demonstrates that SARS-CoV-2 uniquely induces the formation of foam cells—lipid-laden macrophages with pro-fibrotic and pro-thrombotic properties—in human lung tissue.

Participants in the UAB Department of SurgeryPre-College Research Internship for Scholarship and Mentoring (PRISM) and Future Surgeons and Scientists Investigating Oncology (FUSSION) programs came together to present their completed research to peers, mentors, and family members.