Our talented leadership team guides our efforts to realize the tripartite aim of academic medicine: research, education, and patient care. Our Chair, Vice Chairs, and Division Directors bring incredible expertise and passion to their roles.

Meet Our Chair

Mark Dransfield, M.D.

Mark T. Dransfield, M.D., is a globally recognized authority in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) research and care who brings transformational leadership to one of the nation's premier academic departments of medicine. His professional journey spans more than two decades of progressive leadership roles at UAB, including four years as director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine and one year as interim chair prior to his appointment as department chair in September 2025. His leadership philosophy emphasizes collaborative excellence, strategic innovation, and developing the department as "a destination of choice for the brightest, most creative, and most team-oriented faculty, staff, and trainees."

Dr. Dransfield has made major scientific contributions through more than 350 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, advancing understanding of COPD epidemiology, pathophysiology, and novel therapies. His groundbreaking discoveries about acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) dysfunction in COPD have opened new therapeutic pathways for chronic bronchitis, while his clinical innovation has built one of the nation's premier comprehensive COPD care programs. His leadership of the CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative (2015-2019) demonstrated innovative approaches to value-based care, serving as a national model for chronic disease management.

As Editor-in-Chief of COPD: Journal of the COPD Foundation and Chair of the prestigious Lancet Commission on COPD, Dr. Dransfield shapes global scientific discourse and leads coordinated efforts toward disease eradication. His exceptional mentorship has guided more than 20 postdoctoral trainees to competitive faculty positions and independent funding. Dr. Dransfield is a member of elite organizations including the American Society for Clinical Investigation, graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha honors, and completed his postgraduate training at UAB where he served as Chief Fellow before joining the faculty in 2003.

Meet Our Vice Chairs & Directors

Shane Wiley, MBA

Executive Administrator

Lisa Willett, MD, MACM

Executive Vice Chair, DOM
Vice Chair, Education and Faculty Development

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Robert C. Bourge, MD

Senior Vice Chair

Cynthia Joiner, PhD

Vice Chair, Research Operations and Development, DOM

Timmy Lee, MD, MSPH

Vice Chair, Research

Erica Stringer-Reasor, MD

Vice Chair, Access and Engagement

Elizabeth Turnipseed, MD, MSPH

Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs

Meet Our Division Directors

Ken Boockvar, MD, MS

Director, Gerontology, Geriatrics & Palliative Care

Andrea Cherrington, MD, MPH

Inaugural Division Director, GIMPOP

Mark T. Dransfield, MD

Director, Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care
Chair, DOM

Bassel El-Rayes, MD

Director, Hematology & Oncology

Timmy Lee, MD, MSPH

Director, Nephrology

Nicole Lohr, MD, PhD

Director, Cardiovascular Disease

Kondal Kyanam, MD

Director, Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Fernando Ovalle, MD

Director, Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism

Martin Rodriguez, MD

Director, Infectious Diseases

Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc

Director, Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology