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The UAB Department of Pediatrics hosted the 6th Annual Pediatric Science Day last Thursday, March 25 with as an opportunity to illustrate research activities in the department and support collaboration between young investigators. The event included in-person presentations and a simulcast on Zoom for attendees to participate virtually. Presentation topics included clinical research, basic/translational research, clinical case reports, and quality improvement. 

Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been appointed an associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). In this role, Dr. Bhatia will assist the editor-in-chief in selecting the scientific and editorial content of JCO. She will also oversee and participate in the peer review process. JCO is a premier journal in oncology, with an impact factor of 32.9.

Congratulations Dr. Bhatia!

The Pediatric Fellowship office is seeking applications for the Chu Family Educational Scholarship for Fall 2021. Candidates will be selected on a competitive basis and upon a Review Committee’s analysis of the written application. For the academic year starting in July 2021, one to two candidates will be selected to receive a $5000 scholarship for their chosen educational endeavor.

Applications should be emailed or delivered to Ronda Chandler in the Sergio Stagno Center, 3rd Floor West McWane, no later than Friday, April 16. Scholarship recipients will be announced late May or early June.

Questions? Contact Ann Klasner, M.D. or Ronda Chandler.

Deadline for application: Friday, April 16

Application Instructions

The Department of Pediatrics is now seeking applications for the Dixon Fellowship Training Program for the 2023 academic year. The Dixon Foundation endows this Pediatric fellowship training program to prepare, train, and support fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with research emphasis in approved Pediatric subspecialties. Proposals can range from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research. As part of this prestigious award, recipients benefit from salary support and an additional $5,000 per year discretionary funds to support research and continuing education activities.

Sunday March 28- Monday March 29 is Holi, the annual spring festival of colors. Holi is celebrated on the day after the spring full moon on the Hindu calendar. It is observed by many who live in, and those who trace their roots to South Asia. Traditionally, during Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the end of winter. For many it is a day to enjoy, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. Last year, in early March, days before the COVID shutdown, we celebrated Holi at a local Indian restaurant. I look forward to being able to do this again. Although I was quite reserved in the face painting ritual, I would now be much more uninhibited to celebrate Holi.

Saturday, March 27, 2021 is the first night of Passover, the weeklong Jewish holiday that celebrates the re-telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. On this holiday, Jews eat unleavened bread (matzah) to recall when they left Egypt in haste – before the bread had time to rise. The Passover Seder begins by welcoming anyone who is hungry. There are frequent reminders to the participants that through their ancestors, they too were slaves in the land of Egypt. Even though that was more than 3000 years ago, the story of the Exodus resonates with all free people and those who are still striving for freedom and civil rights. The Seder concludes with the remembrance of the meaning of freedom in each generation: “No one is free unless all are free.” This is the second Passover during COVID. Extended families may choose not to travel but rather to unite by Zoom with all of its technical potentials, e.g., “Uncle Harry you’re still muted.”

Looking for better economic opportunities, Greek immigrants began to arrive in Birmingham in the 1880s. It is debatable who the first Greek immigrant to the state was. By some reports, it was George Cassimus in 1884. Other accounts suggest it was John Kalamares in 1883. Cassimus is also thought to be the first person to start a Greek-owned business, Fish Lunch House (c1902). 

In the new documentary “Philoxenia,” Birmingham filmmaker and UAB graduate Jessica Chriesman highlights how Birmingham’s Greek immigrants have shaped the hospitality industry with restaurants such as The Bright Star, Gus’s Hot Dogs, Ted’s Restaurant, Demetri’s BBQ, Johnny’s Restaurant, and The Fish Market. 

Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., MPH, professor and division director in the Division of Adolescent Medicine and vice-chair for Community Engagement, has been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APS) Council. Dr. Coyne-Beasley will serve as council member from 2021 to 2026. She joins Wally Carlo, M.D., professor and division director in the Division of Neonatology, who is also on the council and will end his term in 2024.

Traci Jester, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, has been invited to serve as a member of the Clinical Committee for ImproveCareNow.

March is Irish American Heritage Month

Irish American Heritage Month was established in 1991 to recognize the contributions made by Irish immigrants in the creation of America. The heritage month is held in March to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day which is celebrated each year on March 17. This day of celebration originally began as a religious holiday to honor Saint Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century and is the patron saint of Ireland. The celebration is held on March 17, the supposed date of his death. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1762 and the holiday has evolved into a celebration of all things Irish.

Irish American Heritage Month celebrates the nearly 31 million Americans with Irish ancestry and the contributions and impact that generations of Irish Americans have made to build a better America.

Below are some resources, articles and events to celebrate Women's History Month.

Virtual Events at UAB during March to celebrate Women's History Month
National Women's History Museum Daily Resource Calendar

Women's History Series from the School of Medicine
For Women’s History Month, the School of Medicine is showcasing the intelligence, compassion, and creativity of women who have come before us and who are currently paving the way for the next generation.

Part 1: Celebrating the women who have come before us

Part 2: "Women Making History" in teaching and education

Part 3: "Women Making History" in research and clinical areas

LinkedIn Learning March Challenge: Celebrating Women
March is Women’s History Month. Throughout the month, LinkedIn Learning will explore gender bias, its impact, and how to support & empower women at work. Challenge yourself to participate every day – each one takes ~5 minutes or less.

Nefertiti Harmon Durant, M.D., MPH, associate professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, has been named co-chair of the Education & Advocacy Subcommittee for the Women & Girls Bleeding Disorder Learning Action Network (WGBD LAN) of the Foundation for Women & Girls with Blood Disorders.

The UAB Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation and Children’s of Alabama has been accepted into the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), a unique clinical trials consortium focusing on personalized therapy approaches for children with malignant brain tumors.

Last Thursday, the Department of Pediatrics hosted the inaugural UAB Pioneers in Pediatrics: Celebrating Black History Month. This event was created as a way to celebrate Black History Month and to provide an opportunity to learn about the history of diversity in the department and ways we can improve diversity, equity and inclusion. A few pioneers in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, Paul Amamoo, M.D., Derrol Dawkins, M.D., and Iris Fancher, M.D., participated in a panel discussion facilitated by Brian Sims, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Neonatology, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, and Tina Simpson, M.D., professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine.

The Jewish holiday of Purim began last night and concludes tonight.

Top row L to R: Drs. Nitin Arora, Randy Cron and Pallavi Iyer. Bottom row L to R: Drs. Andy Marshall, Joe Philips and Ryan SheetsSix members of the Department of Pediatrics were elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society.

Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, was named one of two recipients of the inaugural Professional Excellence Award. This award was created by the UAB School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) to honor underrepresented in medicine (URiM) faculty who have demonstrated excellence in their careers.

Top left to right: Drs. Bill Britt, Randy Cron, Pallavi Iyer, Viral Jain, Claudette Poole, Brandon Rocque, Emily Smitherman and Kent WillisChildren’s of Alabama and the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute (KPRI) are pleased to announce the 2021 awards. The major goal of the KPRI grant program is to allow investigators to obtain data that will advantage applications for additional extramural funding. This will bring new knowledge to the care of children, leverage the investment of the KPRI, and allow projects to be competitive for the very best science on the national stage. A second, but important, goal is to ensure that a dedicated funding source is available to unique segments of the pediatric research, education, and quality improvement enterprise.

Carlie Stein, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, has recently been named program director for the UAB Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatric Residency Program. Dr. Stein takes over for J.R. Hartig, M.D., associate professor in the Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Academic General Pediatrics, who has served as program director of the residency program for over 15 years.

Ariel Salas, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology, has been selected as Pittman Scholar in the UAB School of Medicine. This esteemed group was created to honor the legacy of Dr. James A. Pittman, Jr., the longest-serving dean in our School’s history.