Roger Smalligan, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the Heersink School of Medicine Huntsville Regional Campus, has been named the next governor for the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and awarded ACP Mastership.

Sushant Bhatnagar, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, has published an extensive review in Comprehensive Physiology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Physiological Society, offering new insights into the cell-specific roles of BAI receptors in health and metabolic disorders.

The UAB Department of Radiology is pleased to announce the installation of two new advanced MRI systems at The Kirklin Clinic MRI Imaging Center. 

Andrea Gillis, M.D., MSPH, an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, and the team from the Neuroendocrine Cancer Research Laboratory have been awarded for the best basic science oral presentation at the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) Multidisciplinary Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Medical Symposium.

Carlton Young, M.D., assistant dean for Access and Engagement – Medical Student Experience and Professor of Surgery, will retire from Heersink School of Medicine, effective Dec. 31, 2025, after 28 years of service in student support and mentorship for the institution. He will continue his clinical practice and will remain a crucial part of UAB Medicine.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) hosted its annual Learn Serve Lead conference Nov. 1-5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. The conference gathered leaders and professionals from across academic medicine to discuss pertinent issues in health and health care.

Crystal Burney is an office associate for the Office of Access and Engagement – Medical Student Experience. She joined the OAE team in March 2025 after serving as Lead Clinical Administrative Office Specialist for the UAB Health Services Foundation. She was nominated to the 2025-2026 cohort of Medical Education Unsung Heroes by Erica Brown, Ph.D., program manager for the Office of Access and Engagement – Medical Student Experience.

The UAB Department of Medicine (DOM) recognized UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) members, Fernando Bril, M.D., Alexandra Dodd, M.D., and Kirk Habegger, Ph.D., at DOM Recognition Day 2025.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation welcomed members of Merz Therapeutics North America for an official ribbon cutting ceremony at the state-of-the-art simulation training room in the new UAB Rehabilitation Pavilion.

As a pediatric surgeon and director of the Trauma Program at Children’s of Alabama, Robert Russell, M.D., MPH, cares for the youngest, smallest, and most innocent patients of Alabama. Learn about Russell’s journey to becoming a pediatric surgeon, the cutting-edge research he’s leading, and why he loves his job.

Thi Yen Ly Huynh, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Ramanadham Lab at the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC), was granted a travel award to present at the Southeastern Regional Lipid Conference (SERLC) in Asheville, North Carolina, Nov. 5-7, 2025.

Richard Knott has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery as a human resources partner generalist, bringing with him more than 34 years of distinguished active-duty service in the United States Army.

As the finish line of another year approaches, many in academic medical environments find themselves pressed to meet deadlines, juggle competing priorities, and maintain pace in these final weeks. In honor of the holiday season, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement explored practical, research-backed strategies to support focus, restore energy, and ease mental strain. One simple, repeatable approach is gratitude, a practice shown to enhance emotional balance, perspective, and connection in both professional and personal settings.

2025 marks 80 years of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a milestone that reflects decades of advancement in clinical care, research and education. What began in 1945 as a small academic unit with a local focus has grown into a statewide leader shaped by a longstanding partnership with Children’s of Alabama. Across eight decades, faculty, staff and trainees have contributed to this growth and helped define the department’s mission.

The 2025 AI and Technology in Global Health Symposium brought together an inspiring mix of global health leaders, researchers, clinicians, innovators, and students, all united by one goal: finding ways for AI and emerging technologies to help close the gaps that still exist in health around the globe.

At this year’s AIMed25 conference in San Diego, one of the most anticipated moments came when, Rubin Pillay, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation was honored with the 2025 AI Educator of the Year Award.

Md Akkas Ali and Md Hasanul Banna Siam, trainees in the laboratory of Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, are recipients of 2026 American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowships.

Andrea Kahn, M.D., a professor in the Division of Women's Health and section head of gynecologic pathology (GYN), will assume the interim role as medical director for the Department of Pathology's histology and immunohistochemistry laboratories in the Division of Anatomic Pathology, directed by Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., FRCPC, effective December 15, 2025.

For more than two decades, Alice Rhodes, who served on the administrative staff, was a steady presence in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. She was admired for her professionalism, work ethic, and the warmth and laughter she brought to those around her.

The UAB Department of Surgery is proud to highlight the outstanding research achievements of faculty, trainees, and researchers over the past quarter.

Liranda Howard, education administrator senior in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as the recipient of the Program Coordinator Excellence Award from the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) Association of Coordinators for Urologic Residency Education (ACURE). Howard will receive the award at the 2026 SAU Winter Meeting in Houston in February.

Twelve providers in the Department of Urology 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.

Dina M. Jones, Ph.D., MPH, is making a difference in Alabama by focusing on a unique area of study: tobacco cessation.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight Ginger Glover, Pediatrics Third Party Follow-Up Representative with the Department of Pediatrics Billing team.

Each month, faculty in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB) come together for a social event that invites all faculty, staff, trainees, and students to foster connections outside their labs.

Our Pediatric Subspecialty Programs recently completed their match for fellows beginning July 2026. Congratulations to all of our incoming fellows!

There’s a positive energy that happens when a community comes together not just to raise funds and awareness, but to raise hope. That energy was undeniable this year as Teal Wings of Hope and UAB Gynecologic Oncology deepened a powerful partnership by turning events of speed, style, and sport into an effort for change.

Angela Carter, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology, has been selected to receive an O’Neal Invests Catalyst Award from the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Due to his positive experience with the UAB Voice Center team, Bill Goodrich generously chose to support the center’s mission with a $50,000 gift to the UAB Voice Center Acceleration Fund, specifically in honor of Blake Simpson, M.D., and his excellence in care.

On World Pancreatic Cancer Day, the UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) hosted an awareness booth in The Kirklin Clinic (TKC), engaging patients, caregivers, and staff in meaningful conversations about one of the most lethal cancers affecting Alabama and the nation.