Jessica Jaiswal, Ph.D., MPH, accepts her award for 2026 Family and Community Medicine Research Faculty Member of the Year from department chair Irfan Asif, M.D.In recognition of her outstanding scholarly productivity, adaptability, and commitment to advancing the department’s research, clinical, education, and service missions, the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine recently named Jessica Jaiswal, Ph.D., MPH, as the 2026 Research Faculty Member of the Year.
“This past year has been a strong one for our research enterprise, as reflected in continued growth and momentum across the department,” said Irfan Asif, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Jessica’s work, alongside the contributions of so many of our faculty and staff, is helping advance our understanding of critical health issues and strengthen the impact of primary care research. We are proud to celebrate her as this year’s Research Faculty Member of the Year.”
Jaiswal has demonstrated remarkable grit, resilience, and creativity in an evolving research landscape. Already an accomplished scholar with a strong portfolio of impactful work, she has demonstrated extraordinary adaptability by strategically aligning her existing research focus with emerging priorities.
This year, Jaiswal translated this shift into significant scholarly momentum, successfully developing and submitting an R01 and an R01 resubmission on HIV prevention, an R21 on anal cancer prevention, and a letter of intent for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Broad Pragmatic Studies program. These efforts highlight both her scientific vision and sustained work ethic.
In addition to her research success, Jaiswal is expanding her collaborative footprint across UAB and community clinics. This includes a new partnership with assistant professors Kaylee Crockett, Ph.D., and Natalie Jewett, M.D., in the Family Medicine Clinic at UAB Hospital-Highlands to implement a program for expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment.
Jaiswal is also deeply engaged in mentoring the next generation of clinicians and scientists, working with postdoctoral fellows and medical students through the department’s Comprehensive Urban Underserved and Rural Experience (CU2RE) program.
Each year, the Department of Family and Community Medicine recognizes the impactful work of faculty, staff, researchers and community partners at their academic year-end celebration.