Shi Wei, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director, Women's Health, has been named section head for bone and soft tissue pathology, effective April 1. Wei assumes the position from Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., Robert W. Mowry Endowed Professor, who recently retires on December 31, 2024, after 34 years of service in the UAB Department of Pathology. 

Several members from the UAB Department of Pathology participated in the annual Birmingham Kidney Walk and Celebration on April 5 at Samford University’s Track and Field Complex.

As international events like the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and 2025 Invictus Games put adaptive sports into the spotlight and, locally, the University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team recently earned a fifth consecutive national championship, a team spearheaded by UAB hopes to have a big impact on the health of these athletes.

Haifa Alsharif, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC), won first place for her poster presentation at the UAB Department of Medicine’s 2025 Trainee Research Symposium (TRS).

The UAB Department of Surgery welcomes Rajamiyer Venkateswaran, M.D, MBBS, M.S., renowned surgeon, researcher, and health system leader from the United Kingdom as a Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Chief of Heart, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Lung Transplant.

Angel Pine, communications intern for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery, was recently honored with four awards from the Public Relations Council of Alabama (PRCA) for her outstanding work in public relations.

Savanah Kirchner, communication specialist for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery, recently served as a guest speaker for an Intro to Public relations class on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.

A new study by Rita Basu, M.D., and collaborators, finds that restoring hepatic glycogen improves nocturnal glucose regulation in humans with Type 2 diabetes.

UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) Director Anath Shalev, M.D., was invited to present at the International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD), held in Amsterdam, March 19-22.

Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair in Pathology, has been named president of the Genitourinary Pathology Society (GUPS), effective April 1.

Timmy Lee, M.D., MSPH, will serve as the next division director for the UAB Division of Nephrology, effective July 1, 2025.

UAB Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery Kyle Mauk, DPM, FACFAS, ABPM, recently appeared on the UAB MedCast podcast to discuss the new Limb Salvage Program at UAB as well as the new Advanced Podiatric Limb Salvage and Reconstruction Fellowship, which he directs.

A new endowed scholar position in the UAB Department of Neurology has been established thanks to a generous gift. The Susan and Rodney Barstein Endowed Faculty Scholar in Parkinson’s Disease, named in recognition of donors Susan and Rodney Barstein, serves to support a faculty member in the Department of Neurology whose specific focus is Parkinson’s disease.

L. Burt Nabors, M.D., William Austin Brown Endowed Professor, Vice Chair for Research, and Director of the Division of Neuro-Oncology in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurology.

After more than three decades of dedicated service, Susan Branscum is retiring from her role in the Department of Pediatrics (DOP) at UAB, leaving a significant legacy in research and education.

Avi Madan-Swain, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been honored with the Wright Ross Salk Award for Distinguished Service in Pediatric Psychology by the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP), a division of the American Psychological Association.

Matthew Kutny, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been elected to the Children's Oncology Group (COG) Voting Body Steering Committee.

​Livie Timmerman, Clinical Research Coordinator II for the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, has been elected to serve a three-year term as Chair of the Research Coordinator Network for the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA).

Four members of the UAB Department of Neurology will be honored among 300 UAB employees for 20-plus years of service at a reception on April 8 at Hill Student Center: Randall L. Foster (35 years), Martina Bebin, M.D., MPA (30 years), Nita A. Limdi, Pharm.D., Ph.D., MSPH (30 years), and L. Burt Nabors, M.D. (25 years). 

As NTM cases rise, the UAB Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) Program, led by Bryan Garcia, M.D., in partnership with German Henostroza, M.D., has formed a multidisciplinary team to provide individualized care, improve diagnosis, and enhance treatment outcomes for patients with NTM.

Kidney stones are more than just a painful setback—they can be avoided. Studies show that with a few simple lifestyle and dietary changes, you can significantly lower your risk of developing these painful stones.

On April 2, the UAB Department of Pathology honored Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., Robert W. Mowry Endowed Professor, Anatomic Pathology, with a symposium featuring guest speakers, colleagues and former mentees of this esteemed pathologist. Siegal joined UAB in 1990 where he was recruited as division director of Anatomic Pathology and professor in the Department of Pathology, a position he held for 25 years.

Two alumni of the UAB Department of Otolaryngology who passed away in late 2024 and early 2025 leave an indelible mark on not only the legacy of the department, but on the field of otolaryngology as a whole. Kristopher F. Lay, M.D., an alumnus of the 2006 residency class, passed away on Dec. 6, 2024. David A. Kropf, II, M.D., an alumnus of the 2000 residency class, passed away on Jan. 23, 2025.

The Heersink School of Medicine launched a new brand refresh on March 19, creating a more cohesive and unified identity. This article provides a deeper look into some of the new brand usage and how you can help ensure a unified image.

In a molecular diagnostic laboratory, having a system for tracking specimens, or assays, is integral to workflow efficiency and accuracy. Although streamlining this process often proves to be challenging, members from the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics in the UAB Department of Pathology have developed the In-house Lab Assay Database (ILAD) to customize and expedite specimen tracking.

Neuroscience is actively researching immunotherapies and neuroprotective compounds that could eventually help mitigate the impact of chronic stress on inflammatory states. However, prevention remains the primary focus for now.

Alyssa Leibengood, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Neurology in June 2024. A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Leibengood completed both her undergraduate education and medical school at the University of Kansas.

Morghan Sahawneh, M.D., and John Stoffer, M.D., have been chosen by their peers to lead the UAB Ophthalmology Residency Program in their final year of training.

Rebekah Weil, M.D., has been named the associate division director for medical education for the Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science.

UAB Medicine will host Maternal Health for All 2025: Maternal Health in Focus, an event focused on maternal health and infant mortality, on April 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. at Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema.