Can online behavioral weight management programs be improved by simply adding a human touch? The iREACH Rural program hopes to answer that question by examining how high-touch support elements in digital interventions can be optimized for delivering weight loss programs to rural patients.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Sports & Exercise Medicine team made an impressive mark at the 2025 American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) Annual Meeting, where faculty and fellows were honored across multiple categories for their scholarship and outreach efforts across Birmingham and the world.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is among eight academic medical centers worldwide selected to train a new movement disorder clinician-researcher through the distinguished Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders for the class of 2028. The fellowship is awarded via the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 Founders’ Fund recipients.

Dana Doriety, RN, BSN, MSHQS, a nurse burn educator in the UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, recently represented UAB at the 48th Annual Alabama Fire Fighters Conference in Guntersville, Alabama on June 20.

Rachael Guenter, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the UAB Department of Surgery, was recently featured in The Endocrinologist, the Society for Endocrinology’s official magazine, for her pioneering research in neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and pancreatic cancer. Her interview highlights her efforts to develop new therapeutic models and understand molecular pathways that drive these complex diseases.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics congratulates Melinda Chance, M.D. on receiving the 2024-2025 Spring Research Roundtable & Fellow Core Conference Attendance Award!

Giovanna Pilonieta, Ph.D., DDS, MPH, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, was recently named one of two 2025 recipients of the McKnight Clinical Translational Research Scholarship in Cognitive Aging and Age-Related Memory Loss. Pilonieta was awarded along with Deborah Rose, M.D., of the National Institutes of Health.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce that Drs. Amelia Hartje, Michael Padgett, Suzannah Patterson, Maddie Southall, Jemma Thompson and Danielle Windom are our 2025-2026 McDonald Scholars!

The Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine is excited to announce that Andrew Watson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, will assume the role of inpatient complex care (Teal Team) medical director.

James J. Cimino, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, has been invited as a keynote speaker at the prestigious 20th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics (MedInfo 2025).

For the first time in its history, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) will hold its annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted by Elliot Lefkowitz, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology. 

The UAB Department of Otolaryngology honored its 2025 graduating residents and fellows with a celebration and awards ceremony on June 20.

UAB General Surgery Resident Michelle Onuoha, M.D., shares her journey into surgery and the influences that inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.

Burt Nabors, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurology and director of the Division of Neuro-oncology, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Engagement Award from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN).

It is with heavy hearts that the Heersink School of Medicine mourns the passing of Latesha Elopre, M.D., MSPH. Latesha served in a multitude of roles at UAB since 2015 and made positive impacts throughout many areas of our institution. She is survived by her husband, Chris; two children, Jacob and Gabrielle "Gigi"; brother, Kenneth; and her mother, Glenda.

Research at UAB Heersink School of Medicine enhances future physicians' understanding of evidence-based medicine and critical thinking. Hands-on experiences prepare students to apply scientific discoveries to clinical practice, bridging the gap between research and patient care. Gelare Ghajar-Rahimi, a student in the MD/PhD program, exemplifies the commitment to research and mentorship emphasized by Heersink School of Medicine.

As a part of their educational experience, UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PGY4 residents present findings from their scholarly activity projects as an introduction to research methodologies and practices.

James Johnston, M.D., professor and division director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery recently graduated from the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA). 

The UAB Brain Aging and Memory Clinic opened in spring 2024, marking a new era of care in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related disorders for Alabama and the region. One initiative the new space has helped support is clinical trials, bolstering UAB’s status as a performance site for the clinical trials of the most recent generation of anti-Alzheimer therapies. 

The Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office has relocated from the old Cooper Green building to a new 32,000 square foot facility on Leaf Lake Pkwy. Greg Davis, M.D., MSPH, Division Director of Forensic Pathology and Jefferson County Coroner, gave an indication and cut the ribbon at the ceremony in conjunction with the Jefferson County Commission on June 23.

Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, a pediatric oncologist and distinguished professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, received the inaugural UAB Department of Surgery Mentorship Award. The award recognizes her for her role in supporting the success of faculty members, especially in the area of research.

Trauma doesn’t always end when the danger is over. For many, the body and brain remain locked in survival mode, long after the traumatic event has passed. This is the painful reality of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition marked by the brain’s inability to properly process and resolve trauma, leaving individuals emotionally stuck in fear, guilt, or shame.

UAB Hospital has been reverified as a Level I adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and remains the only ACS-Level I adult trauma center in the state of Alabama. Learn what it takes to meet the rigorous standards set by the ACS.

The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences gathered with faculty, family, and colleagues on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at The Fennec to celebrate the graduation of its 2025 class of residents and fellows.

Do you wake up feeling tired, struggle to focus during the day, or hear from others that your snoring shakes the walls? It could be more than just a noisy inconvenience. For many people, poor nighttime breathing stems from physical issues in the nose or throat that get worse while we sleep. And for others, it may signal a more serious condition like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce a new faculty member joining our team July 1.

The UAB Department of Radiation Oncology hosted its 2025 Residency Graduation Dinner on June 6 at the Sage event venue. Then, on June 7, the department held the inaugural Robert Y. Kim Alumni Society Retreat, welcoming all alumni.

UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Assistant Professor Robert Sorabella, M.D., has been appointed the Surgical Director of Pediatric Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Children’s of Alabama.

The UAB Department of Surgery recognizes the outstanding research contributions from faculty, fellows, residents and research staff. This continued momentum in scholarly activity underscores our shared commitment to advancing surgical science and shaping the future of academic medicine.