Brejjette Aljabi, M.Ed., class of 2026 medical student in the Heersink School of Medicine, recently won Best Podium Presentation in the Renal Cancer Podium Session at the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association Annual Meeting. The meeting was held March 12-15, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine recognized 15 faculty members for their outstanding contributions to research, education, and clinical care at the Spring 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception.

Adam Baumgarten, M.D., MBA, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Urology, Departmental Value Officer, Associate Residency Program Director, and Director of Medical Student Education, has been selected to join the 2025–2026 Leadership Class of the American Urological Association (AUA) Institute for Leadership & Business. Representing the Southeastern Section, Baumgarten is a part of a nationally recognized program designed to shape the future leaders of urology.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that chronic kidney disease affects more than one in seven adults in the United States, an estimated 35.5 million Americans. Additionally, the risk of developing kidney disease increases with conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Kidney stones are more than just a painful setback—they can be avoided. Studies show that with a few simple lifestyle and dietary changes, you can significantly lower your risk of developing these painful stones.

Soroush Rais-Bahrami, M.D., FACS, will be traveling to Japan to participate in the American Urological Association/Japanese Urological Association (AUA/JUA) Exchange Program from April 1 through April 20. Rais-Bahrami will spend the majority of the three-week program in Kyoto before traveling to Fukuoka for the JUA Annual Meeting on April 17-19.

The UAB Department of Urology is pleased to announce the establishment of The John R. Burns, M.D. and Dean G. Assimos, M.D. Endowed Professorship, thanks to a generous gift of $500,000 from Drs. Assimos and Burns.

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) is April 26-29 in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center.

Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, professor and chair of the UAB Department of Urology, has been named named Anton J. Bueschen, M.D., Endowed Chair of Urologic Surgery and Research.

Obesity does not only put individuals at risk for heart disease and diabetes—it's also a leading cause of kidney stone disease.

Tanecia Mitchell, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been awarded the Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology Early Career Award by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). This prestigious award recognizes early-career scientists for their outstanding contributions to translational and clinical pharmacology research.

The UAB Department of Urology, in collaboration with the Mike Slive Foundation, provided free PSA blood testing to more than 65 men during the Auburn University Men’s Basketball “AUTLIVE” cancer game vs. The University of Tennessee on Jan. 25. Their efforts were broadcast during ESPN’s coverage of the game, bringing widespread awareness to the significance of PSA blood testing as a screening tool for prostate cancer.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 16 individuals in its 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership in January 2025. UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the Leadership Development Office, aimed at empowering leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. It features an initial DISC assessment and a robust agenda of guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including Institute alumni, throughout the program.

Sunil Sudarshan, M.D., a professor in the Department of Urology, has been recognized as the latest winner of the Heersink School of Medicine’s Featured Discovery. This accolade honors and celebrates the significant research contributions made by Heersink’s faculty members.

After a national search, Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Urology, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Twenty exceptional faculty members were honored with the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions across service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement, and mentorship within the School of Medicine.

The spring 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception honored the distinguished faculty members of the Heersink School of Medicine for their outstanding impact on contemporary medicine and medical education. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., the dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, extended a warm welcome to the honorees, their families, and other leaders from the school. The gathering took place at the Wallace Tumor Institute on April 17. 

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the annual Women in Medicine and Science Promotion Reception April 11, which recognized women faculty promoted at the end of 2023. The honorees and their guests were greeted by Heersink leadership to celebrate their remarkable achievements.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine saw great success in acquiring research funding in 2023, making significant strides in securing resources to advance human health through biomedical discovery.

Thirteen faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) Spring 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its graduates at a ceremony on March 14, 2024.