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The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center lobby has never smelled so good as it did on Friday afternoon at the first ever UAB Heersink School of Medicine Diversity Fair. Representatives from each department prepared dishes that showcased the various nationalities represented across the School. There were also special performances and art displays, creating an energetic and festive celebration of our cultural diversity. Department of Medicine flavors included Greek from Marianthe Grammas (Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care), Peruvian from Gustavo Heudebert (General Internal Medicine), Indian from Beena Thannickal (Comprehensive Cancer Center), Croatian from Leah Leisch (General Internal Medicine), and Vietnamese from Leah’s husband, Giang Leisch.

Joshua Detelich, MD (PGY-2) organized a community outreach effort last week at the Joe Lee Griffin Hope Lodge. About 20 internal medicine and med-peds residents prepared a spaghetti supper and shared it with the residents—cancer patients and their families who are undergoing treatment far from home. #wellnessmatters

Ganesh Halade, PhD (Cardiovascular Disease) Surya Bhatt, MD (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) Kirk Habegger, PhD (Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism) and Chad Hunter, PhD (Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism) have all been named to the UAB Heersink School of Medicine 2017 class of James A. Pittman Jr., MD, Scholars, a program organized to recognize the contributions of junior faculty and support the recruitment and retention of highly competitive scientists and physician-scientists. The Pittman Scholars are named for the late James A. Pittman, MD, dean of the School of Medicine from 1973 to 1992, who is considered a principal architect of the School for his ability to recruit top scientists and physicians to UAB.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published its collection of most notable articles of 2016, selecting “A Randomized Trial of Long-Term Oxygen for COPD with Moderate Desaturation” as one of the most meaningful in improving medical practice and patient care. The article was published in October by the Long-Term Oxygen Treatment Trial Research Group (LOTT), which was associated with four members of the UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine. William C. Bailey, MD, chaired the Steering Committee. He and Allen Cooper, MD, served on the writing committee; and Kathy Harrington, MD, and Mark Dransfield, MD, were key contributors to the LOTT study.

Mark Dransfield, MD (Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the national honor society of physician-scientists age 50 or younger. He will be inducted in April, pending the formal vote of the ASCI. Dr. Dransfield serves as the Medical Director of the UAB Lung Health Center, and his clinical research primarily focuses on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.