Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., has been promoted from associate dean for Global and Women’s Health to senior associate dean for Global and Women’s Health in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Tita is also the director of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and holds the Mary Heersink Endowed Chair of Global Health.

On Nov. 15, 2023, the Heersink School of Medicine, Medical Alumni Association (MAA), and Department of Medical Education partnered to host a combined alumni reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the recently completed Volker Hall renovation and the opening of the Heersink Family Active Learning Center.

More than 70 attendees from 20 institutions across Alabama had conversations and heard from a diverse group of panelists about workforce shortages, rural and underserved care, and more at the 2024 Primary Care Summit on Jan. 25.

Lunar New Year 2024 begins Feb. 10. The Office for Diversity and Inclusion sat down with Yabing Chen, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, to learn what Lunar New Year means to her.

The threat of severe weather can lead to uncertainty and confusion. It is important to be aware of the systems UAB has in place for severe weather closures, and how they may affect you.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees has appointed Irfan M. Asif, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean of primary care and rural health, as the inaugural recipient of the Heersink Endowed Professorship in Sports and Exercise Medicine.

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, presented the annual State of the School address. These are the key takeaways.

The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is pleased to announce the newest cohort of James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., Scholars.

After a national search, Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chair of the Department of Pathology, effective March 4, 2024. Magi-Galluzzi is a professor and the director of the Division of Anatomic Pathology, and the director of Genitourinary Pathology in the Department of Pathology. She holds the C. Bruce Alexander Endowed Professorship in Pathology.

The Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health is excited to announce the first recipient of its telehealth pilot grant, Noha Sharafeldin, MBBCh, MSc, Ph.D.

The Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office is the administrative support unit responsible for overseeing all activities related to GME at UAB. Currently, there are approximately 1,200 residents and fellows enrolled in these programs.

In the fast-evolving landscape of international education, the importance of cross-border partnerships cannot be overstated. The collaboration between the UAB International Medical Education at the Heersink School of Medicine and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Medical University of Bahrain stands as a model of the transformative power of international medical education exchange programs.

In an ongoing commitment to excellence, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to offer several comprehensive educational initiatives that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. These courses promote an inclusive clinical and academic environment.

In an ongoing commitment to excellence, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion is pleased to offer several comprehensive educational initiatives that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. These courses promote an inclusive clinical and academic environment.

The Heersink School of Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) recently graduated its newest class of alumni with the graduation of 15 individuals from the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership, marking the seventh cohort of the program. A ceremony honoring the graduates was held on Dec. 13, 2023, at Wallace Tumor Institute with the school Dean Anupam Agarwal, M.D., featured as a guest speaker.

Bradley Yoder, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, introduces the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Group.

Vikas Dudeja, M.D., endowed professor in Gastrointestinal Oncology and director of the Division of Surgical Oncology, and Pankaj Arora, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease, have been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation's (ASCI) new active and international members for 2024.

Adam Agee has been named director of Information Technology for the Heersink School of Medicine, effective December 1, 2023. Agee has served as interim director since June 2023 after the passing of longtime director John Taylor. In this role, Agee will strategize the vision and guide the direction of the Medical Education Information Services (MEIS) team moving forward.

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Professor and Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery Director Jeffrey Blount, M.D., MPH, and Professor James Johnston, M.D., MPH, recently presented at the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies’ 18th World Congress of Neurosurgery as invited faculty lecturers. 

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellow Michael Feldman, M.D., presented at the 2023 Joint Pediatric Section Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

Department of Neurosurgery Clinical Research Manager Anastasia Smith, MPH, and Global Neurosurgery Program Manager Martina Gonzalez Gomez, M.D., MSc, recently represented the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at two organized neurosurgery meetings. 

Leslie Rhodes, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, has been named the next president of UAB's chapter of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), facilitated by the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion. 

UAB Department of Neurosurgery PGY-6 Neurosurgery Resident Dago Estevez-Ordonez, M.D., Ph.D., recently completed the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences program, earning his Doctor of Philosophy in neuroscience. 

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Professor Brandon Rocque, M.D., M.S., presented at the 2023 Joint Pediatric Section Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Professor James Johnston, M.D., MPH, was recently named to the Accreditation Council for Pediatric Neurosurgery Fellowships’ Board of Directors. 

Meghan Hofto, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and leader of the Pediatric Underserved and Global Health Scholars program, instructs both the Foundations of Global Health I and Foundations of Global Health II courses

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine recently ushered in the joyous festival of Chanukah (or Hanukkah) with a vibrant Public Menorah Lighting event held on Thursday, Dec. 7. Hosted by the Office for Diversity and Inclusion Student Affairs, the Chabad of Alabama, and the Jewish Medical Student Association, this festive event brought together UAB leadership, students, and community members. The gathering was filled with meaningful speeches, networking opportunities, music, and traditional Chanukah treats.

The holiday season is officially upon us! For many, this most magical time of year is associated with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s final ballet-- the enchanting, dreamlike story of a girl whose nutcracker comes to life on Christmas Eve. This season, thanks to a partnership with the Alabama Ballet, UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine is helping to keep the entire cast of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® en pointe.

From January to May of 2023, Shelby Lyda, M.D., was extremely tired and had brain fog, but she chalked it up to the demands of a residency program.

On Dec. 6, 2023, the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute (CTI) announced a change in leadership. Jayme Locke, M.D., MPH, resigned her position as CTI director, and Clifton Kew, M.D., and Carlton Young, M.D., have been appointed as interim co-directors for the CTI. Both changes are effective as of Dec. 5, 2023.