At UAB Heersink School of Medicine, students are presented opportunities for cutting edge, industry leading medical education, training with the latest technology and techniques that the medical field has to offer. How do medical professionals respond in remote or extreme locations when such technology and resources are inaccessible? Those scenarios and others are presented to medical students through the Wilderness Medicine Special Topics Course.

For faculty in academic medicine, career growth and professional development often come with challenges. To explore these challenges and opportunities for growth, Sima Patel, M.D., FAES, FANA, an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, began collaborating in 2021 with Jane B. Allendorfer, Ph.D., FAES, an Associate Professor of Neurology at UAB, and 24 investigators through the Women in Neurology Collaborative Study (WINCS).

The Heersink School of Medicine transformed the UAB North Pavilion Atrium into a vibrant celebration of global traditions on February 6, 2025, during the Cultural Connections Food Fair. From the moment guests arrived, they were immersed in sights, smells, and sounds from around the globe, setting the tone for an evening of celebration, unity, and joy.

Dr. Stefanie Robel, associate professor in the UAB Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology (CDIB), is a recipient of the Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship 2024.

Louis Muglia, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and medical geneticist and pediatrician known for his groundbreaking research on preterm birth and prenatal testing, delivered "The Time to Be Born" at the Heersink Grand Rounds on Jan. 30.. His talk explored the complex mechanisms that determine birth timing and the genetic factors involved.

The Heersink School of Medicine hosts a variety of events each month to enrich and connect faculty, staff, and students. This February is no exception, with events ranging from a food fair to educational seminars to trivia. Here are six ways to get involved this month!

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 16 individuals in its 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership in January 2025. UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the Leadership Development Office, aimed at empowering leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. It features an initial DISC assessment and a robust agenda of guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including Institute alumni, throughout the program.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, presented the annual State of the School address in person at Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium and via live stream (watch a replay).

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 2025 Pittman Scholars. This prestigious honor recognizes assistant professors who have held that rank for fewer than five years for their exceptional research achievements and potential for future contributions to their fields. Named after former School of Medicine Dean James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., this award highlights the school's commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in medical research.

The Heersink School of Medicine is set to transform the North Pavilion Atrium into a global marketplace of flavors, traditions, and creativity with the Cultural Connections Food Fair on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 4:30 p.m.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping medicine, and one of the many ways the Heersink School of Medicine has responded is by developing new training programs, including an AI in Medicine Graduate Certificate and an AI in Medicine Master of Science (M.S.) degree, that prepare trainees for new opportunities in health care technology and innovation. Both programs are established collaboratively with the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation.

The UAB campus is rapidly being reimagined through numerous new construction and building renovation projects. These include projects that directly support the goals of UAB’s Forging Ahead strategic plan and Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose, which set a goal of increasing research expenditures to $1 billion, from $774.5 million in fiscal year 2023. Several projects also advance the Heersink School of Medicine’s strategic goals across its mission pillars in clinical care, medical education, and biomedical research. 

Four students from the College of Arts and Sciences—three from the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program and one from the Undergraduate Immunology Program—have been nominated for the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Over 100 million Americans are experiencing temperatures below 10°F, with the Southeastern U.S. seeing record lows, causing many individuals, especially those with joint pain, to feel the effects of the cold weather. As one University of Alabama at Birmingham orthopaedic surgeon explains, the low temperatures—coupled with changes in barometric pressure—can intensify symptoms of joint pain, leading to discomfort and stiffness, but these helpful tips can provide relief.

Lunar New Year is celebrated across East Asian cultures as the start of the new lunar calendar, with each cycle associated with one of the 12 zodiac animals. This year, the Year of the Snake, is often seen as a time for transformation, renewal, and personal growth. In honor of the holiday, the Heersink School of Medicine spoke with Tom Chi, M.D., MBA, Chair of the Department of Urology, to share his favorite traditions and how the themes of the Year of the Snake resonate in his work.

Effective January 2025, UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Education welcomed a group of new faculty and staff additions. These new team members bring with them years of valuable experience both from within other areas of Heersink School of Medicine or from around the world.

Cynthia Ye, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Alan T. N. Tita, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH) and associate dean for Global and Women’s Health, co-instruct the Global Health Research Methods course. In 2023, we met with Ye and Tita to learn more about their vision for the course, which launched with the introduction of the UAB Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) program offered by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and the UAB School of Public Health (SOPH). 

The partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and McMaster University (McMaster) was established to enhance the relationship between the two institutions through the promotion and development of collaborative research programs, academic and cultural exchange programs, and other cooperative activities.

After a national search, Corey Speers, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chair of the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology, effective May 12, 2025.

Money is a significant source of anxiety for people, especially women, due to societal pressures, wage disparities, and financial expectations. Yet, it’s a topic often shrouded in taboo and rarely discussed openly. In January’s American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) lecture, Mary Gresham, Ph.D., examines the intersection of psychology and mental health in her presentation, “Becoming a Money Wise Woman.” The Heersink School of Medicine invites all faculty and staff to attend and learn more about this under-researched area and methods to improve their financial well-being.

The UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering had a prominent presence at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2024 in November. The department had seven presentations, as well as a student, Yuhua Wei, Ph.D., named a top five finalist for the Melvin L. Marcus Early Career Investigator Award in Basic Cardiovascular Science.

Alan W. Eberhardt, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of Education in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the 2025 Robert M. Nerem Education and Mentorship Medal.

November 2024 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (EMBI) at UAB. The institute was made possible by a generous gift from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF), matched by the university, to support research in cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. Ronald Lazar, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been director of the institute since 2017.

Each year, on the third Monday of January, we reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose leadership reshaped history during the Civil Rights Movement. His dedication to justice, equality, and human rights, particularly access to health care, resonates deeply in Birmingham, a city central to the struggle for civil rights. This year, the Heersink School of Medicine will host the MLK Commemoration on January 17 in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium. This annual event provides an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King’s enduring impact on society and celebrate the ongoing work of those who carry his message forward.

Expressing a lifelong commitment to advancing global health, Gail H. Cassell, Ph.D., DSc (Hon.), and her family have generously donated $1 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine to establish the Cassell Family Bidirectional Training Initiative within the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH)

UAB Heersink School of Medicine plans to launch two new psychiatry residencies at the Huntsville and Montgomery campuses. By increasing the number of trained mental health providers in the state of Alabama, this expansion will help address the mounting burden of mental illness in the state, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.

William M. Geisler, M.D., MPH, professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and co-director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, has been named the associate dean for Physician Scientist Development in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

Twenty-two UAB leaders graduated among the ninth cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership on Dec. 11, 2024. Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, an organization dedicated to providing tools and training to empower UAB Medicine’s leaders and the individuals and groups they manage.

Nita Limdi, PharmD, Ph.D., MSPH, FAHA, has been appointed associate dean for Genomic Medicine, effective Oct. 1. Limdi will lead efforts to expand UAB's Genomic Medicine program, focusing on interdisciplinary collaborations, securing grant funding, and enhancing partnerships. Her extensive research in pharmacogenomics and leadership in national consortia underscore her commitment to advancing genomic medicine.

During the holiday season, students at Horizons School—an organization dedicated to preparing young adults with learning difficulties for independent living—bring holiday cheer to UAB’s Civitan International Research Center (CIRC).