UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) honored 33 graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2025 Cohort 4 during a ceremony held on Thursday, Nov. 12. The cohort completed a multi-session program designed to strengthen leadership capability for emerging leaders across the enterprise.

In this installment, Bryan Luikart, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, explores his research on neurons and genetic mutations that cause autism spectrum disorder.

Rachel June Smith, Ph.D., and Scott Cruikshank, Ph.D., have been selected as recipients of the 2025 FCIDD McNulty Civitan Scientist Award. Their collaborative study will use electrophysiological recordings, optogenetics, and computational tools to investigate dysfunctional neuronal circuits associated with SLC6A1 neurodevelopmental disorders.

Anusha Adavikottu, Ph.D., and Azariah K. Kaplelach have been selected as Emerging Scholars for 2025-2026 by Civitan International Research Center.

What if a virtual reality headset could help detect rare forms of autism? That question led six biomedical engineering seniors at UAB to design a groundbreaking diagnostic tool and win first place among more than 60 teams at the university’s Senior Design Expo.

Michael Patton, Ph.D., a student in Heersink’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), recently defended his doctoral dissertation, an achievement that moves him one step closer to becoming a physician-scientist.

UAB’s Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) is a world leader in research and treatment of intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than 100 scientists, clinicians, and research staff from around the globe, the center is united by a single mission: improving the well-being and quality of life of individuals and families affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. 

During the holiday season, students at Horizons School—an organization dedicated to preparing young adults with learning difficulties for independent living—bring holiday cheer to UAB’s Civitan International Research Center (CIRC).

The Civitan International Research Center’s mission is to improve the well-being and quality of life of individuals and families affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities.

National Epilepsy Awareness Month is observed throughout the month of November, providing support, awareness, and education to promote understanding and improve the lives of those effected by epilepsy. At UAB, the Epilepsy Center, located within Civitan International Research Center, offers clinical, research, and educational services to patients with epilepsy.

Civitan International Research Center (CIRC) is a center dedicated to integrating knowledge and methods from various scientific fields to improve the lives of those who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For their continued research in sleep disorders in individuals with Down syndrome, UAB’s Caroline G. Richter, Ph.D. and S. Justin Thomas, Ph.D. were named the recipients of the 2024-2025 McNulty Civitan Scientist Award.

This finding suggests that therapy to remodel synapses could help memory in old age and dementia patients.

This devastating neurodevelopmental disorder has no currently approved treatments.

The new, five-year grant will support research in the UAB Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to address dementia disparities in the Deep South.

The drug appears to help strengthen pathways in the brain, improving the ability of neurons to communicate with each other.

Record $95 million Heersink lead gift to advance strategic growth and biomedical innovation.

Part of the mission of the Civitan International Research Center is to foster the next generation of scientists studying brain development.

A mouse model and previous studies suggest that genetic intervention in SHANK3-related ASD may be most effective earlier in development.