Explore UAB

L to R: Sunena Chhabra Argo, Karlene Walker and Alicia WebbThe UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed three new faculty members in the month of September.  Please join us in making them feel at home!   

We are pleased to announce that Michele Kong, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, will receive an endowed professorship from Children’s of Alabama on Oct. 1, 2022. This celebrates Dr. Kong’s significant contributions to Children’s of Alabama, UAB and to our larger community.

Two faculty members in the Division of Neonatology were honored at the Perinatal Research Society annual meeting, held in Austin, TX from Sept. 9-11. Ariel Salas, M.D., associate professor, and Vikek Shukla, M.D., assistant professor, both received the Outstanding Paper by an Associate Member/ Best Young Investigator Paper, Perinatal Research Society Award.  

The Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) hosted its annual awards dinner on Saturday, Sept. 10 in Birmingham, Alabama. Morissa Ladinsky, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics, and Candice Dye, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Academic General Pediatrics, were among those honored.

Randy Cron, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, was selected for a volunteer position on the American College of Rheumatology Division Directors Committee.

Top L to R: Caroline Densmore, Chinenye Dike, Emily Dodenhoff, Claire Keith, Jordan Lim, Adria Luk, Leen Matalka, Abigail Martin, Emily Nolte, Lauren Robinson, Nick Rockwell, James Statler and Lece Webb.The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed thirteen new faculty members in the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home!

Back L to R: Brian May, Adolfo Molina, Alana Nichols, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, Carlie Stein, Lisa Willet, Mitch Cohen, Karla Williams and Channing BrownAlana Nichols, M.D., PGY-2 Med-Peds resident, was named to the Birmingham Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40.

Samuel Gentle, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology, received a Loan Repayment Program (LRP) award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Elizabeth Gunn, M.D., fellow in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, was recently selected for the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Research Training Award for Fellows (RTAF).

Cathy Turner, executive administrator of the Department of Pediatrics, recently graduated alongside 26 of her classmates in Cohort 56 of UAB's Executive Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA) Program.

Top L to R: Hannah Hightower, Mark Law, Colin Martin and Michael SeifertThe UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) is a collaboration between the Collat School of Business and the School of Medicine. The program offers training opportunities and develops leadership skills essential to academic healthcare.

Critical determinants of children's health and well-being are rooted in socioecological and behavioral factors that are beyond the typical purview of the health care system. To adequately address health, pediatricians must unpack these through the lens of child health equity. 

The Global Health Interest Group has met six times over the academic year, beginning in July with an introductory talk on global health as an overview to all residents interested in global health.

The UAB Department of Pediatrics Mini Medical School started in the spring of 2022 to provide a longitudinal series of virtual and in-person experiences to increase middle school students’ awareness of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, both in general and in medicine. An additional goal of the program is to increase the pipeline for those who have traditionally been under-represented in medicine (URiM).

Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, was recently appointed to a six-year appointment to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Subboard of Pediatric Rheumatology.

Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., MPH, professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, was recently invited to join the Journal of Adolescent Health (JAH)’s Editorial Board for a three-year term.

Top L to R: Kelli Chaviano, Stephen Clark, Margaret Marks, James Odum, Marie Pfarr, Mary Silverberg, Emily Skoog and Michelle VetersThe UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed eight new faculty members in the month of July. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

Jessica Schmitt, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, was recently selected as the assistant course director of Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) and Clinical Skills Scholar’s Program (CSSP).

Please join us in congratulating Binh Vu, M.D., fellow in the Division of Neonatology, on receiving the 2021-2022 Spring Fellow Research Roundtable/Fellow Core Conference Attendance Award. As part of this award, Dr. Vu will be given a stipend to use towards expenses for a meeting of his choice.

L to R: Elizabeth Alva and Matthew KutnyAs of July 1, 2022, Elizabeth “Lilly” Alva, M.D., MSPH, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will be taking over as director of the Pediatric Solid Tumor Program. In this capacity, she will oversee and help grow and develop clinical, research, and educational aspects of the solid tumor program.