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For Jordan Beam, Match Day marks the culmination of years of preparation and purpose. From international research at the University of Oxford to hands-on training in Montgomery, she’s honed the skills and confidence that will guide her into the next chapter of her career.
As UAB Heersink School of Medicine continues to improve accessibility in digital materials to comply with updated Title II guidelines, it is important to ensure all images included in published materials contain alt text so that screen readers are able to communicate the contents of the image to readers with vision impairments. For medical education, the use of alt text can become increasingly complex as medical imagery and diagrams involve many aspects.
On March 7, 2026, Heersink School of Medicine faculty, staff, and students gathered at the Lyric Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2026 Best Medicine Show. The show, which caps off a fundraising campaign for Equal Access Birmingham, is coordinated and produced by Heersink medical students. It serves as an opportunity for the student community to come together and celebrate both the noble cause at the core of the event but also the talent and creativity of the student body.
Carmen Tong, D.O., associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been accepted into the 2026–2027 Surgical Education Research Fellowship (SERF), a national program offered through the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) to advance research skills, curriculum development, and innovation in surgical training.
Daniel Gomez Carrillo, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, received national recognition from the Association for Academic Surgery for his research on improving patient understanding during the surgical consent process.
As the flu lingers late into the season, many are asking how it spreads so easily and which precautionary steps actually help. To separate the science from the noise, three UAB experts, representing the departments of Microbiology and Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, outline what happens in the body during infection and how to slow transmission.
Two trainees in the Department of Pathology received first place for their poster presentations at the 42nd Annual Trainee Research Symposium hosted by the Department of Medicine.
Innovation Pitch Competition Showcases Transformative Ideas at the 2025 AI and Technology in Global Health Symposium The spirit of innovation was on full display at the 2025 AI and Technology in Global Health Symposium during the Innovation Pitch Competition. This year’s event brought together trainees, researchers, and global partners to share bold, AI-driven solutions to some of the world’s most urgent health challenges.
UAB recently recognized nine individuals for their years of service in the Department of Microbiology, ranging from five years up to 20 years. The UAB Service Awards honors employees who have made a significant career commitment to UAB with recognition happening at every five-year milestone.
Cortez Bowlin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Microbiology, has been selected for a Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions (MSCA) Global Fellowship, one of the European Union’s most competitive and respected research awards.
On Match Day, Philip Harden will stand among his classmates with an envelope in hand, waiting for the countdown to learn where he will train as a resident physician. The moment feels close enough to touch, yet not fully real. For the fourth-year medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine’s Tuscaloosa Regional Campus, it represents the culmination of a goal he began pursuing in high school.
Tracey Pu, M.D., a PGY-3 resident in the UAB General Surgery Residency Program, has received a travel award to attend the 2026 Society of Surgical Oncology Advanced Cancer Therapies (SSO ACT) annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
From his early days as a Birmingham native returning home for medical school to now as the leader of the MS2 neurosciences course, director of the vascular neurology fellowship, and a physician lead for expanding a telestroke network that reaches hospitals statewide, Lyerly has built a career defined by innovation, hands-on teaching, and a drive to strengthen neurological care for every community in Alabama.
By the time Audria Wood opens her Match Day envelope, she will have spent nearly a decade growing up within UAB’s walls, first as an undergraduate student-athlete, then as a medical student, and now as a future orthopedic surgeon preparing to learn where residency training will take her next.
UAB Family and Community Medicine dietitians are fielding questions about the new food pyramid. Released in the latest set of nutrition guidelines, the new take on a 1992 classic has some Alabamians scratching their heads.
The UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center will host its inaugural symposium, “Advancing the Science of Community-Engaged Research to Prevent Chronic Disease and Improve Health,” on Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center. The event brings together researchers, clinicians, public health leaders, and community partners, reflecting the center’s mission to strengthen research that connects scientific discovery with the real-world needs of communities.
UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Kristen Wong, M.D., was recently selected as an instructor for the Laparoscopic & Robotic Foregut Surgery Course offered by the Institute for Research into Cancer of the Digestive System (IRCAD).
Six faculty and staff members from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences will be recognized in the 2026 UAB Service Awards Program, representing a combined 85 years of service to the university.
When a patient undergoes an organ transplant, failure to match the donor and recipient can lead to the recipient's immune system attacking the new organ, a process triggered by a specific HLA (human leukocyte antigen) protein. In a recent study published in Immunity, UAB researchers uncovered consistency in how the immune system decides which part of the foreign HLA protein to attack—information that could help improve transplant success.
Two faculty members in the UAB Department of Urology were recently recognized for a patent related to the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, a rare genetic condition resulting from an excess of oxalate in the urine that can lead to chronic kidney disease.
In March, several of our colleagues were recognized for their years of service working at UAB and the Department of Pathology. The UAB Service Awards honor employees at each five-year milestone who have completed five or more years of service to UAB.
On Match Day, Brenton Bicknell will join his classmates, eager to share in the excitement to discover where everyone will train in medical residency. Already matched into ophthalmology at UAB Callahan Eye, the day is as much about celebrating his peers’ achievements as it is his own. For the fourth-year medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine’s Huntsville Campus, it marks a milestone shaped by mentors, family, and the camaraderie of classmates who have shared the journey.
Cheri Canon, M.D., FACR, FSAR, FAAWR, president, UA Health Services Foundation; chief physician executive, UAB Health System; professor emerita, UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Radiology, recently received the 2026 SAR Gold Medal Award, the highest honor presented by the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR). The award recognizes outstanding and sustained contributions to abdominal radiology.
For nearly two years, Lauren Picken has been a steady presence in UAB’s Department of Family and Community Medicine—first caring for patients in the clinic, then supporting primary care research. This fall, she will take the next step in her journey when she leaves Birmingham to begin medical school. It is a path shaped not only by her work at UAB but by her own search for a diagnosis.
Sight Savers America has named Alston Callahan, M.D., FACS, and Michael A. Callahan, M.D., FACS, as the 2026 Hall W. Thompson Heroes for Sight, recognizing two generations whose leadership and dedication have shaped the future of eye care in Alabama and beyond.
Physicians from the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology are bringing advanced cancer care closer to home for patients in east Alabama through their ongoing partnership with Russell Medical Center (RMC).
Eight UAB Heersink School of Medicine students have been selected for the 2026–2027 class of Alabama Albert Schweitzer Fellows, representing the institution among a competitive statewide cohort. Over the next year, they will partner with community organizations to develop and carry out sustainable service initiatives addressing the underlying factors that influence health in communities with limited access to care.
The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) has released its 2025 Annual Report – celebrating the institute’s accomplishments over the past year and highlighting milestones in patient care, quality recognition, and strategic growth.
The UAB Department of Neurology has established a new procedure clinic at Cooper Green Mercy Health to expand access to botulinum toxin therapy for issues like migraines, cervical dystonia, and other movement disorders.
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare has shown robust potential for future utilization. One common application is its ability to provide quality assurance for practitioners in various specialties. This direction is the vision of Daniel Atherton, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pathology’s Division of Forensics, who worked with colleagues from the Institute for Biomedical Innovation to develop WoundX, a software tool for gunshot wound classification.