Marisa Marques, M.D., a professor emeritus in the Division of Laboratory Medicine, retired from the department on July 31, 2023, after 30 years of service. A devoted educator and mentor, Marques instructed courses ranging from coagulation to dental clinical pathology and served in several mentorship roles within the UAB Graduate School, Heersink School of Medicine, and Minority Medical Education Program. During her time at UAB, she held many leadership roles. She served as director of the Transfusion Medicine Blood Bank Fellowship, associate director of the Division of Laboratory Medicine, and as section head of Transfusion Medicine, among others. Marques received numerous awards, such as the Heersink Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching, the Excellence in Resident Education in Clinical Pathology Award, and the Excellence in Mentorship Award from the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA). In 2022, Marques was awarded the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Francis S. Morrison, M.D. Memorial Lecture Award.
After retirement, Marques continues to work as the Blood Bank Principal Investigator, one of only two in the country, for Trauma Resuscitation with Group O Whole Blood or Products (TROOP), a clinical trial that aims to determine the best type of blood transfusion to give to injured people who are bleeding. Marques recently edited the newest edition of a transfusion medicine textbook, Transfusion Therapy: Clinical Principles and Practice, with two of her colleagues, Joseph Schwartz, M.D., M.P.H. and Yanyun Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
“Since my main reason for retiring was to spend more time with my family, I have been lucky to do just that,” said Marques. “I have traveled to Alaska, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Italy, and Spain to visit friends and family or explore.”
After retiring, Marques says her eldest son and his wife have welcomed a second baby, her first granddaughter, in Los Angeles.
“It has been a blessing to be more present in the lives of my sons and their children,” Marques said.
Example of abstract collage by Dr. Marques
Following retirement, Marques has spent her time crafting. On top of crocheting, a hobby she has had since she was young, Marques builds abstract collages using scrap paper she has accumulated over several years.
“I feel blessed to have made the right decision for me,” Marques said. “Retirement age is different for each person, and I hope everyone finds theirs the same way I found mine.”