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The path that led Wade Jones to matching into family medicine has been years in the making. A native of Guntersville, Ala., who matched into the UAB Huntsville Family Medicine Residency program, family medicine was the career he envisioned long before entering medical school. Jones was one of 14 Heersink School of Medicine graduates who received a 2026 Primary Care/Family Medicine Match Scholarship award from the Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Comprehensive Urban Underserved and Rural Experience (CU2RE) program.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept for health systems. It's already reshaping how clinicians document visits, how administrators manage scheduling, and how care teams navigate prior authorization and revenue cycle work. To help UAB’s clinical, administrative, and research professionals get ahead of that shift, the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted an intensive three-day workshop: AI Automation in Healthcare.
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 68th Annual Meeting will be held from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ralph Sanderson, Ph.D., a professor emeritus in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, retired from the department on August 31, 2023, after 17 years of service at UAB and 34 years in the field of pathology. A passionate educator and mentor, Sanderson was the founding director of the Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine graduate theme and served as co-leader in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Cancer Cell Biology Program. He was a mentor and advisor for more than 110 medical, graduate, and postdoctoral students, and nearly 20 junior faculty members. In 2012, Sanderson was named the UAB Endowed Professor of Cancer Pathobiology, and in 2018, director of the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology.
The UAB Department of Radiation Oncology is expanding its impact far beyond Alabama, attracting clinicians, physicists, and trainees from across the United States and around the world to learn from experts in radiation oncology. Through a growing portfolio of specialized training programs, the department has become a destination for health care professionals seeking firsthand exposure to advanced treatment technologies, clinical workflows, and implementation strategies.
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine proposes a new conceptual framework relating the magnitude of the CD4+ T cell response to the divergence of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and non-Tfh cells and reveals that the transcription factor BACH2 has bidirectional effects on CD4+ T cell differentiation based on antigen dose, immunization method, and location of the immune response.
Katelyn Ragland, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology as an assistant professor in August 2026. She shares more about her background and goals for this new role.
Chandler McLeod, M.S., Ph.D., biostatistician in the UAB Department of Surgery, has built a career around understanding complex systems.
Kaylin Swoboda, MPH, education administrator in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected to serve on the UAB Program Administrator and Coordinator (PAC) Leadership Team, a group within Graduate Medical Education that mentors residency and fellowship coordinators across the institution.
The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery recently welcomed Todd Sheils, M.D., as an assistant professor.
The UAB Department of Surgery is excited to welcome two new faculty members in September 2026 – Piyush Kumar Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., and Erin Burton, M.D.
The UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has expanded its thyroid care offerings with the launch of a radiofrequency ablation (RFA) program, providing a minimally invasive, non-surgical treatment option for patients with benign thyroid nodules.
Cancer cells live under constant siege, generating a steady barrage of DNA damage that many therapies push even further, yet tumors so often survive and come back resistant. New research from Wioletta Czaja, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, points to one reason why: a chromatin regulator called HELLS that helps cancer cells repair damaged DNA and stay a step ahead of treatment.
The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) recently recognized 11 individuals in its ninth cohort of its LEading, Advancing, Developing (LEAD) program. The fall 2026 graduates received their certificates on Sept. 3.
Roxanne Lockhart, M.D., recently joined the UAB Department of Neurology as an assistant professor in the Division of Epilepsy, bringing a rich history of connection and dedication to the institution.
Kyle Wood, M.D., MBA, associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, is pioneering a new handheld robotic ultrasound-guidance device that changes how physicians access the kidney during stone surgery. The technology is designed to help surgeons precisely target the kidney, usually one of the more technically challenging steps. For Wood, this has allowed for smaller incisions, less trauma to the kidneys, and quicker recovery times.
This month, we meet researcher John Mullin, who works in the labs of clinical diabetes researchers Rita Basu, M.D., and Ananda Basu, M.D. studying glucose metabolism.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Children’s of Alabama have been named a Team Telomere Center of Excellence for Telomere Biology Disorders (TBDs). The designation recognizes the institutions’ commitment to providing comprehensive, coordinated care while advancing research, education, collaboration and advocacy for patients and families affected by these rare conditions.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Kristen Lamb, PA-C, has received a 2026 UAB Medicine Excellence Award, the highest honor for staff members.
Amy Warriner, M.D., UCDC scientist and professor in the Department of Medicine Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, was a special guest on the Arthritis Foundation’s Live Yes! with Arthritis podcast where she discussed tips for living with diabetes and arthritis.
Mason Aldridge, MSN, RN, a newly-welcomed advanced practice provider (APP) in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery, has already forged a noteworthy career in both nursing care and advocacy.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery welcomes Addison Lusco as a communications intern.
The UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine recently welcomed Joseph Anderson, M.D., as an assistant professor.
The UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recently welcomed Thomas “Gil” Townes, M.D., as an assistant professor in the Division of Head and Neck Oncology/Endocrine.
Abdelrahman Abdelazim, MBBCH, joined the UAB Department of Radiology as an assistant professor in the Division of Interventional Radiology in August 2026. Learn more about his journey and what inspires his work.
Members of the UAB Department of Surgery were recognized this year with Patient Experience Hero Awards and Clinical Excellence in Nursing Awards, highlighting their commitment to delivering exceptional patient-centered care across the health system.
A study led by Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D., and Linda Overstreet-Wadiche, Ph.D., professors in the Department of Neurobiology, was published in Nature Neuroscience, titled "Glutamate concentration tunes AMPA receptor function through conductance-state occupancy." Co-authors include Gokulakrishna Banumurthy, Reagan L. Pennock, Luke T. Coddington, Xiaohui Yan, and Gabrielle N. Smith.
Leveraging a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the NIH, a new clinical trial led by Drew Sayer, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, is exploring strategies for improving obesity treatment for aging adults.
UAB researchers are part of an international study investigating a drug that could potentially stop or slow bleeding in the brain, also known as an intracerebral hemorrhage. Caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, intracerebral hemorrhage is the second leading cause of stroke, responsible for up to 30 percent of all strokes.
Has your child been struggling to read the board, avoiding reading or complaining of headaches since school started? Vision problems can affect how children learn and participate in the classroom, but children may not realize they are having trouble seeing.