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The UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement (OPXE) and UAB Medicine Executive Leadership have awarded ten faculty the Communication Award.

Jeffrey Blount, M.D., Department of Neurosurgery professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Assistant Professor Elizabeth Liptrap, M.D., were elected to a two-year term to serve as alternate senators for UAB Medicine on the UAB Faculty Senate.

This year, the Department of Neurosurgery will host the Annual Faculty Retreat virtually, in respect of COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.

Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Jeffrey Blount, M.D., and Director of the Neurosurgery Residency Program Curt Rozzele M.D., discuss the latest surgical interventions and techniques for treating epilepsy in pediatric patients.

This year, UAB Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Nicole Bentley, M.D., was awarded an American Parkinson Disease Association grant to research cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s Disease patients who are undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery.

UAB Neurosurgery Resident Jacob Lepard, M.D. recently won the Residents and Fellows Award for best abstract at the  Global Neurosurgery: Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls virtual symposium. The meeting was joint-hosted by the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Save the date for the 37th Annual J. Garber Galbraith, M.D., Scientific Session and Lecture, Friday, November 6, 2020, featuring this year’s speaker Linda M. Liau, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A. Liau is a professor and the W. Eugene Stern Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is the Co-Director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Center, and Principal Investigator and Director of the NCI-designated UCLA Brain Tumor Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE).

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professors Nicole Bentley, M.D. (left), and Jianmei Wu Leavenworth, M.D., Ph.D. (right), will serve as a diversity liaisons to the UAB School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Jesse Jones, M.D., was a recent guest on UAB MedCast - a medical education podcast for healthcare professionals. He joins a long list of experts to speak on various topics and innovations in the field of healthcare. Jones discusses how to identify the presence of a common subdural hematoma and the latest medical and surgical management options available to the community.

On a new episode of UAB MedCast - a medical education podcast for healthcare professionals, - Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Elizabeth Liptrap, M.D., joins Department of Neurology Associate Professor Michael Lyerly, M.D. to discuss mechanical thrombectomy for stroke. On this podcast, they share the latest clinical guidelines and patient criteria for use of endovascular interventions for stroke, such as mechanical thrombectomy.

This month, our department welcomed Assistant Professor Daniel K. Harmon, M.D., FAANS.

The UAB Department of Neurosurgery celebrated World Brain Day in July through remembering several moments of discovery made possible by ongoing research efforts in the department. Below are several stories of discovery that showcase the worldwide talent and cutting-edge technology that comprises the UAB Department of Neurosurgery.

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Director of Clinical Research Administration Donna Dixon, MBA, CCRP, and Center for Clinical and Translational Science Administrative Project Specialist Jayme Hester have been elected as the two Staff Council representatives for the School of Medicine.

In April, the Neurosurgery Women’s Leadership Council worked with UAB Advancement to create a digital campaign in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of their campaign was to share more about the work and impact of the Department of Neurosurgery and, ultimately, to raise funds to support future department endeavors.

More than 1,200 interns, residents and fellows train in every medical specialty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at regional campuses in Montgomery, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa and Selma. Each year, a class of trainees graduate and a new class joins UAB, setting off on their trainee experience, whether it be a one-year fellowship program or a seven-year residency.

As UAB looks to safely reinstate elective surgeries and research under Governor Kay Ivey’s Safer at Home Order, the Department of Neurosurgery reflects on the many ways it has strived to uphold UAB’s Mission Pillars. Specifically, the department adapted to continue excellent patient care, research efforts and academics during an unprecedented time in history.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Professor Mark Harrigan, M.D., was featured in a HealthDay article, “COVID-19 Now Linked With Strokes in Young Patients.” 

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Patient Service Coordinator Sharon Harris and Licensed Practical Nurse Calandra Reed were recognized by UAB Medicine on the list of 2020 “Hero Awards” for their commitment to excellent patient care.

UAB Department of Neurosurgery Professor Erwin G. Van Meir, Ph.D., was appointed Associate Director of Shared Resources for the NCI-designated O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.

The UAB Department of Neurosurgery welcomes its new operations administrator, Leila Sadri, MBA. Before joining the department, Sadri worked in the Division of Preventive Medicine, first as a program coordinator II and most recently as a program manager.

Originally from Orlando, Florida, Sadri received her bachelor’s degree in finance at the University of Florida and her master’s in business administration from UAB. Before coming to UAB, Sadri managed and set productivity standards for a $15 million enterprise as a financial analyst at Harris Corporation in Palm Bay, Florida.

Sadri joins Executive Administrator Donna Bailer, J.D., LLM and Director of Clinical Research Administration, Donna Dixon, MBA, CCRP in the Chair’s Office, where she will help administratively support the operations of the department.

Sadri is looking forward to growing in her role and learning more about the department in the coming months.

“I'm looking forward to gaining a solid understanding of all the players, pieces and parts that comprise the Department of Neurosurgery,” said Sadri. “Working with the rest of the chair's office team, I am excited to analyze and potentially improve new and existing procedures in order to support the department in providing excellent patient care, researching and sharing knowledge.”