Department of Surgery

J. Bart Rose, M.D., MAS, an associate professor in the Department of Surgery, is a spring 2025 O’Neal Invests awardee, along with his research partners Benjamin Larimer, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology, and Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Microbiology.

Robert Russell, M.D., MPH, a professor in UAB’s Department of Surgery and director of the trauma program at Children’s of Alabama, was recently appointed as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Surgical Research (JSR).

If you’ve ever wondered who fuels our department’s teaching, research, and creative problem-solving, look no further than Mississippi’s native son, ‘Bill Nye’-enthusiast, and champion to improve outcomes for all patients – Dr. Demario Overstreet.

Toria N. Pettway, LMSW, a psychiatric social worker for the UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, has been named the 2025 recipient of the UAB Social Work Partnership in Community Service Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to patient care, mental health advocacy and community engagement.

J. Bart Rose, M.D., MAS., an associate professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, joined UAB MedCast to discuss the complexity of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and the use of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) as an effective treatment option.

Dana Doriety with UAB Burn team strengthens outreach at 48th Annual Alabama Fire Fighters Conference
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The UAB General Surgery Residency Program has named its administrative and education chiefs for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery’s Wound, Ostomy and Continence care team received the 2025 Employer Recognition Award from the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), joining an elite group of institutions recognized for outstanding support of nursing in wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) care.

Dylan Carpenter, MSN, RN, CWOCN, PCCN, MEDSURG-BC, a certified wound, ostomy and continence nurse in the Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, recently received two prestigious awards at the Wound, Ostomy and Continence (WOCNext) Conference 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

Krystal Lee Rivera, a Ph.D. candidate in the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, and mentee of Jillian Richter, Ph.D., presented an abstract last week in Boston at ShockCon, the annual conference of the Shock Society.

Lead author Sasha Still, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and her colleagues, published their experience of TAVR explantation in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and offer evidence-based strategies to optimize clinical outcomes in high-risk patients undergoing this procedure.

The UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) hosted the second annual Hops & Hope Fair on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Cahaba Brewing Company.

UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, has been chosen as a recipient of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Faculty Research Fellowship. The ACS research fellowship will begin in July 2025 and continue through July 2027, with an annual stipend of $40,000.

Designing Dreams, a nonprofit co-founded by UAB Division of Plastic Surgery resident Lauren Curwick, M.D., has begun broadening its mission to the state of Alabama. The organization's mission is to create healing spaces for children with cancer, bringing hope and happiness to their lives.
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