The 9th Annual Birmingham Ride to Eradicate Parkinson’s, part of the Team Rowland Road Series, will be Saturday, Oct. 4 at Oak Mountain State Park. This event, in conjunction with the Par Fore Parkinson’s golf tournament Oct. 3, benefits the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Parkinson Association of Alabama.

National Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Week, held annually in late September, recognizes the essential role of APPs in healthcare. These professionals, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and anesthesiologist assistants, provide direct patient care, improve access to services, and contribute to high-quality outcomes across medical specialties.

Seven faculty members in the UAB Department of Neurology have been promoted, and two have received awards of tenure, effective Oct. 1, 2025,

The UAB ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic has been designated a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence (CTCE) by the ALS Association, a recognition that underscores its commitment to providing the highest standard of care for patients and families living with ALS.

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.

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.

The UAB Department of Neurology welcomed Felicia Hataway, M.D., to the faculty as assistant professor in the Division of Cerebrovascular Disease in July 2025.

Victor Sung, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been named the next director of the Division of Movement Disorders. Anthony Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D., who left UAB in May 2025, previously served as director of the Division since 2017.

In August 2025, UAB will celebrate the opening of a new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), a facility that will more than double patient capacity, increase patient access to services, and enhance research and training opportunities.

Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t impact all communities equally, and understanding why may be one of the most urgent questions in public health today. Chad Murchison, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Departments of Neurology and Biostatistics, is helping unravel that mystery not through a microscope but through data.

A recent study authored by UAB researchers in the departments of Neurology, Medicine, and Epidemiology analyzed a decade of data to reveal that lack of access to stroke-related clinical trials may limit access to innovative treatments in geographic regions with high stroke burdens. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting more than 795,000 people annually, with age-adjusted mortality rates varying widely by state.

Jeremy Herskowitz, Ph.D., Patsy W. and Charles A. Collat Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Neurology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

July 22 marks the 12th annual World Brain Day, a global campaign led by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) to promote brain health across all stages of life. This year’s theme, “Brain Health for All Ages,” emphasizes the importance of neurological care from preconception through late adulthood.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is among eight academic medical centers worldwide selected to train a new movement disorder clinician-researcher through the distinguished Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders for the class of 2028. The fellowship is awarded via the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Giovanna Pilonieta, Ph.D., DDS, MPH, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently named one of two 2025 recipients of the McKnight Clinical Translational Research Scholarship in Cognitive Aging and Age-Related Memory Loss. Pilonieta was awarded along with Deborah Rose, M.D., of the National Institutes of Health.

Burt Nabors, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurology and director of the Division of Neuro-oncology, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Engagement Award from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

The UAB Brain Aging and Memory Clinic opened in spring 2024, marking a new era of care in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related disorders for Alabama and the region. One initiative the new space has helped support is clinical trials, bolstering UAB’s status as a performance site for the clinical trials of the most recent generation of anti-Alzheimer therapies. 

A powerful philanthropic partnership is transforming research and treatment of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before there were MRI machines or CT scans—never mind the possibility of using AI to unlock the mysteries of the human brain—there was Civitan International.

David S. Geldmacher, M.D., FANA, FACP, professor, Warren Family Endowed Chair, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, and Director of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been appointed to the rank of University Professor. This makes him the first person to hold the rank of University Professor in the 50-year history of the Department of Neurology.

Anthony P. Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D., recently left UAB after spending 29 years as a faculty member in the Department of Neurology. In that time, Nicholas established himself as a leader in the field of movement disorders on both clinical and research fronts, all while acting as a mentor for young neurologists representing medical students, residents, and junior faculty.