The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is pleased to announce a new endowed lectureship to honor the legacy of Loring W. Rue, III, M.D., professor emeritus in the UAB Department of Surgery. Dr. Rue’s leadership and dedication to improving trauma care makes him an instrumental figure in the history of the trauma program at UAB.

After more than three decades of unwavering service and leadership in trauma care, Holly Waller, RN, BSN, MPH, NE-BC, has been named a recipient of the UAB VIP Award, a recognition reserved for those who exemplify the values, integrity, and performance that define excellence at UAB.

With the growth of clinical research and trials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and to meet the evolving needs of investigators and study teams, two longstanding support programs—the UAB Department of Medicine’s Clinical Research Enterprise (CRE) and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP)—have merged to form the Clinical Research Support Enterprise (CReSt).

Since its launch, the Compassion Closet has been embraced and supported by UAB staff and the community alike, and its mission continues to grow.

A global pharmaceutical company based in India has committed to a major investment in a UAB startup working to pioneer breakthrough FDA-approved therapeutics for lung diseases.

Amy Warriner, M.D., professor in the Department of Medicine, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Brewer-Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine.

On August 16, we had the privilege of welcoming our newest class of medical students during our annual White Coat Ceremony.

Bassel El-Rayes, M.D., professor in the division of Hematology and Oncology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery Award. This recognition celebrates significant research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Research has unveiled a research focus area, Health Across the Lifecourse (HEAL). This focus area was developed to learn how different aspects over the course of a person’s life, such as their environment and background, can affect their access to healthcare and health outcomes. HEAL aims to use collaboration to connect research, practice, and policy.

In early 2025, Jonathan Kajjimu, MBBS, traveled from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as part of the NIH D43 Integrated Networks of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT) program to participate in global health research mentorship under Matt Heimann, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine and associate director for Educational Programs in the Mary E. Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH).

Ritika Samant, a medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Sara Crews Finley, M.D., Endowed Leadership Scholarship.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two medical institutions in India–the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences University (PIMS-DU; Loni, Maharashtra) and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University Medical College (BVDU; Pune, Maharashtra).

The UAB Department of Urology welcomed Kazumi Taguchi, M.D., Ph.D., as an associate professor in June.

Jeremy Herskowitz, Ph.D., Patsy W. and Charles A. Collat Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Neurology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

At the Heersink School of Medicine, biomedical research is not only a critical pillar of our tripartite mission, but also the fertile ground out of which advancements in medicine and health care grow. The “bench to bedside” research pathway translates discoveries of the cellular mechanisms of disease into cutting-edge treatments that offer hope for patients here in Alabama and around the globe.

Lewis Zhichang Shi, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

For the first time in its history, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) will hold its annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted by Elliot Lefkowitz, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology. 

A powerful philanthropic partnership is transforming research and treatment of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before there were MRI machines or CT scans—never mind the possibility of using AI to unlock the mysteries of the human brain—there was Civitan International.

Many of you may have seen the meaningful testimony delivered by Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, “Biomedical Research: Keeping America's Edge in Innovation,” on April 30, 2025.

Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named the recipient of the 2025 American Cancer Society (ACS) Professor Award. This award is the most prestigious grant made by ACS and recognizes professors who have made seminal, high-impact contributions to cancer research across a wide range of disciplines, including fundamental, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, and epidemiologic fields. It provides $400,000 in funding for five years and can be extended for another five years.