News

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women worldwide. HER2, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, is a protein found on the surface of some cells in the body that regulate normal cell growth.

A study led by Lana Garmire, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The Department of Pathology at UAB makes thousands of diagnoses for patients each year. Of an estimated 150,000 annual visits to UAB Hospital, 90% of patients require some form of pathology service.

UAB researchers developed a novel RNA-based molecular test that more accurately distinguishes active C. diff infection from colonization, improving diagnosis of hospital-acquired illness and helping reduce missed cases and unnecessary antibiotic treatment.

The UAB Department of Pathology recently funded a travel award to Mahima Reddy who will present her research at a national meeting this year.

This month we meet Mahima Reddy, a Ph.D. candidate in the Wende Lab in the UAB Department of Pathology Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology. Reddy’s research focuses on O-GlcNAc-driven cardiac remodeling, which is similar to the cardiac pathology seen in diabetes-related heart failure.

Taylor Wallen, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, and Krystal Rivera, a Ph.D. candidate, published “Plasma Regulates Homeostatic Pulmonary Endothelial Signaling to Mitigate Vascular Leak Following Polytrauma and Hemorrhagic Shock” as co-first authors in the journal Shock last month.

John Chatham, Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, will retire at the end of the month, August 31, 2026, after 15 years of service in the Department of Pathology and more than 26 years at UAB.

Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair in Pathology, presented the 2026 State of the Department on Wednesday, August 19. 

Eight research teams have been selected as the inaugural recipients of the Heersink School of Medicine’s Team Science Grant Program. The funded teams will tackle a wide range of health challenges while laying the groundwork for future large-scale research initiatives.

Hospital-acquired infections can lead to serious illness or death, especially in patients with weakened immune systems or other critical medical conditions. Clostridioides difficile, or C.

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim, or ZTTK Syndrome, is a rare disease primarily identified in children and is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed musculoskeletal development, and multi-organ anomalies. The disease was discovered in 2016 by Erin Eun Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathology Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, alongside her research team.

The UAB Translational and Molecular Sciences (TMS) Training Program (T32) for predoctoral trainees has been renewed for another five years by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences with an increased number of trainee slots. The program is co-directed by Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., and Mythreye Karthikeyan, Ph.D., both in Molecular and Cellular Pathology.

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to welcome three new faculty members in August. Awab Abdalhai, M.B.B.S., is joining the Division of Anatomic Pathology as an assistant professor, effective August 3, Tina I.

UAB researchers Daniel Tyrrell and Han-Fei Ding have received $4.9 million in NIH grants, advancing discoveries that could lead to new treatments for heart disease and aggressive cancers.

What if too many antioxidants could be just as harmful as too many oxidants? This question brought together more than 70 scientists, clinicians, faculty, trainees, and students from around the world for the inaugural Reductive Stress Mechanisms in Chronic Diseases Symposium, hosted by Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan, Ph.D., at the Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center on July 9.

The Partnership Research Summer Training Program (PRSTP), directed by Upender Manne, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Anatomic Pathology, completed a successful eight-week program for the 2026 cycle.

The Southeastern Biosafety Laboratory Alabama Birmingham (SEBLAB) at UAB is one of 12 Regional Biocontainment Laboratories funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

UAB Medicine's Leadership Development Office celebrated the graduation of 18 healthcare leaders from its 12th cohort of the Institute for Leadership during a ceremony held June 24 at the Heersink Conference Center Lobby.

What happens when cancer turns our own proteins against us? Healthy MYC oncoproteins are regulators of cell growth and metabolism, but when driven by cancer, they can contribute to rapid tumor growth and avoid immune responses. MYC-driven cancers account for more than half of human cancers and are a major cause of mortality.

Diseases linked to atherosclerosis, such as coronary artery disease, are the leading cause of death in the United States. Healthy arteries are elastic, but as we age, fats, cholesterol, and other substances form plaque in the arteries.

Without intervention, physician Edwin Villarreal’s prognosis was 100 percent mortality; but he is alive and well after receiving treatment for an often-fatal condition, HLH. 

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to welcome our incoming class of fellows for 2026-2027. The following individuals joined our team on July 1:

Two Heersink School of Medicine faculty members have graduated from prestigious medicine leadership fellowship programs offered by Drexel University College of Medicine. Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, has graduated from the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program.

The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) is proud to honor the latest graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) — 24 accomplished professionals who represent the breadth and strength of our institution.

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to welcome three new faculty members, effective July 1. Gopal Kumar, M.D., joins the Division of Anatomic Pathology as an assistant professor, Song Lu, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)CM, DABCC, FCACB joins the Division of Laboratory Medicine as an assistant professor, and Meghan White, M.D., joins the Division of Women’s Health as an assistant professor.

The UAB Department of Pathology has been strategically planning its digital pathology effort since well before its initial launch in 2024, but what is digital pathology? And why is this new initiative so important?

Marisa Marques, M.D., a professor emeritus in the Division of Laboratory Medicine, retired from the department on July 31, 2023, after 30 years of service.

The Department of Pathology is home to the Pathology Learning Resource, a web-based educational portal developed by the Division of Genomic Diagnostics and Bioinformatics. This platform houses an expanding collection of high-quality educational videos designed to support training and professional development in modern pathology practice.

John Choi, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Laboratory Medicine and director of the Flow Cytometry Laboratory, is retiring from the Department of Pathology, effective June 30, 2026.