The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is proud to announce the promotion of faculty members Berdale Colorado, D.O., MPH and Danielle Powell, M.D., MSPH, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
“Promotion to professor represents a significant milestone in an academic career. Drs. Colorado and Powell have demonstrated sustained excellence in research, education, and clinical care, and we are proud to recognize their accomplishments,” said Vu Nguyen, M.D., chair and Robert B. Kyle Endowed Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Congratulations to the following faculty members:
Berdale Colorado, D.O., MPH
Promoted to Professor
Berdale Colorado, D.O., MPH, joined the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2022 as an associate professor. He received his medical degree from Des Moines University and completed his PM&R residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he served as chief resident. He then completed a sports medicine and interventional spine fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.
Colorado currently serves as PM&R vice chair of education, PM&R residency program director, and program director for the Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellowship. He is chief of sports and musculoskeletal medicine, medical director for performing arts medicine, and a team physician for UAB Athletics. He also serves as head team physician for USA Boccia and as a team physician for USA Wheelchair Rugby. In addition, he serves as assistant dean for student experience in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
He has clinical and research interests in sports- and spine-related injuries, therapeutic spine and peripheral joint injections, regenerative medicine treatments, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular ultrasound, electrodiagnostics, adaptive sports, and performing arts medicine.
Colorado has received multiple national awards. He received the Parker Palmer Courage to Teach Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Ernest Johnson Outstanding Educator Award from the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, the Early PM&R Career Award and the Innovators and Influencers Award from the American Academy of PM&R, and the Early Career Academician Award from the Association of Academic Physiatrists, among many other honors.
He has held leadership positions in multiple national organizations, presents regularly at national conferences, and has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on topics related to sports, spine, and musculoskeletal medicine.
“Dr. Colorado’s record of achievement reflects not only sustained excellence but also visionary leadership and innovation that have meaningfully shaped the field of rehabilitation medicine,” Nguyen said.
Danielle Powell, M.D., MSPH
Promoted to Professor
Danielle Powell, M.D., MSPH, joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in 2011 as an assistant professor. She earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama and completed her residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she served as chief resident.
Powell currently serves as professor and vice chair of clinical affairs for the Department of PM&R. She also provided critical departmental leadership as interim chair during the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding the department through an unprecedented period of challenges and changes in healthcare delivery. She is the medical director of the Adult Multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Program and the Cancer Rehabilitation Program. Her clinical interests include cancer rehabilitation, spina bifida, musculoskeletal medicine, and improving functional outcomes for individuals with disabilities. In addition to her outpatient practice at Spain Rehabilitation Center, she provides specialty rehabilitation care to adults with disabilities through an outreach clinic at Mr. E's Place in partnership with Cahaba Medical Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center. She also participates in UAB's Staging Transitions for Every Patient (STEP) Clinic, supporting young adults with complex medical conditions as they transition into adult healthcare.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Powell serves as a Learning Community Lead Mentor for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and has served as PM&R clerkship director and resident continuity clinic director. She is also an oral board examiner for the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Her research focuses on improving quality of life, healthcare access, and functional outcomes for adults with spina bifida and individuals affected by cancer. She serves as a site investigator for a PCORI-funded study examining bowel continence in individuals with spina bifida and has contributed to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) clinical practice guidelines.
Powell's leadership extends to the state and national levels. She serves on the board of directors of the Association of Academic Physiatrists and chairs the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation's Access, Impact & Opportunity Committee. She also chairs the Alabama Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Task Force and was appointed by Governor Kay Ivey to the Alabama Board of Home Medical Equipment.
Service is at the heart of Powell's work. Beyond her responsibilities at UAB, she serves on the boards of United Ability, NURTURE, and the Step-by-Step Foundation, reflecting her commitment to disability advocacy, community engagement, and improving opportunities for underserved populations. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including the AAPM&R Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award, the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center Excellence in Mentoring Award, the Samuel L. Stover, M.D., Excellence in Teaching Award, the Laura B. Kezar, M.D., Award, and the Matthew T. Smith, M.D., Humanism in Medicine Award. Through clinical excellence, academic leadership, mentorship, research, and community service, Powell remains committed to advancing rehabilitation medicine and improving the lives of individuals with disabilities and complex medical conditions.
“Dr. Powell embodies the best of what academic medicine should be. She leads with humility, steadiness, and a deeply held belief that health care must be equitable, person-centered, and grounded in dignity. She has elevated the national standing of UAB PM&R through thoughtful, persistent leadership. And she has done it all with kindness and grace,” Nguyen said.