Joshua Stein, M.D., M.S.
The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine has named Joshua Stein, M.D., M.S., as the inaugural associate dean for data sciences, effective July 1, 2026.
A nationally recognized physician-scientist, Stein joins Heersink after a distinguished career at the University of Michigan, where he served as director of the Center for Eye Policy and Innovation and held appointments in ophthalmology, health services research, and healthcare policy.
“In his role as the inaugural associate dean for data sciences, Dr. Stein will help lead our efforts to leverage data, analytics, and emerging technologies to accelerate research, improve healthcare delivery, and strengthen collaboration across academic and clinical enterprises,” said Orlando M. Gutierrez, M.D., director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and senior associate dean for clinical and translational research in the Heersink School of Medicine at UAB.
Throughout his career, Stein has been a leader in harnessing large healthcare datasets, electronic health records, predictive analytics, and health services research methodologies to better understand disease patterns, healthcare utilization, quality of care, and patient outcomes. His work has resulted in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and has helped establish new approaches for using real-world data to address complex clinical questions.
Stein leads the Sight Outcomes Research Collaborative, or SOURCE, a consortium of academic ophthalmology departments that share de-identified electronic health records and ocular diagnostic data on eye care recipients. Faculty and trainees from participating sites can use the data, compiled from academic medical centers across the country, for research and quality improvement projects. Stein will move the SOURCE headquarters to UAB.
“Dr. Stein is a pioneering leader in leveraging large-scale clinical and administrative datasets to improve patient care, advance population health research, and inform healthcare policy,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. “I am excited for him to bring his wealth of expertise and talent to advance our school’s mission and to serve the people of Alabama.”
A glaucoma specialist and internationally recognized expert in ophthalmic outcomes research, Stein will also serve as vice chair for research in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and will hold the Susan and Dowd Ritter/Research to Prevent Blindness Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology Research, pending University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approval. He is also a UAB Presidential Faculty Scholar, a title recognizing outstanding faculty whose research programs align with UAB’s Research Strategic Initiative priorities.
Stein has received numerous professional honors, including the Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the David L. Epstein, M.D., Award from the ARVO Foundation for Eye Research, and the Physician Scientist Award from Research to Prevent Blindness.
“The addition of Josh Stein to our department—and to this pivotal leadership role at the intersection of clinical care and research—will drive meaningful impact across our institution,” said Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “His expertise will further accelerate UAB’s momentum in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data, opening new and exciting avenues for innovation and growth.”