named director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. He will start on August 1. Dr. Birrer comes to UAB from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is director of Medical Gynecologic Oncology and director of the Gynecologic Cancer Research Program at the Gillette Cancer Center. He also serves as the leader of the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center program in gynecologic cancers and is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Michael J. Birrer, MD, PhD, a trailblazer in the early detection and treatment of gynecologic cancers, has beenCongratulations to the Department’s 2017 Walter B. Frommeyer Jr. Fellowship in Investigative Medicine winners who will participate in a two-year intensive, mentored research program: Gregory Payne, MD (Fellow, Cardiovascular Disease) Abolfazl Zarjou, MD (Fellow, Nephrology) Miranda Curtiss, MD (Fellow, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) and Grant Williams, MD (Assistant Professor, Hematology and Oncology).
The Department is thrilled to celebrate six of our faculty as winners of the 2017 SOM Dean’s Excellence Awards.
The Department of Medicine shined a spotlight on health matters around the world in its 3rd Annual Global Health Day on Wednesday. Not only did we learn how the crisis in Syria is impacting global health from Dr. Majd Isreb, chairman of the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation, we also enjoyed a great poster session from residents in the Global Health Track, celebrating the outstanding training our residents receive in international settings thanks to the leadership of Martin Rodriguez, MD (Professor, Infectious Diseases).
Many of our faculty, staff, and trainees took part in the races of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend. We are delighted to report that first-year resident Connor Wann placed first in his age group, was the top local finisher, and #7 overall in the marathon with a 2:48 run. The Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care’s “Silver Sneakers” team also placed #2 in the all-women’s relay—Katrina Booth, Alayne Markland, former fellow Erin Stevens, Caroline Harada, and Marianthe Grammas. Kudos to all who donned their tennis shoes and pounded the pavement for this year’s event.