Explore UAB

Colleges & Schools

Heersink School of Medicine

Spring 2026 Endowment Reception

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Heersink Conference Center, Room 102
Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building
701 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233

A close up of UAB's Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building. Focused on the etched double-helix DNA motif on its exterior glass.

Agenda

4:00 p.m.

Welcome

Anupam Agarwal, M.D.
Sr. Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine

4:15 p.m.

Recognition of Honorees

Craig Hoesley, M.D. Mark Dransfield, M.D. Yung Lau, M.D. Mahmud Mossa-Basha, M.D. Lisa Willett, M.D. Tracy Luckhardt, M.D. Christina Muzny, M.D. Ashley Nichols, M.D. Jing Li, M.D., DrPH Maria Danila, M.D. Jaroslaw Zmijewski, Ph.D. Steve Stigler Jr., M.D. Jerzy Szaflarski, M.D., Ph.D. Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D. Thomas Winokur, M.D. Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D. Qiang Ding, Ph.D. Robert Brunner, M.D.

5:45 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Anupam Agarwal, M.D.
Sr. Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the Heersink School of Medicine

6:00 p.m.

Reception

Endowed Chair and Professorship Honorees

headshot of Dr. Brunner.

Robert Brunner, M.D.

Women’s Committee of the Spain Rehabilitation Center Endowed Chair in Rehabilitation Neuroscience Research

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Robert Brunner, M.D., distinguished professor and vice chair of development in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, joined the UAB faculty in 1998. His clinical and research work focuses on people with traumatic brain injury. In 1999, he began working with the national Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (TBIMS), a longitudinal database established by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to track outcomes from injury through long-term recovery.

Brunner has served as principal investigator for the UAB-TBIMS grant since 2002 and became project director in 2019. UAB has been continuously funded since 1997 and is one of only 16 nationally designated Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems recognized for excellence in brain injury care, rehabilitation research, and long-term outcomes.

Since 2004, Brunner has been the medical director of the inpatient traumatic brain injury rehabilitation service at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center, overseeing inpatient and outpatient programs, patient experience, quality, and outcomes. He also chairs the UAB Health System Credentials Committee and serves as associate chief of the UAB medical staff. He completed his internship at Baptist Health System and his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at UAB.

headshot of Dr. Danila.

Maria Danila, M.D.

UAB Endowed Professorship in Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research

Department of Medicine

Maria Danila, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, focuses on optimizing care for patients with chronic rheumatologic conditions and strengthening the infrastructure that supports translational research in immunology and rheumatology.

Danila serves as associate division director for clinical research, overseeing clinical trial management and operations. She is a physician-scientist at the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the Birmingham VA Medical Center.

Danila leads research funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Rheumatology Research Foundation and is co-PI for a multimillion-dollar Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) project exploring how to prevent bone fractures among patients with osteoporosis.

She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, serves on the Leadership Development Council for the Rheumatology Research Foundation, and is an associate editor for the journals Arthritis Care and Research and Arthritis and Rheumatology.

She earned her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. She completed residency at the University of Illinois Chicago–Advocate Christ Medical Center, followed by a fellowship at UAB. She joined the UAB faculty in 2008.

headshot of Dr. Ding.

Qiang Ding, Ph.D.

Maurice S. Albin, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine

Qiang Ding, Ph.D., is a professor in the UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. Ding’s work focuses on advancing the understanding of lung fibrosis, bacterial pneumonia, tissue injury and repair, cognition, and cancer through molecular and translational biomedical research.

Ding earned his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular pathology from UAB and completed his postdoctoral fellowship training in the UAB Department of Pathology. His research examines cellular and molecular mechanisms that influence tissue injury, repair, and disease progression, with the goal of identifying pathways that can inform future therapeutic strategies.

In addition to his primary appointment, Ding holds a secondary faculty appointment in the UAB Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology. He is also a member of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center and serves as a faculty member in the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Program.

Ding is deeply committed to mentorship and education. His contributions to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians were recognized with the Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship in 2017. Other honors include awards from the Helen Keller Eye Research Foundation, Sigma Xi, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

headshot of Dr. Dransfield.

Mark Dransfield, M.D.

Spencer Chair in Medical Science Leadership

Department of Medicine

Mark Dransfield, M.D., professor and chair of the UAB Department of Medicine, is a nationally renowned leader in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He served as director of the UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and as medical director of the UAB Lung Health Center, and led the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative for COPD.

An elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Dransfield has acted as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials and observational studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and American Lung Association. He chairs the Lancet Commission on COPD and serves on the board of directors of the COPD Foundation.

Dransfield has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in The New England Journal of Medicine. He is editor-in-chief of COPD: Journal of the COPD Foundation and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

A graduate of the UNC School of Medicine, Dransfield completed his residency and fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at UAB. He joined the UAB faculty in 2003, became division director in 2021, and was named chair of the Department of Medicine in September 2025.

headshot of Dr. Hoesley.

Craig Hoesley, M.D.

Paul and Martha Burleson Endowed Chair in Medical Education

Department of Medical Education

Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and chair of the UAB Department of Medical Education, is the inaugural holder of the Paul and Martha Burleson Endowed Chair in Medical Education.

Hoesley earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida and completed his internship, internal medicine residency, chief residency, and infectious disease fellowship at UAB. He joined the UAB faculty in 1999, serving as internal medicine clerkship director for seven years. In 2009, he was appointed associate dean for undergraduate medical education before becoming senior associate dean for medical education and chair of the Department of Medical Education in 2015.

In his current role, Hoesley oversees undergraduate and graduate medical education programs, continuing medical education, and medical student services. A dedicated leader in medical education, he is committed to strengthening curriculum design and enhancing the systems that support physician training. He works to create exceptional student experiences, fostering a supportive learning environment and preparing graduates to meet the evolving needs of healthcare.

headshot of Dr. Lau.

Yung Lau, M.D.

Katharine Reynolds Ireland Chair of Pediatrics

Department of Pediatrics

Yung Lau, M.D., chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of Children’s of Alabama, is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric electrophysiology. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, including catheter ablation, pacing, and cardiac device management. His clinical and research interests include congenital heart disease.

Lau has been a member of the UAB faculty for more than three decades, joining in 1994. He earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, and completed his pediatrics residency at UAB and his fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.

Before his appointment as chair, Lau served as interim chair and held leadership roles including vice chair for clinical affairs and division director of pediatric cardiology. He is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Medical Association of Alabama and Alpha Omega Alpha. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

headshot of Dr. Li.

Jing Li, M.D., DrPH

Albert Oberman, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Cardiovascular Disease

Department of Medicine

Jing Li, M.D., DrPH, professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, is a world-class biostatistician and expert in research methodologies. She has led multiple projects to implement evidence-based healthcare practices, promote preventive care, teach implementation science, and improve community health. Her research has been consistently funded by the NIH, PCORI, CMS, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Early in her career, Li led data management for the landmark Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study—a pioneering longitudinal investigation providing four decades of insight into the evolution of cardiovascular health. In 2025, she returned to UAB as CARDIA’s principal investigator.

Li is a member of numerous professional organizations, including AcademyHealth, the professional society for health services and policy research, and the American Heart Association.

Li earned her medical degree and a master’s degree in clinical research from Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China, followed by a master’s degree in computer science and information systems from UAB and a doctorate in health management and policy from the University of Kentucky.

headshot of Dr. Luckhardt.

Tracy Luckhardt, M.D.

Charles and Alice Hohenberg Professorship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Department of Medicine

Tracy Luckhardt, M.D., is a professor and the interim director of the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. A physician-scientist, Luckhardt has established national leadership in the field of interstitial lung disease through basic and translational investigations yielding more than 50 manuscripts in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, CHEST, and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

She previously served as director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Clinical Research Unit and medical director of UAB’s pulmonary inpatient service and specialty care unit.

As fellowship director, Luckhardt has grown the Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program to 18 fellows, launched two new training programs, and improved Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) survey results for fellows and faculty. Among her many accolades are the Jack Durand Fulmer, M.D., Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Department of Medicine “Unsung Hero” Award, and the UAB Teaching Excellence Award.

Luckhardt earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and completed a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the University of Michigan. She joined the UAB faculty in 2009.

headshot of Dr. Mossa-Basha.

Mahmud Mossa-Basha, M.D.

Witten-Stanley Endowed Chair of Radiology

Department of Radiology

Mahmud Mossa-Basha, M.D., professor and chair of the UAB Department of Radiology, is an internationally recognized expert in stroke and neurovascular imaging. His work focuses on advanced neuroimaging, vascular disease, and innovative imaging techniques that improve diagnosis and patient care.

Mossa-Basha joined UAB in 2025 following more than a decade at the University of Washington, where he held multiple leadership roles and contributed to major advances in clinical research, imaging innovation, and academic mentorship.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Michigan and his medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine. He completed a diagnostic radiology residency at Henry Ford Hospital and a neuroradiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

A prolific scholar and educator, he served on the Radiological Society of North America Board of Trustees and Research Development Committee, was elected to the American Society of Neuroradiology Nominating Committee, chaired the Society of Magnetic Resonance Angiography Education Committee, and served on the American College of Radiology Neurocommission. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, edited multiple books, and served as senior editor of the American Journal of Neuroradiology and the British Journal of Radiology. He has served as PI on four NIH and multiple foundation and industry grants, and has won multiple research awards, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Academy of Radiological Sciences.

headshot of Dr. Muzny.

Christina Muzny, M.D.

Jeanne M. Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H., Endowed Professorship in Innovation and Advancement through Mentorship

Department of Medicine

Christina Muzny, M.D., MSPH, professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, is a nationally recognized physician-scientist and chair of the UAB Institutional Review Board.

Muzny’s research focuses on bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, and other sexually transmitted infections. Her work has appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine and American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Muzny is medical director of the UAB Infectious Diseases Vaginitis Clinic and the UAB Sexual Health Research Clinic, and she directs the division's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program. She holds memberships in the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association, and the American Society for Microbiology.

Muzny earned a medical degree from Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. She completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center before joining UAB in 2010.

headshot of Dr. Nichols.

Ashley Nichols, M.D.

Charles D. Beard, Jr., Family Endowed Chair in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Communication

Department of Medicine

Ashley Nichols, M.D., is an associate professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Palliative Care. As a clinician-educator, Nichols has developed clinical palliative care rotations and educational programs for medical students, residents, and fellows, as well as interprofessional learners from UAB and the broader community. She is a core faculty member in UAB’s Palliative Care Leadership Center, where she trains hospital programs nationwide as they develop palliative care services.

Additionally, Nichols is a senior faculty facilitator for VitalTalk, teaching clinicians how to communicate effectively about serious illness, and she leads UAB’s Advanced Communication Training Scholars program to assess system needs and design initiatives that strengthen communication in the field.

Nichols earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and completed her internship, residency, and fellowship at UAB. She joined the division in 2011.

headshot of Dr. Ponnazhagan.

Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D.

Jay M. McDonald, M.D., Endowed Chair in Laboratory Medicine

Department of Pathology

Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D., a professor in the UAB Department of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, was named vice chair for research in the department in 2024 after serving in the interim role since 2023. He has been a UAB faculty member since 1999. His research, focused on breast and prostate cancers, has been supported by industry, the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the NIH.

Ponnazhagan is a senior scientist with UAB’s Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering, Comprehensive Diabetes Center, Nephrology Research and Training Center, Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center, Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders, and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is co-director of the Pathobiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology theme within the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Training Program.

headshot of Dr. Shevde-Samant.

Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D.

Endowed Professorship in Experimental Cancer Therapeutics

Department of Pathology

Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and associate director for cancer training, education, and career enhancement in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also directs the Graduate Biomedical Sciences Cancer Biology Theme and serves as a senior scientist in the UAB Immunology Institute, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and Diabetes Research Center.

Shevde-Samant earned her Ph.D. in applied biology from the University of Mumbai in India in 1999 before completing postdoctoral training at the Jake Gittlen Cancer Research Institute at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey in 2002 and as a research associate in the UAB Department of Pathology in 2003. She served on the faculty in the University of South Alabama Department of Oncologic Sciences before returning to UAB as an associate professor in the Department of Pathology in 2012. In 2016, Shevde-Samant was promoted to professor.

Shevde-Samant’s research lab investigates molecular signaling mechanisms that present as fundamental aberrations in tumor cells or in their immune microenvironment with the overall goal to apply this knowledge to complement and improve current clinical protocols with new therapeutic strategies.

headshot of Dr. Stigler.

William Stigler Jr., M.D.

Merritt L. Pizitz and James E. Johnson, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Pulmonary and Critical Care

Department of Medicine

William “Steve” Stigler, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, serves as the medical director for critical care services in the division, overseeing the implementation and operation of an e-ICU program that has dramatically improved patient outcomes. He also serves as medical director of the UAB eMedicine Critical Care program, overseeing a growing telemedicine consultation program that provides remote critical care expertise to nine hospitals across Alabama.

Consistently recognized for his contributions, Stigler has received the Dean’s Excellence Award for Teaching, the Department of Medicine Unsung Hero Award, and the Dean’s Excellence Award for Service, among many others.

Stigler received his medical degree from UAB, followed by residency and chief residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Harvard School of Medicine. He joined the UAB faculty in 2012.

headshot of Dr. Szaflarski.

Jerzy Szaflarski, M.D., Ph.D.

R. Edward Faught and Janet Jackson Faught Endowed Professorship in Epilepsy Research

Department of Neurology

A native of Poland, Jerzy Szaflarski, M.D., Ph.D., received his medical degree in 1991 and his Ph.D. in 1997 from the Collegium Medicum (Bydgoszcz) of the Nicolaus Copernicus University. He completed his residency training in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology in 2000 at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he also served as chief resident.

In 2012, Szaflarski joined UAB as a professor in the Department of Neurology and the director of the Division of Epilepsy and the UAB Epilepsy Center. He also currently serves as the department’s vice chair for faculty development.

Szaflarski is regarded as an international authority on the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, having led numerous clinical trials for novel treatments, published numerous papers in high-impact journals, served on governmental and foundation grant review committees, and presented at multiple national and international meetings. He serves on national councils and committees for the American Epilepsy Society, Epilepsy Foundation, International League Against Epilepsy, and the NIH. He also currently serves as editor-in-chief of Epilepsy and Behavioral Reports.

At UAB, Szaflarski has also mentored graduate and undergraduate students and co-led and guest lectured in multiple UAB courses. For his teaching efforts, he was awarded the UAB Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship.

headshot of Dr. Willett.

Lisa Willett, M.D.

Paul W. Burleson, M.D., Endowed Professorship in Internal Medicine

Department of Medicine

Lisa Willett, M.D., professor, executive vice chair, and vice chair for education and faculty development in the UAB Department of Medicine, is a nationally recognized physician, teacher, and leader who has devoted her career to patients and learners.

For more than 20 years, Willett led the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program, training more than 800 residents. Under her leadership, the program earned top ratings from the ACGME and achieved a 100% ABIM pass rate.

Willett has been recognized for teaching and clinical excellence with awards including the UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award. She served as president of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine and was a board member of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine.

She earned her medical degree and completed residency at UAB, where she served as chief medical resident under William “Bill” Dismukes, M.D. She joined the faculty in 2000.

headshot of Dr. Winokur.

Thomas Winokur, M.D.

Robert W. Mowry, M.D., Endowed Professor in Pathology

Department of Pathology

Thomas Winokur, M.D., is a professor in the UAB Department of Pathology, Division of Anatomic Pathology and section head for the Dermatopathology and Pulmonary Sections. He has served as interim director in the Divisions of Women’s Health and Anatomic Pathology.

Winokur earned his medical degree in 1979 from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, before serving there as an instructor. He completed residency in 1984 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis before pursuing his fellowship in anatomic pathology at Fox Chase Cancer Center. From 1985-1992, Winokur served as a senior staff fellow at the Laboratory of the National Cancer Institute Chemoprevention Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He joined the UAB Department of Pathology in 1993 as an assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1999 and to professor in 2016.

Winokur serves as chair of AP Computer Implementation and the Advanced Testing Committee. He is a member of the Lung Cancer Working Group and the Melanoma and Sarcoma Working Group, and is on the Precision Oncology Committee, Lung Cancer Management Committee, Melanoma and Sarcoma Management Committee, and Pulmonary Transplant Review Conference.

headshot of Dr. Zmijewski.

Jaroslaw Zmijewski, Ph.D.

SK Bioscience Endowed Chair in Pneumonia Research

Department of Medicine

Jaroslaw Zmijewski, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, is a renowned biomedical researcher who studies how molecular changes in metabolism and energy use contribute to organ injury and interfere with repair.

His work has been supported by the NIH, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense, where he has served as principal investigator on multiple groundbreaking studies aimed at improving the health of patients with lung diseases.

Zmijewski has received numerous honors, including the Heersink Featured Discovery Award, recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the Collegium for Outstanding Achievements and Contributions to the Polish Scientific Community, and awards for outstanding contributions to division research.

He has authored 85 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Nature, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, which have been cited more than 8,000 times.

Zmijewski earned a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Gdansk in Poland. He completed postdoctoral training at UAB and joined the faculty in 2006.