News

This spring, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees awarded the rank of Distinguished Professor to nine faculty members and the rank of University Professor to five faculty members.

Anya McDaniel, UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine second-year student, has been selected as a national recipient of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Carolyn L.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to recognize the outstanding research contributions from its faculty, trainees, and staff.

Two years after a severe traumatic brain injury caused by a car falling on his head, Jacob Smith is continuing his recovery and making steady progress in rehabilitation with support from his family and the UAB medical team.

Ioannis Liapis, M.D., MPH, a postdoctoral research fellow in the UAB Department of Surgery, recently received the Steve Sotsky Pancreatic Cancer Research Award from the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) for his presidential plenary presentation on diagnostic delays in pancreatic cancer at the 2026 AHPBA Annual Meeting, held March 19-22, 2026, in Miami Beach, Florida.

UAB Department of Surgery Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair Herbert Chen, M.D., has been named a distinguished professor, one of the highest academic honors UAB confers, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to surgical education, clinical care, research, and leadership in academic medicine.

Callie Clowdus, LPN, and Laurel Waldrop, NP, of the Division of Surgical Oncology graduated from the UAB Wound Scholars Advanced Program on May 14, 2026.

Four surgeons from the UAB Department of Surgery are now providing specialized surgical care to patients in Mobile and Baldwin counties through UAB's partnership with Infirmary Health, which is based out of the Mobile, Alabama area. Katelin Holmes, D.O., Jillian McCabe, M.D.

Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Division of Transplantation and co-director of the Comprehensive Transplant Institute, has recently been featured on UAB MedCast.

Tania Arora, M.D., a professor in the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology and Vice Chair of Access and Engagement in the UAB Department of Surgery, has been appointed as co-chair for two prestigious surgical society committees.

The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty, recognizing exceptional faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, service, access and engagement, and mentorship.

Few centers in the Southeast offer this procedure, and the national allocation system does not typically prioritize patients with colorectal metastases — meaning extended waits on the transplantation list for these patient populations.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery honored survivors of traumatic injury and their families, as well as first responders and healthcare professionals, at the third annual Heroes and Healers event on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Fifty-six UAB Department of Surgery staff members collectively logged more than 3.3 million steps during a four-week wellness challenge in March, organized by the department's Access & Engagement Committee.

J. Bart Rose, M.D., MAS, associate professor in the UAB Division of Surgical Oncology and chief in the Section of Hepatopancreatobiliary Disease, brought his expertise directly to patients and caregivers across the country during a live virtual Q&A hosted by the Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN).

UAB Vice Chair of Global Surgery Lily A. Gutnik, M.D., MPH, has been appointed as an associate scientist of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH). 

Alizeh Abbas, M.B.B.S., a research resident in the UAB General Surgery Residency Program, has been selected for membership in the Delta Omega Honor Society.

Mary Catherine “Cathy” Duncan, RN, who was recognized at the UAB Medicine Service Awards Luncheon for 45 years of service, will retire on May 15, 2026.

Daniel I. Chu, M.D., MSPH, FASCRS, director of the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS, Endowed Chair, has been recognized by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF) as this year’s Healthcare Honored Hero for the 2026 Alabama/Northwest Florida Take Steps Walk.

UAB researchers review how senescent “zombie” cells contribute to skeletal muscle weakness with aging and disease, outlining emerging therapies such as senolytics and senomorphics that could help preserve muscle health and extend health span.

UAB General Surgery resident Autumn Beavers, M.D., was named the first recipient of the Legacy of Service Award at the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama's 10th Anniversary Celebration of Service on April 11, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama. 

UAB researchers discovered that the immune system consistently targets the same exposed region of mismatched HLA proteins following organ transplantation, and the findings could improve donor‑recipient matching and reduce antibody‑mediated rejection, helping transplanted organs last longer.

Aurelio Galli, Ph.D., D.Sc., and Angela Carter, Ph.D., have been named the school’s latest recipient of the Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable faculty research contributions and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.

Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Division of Transplantation and co-director of the Comprehensive Transplant Institute, is the senior author on a multi-center study reporting the first U.S. clinical experience using normothermic machine perfusion to rescue donor kidneys declined through the national allocation system.

By integrating new collaborative relationships and cutting-edge technologies UAB transplant teams are helping to redefine what is possible in organ utilization and patient outcomes.

UAB Vascular trainees delivered a standout performance at the 2026 Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery “Top Gun” competition, with Adam C. Banks, M.D., and Irina Gonzalez-Sigler, M.D., earning a second-place finish—the program’s highest result since 2013.

Bhuwan Giri, M.B.B.S., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has been selected by the Central Surgical Association (CSA) Foundation Board as a recipient of a 2026 CSA Foundation Award.

Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Assistant Professor Zain Hashmi, M.D., spoke from his unique perspective as a trauma surgeon and researcher about what acting with integrity looks like for him.

UAB General Surgery resident Kaitlin Burge, M.D., has been elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society chapter at the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.

The Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery will host the 3rd annual Heroes and Healers event on Friday, May 1, 2026 at the UAB Alys Stephens Center. The event celebrates survivors of traumatic injury, as well as the medical care teams and first responders who saved their lives and helped them on the road to recovery.