Four faculty and staff members from the UAB Department of Surgery were recognized at the annual UAB Service Awards, which celebrates employees for their long-term dedication to UAB.

One night, Abigail Boone went to bed as her usual energetic self—a mother, a wife, a violinist, and an avid runner. By morning, her world would be turned upside down. What began as an achy leg escalated into a terrifying experience that left her barely able to move.

Harrison Walker, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently appointed as the Susan and Rodney Barstein Endowed Faculty Scholar in Parkinson’s Disease. The position was established by an endowed gift to UAB from Susan and Rodney Barstein, whose goal is to support innovative research in Deep Brain Stimulation to improve therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

The UAB Department of Pathology hosted its third annual Staff Retreat on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The day-long event featured an array of speakers and team activities.

When you go to the doctor, the first thing you’re asked is, “Do you have a family history of X?” Do you know the answer?

UAB Division of Plastic Surgery Professor R. Jobe Fix, M.D., has completed 35 years of service at the UAB Department of Surgery, combining patient care and commitment to medical education.

Executive Vice Chair of Surgery Gregory Kennedy, M.D., Ph.D., begins his term this month as President of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT).

Emily Johnston M.D., MS, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, was recently named as director of Pediatric Palliative Care Research and Education within the Center for Palliative and Supportive care.

We are honored to announce Claire Doss, M.D., Meredith Goldenberg, M.D., and Sam McCartney, M.D., as our pediatric co-chief residents for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.

A recent grant award in the Department of Neurology serves to help investigators analyze how a group of brain cells may be responsible for changes to neural circuits that lead to the movement disorder dystonia.

Adam Baumgarten, M.D., MBA, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Urology, Departmental Value Officer, Associate Residency Program Director, and Director of Medical Student Education, has been selected to join the 2025–2026 Leadership Class of the American Urological Association (AUA) Institute for Leadership & Business. Representing the Southeastern Section, Baumgarten is a part of a nationally recognized program designed to shape the future leaders of urology.

Rena C. Patel, M.D., MPH, MPhil, has been named associate director for Global Health Research for the UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH), effective May 1. In this role, Patel, who also serves as an associate professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases, will leverage her considerable experience with leading large-scale research programs and collaborations to advance the priorities of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and MHIGH.

Monica Pasala, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Neurology in June 2024. Get to know Dr. Pasala better with three quick questions!

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) recognizes Michael Neville and Vicky Ott. The two have been participating in the UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) research project for 50 years.

Scott Austin, MBA, senior advisor for Faculty Affairs, and Shane Wiley, MBA, executive administrator in the Department of Medicine, have been named 2025 Will Ferniany Academic Medicine Leadership Award recipients.

UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Assistant Professor Radhika Sharma, M.D. is featured on UAB MedCast to discuss spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

The UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and the UAB Leadership Development Office (LDO) graduated the first cohort of the “Lead Infinitely” workshop series.   

The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office recently recognized eight individuals in its sixth cohort of Sharing Authentically to Inspire and Lead (SAIL). The spring 2025 graduates were honored at a ceremony on April 8.

The UAB Department of Surgery continues to be well-represented among recipients of the prestigious James IV Traveling Fellowship, a testament to the department’s commitment to advancing surgical innovation and global collaboration.

Adam Beck, M.D., Holt A. McDowell Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair of Vascular Surgery at UAB and UAB Vascular Surgery Integrated Resident, Angela Sickels, M.D., aimed to determine what part of the population benefited from prophylactic drains. Their research on the topic was presented at the 2025 Southern Association for Vascular Surgery Annual Meeting, and was featured in the national society newsletter.

The UAB Department of Neurology welcomed Sarah Letang, Ph.D., to the faculty as assistant professor in February 2025.

Maria Jones-Muhammad, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology. She joined UAB after earning her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Suzanne Lapi, Ph.D., vice chair of research, director of the UAB Cyclotron Facility, co-leader of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Experimental Therapeutics program, Emmet O’Neal II Endowed Professor in lung cancer research, and professor in the Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research with the UAB Department of Radiology, has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Professor in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is taking action to revolutionize its research efforts. Through identified focus areas, increased collaborative efforts, and research priorities, the department is working to be a leader, not only in the field of orthopaedics, but also in orthopaedic research.

UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, will co-moderate the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Symposium for Research in Surgical Palliative Care, which will be hosted on Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 7:00–8:30 p.m.

Desiree Morgan, M.D., vice chair of faculty affairs and professor in the abdominal imaging section in the Department of Radiology, was appointed as University Professor in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

The UAB Department of Surgery hosted an in-depth research retreat this April. The event brought together faculty, trainees, and staff for a day full of learning, collaboration, and innovation across each of the nine divisions of the department.

On April 5, students representing the UAB Center for Community Outreach Development (CORD) attended the Alabama State Science and Engineering Fair at Auburn University.

The Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science is pleased to announce the appointment of Abu Saleh Mohammad Mosa, Ph.D., M.S., FAMIA, as vice chair for Clinical Research Informatics.