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Thirty-seven UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Workshop fall 2026 leadership development program. ELW offers a leadership development opportunity for emerging leaders at a manager, director, or similar level. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its sixth cohort of graduates at a ceremony on Oct. 29.
National First-Generation College Student Day, observed each year on November 8, celebrates students who are the first in their families to pursue and earn a college degree. For the second consecutive year, the Heersink School of Medicine joined in the celebration on November 5, bringing together medical students, residents, and school leaders for an evening of recognition and connection.
Alexander "Alex" Kofskey, M.D., M.S.H.A., joined the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine as an assistant professor in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesia on Sept. 1, 2026.
Cydney Terryn, M.D., recently joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology as an assistant professor in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry.
Tariq A. Najar, Ph.D., joined the UAB Department of Microbiology as an assistant professor in September.
When Rebecca Rampe, Psy.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, began working with patients affected by childhood abuse, neglect and traumatic loss, she noticed many struggled to find treatment approaches that fully addressed the lasting impact of those experiences. That observation ultimately led to the creation of the Developmental Trauma and Traumatic Grief Clinic.
Matthew Macaluso, D.O., has been selected to receive the 2027-28 Faculty Innovation in Education Award from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, a nationally competitive honor that recognizes innovation in psychiatric education.
Three members of the UAB Department of Surgery have been recognized for scholarship and leadership achievements within the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS), in connection with their 2026 annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Twenty-two high school students from Upward Bound Math and Science at UAB spent an evening getting an inside look at how artificial intelligence works before putting it to the test themselves. The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation (MHIBI) and the Upward Bound Academy hosted students in the Innovation Clinic for an interactive educational workshop around AI.
When longtime UAB Medicine nurse Donna Arrington suffered a devastating femur fracture, her future in running seemed uncertain. Thanks to the expert care of UAB orthopaedic surgeons Jonathan Quade, M.D., and Amit Momaya, M.D., Arrington not only returned to running but exceeded expectations. Today, she continues to inspire others through her resilience, completing ultramarathons and achieving race victories after a remarkable recovery. Read her comeback story.
Lily Gutnik, M.D., MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery and Vice Chair of Global Surgery, and Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Wellness Committee Chair, have been named recipients of the Blazing the Trail in Research Impact Awards, recognizing their contributions to advancing research in their respective fields.
Members from the Department of Pathology gathered to celebrate esteemed milestones amongst colleagues on November 11 to recognize awards and distinctions from the past year. The event was held at the UAB West Pavilion Conference Center to honor outstanding professional service to UAB and the department.
Kirstie Cummings, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurobiology, has been named Associate Director for Trainee Engagement and Education in the UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center (CNC).
The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, alongside the UAB School of Optometry and UAB Vision Science Research Center, hosted the fifth biennial Southeastern Vision Research Conference (SEVRC) on Nov. 9-10, 2026, at the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery welcomes Kara Parikh, M.D., as an assistant professor.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Associate Professor Marshall Holland, M.D., MS, has been selected for UAB’s Clinical Trialist Development Program (CTDP) for the 2026-27 cohort.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics welcomed Patel in the month of November. Please join us in making her feel at home!
UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Demario S. Overstreet, Ph.D., has spearheaded the expansion of an ongoing $3.47 million National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded traumatic injury pain study, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to establish the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as an additional performance site.
Babajide Ojo, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, received the Richard J. Grand and John B. Watkins Prize from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) for research exploring how patient-derived “mini-guts” could help predict treatment responses in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Heersink School of Medicine welcomed Michael Waldrum, M.D., MBA, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, as the speaker at the Heersink Grand Rounds. His talk focused on academic health systems and their responsibility to develop sustainable, integrated models that improve access and outcomes for rural communities.
As part of thoughtful succession planning for graduate medical education (GME), the Heersink School of Medicine is beginning the process to identify the next associate dean for GME and designated institutional official (DIO) for UAB Hospital.
Fourteen Heersink School of Medicine faculty were recognized for their appointment to endowed chairs and professorships during the Fall 2026 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Associate Professor Satoru Osuka, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded $470,000 in research funding from Children with Cancer UK.
Faculty and providers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Neurology and Children’s of Alabama (COA) shared their expertise at the 55th Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting, held Oct. 14–17 in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with preconference sessions on Oct. 13. Their presentations addressed genetic testing, advocacy, neonatal care and advances in diagnosing and treating neurological conditions.
Members from the UAB Department of Pathology gathered on November 6 in the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building to celebrate a variety of research efforts ongoing in the department. More than 120 faculty, staff, trainees, and students registered to take part in the event.
Filip Polenakovik, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine as an assistant professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia in August. A familiar face within the department, Polenakovik completed both his anesthesiology residency and cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship at UAB before transitioning into his new faculty role.
A study from the lab of Alecia K. Gross, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research and Research Infrastructure in the Department of Neurobiology, was recently published in Aging Cell. The paper, titled “Mitochondrial Genetic Background Shapes Baseline Retinal Function, Age-Related Bioenergetic Remodeling, and Microglial STING Phenotypes," investigated how differences in mitochondrial DNA influence retinal function, aging-related changes in mitochondrial biology, and immune responses in the retina. The study's first author was McKenna Somerville, a graduate student in the Gross Lab.
Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., Dr.Sc. (Hon.), FAPS, professor in the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, has received a new National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant to advance the development of a promising therapy aimed at reducing severe lung injury caused by chlorine gas exposure.
Tania K. Arora, M.D., Professor in UAB’s Division of Surgical Oncology, was recently featured on UAB MedCast discussing melanoma diagnosis, staging and surgical treatment, including how immunotherapy is changing care.
Thirty members of the UAB Primary Care Service Line have ranked in the Top 25% of UAB ambulatory physicians and advanced practice providers for 2026. UAB Medicine’s Office of Patient Experience and Engagement recognized these providers based on their exceptional patient experience scores. On surveys, each earned a remarkable rating of 98% or greater in Overall Care Satisfaction.