Healthcare is an environment that is inherently challenging, with providers often facing intense emotional and physical demands. Beyond the high-stakes and long hours, healthcare professionals also bear the emotional weight of their patients’ suffering, making them particularly vulnerable to stress and burnout.  In her recent AMWA talk, Marie-Carmelle Elie, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., F.C.C.M., presented “Navigating Compassion Fatigue in the Workplace,” which explored the topics of stress, burnout, and coping strategies as it relates to individuals in healthcare. 

Lara Ianov, Ph.D., assistant professor and managing director of UAB's Biological Data Science Core (U-BDS), is playing a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of research at UAB.

The Department of Neurobiology invites the UAB community to attend the inaugural Robin Lester Memorial Lecture on Sept. 26 to hear a presentation from special guest David Linden, Ph.D., professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Heersink School of Medicine introduced four new research focus areas in 2022. Of these focus areas, Brain Health and Disease Across the Lifespan aims to improve understanding of brain development, aging, health, and disease.

Thirty-three individuals comprising seven teams recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s High Performing Care Collaborative summer 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on Aug. 14, 2024. 

Cristin Gavin, Ph.D., serves as associate dean for undergraduate biomedical programs for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. In this role, she has fostered thriving opportunities for UAB students, many of whom matriculate into medical schools, through the programs she oversees.

Blazer BRAIN is an eight-week undergraduate summer program that offers students an opportunity to conduct research and participate in an intensive professional development program as they work towards earning their Ph.D. in neuroscience.

On August 10, 2024, members from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine incoming MS1 class gathered with friends, family, faculty, and staff to celebrate the White Coat Ceremony. The annual ceremony is the first milestone event for medical students, honoring the receiving of their white coats. The ceremony took place at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, AL and was facilitated by Heersink School of Medicine leadership from each of its campuses.

The Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME) declared every third Friday in August the annual GME Professionals Day to recognize program coordinators and GME administrators who help make residency and fellowship training programs successful. This year, GME Professionals Day is celebrated on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.In recognition of GME Professionals Day, get to know several staff leaders working in residency and fellowship programs across UAB.

David S. Geldmacher, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology and Warren Family Endowed Chair in Neurology, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Brewer-Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine. Established by the late Gov. Albert Brewer, the award honors faculty members of the Heersink School of Medicine who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to providing highly skilled and deeply compassionate medical care to their patients.

Caroline G. Richter, Ph.D., and S. Justin Thomas, Ph.D., have been selected for the 2024-2025 FCIDD McNulty Civitan Scientist Award.

Research in Focus is a series that highlights Neurobiology faculty members’ papers in peer-reviewed journals.

The Department of Neurobiology is hosting two yearlong seminar series designed to foster community and advance knowledge within the field.

Chandler Harris has been honored as the 2024 recipient of the Sara Crews Finley, M.D., Endowed Leadership Scholarship. This prestigious scholarship recognizes and supports students who exhibit outstanding leadership, scholarship, and service within their medical training and in other endeavors. Eligible recipients must be rising third-year medical students who rank in the top 25 percent of their class, and the scholarship is renewable for their fourth year. 

Summer 2024 marked the beginning of several renovation projects to Heersink School of Medicine’s Volker Hall. The current projects will modernize the building and its technology offerings for medical students and faculty. As construction continues in various areas of the building, we are pleased to share renderings of two major renovation efforts.

The UAB Medicine Leadership Competency Model features five domains and 19 competencies. In this series, we’ll examine this model and how it can be used to empower leadership.

UAB has committed to a significant leap forward in biomedical research by approving the Center for Integrative Structural Biology during the June 2024 University of Alabama System Board of Trustees meeting.

The Heersink School of Medicine is excited to celebrate the beginning of the new academic year with a Student Welcome Reception.

The Center for Lung Analytics and Imaging Research (CLAIR) will launch at UAB this year to improve diagnosis and monitoring for patients with chronic lung disease. The center brings together experts from nine scientific specialties who will work to establish new methods for lung imaging and other diagnostic modalities, expanding our current understanding of lung disease development and progression and enhancing phenotyping for precision-based therapies.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted a Grand Rounds presentation titled "Innovating the Future of Healthcare Design" with speakers Tushar Gupta, Mark Vaughan, and Chris Ressler, renowned leaders in healthcare architecture and design, on Tuesday, July 16.

August is National Wellness Month, which emphasizes the importance of self-care and stress management, as well as the development of healthy routines. For the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness, these practices are at the forefront year-round. Through its various initiatives and resources, the Office of Wellness strives to create an environment where UAB employees thrive in their work.

Roger Smalligan, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, has been honored with the 2024 Alabama Chapter American College of Physicians (ACP) Laureate Award. The award recognizes his commitment and contributions to internal medicine, leadership, and patient care.

Each July, Disability Pride Month commemorates the strength, resilience, and diverse experiences of individuals with disabilities. In part 2 of this series, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion sat down with two AWARE staff members, Kelly Mayer, Director of Talent Relations, and Dina Jones, HR ADA Specialist, to learn more about accessibility initiatives for employees with disabilities at UAB.

Megan Saalwaechter is an MS1 student at the Heersink School of Medicine. The first year is always an adjustment, so the Heersink communications team met with her during orientation last July and again during the second semester to see how her first year of medical school was going.

Michael Mugavero, M.D., has been chosen as the new associate dean for Clinical and Translational Research, effective July 1, 2024.

Each July, Disability Pride Month commemorates the strength, resilience, and diverse experiences of individuals with disabilities. In part 1 of this series, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion sat down with Allison Solomon, Executive Director of Disability Support Services (DSS) at UAB, to discuss how DSS provides inclusivity and accessibility across campus.

Hassan Ghomrawi, Ph.D., MPH, has joined the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine as an associate professor and the inaugural vice chair for Research and Innovation for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as well as associate director for the Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC).

Jordan Beam, a third-year medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine, recently completed an international research elective at Oxford University in the United Kingdom as part of the Medical Student Enrichment Program (MSEP), sponsored by UAB’s Office of International Medical Education.

The UAB Medicine Leadership Competency Model features five domains and 19 competencies. In this series, we’ll examine this model and how it can be used to empower leadership.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recognized 16 individuals in its eighth cohort of Institute for Leadership at a graduation ceremony on June 26, 2024.