On February 6, 2026, at the annual State of School address, I outlined an ambitious vision for advancing our research and discovery, clinical care, and medical education missions. This month, I am pleased to share the first of a three-part series highlighting progress in key goals in research and discovery that were shared during the presentation: recruiting exceptional talent, expanding our research portfolio and clinical trials enterprise, and investing in the infrastructure and technologies that fuel scientific innovation.
A cornerstone of our strategy is attracting and retaining world-class faculty and research leaders. Recent appointments underscore this commitment, including the recruitments of Josh Stein, M.D., as a UAB Presidential Faculty Scholar and our inaugural associate dean for data sciences, and Teviah Sachs, M.D., as director of the Division of Surgical Oncology. Stein, a pioneer in leveraging large-scale clinical and administrative datasets to improve patient care, joins us from the University of Michigan while Sachs, a prolific researcher and mentor as well as surgical oncologist, joins us from Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine.
I’m pleased to share that Maria Monica Gramatges, M.D., Ph.D., joined the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology on Aug. 15. She joins UAB from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital and brings with her a distinguished research program in pediatric leukemia and childhood cancer survivorship. A UAB Presidential Faculty Scholar, Gramatges will serve as a professor of pediatrics and the deputy director of the Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship.
We also appointed outstanding internal candidates to leadership roles this year. Andrew Edwards, M.D., was named chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, and David Schneider, Ph.D., was named chair of the Department Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. Both have deep roots in their respective departments—Edwards is a Heersink alumnus who joined our faculty in 2003 while Schneider has served on our faculty since 2007.
In addition, national searches were recently announced for a combined senior associate dean for medical education and chair of the Department of Medical Education role and for a new senior associate dean for academic affairs and professional development position. These investments in leadership will strengthen our academic foundation and help position our school for continued growth.
We are also seeing encouraging momentum in our efforts to diversify our research portfolio and expand clinical trials. Fiscal year-to-date clinical trial agreement contract submissions have increased by more than 17%, while non-federal clinical trial expenditures have risen nearly 7%, reflecting sustained growth in research activity. Since 2022, our industry-sponsored clinical trials enterprise has grown by more than 32%.
Equally important are the discoveries emerging from that enterprise. Recent highlights include a first-in-human immunotherapy trial for glioblastoma that demonstrated remarkable promise, a major clinical trial supporting a potentially curative treatment approach for multiple myeloma, and a gene therapy trial for Fabry disease. We have also advanced a novel oral therapy for Type 1 diabetes into its next phase of human testing. These achievements, combined with a transformational $5 million gift supporting the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Trials Program, highlight the growing impact of our research enterprise.
Finally, we continue to invest in the infrastructure that fuels discovery. The COMET advanced imaging platform is expanding research capabilities across campus, while the UAB Spatial Core Lab Grant Program is offering investigators complimentary or discounted access to advanced spatial transcriptomics technologies to generate pilot data for competitive grant applications.
Construction of the new research building remains ahead of schedule, with a ribbon-cutting expected this fall, and additional tools delivered through the Research Strategic Initiative are providing investigators with enhanced resources to accelerate their work.
While there is much work ahead, these accomplishments demonstrate that our community is translating vision into action. Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing discovery, improving health, and shaping the future of academic medicine. Together, we are building on a strong foundation and creating new opportunities for impact.
Upcoming Dean's Messages will focus on advancements in clinical care and medical education goals shared at State of the School, showcasing how our faculty, staff, and learners are helping move these important initiatives forward.