Sarah B. Bateni, M.D., MSW, MAS, an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, was recently featured on the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Education Series podcast. 

Adam Beck, M.D., director of the UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, has been elected as the Chief of Medical Staff-elect (COMS-elect) for UAB Medicine. 

Dr. Michael Wesley, senior pastor of Greater Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham’s West End neighborhood, knows how chronic disease affects communities. He deals with it on a very personal level. “I’ve presided over funerals of people who have passed away far more prematurely than they should have because of preventable health issues,” Wesley says. Now a research project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center (Healthy Living Center) is testing whether the concepts of “Food is Medicine” and “Exercise is Medicine” can be moved from a clinical setting out into the community to combat chronic disease. Exercise class hosted by Alabama CEAL partnersAccording to the CDC, most chronic disease can be traced back to a fairly short list of risk factors, among them poor nutrition and physical inactivity. To address these risk factors “Food Is Medicine” (FIM) interventions provide food prescriptions from healthcare providers and may include food boxes or food assistance in the form of medically tailored meals. Similarly, “Exercise is Medicine” (EIM) programs may incorporate a clinical physical activity assessment and include exercise prescriptions for patients, fitness counseling, or a list of resources for exercise programs. Typically, these types of FIM/EIM programs are implemented in clinical settings and directed at patients who are already diagnosed with a chronic disease or who are at high risk. Mobile Market shopperBut could this approach be used at a community level to reach more people and improve health at the population level? To answer that question, a team led by Mona Fouad, M.D., MPH, director of the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center, developed an innovative research study guided by community engaged research principles – Alabama Community Engagement Alliance (Alabama CEAL) Prescriptions for Community Health. “We are taking a model that has been used mainly in clinics on a one-on-one basis, and adapting it at the community level,” says Fouad, Director of the Healthy Living Center and Lead Principal Investigator for Alabama CEAL. Alabama CEAL Prescriptions for Community Health starts with FIM/EIM concepts normally used in clinical settings, works with community members and organizations to adapt them and develop community level FIM/EIM prescription, and then implements them alongside community partners to evaluate their effect on healthy behaviors and, ultimately, on chronic disease and population health. The community is at the center of it all. Community Health Working Group - Cohort 1 Kick OffAlabama CEAL starts by bringing together community members, leaders, and partner organizations into a Community Health Working Group (CHWG). The CHWG first identifies the communities’ more pressing areas of health concern. Then, together with nutrition and exercise specialists, the group designs a “Community Prescription” that uses FIM/EIM concepts and is tailored to each neighborhood, along with a community level intervention plan. Finally, Alabama CEAL Community Health Coaches—who are often from the very communities they serve—collaborate with community partners to disseminate the prescription and implement the intervention, leading community-wide events that get people engaged in the program. “The idea is if we really want to move the needle when it comes to improving health, we need to work with the whole community, and not just individuals within the community,” Fouad says. For proof of the importance of community and partner engagement to this project, one need look no further than Dr. Michael Wesley, Sr. himself. He serves not simply an advisor or consultant, but as a Community Multiple Principal Investigator helping to lead the study, an unusual role for a community member in a university research study. “We’ve seen real leadership and camaraderie begin to develop, and a lot of attitudes begin to shift toward a desire to participate,” says Dr. Wesley. “We’re not interested in having just a few people going through a process and declaring them to be healthy. We want to saturate the community. So, community leaders have to be at the forefront of this program.” If this sounds like a complex project, it is. Fortunately, the UAB Healthy Living Center had existing infrastructure, staff, and resources needed to ensure success in a project like Alabama CEAL Prescriptions for Community Health. The staff of the Center’s Partnerships and Engagement Program organize and maintain the CHWG, plan and conduct community meetings, and identify planning and implementation partners. The Participant Access to Research Core supports the recruitment and data collection efforts of the study, and, crucially, the Community Health Coach core spearheads the innovative community-level FIM/EIM intervention. Community Coach with residentsThese Community Health Coaches (also known as community health workers) often live in the neighborhoods they serve and are vital to the study. Lori Bateman, Ph.D., R.D., associate professor in the UAB Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science and a Multiple Principal Investigator on the study, emphasizes the importance of community members and Coaches to the success of the intervention. “A key aspect of this are the community members who work to design and implement these prescriptions. They know what’s likely to work in their communities and they make sure the project stays true to that.” Through Coach-led community wellness events, exercise events, cooking demonstrations, and neighbor gatherings, community members take charge of not just their own health, but the health of the entire neighborhood. Each person who attends these events leaves with a personalized “prescription,” a guide to good nutrition, physical activity, and prevention and wellness tailored to their community. For each community, Alabama CEAL also works with implementation partners like Live HealthSmart Alabama to improve the built environment and bring Mobile Market and Mobile Wellness services to the community. By being tied to resources and services that are easily accessible in the area, Prescriptions for Community Health make it easier for people to follow guidelines and adhere to the program. To evaluate the outcomes, the Prescriptions for Community Health study is following participating communities over the next two years to assess the effect of the initiative on community level health behaviors like good nutrition and physical activity. The study will also follow a cohort of individual participants to help assess how the program works through individual community members and help guide improvements. So far, early results look promising. Brenda Holifield, president of the Kingston Neighborhood Association in Birmingham, says the community focus is the best part of the study. “We’ve become a family. We give each other hugs and just love on each other. We know we’re all in this health journey together, and we want each other to succeed. These programs have truly provided the opportunity for us to change ourselves for the better, in an easy and accessible way.” This is just what Dr. Wesley wants to hear. “This is bringing the research out from the university and placing it in the community to get people engaged in taking charge of their health and their neighbor’s health.” Fouad agrees, “It’s about making it easier for people to live a healthy life. I don’t think there’s a more important outcome of research than that.” Alabama CEAL Prescriptions for Community Health currently involves the Birmingham neighborhoods of Kingston, Bush Hills, East Lake, Titusville, with plans to expand to the Druid Hills, Fountain Heights, Norwood, Evergreen and Central City neighborhoods – along with Alabama cities Selma and Camden.

The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research recently unveiled its latest group of Distinguished Investigators. Among the 48 honored was Anna Sorace, Ph.D., marking a major acknowledgment of her contributions to medical imaging.

The UAB Division of Transplantation recently performed a split-liver transplantation – marking the first use of this life-saving procedure at UAB and Children’s of Alabama (COA) in almost a decade.

UAB Hospital has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery by Blue Cross Blue Shield, a designation awarded to health care facilities that demonstrate high-quality care, specialized expertise and improved patient outcomes.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery has relocated its Neurosurgery Clinic at Greystone to a new space at One Inverness Center, expanding access to specialized care for patients across central Alabama.

Farah Lubin, Ph.D., FAES, distinguished Triton Endowed Professor and Vice Chair of Trainee Engagement and Development, has been honored with the AES Distinguished Service Award.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize Olawale Oduru, M.D., fellow in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, for earning one of the most competitive honors in his field. Oduru has been awarded the 2026–2027 Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Grant from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), the leading organization dedicated to improving digestive health in infants, children and adolescents through clinical care, research and education. The grant is awarded to one individual each year after a rigorous national review process.

The UAB Department of Neurology is pleased to announce that Aparna Vaddiparti, M.D., has been appointed as the department’s new Wellness Champion. In this role, Vaddiparti will lead efforts to foster a culture of well-being for faculty, staff, and trainees, working closely with the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology welcomed Shanti Alicia James, Ph.D., as an assistant professor in October 2025.

Thirteen providers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery have been recognized by the UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for delivering exceptional patient care during fiscal year 2025.

The Department of Urology is pleased to announce the appointment of Chen-Han Wilfred Wu, M.D., Ph.D., to the faculty at the rank of associate professor. Wu also serves as associate director for Precision Surgery in the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to welcome Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., as director for the Division of Transplantation and co-director of the Comprehensive Transplant Institute.

Rafael Grytz, Ph.D., has been named the Dennis Endowed Professor in Glaucoma Research, an appointment approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama in April 2024.

For December, the UAB Department of Surgery is featuring Dr. Lacey Swenson in its monthly Access & Engagement Committee spotlight.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) has announced funding for two pre-R01 grants for the 2025 fall cycle of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s O’Neal Invests program. Sooryanarayana Varambally, Ph.D., MBA, a professor in the Department of Pathology's Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology is a pre-R01 recipient for his project titled, "Evaluation of ATPase TRIP13 as biomarker in breast cancers and investigation of its functions." 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize Saskia D’Sa, M.B.B.S., fellow in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, for receiving the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s ASPEN26 Travel Award for Pediatric GI Fellows.

UAB General Surgery Residency Program resident Alizeh Abbas, M.D., has been selected as a recipient of the UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education Travel Award.

The UAB Department of Microbiology hosted the 31st Gail Cassell Microbiology Research Retreat Nov. 21-23 at Joe Wheeler State Park. The event represents a decades-long tradition bringing together faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and alumni for a weekend showcasing the best of the department’s research.

Martina Bebin, M.D., MPA., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently named chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) for Child Neurology. Bebin, who has served as co-chair for the past two years alongside Nina Schor, M.D., Ph.D., will assume the role in January 2026.

Twenty providers in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery were recently recognized by the UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for the exceptional care they delivered to patients during fiscal year 2025. These providers achieved a rating of 95 percent or higher in care satisfaction, based on patient feedback in Medallia.

Thanushri Srikantha, a participant in the UAB Department of Surgery Short-Term Research Experiences Advancing Medical Students (STREAMS) program, has earned national recognition for her summer research under the mentorship of Demario  Overstreet, Ph.D.

The Wiregrass Alabama AHEC is using its ongoing Pathways to Smiles initiative to introduce rural high school students to rewarding careers in oral health. This project to recruit future dental health providers comes as Alabama ranks No. 49 in access to dental care.

On Thursday, Nov. 20., the Heersink School of Medicine honored 20 faculty members at the Fall 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception. This event recognizes Heersink faculty who have made major contributions to research, education, and clinical care.

As a glaucoma fellow at UAB Callahan Eye, Tim Johnson, M.D., came to Birmingham with a clear sense of purpose.

Gregory Davis, M.D., M.S.P.H., Division Director, Forensic Pathology, was installed as the 2025-2026 president of the American Society for Clinical Pathology during the annual meeting on November 17-20 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Fourteen providers in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery were recently recognized by the UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for the exceptional care they delivered to patients during FY25. These providers achieved a top box rating of 95 percent or higher (n ≥ 30) in care satisfaction, based on patient feedback in Medallia.

Seven trainee abstracts from the lab of Jianyi “Jay” Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., professor and T. Michael and Gillian Goodrich Endowed Chair of Engineering Leadership, were selected for the 2025 American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions conference.

Justin Thomas, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging and the Office of AIDS Research to study the impact of insomnia treatment on cognitive health in older adults living with HIV.