The UAB Department of Neurosurgery is spotlighting staff to focus on the importance of hobbies for stress relief, wellness and self-care.
The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by highlighting their hobbies as they relate to mental, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social and financial wellness.
 
Sarah Black works in the UAB Department of Neurosurgery Office of Clinical Research as researcher III. She manages the collection and distribution of tissue for the brain biorepository, provides laboratory support for James Garber Galbraith Endowed Chair of Neurosurgery James M. Markert’s, M.D., clinical trials utilizing oncolytic viral therapy in patients with glioblastoma and collects and interprets data for the Walker Lab in the Department of Neurology for patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. 

Black earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Bachelor of Art in Spanish from The University of Alabama in 2016 and later her Master of Public Health in 2020 from UAB. She is currently on track to complete her Master of Science in Biomedical Health Science from UAB in the spring of 2023 and will matriculate into the UAB Heersink School of Medicine in the fall of 2023. 

What hobby do you currently focus on in your downtime?   
My hobbies include distance running, teaching color guard, volunteering with the Junior League of Birmingham and spending time with my pets. In college, I was an enthusiastic member of the Million Dollar Band Color Guard at the University of Alabama. After college, I chose to stay active by training for my first long distance race, the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Since then, I’ve found that continually training for races offers ongoing motivation and excitement.

What inspired you to explore this hobby?
Like many people during the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt increasingly restless and socially isolated which sparked the inspiration to train for my first full marathon.

Have you noticed a change in your well-being since beginning this hobby and how does that translate into your work?  
I have absolutely noticed a positive change in my wellbeing since I began running consistently. The most obvious of which is an increase my mental clarity, allowing me to better balance my personal and professional endeavors.

What are you most proud of?  
I’m most proud of the half marathon I ran with my brother this past February. He turned 50 and wanted to celebrate by completing the race with a considerably fast pace. I knew I would have my work cut out for me to keep up with him, but it ended up being a fantastic (and successful) experience.