by Andy Currie

On May 8, 2025, investigators in the Department of Medicine (DOM) will gather to celebrate research excellence at the annual awards reception. 

The DOM Research Excellence Advancement and Mentoring Council, or DREAM Council, is committed to promoting and supporting innovative research conducted by its talented investigators. The Council is led by Drs. Jarrod Barnes, Carmen De Miguel, and Timmy Lee. Together with 16 dedicated members, the Council oversees the nomination and selection process for a variety of awards to recognize and reward research excellence. 

Max Cooper Award for Career Excellence in Research

The Max Cooper Award is given annually to faculty with a primary appointment at the level of Associate or Full Professor in the Department of Medicine to recognize researchers that have gained national recognition for important research discoveries over their scientific career. The DREAM Council awarded Moon Nahm, M.D. with this award for 2025.

While at UAB, Dr. Nahm’s laboratory has investigated pneumococci, pneumococcal pathogenesis, and pneumococcal vaccines. These studies led his lab to discover new, previously unrecognized serotypes. His work also led to the creation of the multiplexed opsonophagocytosis assay (MOPA), which is used in laboratories across the world.

Dr. Nahm’s recent studies of host-bacterial pathogen interactions led to the discovery of innate immunity against pneumococcal capsules. Specifically, he found the serum opsonin ficolin-2 to be protective.

These achievements led Dr. Nahm’s laboratory to become a Reference Laboratory for both the NIH and the World Health Organization and be described by the NIH as “a national treasure.”

Mid-Career Award for Excellence in Research

The Mid-Career Award recognizes outstanding research achievements by DOM faculty at the mid-career level (Associate Professor). The DREAM Council awarded Rena Patel, M.D., M.P.H., MPhil. with this award for 2025. 

Dr. Patel is a physician-scientist who conducts mixed methods research using both qualitative and quantitative tools in reproductive health and accessible health care in the U.S., Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana.

She serves as the assistant director of the UAB Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center, where she continues examining social determinants of health at the intersections of the HIV and COVID-19 epidemics and leads community engagement in big data efforts.

Dr. Patel has recently been named associate director for Global Health Research for the UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH). In this role, Patel will leverage her considerable experience leading large-scale research programs and collaborations to advance the priorities of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and MHIGH.

Specifically, Patel will sustain and grow research initiatives to enable school personnel to work with key collaborating centers to understand and reduce gaps in global health access through research and capacity building.

Raegan Durant, M.D., Research Award

The Durant Research Awards seek to provide flexible support for historically disadvantaged faculty/staff in medicine who are considering or pursuing a research career. The DREAM Council awarded Juan Calix Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Amber W. Kinsey, Ph.D., Keonte Graves, M.S., and Bokani Nleya, Ph.D. with this award for 2025. 

Juan Calix Jr., M.D., Ph.D., performed his doctoral thesis work in the laboratory of Moon Nahm, M.D., then completed his Internal Medicine residency and Infectious Diseases fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He returned to UAB as Assistant Professor. His research takes pre-clinical and translational approaches to investigate the link between microbial surface glycans and the propagation of bacterial pathogens among at-risk hosts.

Amber W. Kinsey, Ph.D., focuses her research on optimizing lifestyle interventions for cardiometabolic health among priority populations, or groups that are experiencing health disparities, underrepresented in research, and/or experiencing worse outcomes in response to interventions. Kinsey’s work spans exercise science, behavioral medicine, and public health research.

Keonte J. Graves is currently a graduate student in the UAB Biology Ph.D. program. He works as a researcher in the UAB STD Research Program. Graves' research has focused on the pathobiology of Trichomonas vaginalis. His initial research project investigated the role of TVV, a dsRNA virus known to infect T. vaginalis, in the pathogenesis of trichomoniasis. Recently, he has been investigating 5-nitroimidazole resistance mechanisms of T. vaginalis.

Bokani Nleya, Ph.D., studies HIV targets of the myeloid origin and the role of innate immunity in anti-HIV activity. Nleya has worked with different genital tract mucosae inclusive of foreskin and cervical tissue explants. She is passionate about the development of intervention strategies against HIV spread.