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Residents, Drs. Brian Westbrook and Carl Zainaldin

IM Residents Drs. Brian Westbrook and Carl Zainaldin recently used Point of Care Ultrasound to diagnose a dangerous tension pneumothorax—air trapped in the chest that compresses the lungs and heart. Within minutes of their assessment, their pulmonary fellow placed a chest tube to release the air and restore the patient’s breathing. The residents credit Dr. Rob Smola (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) who directs the POCUS curriculum for training them to diagnose and respond to the medical emergency. Great work, Drs. Westbrook and Zainaldin!

Steve Rowe, M.D., MSPH, Professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

The Department of Medicine is excited to congratulate Steve Rowe, M.D., MSPH, (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine) on his new position as Chief Scientific Officer for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation—the world’s leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis—effective July 1, 2022. As the CF Foundation’s Chief Scientific Officer, Rowe will oversee the direction and execution of their core scientific strategy which aims to find a cure for all patients with cystic fibrosis. Congratulations on this exciting opportunity, Dr. Rowe!

The Department of Medicine's Susan Birket, Ph.D., (Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine) and Nathan Erdmann, M.D., Ph.D., (Assistant Professor, Infectious Disease) are named among the 2022 James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., Scholars. The program recognizes junior faculty and supports the recruitment and retention of highly competitive scientists and physician-scientists. Each award recipient will receive $12,500 per year for the next three years in support of continued discovery in the basic or clinical sciences. Congratulations, Drs. Birket and Erdmann on this well-deserved recognition. .

 Pictured Above (L to R): Brigitta Brott, M.D., (Cardiovascular Disease), Timmy Lee, M.D., (Nephrology), Joseph Garner, Ph.D., (Biotechnology Program), Patrick Hwang, Ph.D., and Ho-Wook Jun, Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering) 

Timmy Lee, M.D., (Professor, Nephrology) and colleagues co-authored a report in the journal Biomaterials showing that an experimental nanomatrix gel improves the development of arteriovenous fistula, which provides stable vascular access for patients who require hemodialysis. Experts say this discovery holds promise for more than 600,000 patients in the U.S. with end stage kidney disease.

 Above: Julie Kanter, M.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Co-Director of the UAB Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center 

Julie Kanter, M.D., (Associate Professor, Hematology and Oncology; Co-director of the UAB Lifespan Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center) and colleagues have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. After six months of treatment with the new gene therapy LentiGlobin, clinical trial participants started making more normal hemoglobin than sickled hemoglobin, which has protected them from experiencing painful blockages in their small blood vessels. This treatment holds tremendous promise of an ultimate cure for patients with sickle cell disease, the most common form of inherited blood disorder. Great work, Dr. Kanter!