Explore UAB

written by Sarah L. Minor, MS

African Americans are significantly less likely to receive goal-concordant end-of-life (EoL) and serious illness care due to systemic and individual racism and a misunderstanding of and respect for cultural differences. To address these disparities, Ronit Elk, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, is leading an innovative NIA R01 project training program, “African American Communities Speak to Health Care Providers” using a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach. In partnership with Community Advisory Boards in Birmingham and the Bronx, they will create culturally aligned and racially just care practices informed by the community’s cultural and religious values, as well as their experiences with racism.

Andrea Cherrington, M.D., MPH, will serve as the Director of our new Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, effective October 1, 2024. She is currently Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor of Public Health, the Triton Endowed Professor in Health Equity Research, and Interim Director of the Division of Preventive Medicine. 

David Clabough Recieving his DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence.
The Department of Medicine is pleased to celebrate David Clabough as the recipient of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence in the Summer 2024 quarter.  

Professor Lisa Willett, M.D., MACM, will serve as Executive Vice Chair (EVC) for the Department of Medicine, effective July 1, 2024.

Dr. Willett adds this role to her current service as Vice Chair for Education and Faculty Development. As EVC, she will serve as the lead faculty partner to the Chair and Interim Chair, reporting directly to them.

Kondal Kyanam, M.D., will serve as Interim Director for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, effective July 1, 2024, when Douglas R. Morgan, M.D., M.P.H., will step down as Division Director and become Director of Global Health Programs for the division. Dr. Kyanam is Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Endoscopy at UAB Medicine. He also directs the division’s Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship and Advanced Endoscopy at the Birmingham VA Medical Center.  

L to R: Shane Wiley, MBA, Andrea Cherrington, M.D., Interim Director of Preventive Medicine, Chriss Florkiewicz, M.Ed., Anitra Baylor and Doug Royal, MBA The Department of Medicine is pleased to celebrate Christina Florkiewicz, M.Ed., as the distinguished recipient of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence in the Winter 2023 quarter.

Written by: Kiara Harris

Vibrant. Active. Energetic. Sarah Hazen’s loved ones use these three words to describe her.

Written by: Sarah L. Minor, MS

Pictured L to R: Drs. Anupam Agarwal, Patricia Molina, Jennifer and David Pollock, and Orlando GutierrezThe Cardio-Renal Physiology and Medicine (CPRM) team has every reason to celebrate! In their first decade, CRPM has demonstrated extraordinary success, securing over $50.6 million in research funding, leading to 192 publications and over 500 citations. Their oustanding work has also been recognized with over 140 national honors and awards, including three Pittman Scholars, three Endowed Professorships, and two Max Cooper Awardees.

Brittany Martin Recieving Her DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence.
The Department of Medicine is delighted to celebrate Brittany Martin, clinical research administrator in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, as the latest winner of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence. 

Written by: Sarah L. Minor, MS

As a high-performing investigator, Associate Professor Ellen Eaton, M.D., MPH, in the Division of Infectious Diseases, received funds from the DOM Research Awards Program (RAP) to use at her discretion to enhance her research. While grant funding has become increasingly restrictive in its uses, the RAP funds provided Eaton with an opportunity to address three main concerns with one innovative event—bring people together in person who had felt isolated during the pandemic, serve the community, and cultivate partnerships with local non-profits. “The DOM Research Award allowed me to support a research faculty, staff, and trainee ‘Meet and Greet’ where our research team, trainees, and collaborators gathered after work to create harm reduction kits for our community.”

2023 was a whirlwind of groundbreaking discoveries, prestigious awards, and initiatives for the Department of Medicine’s Research Domain. From unraveling the genetic mysteries of osteoarthritis to reimagining cancer care, our investigators have pushed the boundaries of knowledge to make meaningful contributions to human health.

Julie Kanter, M.D., Co-Director of the Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center, Director of the UAB Adult Sickle Cell Clinic

As an FDA decision approaches and medical communities brace for potential advancements, Julie Kanter, M.D., Co-Director of the Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and Director of the UAB Adult Sickle Cell Clinic, sheds light on the intricate process of implementing new gene therapy treatment for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Martin Rodriguez, M.D., is the Interim Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases (ID), effective September 24, 2023. 

Dr. Rodriguez is the Paul W. Burleson, M.D., Endowed Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Activities in the Division. An outstanding teacher and physician, he has received many awards including the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He also plays other key roles including Co-director of the UAB Undiagnosed Diseases Program and Director of the Tinsley Harrison General Medicine Service.

Erica Stringer-Reasor, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Director of the Breast Cancer Program at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, will serve as Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Medicine, effective November 1, 2023.

In academic medical centers across the nation, the research environment is increasingly complex. While conducting research that generates exciting discoveries can be considered a reward unto itself, department leaders have a responsibility to recognize principal investigators for exceeding expectations in their research.

J. Martin Rodriguez, MD, FACP, FIPSA, will serve as the Director of our Division of Infectious Diseases, effective September 1, 2024. Currently the Paul W. Burleson, MD, Endowed Professor of Medicine, he will be recommended for appointment to the C. Glenn Cobbs Endowed Chair of Medicine in his new role. 

The Department of Medicine is pleased to celebrate Tim Fram, Research Manager in the Division of Infectious Diseases, as the distinguished recipient of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence in the Fall 2023 quarter.

Fram joined the Division of Infectious Diseases in 2017 and currently serves as a lab manager for Nathan Erdmann, M.D., Ph.D; Paul Goepfert, M.D.; and Anju Bansal, Ph.D.

written by Sarah L. Minor, MS

Pictured above, left to right, back row: Cole Riddle, MiaOshia Curier, Alexandre Jassoud, Adrienne Smith, Camryn Ware, Jakari Gardner, Bill Andrews, Dr. Dalton Norwood; front row: Cathy Cartagena, Julie Schach, Cynthia Johnson, Ishita Shah, Eleni Heller, Erica Gooden, Courtney Guidry, Zully Del Valle, Nakesha Davis

The All of Us Research Program is an ambitious initiative, launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to gather health data from one million people living in the United States, prioritizing underrepresented communities. The program's mission is to build a comprehensive, representative database that will provide a more precise understanding of health and disease, thereby shaping the future of healthcare.

At UAB, one of the essential players in this endeavor is Julie Schach, who serves as the recruitment liaison of the Southern All of Us Network, and a Program Director III in the Division of Preventive Medicine and MHERC’s Recruitment and Retention Shared Facility. Schach's role has been pivotal in directing recruitment, enrollment, and retention for the All of Us Research Program at various locations including UAB Kirklin Clinic, UAB Highlands (ambulatory and inpatient), Medical Towers, Cooper Green, UAB Dothan, UAB Montgomery, and UAB Selma.

The footprint of kidney disease research at UAB just expanded through two awards from the NIH

written by Andy Currie, Maria White, and Carolyn Walsh

Pictured above, L to R: Drs. Anupam Agarwal, Orlando Gutierrez, and Amanda Hyer AndersonThe UAB-UCSD O'Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury Research has joined the newly formed O’Brien Kidney Consortium as one of its seven National Resource Centers. The $4.4 million U54 grant recognizes the Center’s 15-year legacy of exceptional research in acute kidney injury, or AKI, a health issue that affects more than 13 million people in the U.S.

Erin Snyder, M.D., will serve as Interim Division Director for General Internal Medicine effective October 1, 2023. A graduate of our School of Medicine and UAB’s Tinsley Harrison Residency Program, Dr. Snyder has played key roles as a physician, teacher, and leader in the Division and Department. She is Professor of Medicine and Physician Director for Ambulatory Care in the Department of Medicine. She also serves as Medical Director for the Internal Medicine IV Clinic and Assistant Program Director in the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program. 

Health behaviors and social factors dramatically influence how we develop and manage chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity. First-line treatments for these diseases often include recommendations for behavior change and lifestyle modification, so the entire health care team must understand the social context and unique behavioral patterns of individual patients to provide appropriate and effective care.  

Last week, the Department of Medicine welcomed the new class of PGY1's to the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medical Residency Program. Embarking on a  journey of this magnitude can be exciting and overwhelming. Faculty and current chief medical residents offered words of wisdom to help the incoming interns transition to their new phase of medicine.  

Last month, co-directors of the UAB Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center Julie Kanter, M.D., (Associate Professor, Hematology and Oncology) and Jeffrey Lebensburger, D.O., (Professor, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology) celebrated the opening of the new Adult Comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinic. The new beautifully designed clinic, located in UAB's Russell Clinic, is a spacious multi-professional facility that has more exam rooms, updated infusion spaces, and an increased ability to serve patients with sickle cell disease. Kanter and Lebensburger are excited about what these improvements mean for their lifelong patients.

The Division of Nephrology’s 2023 Kidney Summer Retreat teaches undergraduate trainees in the UAB Kidney Undergraduate Research Experience (UAB KURE) effective communication skills and provides career development. This year’s retreat focused on communication, service, and community: elements that are essential in a strong, kidney-focused career.

Program founder and director Jennifer Pollock, Ph.D., welcomed the trainees and the retreat continued with programs focused on essential elements of a successful kidney-focused career. Workshops covered topics such as effective communication, team building, scientific publications, outreach, and addressing misconceptions, providing the KURE trainees with valuable networking opportunities and mentorship for their career development.

In observance of National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, the Department of Medicine sat down with Ken Saag, M.D., MSc, Professor in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, and Amy Warriner, M.D., Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, to learn more about osteoporosis prevention, risk, and treatment.