Richard Knott has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery as a human resources partner generalist, bringing with him more than 34 years of distinguished active-duty service in the United States Army.

As the finish line of another year approaches, many in academic medical environments find themselves pressed to meet deadlines, juggle competing priorities, and maintain pace in these final weeks. In honor of the holiday season, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement explored practical, research-backed strategies to support focus, restore energy, and ease mental strain. One simple, repeatable approach is gratitude, a practice shown to enhance emotional balance, perspective, and connection in both professional and personal settings.

2025 marks 80 years of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a milestone that reflects decades of advancement in clinical care, research and education. What began in 1945 as a small academic unit with a local focus has grown into a statewide leader shaped by a longstanding partnership with Children’s of Alabama. Across eight decades, faculty, staff and trainees have contributed to this growth and helped define the department’s mission.

The 2025 AI and Technology in Global Health Symposium brought together an inspiring mix of global health leaders, researchers, clinicians, innovators, and students, all united by one goal: finding ways for AI and emerging technologies to help close the gaps that still exist in health around the globe.

At this year’s AIMed25 conference in San Diego, one of the most anticipated moments came when Rubin Pillay, M.D., PhD., professor in the division of Internal Medicine and Population Science, was honored with the 2025 AI Educator of the Year Award.

Md Akkas Ali and Md Hasanul Banna Siam, trainees in the laboratory of Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, are recipients of 2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowships.

Andrea Kahn, M.D., a professor in the Division of Women's Health and section head of gynecologic pathology (GYN), will assume the interim role as medical director for the Department of Pathology's histology and immunohistochemistry laboratories in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, directed by Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., FRCPC, effective December 15, 2025.

For more than two decades, Alice Rhodes, who served on the administrative staff, was a steady presence in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She was admired for her professionalism, work ethic, and the warmth and laughter she brought to those around her.

The UAB Department of Surgery is proud to highlight the outstanding research achievements of faculty, trainees, and researchers over the past quarter.

Liranda Howard, education administrator senior in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as the recipient of the Program Coordinator Excellence Award from the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) Association of Coordinators for Urologic Residency Education (ACURE). Howard will receive the award at the 2026 SAU Winter Meeting in Houston in February.

Twelve providers in the Department of Urology were recently recognized by the UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for the exceptional care they delivered to patients during fiscal year 2025. These providers achieved a rating of 95 percent or higher in care satisfaction, based on patient feedback in Medallia.

Dina M. Jones, Ph.D., MPH, is making a difference in Alabama by focusing on a unique area of study: tobacco cessation.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight Ginger Glover, Pediatrics Third Party Follow-Up Representative with the Department of Pediatrics Billing team.

Each month, faculty in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB) come together for a social event that invites all faculty, staff, trainees, and students to foster connections outside their labs.

Our Pediatric Subspecialty Programs recently completed their match for fellows beginning July 2026. Congratulations to all of our incoming fellows!

There’s a positive energy that happens when a community comes together not just to raise funds and awareness, but to raise hope. That energy was undeniable this year as Teal Wings of Hope and UAB Gynecologic Oncology deepened a powerful partnership by turning events of speed, style, and sport into an effort for change.

Angela Carter, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology, has been selected to receive an O’Neal Invests Catalyst Award from the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Due to his positive experience with the UAB Voice Center team, Bill Goodrich generously chose to support the center’s mission with a $50,000 gift to the UAB Voice Center Acceleration Fund, specifically in honor of Blake Simpson, M.D., and his excellence in care.

On World Pancreatic Cancer Day, the UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) hosted an awareness booth in The Kirklin Clinic (TKC), engaging patients, caregivers, and staff in meaningful conversations about one of the most lethal cancers affecting Alabama and the nation.

Sarah B. Bateni, M.D., MSW, MAS, an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, was recently featured on the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Education Series podcast. 

Adam Beck, M.D., director of the UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, has been elected as the Chief of Medical Staff-elect (COMS-elect) for UAB Medicine. 

Dr. Michael Wesley, senior pastor of Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham’s West End neighborhood, knows how chronic disease affects communities. He deals with it on a very personal level. “I’ve presided over funerals of people who have passed away far more prematurely than they should have because of preventable health issues,” Wesley says. Now a research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center (Healthy Living Center) is testing whether the concepts of “Food is Medicine” and “Exercise is Medicine” can be moved from a clinical setting out into the community to combat chronic disease.

The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research recently unveiled its latest group of Distinguished Investigators. Among the 48 honored was Anna Sorace, Ph.D., marking a major acknowledgment of her contributions to medical imaging.

The UAB Division of Transplantation recently performed a split-liver transplantation – marking the first use of this life-saving procedure at UAB and Children’s of Alabama (COA) in almost a decade.

UAB Hospital has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield, a designation awarded to health care facilities that demonstrate high-quality care, specialized expertise and improved patient outcomes.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery has relocated its Neurosurgery Clinic at Greystone to a new space at One Inverness Center, expanding access to specialized care for patients across central Alabama.

Farah Lubin, Ph.D., FAES, distinguished Triton Endowed Professor and Vice Chair of Trainee Engagement and Development, has been honored with the AES Distinguished Service Award.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize Olawale Oduru, M.D., fellow in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, for earning one of the most competitive honors in his field. Oduru has been awarded the 2026–2027 Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Grant from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), the leading organization dedicated to improving digestive health in infants, children and adolescents through clinical care, research and education. The grant is awarded to one individual each year after a rigorous national review process.

The UAB Department of Neurology is pleased to announce that Aparna Vaddiparti, M.D., has been appointed as the department’s new Wellness Champion. In this role, Vaddiparti will lead efforts to foster a culture of well-being for faculty, staff, and trainees, working closely with the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology welcomed Shanti Alicia James, Ph.D., as an assistant professor in October 2025.