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The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., has been named Executive Vice Chair for Research.

Owen Leitzel, a graduate student in the lab of Stefanie Robel, Ph.D. — associate professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology — has been awarded an NIH F31 fellowship to support his research investigating the role of connexin43, or Cx43, in seizure susceptibility after traumatic brain injury.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham's Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention (CAPPI) announces a leadership transition as Karen Cropsey, PsyD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Kathy Ireland Endowed Chair for Psychiatric Research, and Vice Chair for Clinical Research, departs UAB to pursue a new opportunity at Oklahoma University Medical Center.

The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) recently recognized 14 individuals in its ninth cohort of Sharing Authentically to Inspire and Lead (SAIL). The fall 2026 graduates received their certificates on Sept. 1.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Kristen Lamb, PA-C, and Amber Virdell, patient services coordinator at The Kirklin Clinic, have been named UAB Medicine 2026 Patient Experience Heroes.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery Professor Brandon Rocque, M.D.,Brandon Rocque, M.D., and Assistant Professor Elizabeth McRae, Ph.D.,Elizabeth McRae, Ph.D., recently presented at the Hydrocephalus Association's largest research workshop to date.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery welcomes Mason Aldridge, MSN, RN, as an advanced practice provider (APP).

The Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority, operator of MAX Transit, is renewing its partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Equal Access Birmingham to help address transportation insecurity in the Birmingham area.

The Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology congratulates ten trainees who have been appointed or reappointed to competitive NIH T32 training grants for the 2026-2027 funding period.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women worldwide. HER2, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, is a protein found on the surface of some cells in the body that regulate normal cell growth. In HER2-positive breast cancer, tumor cells have higher levels of HER2 proteins than normal cells. This can cause the cells to grow and divide more quickly, which can make the cancer more aggressive. With the development of medicines that specifically target and block the HER2 protein, most patients with HER2-positive breast cancer can benefit from HER2-targeted therapy. Breast cancer can be classified by HER2-positive and HER2-negative subtypes and by hormonal receptor status, which helps guide treatment decisions, including hormonal therapy.

The UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) has selected four recipients for its 2026 Seed Funding Program focused on Precision Diabetes.

For high school students interested in leadership, health care and making a difference in their communities, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Adolescent Youth Advisory Board (YAB) offers an opportunity to do all three. The program brings together students from Jefferson and Wilcox counties for a unique experience that builds leadership skills, introduces them to careers in health care and empowers them to help shape programs that impact adolescents across Alabama.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Kent Willis, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R03 Small Research Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to study how immune responses early in life may contribute to chronic lung disease later in adulthood. The award provides $222,750 in funding through May 2028.

Bellamy Davis, MPH, PA-C, a physician assistant (PA) in the UAB Department of Urology and past president of the Alabama Society of Physician Assistants, helped develop a new Urology Specialty Protocol approved by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (ALBME).

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation recently welcomed its first cohort of the Heersink AI Founders Club, a new program designed to help individuals turn early-stage ideas into AI-powered solutions with the power to change lives.

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology is addressing a critical need in maternal health through the Perinatal Consultation Clinic (PCC), a specialized outpatient service designed to provide timely psychiatric care for patients during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics welcomed twelve new faculty members in the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home!

This summer, Brandon Rocque, M.D., professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, presented during two sessions at the 19th Annual National Conference on Hydrocephalus, HAConnect. He was accompanied by UAB undergraduate student Mary Grace Roe. Roe, who is studying psychology, is a mentee of Elizabeth McRae, Ph.D., a pediatric clinical psychologist in the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Anastasia Smith, DrPH, MPH, has been promoted to assistant professor as a researcher and resident research educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery.

Andrew Edwards, M.D., professor and chair of the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine, has been selected for the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM) 2027 Chair Development Program.

The UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has established its first formal section, Prehospital Medicine, effective Sept. 1, 2026. The new section provides a dedicated organizational structure for the department’s long-standing leadership in prehospital and out-of-hospital emergency care. Will Ferguson, Jr., M.D., associate professor, has been appointed as the section’s inaugural chief.

On Friday, July 17, 2026, Eldad Hadar, M.D., professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery presented at the 36th Ed Benzel Cleveland Spine Review.

Although the deadline for Title II digital accessibility compliance was extended to April 26, 2027, the communications and web teams at UAB have remained committed to a proactive approach to updating documents on the web and ensuring all new documents comply with Title II guidelines. Efforts have been made to upload accessible documents that have been submitted and to offer alternatives if accessibility cannot effectively be achieved. The goal is that all content being added to the website moving forward adheres to Title II guidelines.

The 2026 Educational Research & Innovations in Clinical & Health Sciences (ENRICH) Week will take place the week of Monday, September 14, 2026. ENRICH Week is held each year, providing a place for healthcare educators to grow their teaching skills, participate in curriculum innovation, and showcase their research in health education. On September 16, Diana McNeill, M.D., MAC will give the keynote address at noon in the UAB Hospital West Pavilion Atrium.

Marissa Natelson Love, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been selected as a recipient of the Association of Academic Leaders of Neurology (AALN) Faculty Leadership Award.

The UAB Department of Neurology is proud to recognize Aparna Vaddiparti, M.D., assistant professor, for completing the Center for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) Essentials of Teaching program.

Kirstie Cummings, Ph.D., and HaoSheng Sun, Ph.D., have been selected for the 2026-2027 FCIDD McNulty Civitan Scientist Award.

The UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has named three faculty members to medical director roles, effective Sept. 1, 2026.

Corey Speers, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair, Merle M. Salter Endowed Chair of Radiation Oncology in the Department of Radiation Oncology, presented the 2026 State of the Department on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

A study led by Lana Garmire, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The study introduces HisToSpatialCNV, an artificial intelligence tool that uses a graph neural network model to predict spatial Copy Number Variations (CNVs) directly from routine H&E pathology images, for the first time.