UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) celebrated ten distinguished faculty members from the seventh cohort of the LEading, Advancing, Developing (LEAD) at a graduation ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 23. Facilitated by Kellie Carter, Ph.D., senior leadership development specialist, this cohort demonstrated a culture of growing leadership skills and advancing academic impact in the UAB community.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Christy Foster, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, has been elected to membership in the Society for Pediatric Research. 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight the Read to Lead Initiative, a community engagement program overseen by Hope Pritchett Wilson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology. 

On Sept. 12, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Pediatric Hospital Medicine hosted the second annual PHM Incubator in the Bradley Lecture Center at Children’s of Alabama.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight Tanner Teat, program coordinator II for the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

Through hands-on activities, panel discussions, and the inaugural Research Day poster and lightning round competition, UAB Primary Care Week introduced students to the full scope of primary care careers.

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

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.

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.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Jessica Robinson, M.D., PGY-2 resident in the Department of Pediatrics, has been recognized at the Rutherford Polhill Memorial Grand Rounds with the Rud Polhill Award for Outstanding Resident in Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

Ten Heersink School of Medicine staff have been honored with the 2025 Dean’s Excellence Awards. Now in its third year, the Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff recognize individuals who have made significant and meaningful contributions to the school’s mission through their work in education, service, and research.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Chibuzo Ilonze, M.D., MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected to serve as an ambassador for the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

UAB Heersink School of Medicine students can enjoy a week-long celebration of Primary Care Week from October 6-10, 2025. This event-packed week aims to educate physicians-in-training and students across the health spectrum on the pivotal role of primary care in the health care system. 

Suresh Boppana, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, will assume the role of interim co-director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, effective Oct. 1, 2025.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics welcomed six new faculty members in the month of September. Please join us in making them feel at home!

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Sandeep Gupta, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, has been reappointed editor in chief of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN) and JPGN Reports, two leading journals in the field.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Daniel Feig, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology, received the 2025 Wallace Alexander Clyde Distinguished Service Award from the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

C. Vivek Lal, M.D., tenured professor (Oct ‘25) in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named executive in residence of the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE). Lal’s appointment marks the beginning of a partnership between HIIE and the Heersink School of Medicine that will allow both entities an avenue to better serve patients.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to introduce Kimberly Jerkins, a committed staff member of the Pediatric Administration team! 

Three psychologists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama were honored for their contributions to psychology at the Alabama Psychological Association Annual Conference.