Honoring Heersink’s Spring 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships

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.

Appointment to an endowed chair or professorship stands as the pinnacle of recognition for a faculty member, symbolizing their exceptional accomplishments and securing resources for their future scholarly endeavors. These appointments not only honor the recipients but also generate funds to support their work, furthering research, fostering collaboration, and advancing scholarly pursuits within the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.

This occasion pays tribute to the generous donors whose contributions have established these endowments, providing them with the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy aligned with their passions and interests. These endowments signify enduring investments in UAB, ensuring ongoing support for students, faculty, and groundbreaking research initiatives year after year.

Spring 2024 Endowed Chair and Professorship Honorees

Jeffrey Wells Nix, M.D., MHSA, FACS
Department of Urology
Joe A. Chambliss Prostate Cancer Research and Innovation Endowed Professorship in Urology

Aurelio Galli, Ph.D., DSc
Department of Surgery
Dr. Champ Lyons Endowed Chair in General Surgery

Nicole L. Lohr, M.D., Ph.D., FACC
Department of Medicine
Mary Gertrude Waters Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine

Richard “Rick” O. Burney, M.D., MSc
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
J. Benjamin Younger, M.D. – Roensch Family Endowed Chair in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

Frances E. Lund, Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology
Endowed Chair in Immunology

Stephen Obaro, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics
Helen and Robert Whitley Endowed Chair of Pediatrics

Gino Cingolani, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Anderson Family Endowed Chair in Medical Education, Research & Patient Care

Alexander Craig Mackinnon, Jr., M.D.
Department of Pathology
Robert B. Adams Endowed Professorship in Pathology

Rakesh P. Patel, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology
Victor Darley-Usmar Endowed Professorship in Molecular Pathology

Casey T. Weaver, M.D.
Department of Pathology
Leonard H. Robinson Endowed Chair in Pathology

Runhua R. Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Genetics
Olivia Turlington Miller Endowed Chair of Cancer Genetics

J. Victor Garcia-Martinez, Ph.D.
Department of Microbiology
Charles H. McCauley Endowed Chair in Microbiology

Irfan M. Asif, M.D.
Department of Family and Community Medicine
Heersink Endowed Professorship in Sports and Exercise Medicine