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Heersink School of Medicine

Rescheduled
Spring 2026 Endowment Reception

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 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. Qiang Ding, Ph.D. Robert Brunner, M.D. Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D. Oyedele Adeyi, MBBS Lisa Willett, M.D. Tracy Luckhardt, M.D. Christina Muzny, M.D. Ashley Nichols, M.D. Jing Li, M.D., DrPH Rebekah Weil, M.D. Maria Danila, M.D. Jaroslaw Zmijewski, Ph.D. Steve Stigler Jr., M.D. Gretchen Wells, M.D., Ph.D. Brigitta Brott, M.D. Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D. Jerzy Szaflarski, M.D., Ph.D. Tapan Mehta, Ph.D. Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

5:15 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. 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. 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. Lau.

Yung Lau, M.D.

Katharine Reynolds Ireland Endowed 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Adeyi.

Oyedele Adeyi, M.D.

C. Bruce Alexander Endowed Professorship in Pathology

Department of Pathology

Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Pathology, recently began serving as section head of Gastrointestinal Pathology and director of the GI fellowship program. Adeyi joined the department as director of the Division of Anatomic Pathology on June 6, 2025, from the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he served as professor since 2019 and as director of surgical pathology. Prior to his appointment at Minnesota, Adeyi joined the University of Toronto in Canada as an assistant professor in 2006 and was promoted to associate professor in 2014.

In 1987, Adeyi earned his medical degree from the University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine in Ibadan, Nigeria, before completing both a medical internship and residency in pathology at Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1996. In 2000, Adeyi completed a research fellowship in renal pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2005, Adeyi completed his residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and in 2006, Adeyi completed a clinical fellowship in liver and transplantation pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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. 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. 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. 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. Weil.

Rebekah Weil, M.D.

Robert M. Centor, M.D., MACP Endowed Professorship in Medical Education and General Internal Medicine

Department of Medicine

Rebekah Weil, M.D., is an associate professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science, where she balances leadership in medical education with clinical care for complex and vulnerable patient populations.

Weil has an independent primary care practice at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services and works with residents and students in multiple clinical outpatient and inpatient settings. She also serves in multiple leadership roles, including director of the Patient, Doctor, and Society module in the Heersink School of Medicine, director of the Internal Medicine Acting Internship, director of the Internal Medicine Residency Health Disparities Track, and associate division director for medical education.

In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Weil has developed and led multiple educational initiatives, including the Cooper Green Continuum Care rotation for internal medicine residents and the Department of Medicine Medical Education Track for subspecialty fellows. For her exemplary work as a clinician-educator, she was awarded the Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Teaching in 2021.

Weil completed her medical doctorate, residency training, and chief residency at UAB from 2012 to 2016, and a fellowship in medical education at Oregon Health and Science University in 2017. She joined the faculty at UAB in 2018.

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. 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.

headshot of Dr. Stigler.

Steve 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. Wells.

Gretchen Wells, M.D., Ph.D.

Elmer and Glenda Harris Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Disease

Department of Medicine

Gretchen Wells, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease. She directs the UAB Medicine Women's Heart Health Program and the Cardiovascular Clinical Trials Unit.

A Birmingham native, Wells earned a Ph.D. in medical genetics in 1989 and an M.D. in 1994, both from UAB. She subsequently completed internal medicine residency training here in 1997 and a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Wake Forest School of Medicine in 2000.

Wells began her academic medical career at Wake Forest, where she became director of inpatient cardiology and associate dean of admissions. She joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 2015, where she was the inaugural Thomas Whayne Professor of Women's Heart Health. While there, she served as treasurer and governor of the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Cardiology. She returned to UAB in 2021.

Wells is a 2011 graduate of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program for Women and later served on its national alumni advisory board. She has received numerous honors and awards, including recognition as a Best Doctor in America and the Women in Cardiology Mentoring Award from the American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology.

headshot of Dr. Brott.

Brigitta Brott, M.D.

Baker-Dean Endowed Professorship in Interventional Cardiology

Department of Medicine

Brigitta Brott, M.D., is a professor in the UAB Department of Medicine and vice director of entrepreneurship in the Division of Cardiovascular Disease. She also serves as a professor in the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering and is co-founder of Endomimetics LLC, a company that develops coatings and materials designed to enhance healing following medical device implantation and surgical procedures.

Brott advanced education as director of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship for 12 years and remains an active physician in cardiology clinics at Gardendale, the Birmingham VA Medical Center, and UAB Hospital.

The NIH and American Heart Association have sought her research expertise in various capacities, including the AHA Council on Clinical Cardiology, the NIH Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging, and Bioengineering Study Section, and the NIH Special Emphasis Panel on Biomedical Imaging and Engineering Area Review. She also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

A 1984 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brott earned her medical degree from Loyola University in 1988, completed her residency training at Harvard in 1991, and completed general and interventional cardiology fellowships at Duke University in 1995. She joined the faculty at UAB in 2000 after four years at Vanderbilt University.

headshot of Dr. Brott.

Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D.

Charlene A. Jones Endowed Chair in Neuroimmunology

Department of Neurology

Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and educator. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard University in 1993, followed by both a Ph.D. in neurobiology (2000) and a medical degree (2001) from Duke University.

Yacoubian completed her residency training in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 2005 and completed a fellowship in movement disorders at UAB in 2007.

She joined the UAB faculty in 2006 as an instructor of neurology and was promoted to assistant professor in 2007. She has since become a professor of neurology, with a secondary appointment as a professor in the UAB Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology. She also serves as assistant dean for the UAB Medical Scientist Training Program.

An internationally respected authority on neurodegenerative disorders, Yacoubian’s research has focused on the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, including the role of the immune system in Parkinson’s disease. Her contributions include service on governmental and foundation grant review committees, a substantial body of published research in high-impact journals, and invited presentations at national and international conferences.

In addition, Yacoubian is deeply committed to education, making significant contributions to teaching medical students, residents, fellows, and peers both within the university and across the region.

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. Mehta.

Tapan Mehta, Ph.D.

Heersink Endowed Professorship in Primary Care

Department of Family and Community Medicine

Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., is a professor and vice chair for research and improvement science in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, with additional appointments in the Departments of Health Services Administration and Biostatistics. He is a health services researcher with extensive expertise in biostatistics, digital health, telehealth, disability and rehabilitation science, and health services research.

Mehta plays a critical leadership role in multiple federally funded centers supporting investigators and projects across the university and nationally. He serves as the principal investigator for the Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Telehealth Outreach and Policy for Rural and Underserved Populations (TOP‑UP) Rapid Response Center, the country’s first center specializing in rapid telehealth policy research. He is an multiple principal investigator for the Health Enhancement through Access and Research in Transformative Networks (HEART-NET) Primary Care Research Network and the newly funded P50 UAB Disability Health Promotion Research Center. He also serves as the co-director of the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education. Mehta is director of the Building and InnovatinG: Digital HeAlth Technology and Analytics (BIGDATA) Center’s Methods and Health Informatics Core and the CDC-funded National Center on Health Physical Activity and Disability’s Data Coordinating Center.

Mehta has authored more than 100 peer‑reviewed publications in top-tier journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Nature Genetics, and American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

headshot of Dr. Wang.

Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

Arnold G. Diethelm Endowed Chair in Transplantation Surgery

Department of Surgery

Jackie Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation and co-director of the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute, has established herself as a foremost presence in transplantation research and best practices. Board-certified by the American Board of Surgery, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, she specializes in liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation, as well as living kidney and liver donation.

Author of over 240 publications and a field leader in kidney transplantation outcome improvement, Wang’s research focuses on identifying novel strategies to increase rates of deceased and living donor kidney transplantation. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of normothermic and hypothermic machine perfusion to preserve and assess donor kidneys, expansion of donor acceptance criteria, and leveraging modalities such as kidney paired exchange and desensitization to expand access to transplantation. 

Passionate about maximizing the utilization of kidneys available for transplant on a national scale, she was instrumental in creating the Incompatible Live Donor Kidney Transplant registry early in her career and developing and advocating for the national implementation of the Live Donor Champion Program, two examples of numerous initiatives that have had a significant impact on the national transplant landscape.