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The UAB Heersink School of Medicine celebrated the Class of 2030 during its annual White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, August 15, 2026. Held at the Alabama Theatre, the event brought together 207 incoming medical students, along with faculty, staff, family, and friends to commemorate this important occasion.

The Department of Medical Education has highlighted the crucial teams that support our students in their medical school journey. In this lineup summary, we want to feature the individuals who will be mentoring students through the Clinical Skills Scholars program.

For 35 years, the Huntsville Rural Premedical Internship (HRPI) at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine has helped cultivate pathways of future physicians committed to serving communities across rural Alabama. What began as a summer opportunity for college students interested in medicine has grown into a program whose influence can be seen in clinics and hospitals across the state. As HRPI celebrates its 35th anniversary, the program's success is reflected not only in the number of students it has reached but in the physicians who have returned to care for the communities they call home.

Erin DeLaney, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Brewer-Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine. Established by the late Gov. Albert Brewer, the annual award recognizes Heersink School of Medicine faculty members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to providing outstanding and compassionate medical care to patients.

For the past nine years, Sandy Pilgrom has been a dedicated member of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As a Patient Services Coordinator II, Pilgrom brings more than 30 years of medical billing revenue cycle experience to her role, including nearly 20 years with the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF).

Our eyes change naturally as we get older. Some changes are a normal part of aging, while others may signal an eye condition that needs attention. We spoke with Dr. John Stoffer, an ophthalmologist at UAB Callahan Eye, about what patients can expect as their eyes change over time.

A multidisciplinary team consisting of University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) physicians and Children's of Alabama respiratory therapists and nurses in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children's of Alabama has become a national leader in reducing unplanned extubations, demonstrating how sustained teamwork, education and quality improvement can improve outcomes for critically ill children.

Andrada Diaconescu, M.D., a research resident in the UAB General Surgery Residency program working under the supervision of Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, vice chair of education in the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, has received a $1,500 Career Enhancement Award from the UAB Office of Postdoctoral Education (OPE) to attend the Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course at the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) Fall Courses on September 25, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

For Calvin Spellmon Jr., M.D., basketball is about much more than wins and losses. An assistant professor in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine and former college player for Dillard University, Spellmon recognizes the crucial role sports can play in building determination, confidence, and resilience.

For years, doctors and researchers have talked about a future where health care is built around each patient. But lately, many experts have started using a new term to describe that goal: precision medicine.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology has established its position as one of the nation’s premier residency and research institutions, securing top positions in the newly released Doximity 2026–2027 Top Obstetrics and Gynecology Programs rankings.

As Alabama summers grow hotter and heat waves stretch longer, locals know to stay hydrated and watch for signs of heat exhaustion. But while individuals sweat it out on the surface, a silent drama is unfolding inside every one of the trillions of cells that make up the body.

As children head back to daycare this school year, many parents are preparing for an inevitable part of the experience: runny noses, coughs and stomach bugs. While frequent illnesses can be frustrating, they are also a normal part of childhood and help strengthen a child’s developing immune system.

Hospital-acquired infections can lead to serious illness or death, especially in patients with weakened immune systems or other critical medical conditions. Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, is a serious gastrointestinal infection that can progress rapidly and, in severe cases, lead to life-threatening complications if not recognized and treated. Diagnosis remains challenging because many individuals carry C. diff in their gastrointestinal tract without developing disease, known as colonization. Current diagnostic tests are imperfect and may either fail to identify patients with true infection or detect C. diff in individuals with colonized bacteria.

The Department of Urology is proud to welcome Jordan Smith, M.D., as its newest fellow in the Advanced Endourology and Stone Disease Fellowship Program.

With Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month approaching, Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rebecca Arend, M.D., and CEO and Co-Founder of 92Bio Inc., Ben Buelow, M.D., Ph.D., share more about the science behind their BiTE trial, why UAB was the right place to run it, and what it could mean for patients who have waited for new options.

The UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine recently welcomed Savannah Bunnell, M.D., as an assistant professor.

Biru Dudhabhate, Ph.D., and Maria Jones-Muhammad, Ph.D., have been selected as Emerging Scholars for 2026-2027 by Civitan International Research Center.

The Family Medicine Clinic at UAB Hospital-Highlands is offering a new multidisciplinary menopause clinic designed to help patients understand their symptoms, explore treatment options and improve their overall wellbeing. This clinic brings together family medicine, nutrition and behavioral health specialists in a single care model to address the physical, emotional and lifestyle changes associated with menopause. According to Department of Family and Community Medicine Assistant Professor and clinic Medical Director Minakshi Shukla, M.D., it is critical to create a plan that addresses physical health, emotional well-being, lifestyle factors, and each patient's individual goals during this stage of life.

The UAB Department of Pediatrics has announced the residents selected as Pediatric Underserved and Global Health (PUGH) Scholars for the 2026-2027 academic year.

After recently stepping down as division director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Neurology, Leon Dure, M.D., professor of pediatric neurology, is beginning a new chapter in his career, with plans to expand his international work while pursuing new approaches to pediatric neurological care closer to home.

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim, or ZTTK Syndrome, is a rare disease primarily identified in children and is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed musculoskeletal development, and multi-organ anomalies. The disease was discovered in 2016 by Erin Eun Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathology Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, alongside her research team. Since then, Ahn has dedicated much of her career to researching the disease. 

Lily Gutnik, M.D., MPH, assistant professor and vice chair for global surgery in the UAB Department of Surgery, has been appointed to a three-year term on the editorial board for the Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO), serving in the journal's breast section.

George Green, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, whose research focuses on cancer immunology, neuro-oncology, and the gut–brain–tumor axis.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize three residents as recipients of the 2025-2026 Best Resident Educator Awards. Presented by the Pediatrics Clerkship, the annual awards recognize residents who make a meaningful impact on medical students through teaching, mentorship and support during their Pediatric Clerkship Rotations. 

Heersink School of Medicine student David Strickland has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Sara Crews Finley, M.D., Endowed Leadership Scholarship for 2026. Awarded to medical students who excel academically and display outstanding leadership, integrity, and service, this annual full-tuition scholarship recognizes a rising third-year student who ranks in the top 25% of their class.

Most patients spend a significant amount of face time talking with their specialist. But in the field of radiology, providers work almost entirely behind the scenes, interpreting medical images to offer diagnoses and recommend treatment plans.

The UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine recently welcomed Cameron Lee, M.D., MSHA, as an assistant professor.

The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology recently welcomed Jonathan Reid Black, M.D., as an assistant professor.

Since 2023, medical students at the UAB Montgomery Regional Medical Campus have had a unique opportunity to see how medicine, public health, and policy intersect through the ADPH Summer Research Program. We spoke with Public Health Officer, Amber Clark-Brown, M.D., who has helped lead the initiative since joining the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), to discuss the program's origins, goals, and impact as it celebrates its fourth year.