B. Earl Salser Jr., M.D., associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, has been appointed as the department's inaugural Vice Chair of Education.

A study led by Lara Ianov, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, was published in Bioinformatics for the paper, “scnanoseq: an nf-core pipeline for Oxford Nanopore single-cell RNA-sequencing.”

UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Professor Marty Vander Noot, M.D., is a 2025 recipient of the UAB Medicine Excellence Award.

Mollie Perryman, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Otolaryngology in October 2025. She earned her undergraduate degree in Spanish from Tufts University before spending a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she taught English. She then attended the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where she completed both her medical degree and residency in otolaryngology. Most recently, she completed her fellowship at UAB.

Nicole Rademacher, M.D., a research resident in the UAB General Surgery Residency Program, was named the Most Esteemed Postdoc at the UAB Postdoctoral Appreciation Luncheon and Awards Ceremony.

UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center Scientist Kirk Habegger, Ph.D., will speak at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) glucagon physiology workshop, Feb. 9-10, 2026.

Congratulations to the 19 faculty promoted effective October 1, 2025!

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine student-run free clinic, Equal Access Birmingham (EAB), has partnered with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA), operator of MAX Transit, to help reduce one of the most common barriers to healthcare—transportation.

In April 2025, the UAB Board of Trustees approved the establishment of the John S. Gould, M.D. and Sheryl H. Gould Endowed Support Fund, designed to support the educational mission of UAB’s Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship.

Marcela Frazier, O.D., MPH, FAAO, will receive the 2025 Harry I. Zeltzer Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity International (VOSH/International), for her steadfast commitment to improving the accessibility of comprehensive vision care.

UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) is the recipient of a 2025 NIH-funded Institutional National Research Service Award (T32). The T32 grant will provide additional training opportunities for prospective students, expanding the total number of supported student slots from 18 to 20.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Eileen Rife, M.D., MS, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, has been selected to receive the Emerging Investigator Excellence Award from the American College of Rheumatology.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery is pleased to welcome Assistant Professor Adeel Ilyas, M.D.

UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Danielle Powell, M.D. was selected to receive the 2025 Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Gregory Payne, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed director of the UAB Comprehensive Center, effective Oct. 1.

Starting in the fall, the Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program will be managed by the HR Learning and Development team. This shift represents the university’s commitment to the success and development of its staff.

The UAB Department of Microbiology will host the 2025 Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture on Oct. 14, welcoming Lora Hooper, Ph.D., as this year’s keynote speaker presenting, “Vitamin A and barrier immunity.”

Melodie Pierre is a Clinical Research Coordinator I in Dr. Daniel Chu’s lab, where she supports ongoing clinical and translational studies aimed at advancing outcomes in colorectal surgery.

Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education and chair of the Department of Medical Education, has been named the inaugural Paul and Martha Burleson Endowed Chair in Medical Education.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Jianmei Leavenworth, M.D., Ph.D., has been promoted to professor.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Jesse Jones, M.D., has been promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure.

For the 16th consecutive year, Children’s of Alabama has been ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

Abhishek Parmar, M.D., an associate professor in the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has been invited to join the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Continuing Education Committee and to serve as the co-director of the SAGES Train the Trainer Program. 

Cheri L. Canon, M.D., FACR, FSAR, FAAWR, president, UA Health Services Foundation; chief physician executive, UAB Health System; professor emerita, UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Radiology, has been named the latest recipient of the American College of Radiology’s Radiology Leadership Institute® (RLI) Larry R. Muroff Luminary Award.

The UAB Department of Neurology hosted a breakfast to honor its 2025 Service Awards recipients on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Thirty-two members of the department were recognized for their years of service to the department, ranging from five years up to 35 years

On the second floor of Volker Hall, a group of first-year medical students gather in clinic practice rooms, their voices bright with energy as they run through patient histories and exam steps together. They compare notes, swap reminders, and encourage one another before stepping into a test session. These moments capture the essence of the Clinical Reasoning and Integrated Skills Program (CRISP), a pivotal element of the curriculum within the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. Launched in 2023, CRISP was built to ease the leap from the classroom to the clinic, giving students a structured, safe environment to build the skills—and confidence—they will need when they meet their first patients.

The UAB HSF Robert B. Adams Cytology Laboratory opened recently in Montgomery, Alabama, as part of the Department of Pathology’s Community Practice Pathology Program (CPPP). This laboratory space was donated by the Adams family and renovated by the Department of Pathology. Its opening has been seven years in the making.

Haley Feezell, M.D., PGY2, joined the UAB Department of Radiology in July 2025. Originally from Rogers, Arkansas, she earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas before completing her medical training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Cathy Chen, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Radiology faculty in July 2025 as a clinical assistant professor in the breast imaging section. She completed her undergraduate studies in chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University before earning her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.

How can Birmingham’s health care leaders work together to break down barriers and improve community health? That’s the central question behind Better Health Outcomes for All: Community Conversations, a panel discussion and reception on October 15 that brings together leaders from across the city to share ideas, experiences, and strategies for lasting change.