A gift from the Barber Companies will serve as a powerful catalyst to advance medical innovation in the UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Department of Surgery. The Barber Companies Research Fund for Patient Centered Innovation is a transformative investment in the work of Benjamin Pearce, M.D., associate professor and the William D. Jordan, Jr. Endowed Professor in Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy.
While President and CEO George Barber is a grateful patient of Pearce—“He’s saved my life once or twice,” Barber shared—the Barber Companies’ gift reflects an even deeper commitment to advancing progress. “The Barber Companies have always been synonymous with innovation and moving forward,” Pearce said. “In this spirit, we will use this fund to further the education of future vascular surgeons through the only vascular surgery training programs in Alabama.”
With the Barber Companies’ support, Pearce intends to further surgical education research and explore novel programs—including a coaching program for future academic leaders and an exploration of how artificial intelligence will impact the future of medical training—in the hope that this work will shine a light on the relatively small but dedicated community of vascular surgeons.
“With the diabetes epidemic in our society, peripheral vascular disease is on the rise and more patients will need our services,” Pearce said. “The role of a vascular surgeon is to be the expert on diagnosis, medical management, minimally invasive procedures, and traditional surgery on all blood vessels that are not around the heart or in the skull. The main procedures we do involve aneurysms of the aorta, stroke prevention in the carotids, and saving the arms and legs due to blockages.”
In addition to his robust research portfolio—including tibial revascularization, open thoracoabdominal reconstruction, iatrogenic injury, and more—Pearce also directs the division’s integrated residency and fellowship programs. A former UAB Vascular Surgery fellow himself, Pearce has been recognized for his mentorship and will use the Barber Companies’ support to promote the values of compassion and excellence that guide his work.
“I plan to use this gift to work on surgical education both at UAB and nationally to help re-invigorate the idea of caring for each and every person—patients and coworkers—within the next generation of surgeons.”
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is more than the Guinness-certified largest collection of motorcycles in the world; it’s a shrine to innovation. While the museum celebrates the heroes, trailblazers, and craftsmen who have defined the discipline, it also demonstrates that progress rarely occurs in a straight line.
Benjamin Pearce, M.D.In motorsports and medical research alike, setbacks are a part of the process. “I wanted to make sure that Dr. Pearce has all the support he needs to keep doing such excellent work,” Barber said. “I want him to have the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.”
Barber’s personal support for the university stretches back decades, highlighted by his pivotal role in establishing the Julius N. Hicks Endowed Chair, the George W. Barber, Jr., Foundation Endowed Professorship, and the George W. Barber, Jr., Foundation Endowed Lectureship in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology.
“I believe in what UAB is doing,” Barber said. “I love what it’s done for our city.”
With the Barber Companies’ support, Pearce will be empowered to explore new avenues in vascular surgery while preparing the next generation of leaders in the field. It’s a bold goal, but as famed motorcycle designer Daryl Villanueva put it, “The only thing that stands between fact and fiction is time.”