James Cimino, M.D., distinguished professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will deliver the closing keynote address at the prestigious American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 2024 Annual Symposium. The event, which will be held Nov. 9-13, 2024, in San Francisco, California, will bring together global leaders and experts in biomedical and health informatics.

Alice Goepfert, M.D., professor in OB/Gyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and associate dean for GME/Designated Institutional Official (DIO), has been named by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as a recipient of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award. The ACGME announced its decision on October 22, 2024 and will honor the two recipients at the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference February 20-22, 2025.

A study led by Alecia K. Gross, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research and Research Infrastructure in the Department of Neurobiology, was published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal for the paper “NUDC is critical for rod photoreceptor function, maintenance, and survival.”

On Monday, Oct. 7, the Heersink School of Medicine hosted the 2024 Leadership in Academic Medicine Lecture in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium. Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D., vice chairman and partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, presented his talk, "Reflections on 40 Years in Global Health: The Power of Faith in Things Unseen." Started in 2014, this annual lecture aims to bring high-profile leaders to UAB to discuss issues facing academic medical centers across all missions.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted a Grand Rounds presentation titled "How an Innovation System Uncovered Breakthrough Solutions for CAUTI and AKI" with speaker Todd Dunn, an experienced transformation and innovation executive, on Tuesday, Oct 3.

In 2015, Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., an associate professor in the Division of Pediatrics, pioneered the idea for the COACHES Program—an initiative that is now transforming pediatric care in Alabama through education and simulation training. The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement is excited to host Rutledge for this month’s American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) lecture, where she will share insights about the inception and impact of this groundbreaking program.

Many of the research and learning opportunities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) that improve the lives of students, patients, and medical professionals are funded through grants. UAB’s Physician Scientist Development Office (PSDO) works to provide grant support and other resources to recruit, train, and retain a pipeline of physician-scientists. PSDO received two recent grants that will equip trainees with the necessary training and resources to excel in their journeys to become the next generation of physician-scientists.

Albert Schweitzer Fellows Faris Zaibaq, an M.D./Ph.D candidate at the Heersink School of Medicine, and Ethan Madison, a periodontology resident at UAB Hospital, recently led an urbanization project called “The Road Diet.” On July 26, 2024, a team of city workers and volunteers redesigned 1st Avenue South in Woodlawn as a way to invest in public health by improving the built environment.

On September 25, 2024, UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the poster winners for its 2024 Educational Research & Innovations in Clinical & Health Sciences (ENRICH) Week. ENRICH Week is an annual conference that aims to enhance teaching techniques, encourage curriculum innovation, and highlight research in 21st-century health education.

Faculty, staff, students, and their families gathered for an evening filled with cultural traditions, lively music, and a strong sense of community as the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement hosted its inaugural Hispanic Heritage Month Commemoration at University Tacos, located on 5th Avenue North.

Twenty-nine individuals comprising six teams recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s High Performing Care Collaborative (HPCC) fall 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on Oct. 3, 2024.

The complexity of the human brain has long been an enigma that neuroscientists have sought to untangle. Now, new technology at UAB will act as a critical tool to help researchers and clinicians interpret the brain in unprecedented ways.

The Heersink School of Medicine is looking forward to hosting the next lecture in the Step AHEAD series, “Voices For Our Fathers.” This important panel discussion will feature family members of men who were unwittingly involved in the U.S. Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis in the African American Negro Males, conducted in Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama, from 1932 to 1972.

Caroline Harada, M.D., associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Medical Education, has been awarded the 2024 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

On September 28 and 29, 2023, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) held the inaugural UAB Global Health Symposium with a mission of “promoting equity in global health partnerships.” One year later, we reflect on the lasting impact of the symposium by recognizing collaborations that have seen continued success because of the event, including an ongoing partnership between UAB and Alexandria University.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine announces the opening of a new office: the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement (OAE). The office will advise the dean and lead the strategic direction of the school’s programs and policies intended to identify and address barriers to success. It will promote an open and accessible environment for all students, faculty, and staff, ensuring every individual can thrive and contribute meaningfully to excellence in health care and science at UAB.

Training grants are an essential component of fostering research, education, and professional development for scientific pathways. They help support students through career development, collaboration and specialized training. The UAB Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program is a NIH T34 training program for students pursing a Ph.D. in biomedical research. 

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement, in partnership with the UAB Office of Access & Engagement, gathered with members of the community to celebrate the achievements of Hispanic health care providers.

The Society of Neuroscience (SfN) is the world’s largest scientific organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of the brain and nervous system.

The Department of Radiology is pleased to announce that, effective October 1, 2024, Siddhartha Gaddamanugu, M.D., will assume the role of program director, Neuroradiology Fellowship, succeeding Vee Prattipati, M.D.

Lisa M. Curtis, Ph.D., has been appointed associate dean for Research & Training within the UAB Graduate School and Global Affairs (GSGA), effective May 1.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 22 individuals in its ninth cohort of Institute for Leadership in August 2024.

Five new scholars have joined the UAB Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's (ADRC) REC Scholars program, which aims to develop research expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As part of the Research Education Component (REC), the program offers mentorship and a specialized curriculum, helping scholars build experience in cross-disciplinary, team-based science.

Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) is a center dedicated to integrating knowledge and methods from various scientific fields to improve the lives of those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Graduate Biomedical Sciences (GBS) at UAB recently welcomed its new class of GBS students pursuing their Ph.D. across eight interdisciplinary training themes. The GBS Doctoral Training Program provides interdisciplinary education and mentorship while allowing GBS trainees to perform doctoral research in more than 350 labs across campus.

Heersink School of Medicine awarded nine staff members as the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff winners. Individuals selected for this honor showcased outstanding accomplishments beyond their daily duties and contributed considerably to Heersink’s core mission areas – education, clinical care, and basic, translational, and clinical research.

The UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, hosted a seminar on Thursday, Aug. 29, featuring guest speaker Michael Vinikoor, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine at UAB.

In a recent study, UAB researchers found that rather than stimulating both sides of the brain using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), unilateral right DBS may avoid DBS-related declines in verbal fluency and response inhibition in patients with movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Camerron Crowder, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurobiology and assistant director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), offers a unique research opportunity for undergraduate students by teaching the PMI research process, how to develop animal models, and the use of artificial intelligence to identify treatment options through courses in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program.

In August 2024, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education office hosted a grand opening for its newly completed GME Wellness Center. The celebratory open house was attended by Heersink School of Medicine deans, faculty, UAB Hospital residents and fellows.