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).

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.