Latest News
Fall is officially here, and with it comes a treasured seasonal tradition: going to the pumpkin patch. Learning how to correctly lift pumpkins for your next visit can help you protect your spine this season.
In Sept. 2026, Heersink School of Medicine hosted its 2026 Dale J. Benos Medical Student Research Day. The annual event celebrates the research accomplishments of medical students and provides them with the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students and faculty. Medical students, faculty, and staff gather to view the poster session highlighting research from students enrolled in the M.D., M.D./MPH, M.D./MSPH, M.D./M.S., M.D./MBA, and M.D./Ph.D. programs.
In Sept. 2026, Heersink School of Medicine hosted its 2026 Educational Research & Innovations in Clinical & Health Sciences (ENRICH) Week. The annual conference brings together healthcare educators to discuss and promote innovations in teaching skills, curriculum development, and healthcare research. It is organized by UAB’s Healthcare Educators Academy (HEA), which provides faculty development and mentorship for early career educators in Medicine, Public Health, Health Professions, Optometry, Dentistry, and Nursing at UAB.
On Sept. 22, 2026, Heersink School of Medicine hosted its Spring 2026 Endowment Reception, rescheduled from earlier in the year due to weather. At the reception, two members of Department of Medical Education leadership were honored with new endowments: Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education, and Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D., assistant dean for Medical Scientist Training Program.
On Sept. 24, 2026, Heersink School of Medicine hosted a celebration to honor the 5th anniversary of the largest philanthropic commitment in UAB history by Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., that led to the naming of Heersink School of Medicine and numerous improvement efforts to Volker Hall, which houses UAB’s medical student education. The event, hosted in Volker Hall’s brand-new atrium, featured a piano recital with medical student musical performances and the special announcement of the City of Birmingham’s “Heersink Day.”
Juhi Samal, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, personifies UAB’s commitment to pioneering research. Her work illustrates how bold science, dedicated mentorship, and meaningful collaboration unite in one shared mission to help the brain heal.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Marshall Holland, M.D., MS, has been promoted to associate professor.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Satoru Osuka, M.D., Ph.D, has been promoted to associate professor.
Bonnie Beth Moore, M.D., joined the Department of Radiology as an assistant professor in July 2026. Moore shares more about her background and goals for this new role.
Briana De Miranda, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology, was selected to serve on the Parkinson’s Disease Exposome Integration Task Force, an initiative of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, focused on advancing understanding of how environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to Parkinson’s disease risk and progression.
Jianguo Gu, M.B., Ph.D., professor, Edward A. Ernst, M.D., Endowed Chair and director for pain research in the Division of Molecular and Translational Biomedicine in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, has received a five-year, $3.06 million R01 competitive renewal from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue investigating the mechanisms behind chronic facial pain.
Sasanka Ramanadham, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology and Senior Scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center, was among seven inventors awarded funding through the Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) Blazer Bridge Fund in 2026.
The Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine recently welcomed Linda Zhang, D.O., Ph.D., as an assistant professor.
Three faculty members in the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine have received promotions, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to welcome four new faculty in October 2026: Dr. Carlos Fairen Oro, Dr. Natalie O’Neill, Dr. Emily M. Smith, and Dr. Roh Yanagida.
The UAB Department of Urology is pleased to announce the promotion of four faculty members and the award of tenure to a fifth.
When seconds count, seamless coordination between field providers and emergency rooms saves lives. Leading the effort to elevate out-of-hospital care across Alabama is William Ferguson, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine.
Opioid overdose has been a persistent public health crisis for decades, with the emergency department becoming a critical touchpoint for overdose survivors. However, most patients treated in an emergency department for an overdose never continue medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) after they go home even though MOUDs can reduce the mortality by at least 50%.
The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology recognized eight members for their outstanding work this year in the 2026 Chair Awards.
After 35 years of service to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mona Fouad, M.D., MPH, will retire from her role as director of the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center effective December 31, 2026.
T. Alinea Esensoy, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Neurology as an assistant professor in the Division of Cerebrovascular Disease in July 2026.
Lauren Walter, M.D., MSPH, FACEP, has been awarded a five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for her project titled “Integrated Emergency Addiction Care: A Patient-Centered Model for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder.”
This month we meet Hui-Ying Lim, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Genetics. Her work has identified several genes that play important roles in diabetes control. Her lab’s current interest is understanding the role of Thioester-containing protein 2 (Tep2) in obesity and insulin resistance.
For nearly 30 years, Michelle Thrasher has been a steady presence in the UAB Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, helping shape generations of otolaryngologists while supporting the department through decades of growth and transformation. As she prepares for retirement this month, Thrasher leaves behind a legacy built on dedication, adaptability, and a deep commitment to the people who have become her second family.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce the winners of its 2026 Chair's Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate faculty members in the Department of Pathology who exude clinical, research, and educational excellence. This year's winners are Melad Dababneh, M.B.B.S., Chair's Award for Clinical Excellence, Daniel Tyrrell, Ph.D., Chair's Award for Research Excellence, and Megan Amerson-Brown, Ph.D., CIC, MLS, Chair's Award for Educational Excellence. Winners are chosen by Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair.
Rural communities face significant barriers to healthcare access, but the UAB Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is expanding access to cancer screenings in partnership with a local nonprofit organization.
UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Sumayah Abed, M.D., and Calvin Spellmon Jr., M.D., were promoted to associate professor, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
Elliot J. Lefkowitz, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology, was awarded a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop a community knowledgebase designed to support virus research.
The UAB Department of Pathology recently funded a travel award to Joshua Kramer, Ph.D., who presented his research at the 2026 Masoro-Barshop Conference on Aging, October 8–11 in Bandera, Texas.
Zasmine Hymes-Green, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine as an assistant professor in the Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine divisions in August 2026.