Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D.Talene Yacoubian, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been named the second holder of the Charlene A. Jones Endowed Chair in Neuroimmunology. The appointment was approved by the UAB Board of Trustees at the board’s meeting on April 17, 2026.
“I am honored to be selected for this position and to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Tika Benveniste, the first holder of this endowed chair,” Yacoubian said.
Yacoubian is an internationally recognized physician-scientist and educator whose career spans clinical excellence, groundbreaking research, and institutional leadership. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard University in 1993, followed by both a Ph.D. in neurobiology (2000) and a medical degree (2001) from Duke University.
Yacoubian completed her internship and postgraduate residency training in combined internal medicine and neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 2005 and went on to complete a fellowship in movement disorders at UAB in 2007.
Yacoubian joined the UAB faculty in 2006 as an instructor of neurology and was promoted to assistant professor in 2007. She has since advanced through the academic ranks to become a professor of neurology, with a secondary appointment as professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology. In recognition of her leadership in physician scientist training, she also serves as assistant dean for the UAB Medical Scientist Training Program and as director of the program, providing strategic oversight and mentorship to M.D. Ph.D. trainees and helping shape the next generation of physician scientists.
A nationally and internationally respected authority on neurodegenerative disorders, particularly ataxias and Parkinson’s disease, Yacoubian’s research has focused on the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, including the role of the immune system in Parkinson’s disease. Her contributions include service on governmental and foundation grant review committees, a substantial body of published research in high-impact journals, and invited presentations at national and international conferences. In 2019, the UAB Board of Trustees appointed her as the second holder of the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Endowed Professorship in Neurology.
In addition to her research and clinical leadership, Yacoubian is deeply committed to education, making significant contributions to teaching medical students, residents, fellows, and peers both within the university and across the region. Widely regarded as an outstanding scientist and teacher, she is an actively engaged faculty member whose work has earned her a strong and growing international reputation.