The Association of American Medical Colleges hosted its annual Learn Serve Lead conference Nov. 8-12, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. The conference gathered leaders and professionals from across academic medicine to discuss pertinent issues in health and health care. The UAB Heersink School of Medicine was represented at the conference by a variety of deans, faculty, staff, and students. Winter Williams, M.D., co-director of the Clinical Reasoning and Integrated Skills Program, graciously agreed to detail his experience and provide insight into his takeaways from the 2024 conference.

On Friday, November 22, 2024, students from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine came together to honor faculty, courses, and course directors during the annual Argus Awards Ceremony. Voted on and nominated by medical students, the Argus Awards recognize outstanding faculty in various categories. 

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Engineering recently showcased its research at the Biomedical Engineering Society’s (BMES) annual meeting, the world’s leading professional society committed to advancing human health and well-being through biomedical and bioengineering innovation. The conference, known for drawing thousands of engineers, researchers, and students from around the globe, provided an opportunity for UAB's faculty, students, and administrators to highlight groundbreaking work and foster connections in the field.

Reaching a groundbreaking milestone, two UAB physicians have become the first providers in the state to be included on the prestigious US Soccer Federation Preferred Provider List. Amit Momaya, MD, associate professor and chief of Sports & Exercise Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Steven Brown, MD, associate professor and chief of Sports & Exercise Medicine in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, earned this distinguished recognition.

UAB Heersink School of Medicine is delighted to announce that Tiago Colicchio, Ph.D., has been elected as a Fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA). This prestigious honor reflects his outstanding contributions and dedication to the field of medical informatics.

In October 2024, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Montgomery Psychiatry Residency received funding from the city of Montgomery to start Alabama’s first Street Psychiatry clinic. The city provided this funding in response to a call for proposals aimed at addressing the Opioid Epidemic in Montgomery’s vulnerable populations. The UAB Montgomery Psychiatry Residency program proposed a Street Psychiatry clinic designed to provide treatment for Opioid Use Disorder and co-occurring mental illness to Montgomery’s unhoused and unstably housed residents, and the city awarded the residency $345,676 to actualize this proposal.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is pleased to announce the launch of the Distinction in Health Equity. This opportunity for students is part of a larger Heersink School of Medicine initiative called Areas of Distinction. The Distinction in Health Equity is being developed to address a critical area to the mission of the school, equipping students to combat health disparities in their future careers.

In 2023, UAB Heersink School of Medicine piloted a new approach to clinical skills education for students. The Clinical Reasoning and Integrated Skills Program (CRISP) was launched to address the evolving demands of medical education nationwide. The move highlights the Heersink School of Medicine’s commitment to preparing future physicians with cutting-edge teaching and learning methodologies.

The UAB Office of International Medical Education at the Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the launch of the Recognition of Distinction in Global Health, an innovative program designed to empower future physicians to think globally, act locally, and lead boldly. Conceptualized by Majd Zayzafoon, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, professor of Medical Education and assistant dean for International Medical Education, the program combines experiential learning with real-world impact to prepare UAB medical students to make lasting changes in healthcare and public service.

The AI in Medicine and Nursing Symposium, hosted by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Medicine, UAB School of Health Professions, UAB School of Nursing, and Maastricht University Faculty of Science and Engineering, concluded successfully, bringing together leading experts, researchers, and industry representatives to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care.

National Epilepsy Awareness Month is observed throughout the month of November, providing support, awareness, and education to promote understanding and improve the lives of those effected by epilepsy. At UAB, the Epilepsy Center, located within Civitan International Research Center, offers clinical, research, and educational services to patients with epilepsy.

In this installment of the space and facilities update, we will highlight the school’s current major facilities projects and share what the Heersink Space and Facilities Committee is focused on, as year-end approaches. This article focuses on updates of projects nearing completion or just beginning but does not discuss all ongoing construction or renovation projects. In addition, the committee is collaborating with central leadership for a December meeting, where we will present the school’s five-year facilities growth plan.

Twenty-two UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2024 leadership development program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its second cohort of graduates at a ceremony on Nov. 7.

The fight against breast cancer is about more than just treatment—it’s about empowering patients to live their best lives throughout their journey. The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sat down with Gabrielle Rocque, M.D., a breast cancer specialist at UAB, to discuss how her work goes beyond traditional treatment to enhance resilience and quality of life for patients.

For December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement set out to learn more about this season’s holidays by connecting with our faculty, staff, and students. In part one of our holiday series, we explored the history and traditions of Chanukah, celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev (the ninth month of the Jewish religious year) in the Hebrew calendar, as light triumphing over darkness. To capture the spirit and significance of the holiday, we spoke with Rabbi Levi Weinbaum from the Chabad of Alabama, first-year social work student David Kirby, postdoctoral fellow Anna Stoll, and former Jewish Medical Student Association President Ben Honan.

This December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sought to connect with the medical community by learning about the season’s rich variety of holidays. In part two of our holiday series, we explore Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African heritage, community values, and cultural reflection. To better understand the holiday’s significance, we spoke with Kim Ayers, nurse manager at the UAB Center for Psychiatric Medicine, who shared how Kwanzaa’s principles inspire her approach to health care and community building.

This December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sought to connect with the medical community by learning about the season’s rich variety of holidays. In part three of our holiday series, we explore Christmas, celebrated worldwide for its message of love, generosity, and joy. To capture the spirit and significance of the holiday, we spoke with Monica Henderson, Administrative Director in Clinical Simulation, and Dominique McCray, Clinical Program Manager II in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, to learn more about how Christmas' themes of giving and togetherness resonate in their lives and work.

Yung Lau, M.D., has been named interim chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics, effective Nov. 1. Lau is a professor of Pediatrics and vice chair of Clinical Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics. He holds the Thomas N. Carruthers Endowed Chair in Cardiology. He also serves as division director for Pediatric Cardiology.

In Fall 2024, UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the winners of the 2024 Dale J. Benos Medical Student Research Day (MSRD). All medical students were invited to present the results of their research projects and submit posters for judging.

The Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI) team has partnered with Every Cure on a groundbreaking project to build a large drug-repurposing database. The project, called ML/AI-enabled Therapeutic Repurposing In eXtended uses (MATRIX), received a contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for up to $48 million, announced earlier this year at a White House event.

The Alabama sports medicine community mourns the loss of a legendary athletic trainer and icon Robert Andrew “Drew” Ferguson, who passed away this past month. Ferguson’s lifelong commitment to education and the well-being of athletes left a lasting impact on sports medicine and athletic training in Alabama.

The UAB Department of Microbiology and the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) hosted the inaugural HIV Basic and Translational Research Symposium Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the UAB Hilton Hotel. The all-day event featured speakers from the university and Southern Research, time for discussion, and a poster session.  

Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation (Innovation Institute) leadership regularly takes part in various events regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and health care, offering their expertise and professional insight. This fall, three of the institute’s leaders participated in a one-day program titled “A Primer for AI in Healthcare,” co-offered by the UAB School of Health Profession’s Department of Health Services Administration Center for Healthcare Management & Leadership.

For over 20 years, Lisa Willett, M.D., MACM, has shaped the medical education landscape through dedication, mentorship, and advocacy for her trainees. She received the 2024 Ellen Gregg Ingalls/UAB National Alumni Society Lifetime Achievement in Teaching Award in recognition of her contributions at UAB and beyond, influencing future physicians and fostering a culture of excellence without ego, the motto she coined to describe UAB internal medicine residents.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) celebrated its annual Innovation Awards on October 11, 2024, recognizing outstanding innovators and entrepreneurial achievements. Anath Shalev, M.D., director of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and founder of TIXiMED, was awarded the 2024 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, the institute’s highest honor. Shalev's start-up, TIXiMED, recently advanced toward clinical trials after receiving FDA clearance for its novel Type 1 diabetes treatment, TIX100.

The Heersink School of Medicine honored the achievements of eight esteemed faculty members during the Fall 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception, held Oct. 29 at the Wallace Tumor Institute. Families, faculty, and leaders of the Heersink School of Medicine joined the honorees to celebrate their outstanding contributions to medical education and research. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, opened the event by welcoming guests and recognizing the significance of these prestigious appointments.

Eight faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) Fall 2024 leadership development program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its graduates at a ceremony on Oct. 24, 2024.

James Cimino, M.D., distinguished professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will deliver the closing keynote address at the prestigious American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) 2024 Annual Symposium. The event, which will be held Nov. 9-13, 2024, in San Francisco, California, will bring together global leaders and experts in biomedical and health informatics.

Alice Goepfert, M.D., professor in OB/Gyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine and associate dean for GME/Designated Institutional Official (DIO), has been named by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as a recipient of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award. The ACGME announced its decision on October 22, 2024 and will honor the two recipients at the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference February 20-22, 2025.

A study led by Alecia K. Gross, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research and Research Infrastructure in the Department of Neurobiology, was published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal for the paper “NUDC is critical for rod photoreceptor function, maintenance, and survival.”