Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is proud to announce the early success of its groundbreaking Anemia in Pregnancy Quality Improvement Initiative. This innovative program, launched in October 2023, has already made significant strides in reducing rates of pre-delivery anemia among obstetric patients, showcasing the power of evidence-based protocols in improving maternal outcomes.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees has approved the formal establishment of the Division of Global and Rural Health within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. The resolution was passed during the Board of Trustees Meeting on April 4, 2025.

UAB Medicine will host Maternal Health for All 2025: Maternal Health in Focus, an event focused on maternal health and infant mortality, on April 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. at Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema.

The UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is proud to announce the appointment of Shweta Patel, M.D., as the new associate division director for the Division of Women’s Reproductive Healthcare (WRH).

Zach Gentry, M.D., is breaking new ground as the inaugural Global and Rural Health Fellow for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His journey into global health began when UAB introduced this fellowship within the past two years, offering OB/GYN residents an opportunity to engage in international medical research and intervention. For Gentry, the opportunity was too compelling to pass up.

Michael D. Toboni, MPH, MD, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was recently named the leader of the Gynecologic Oncology Disease Working Group (DWG) within the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In an inspiring effort to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, University of Alabama at Birmingham Peer Wellness Ambassadors (PWAs) and medical students in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Student-Run Interest Group at UAB Heersink School of Medicine have launched OPERATION WIPE OUT UAB. These students lead initiatives to raise cervical cancer awareness, promote HPV vaccination and screening among UAB students, and empower them to advocate for their own health and the well-being of others. 

The University of Alabama Board of Trustees has approved renaming the Center for Women's Reproductive Health (CWRH) to the Center for Research in Women's Health (CRWH) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This decision, made during the Board’s meeting on Feb. 7, 2025, reflects the center’s mission and comprehensive approach to advancing women’s health research.

When Latrice Quinn walked through the doors of UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for the first time, she was not an employee but a patient. What she didn’t know then was that the compassionate care she received would inspire her to return, not as a patient, but as a vital part of the team, ensuring other mothers felt just as supported as she had.

Martina Gonzalez-Gomez, M.D., M.Sc., program manager for the Global Neurosurgery program in the Department of Neurosurgery, and James Johnston, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery division, co-instruct the Global Surgery course. In 2023, we met with Gonzalez-Gomez and Johnston to learn more about their vision for the course, which launched with the introduction of the UAB Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) program offered by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and the UAB School of Public Health (SOPH).

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 16 individuals in its 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership in January 2025. UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the Leadership Development Office, aimed at empowering leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. It features an initial DISC assessment and a robust agenda of guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including Institute alumni, throughout the program.

Cynthia Ye, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Alan T. N. Tita, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH) and associate dean for Global and Women’s Health, co-instruct the Global Health Research Methods course. In 2023, we met with Ye and Tita to learn more about their vision for the course, which launched with the introduction of the UAB Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) program offered by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and the UAB School of Public Health (SOPH). 

Twenty-nine individuals comprising six teams recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s High Performing Care Collaborative (HPCC) fall 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on Oct. 3, 2024.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recognized 16 individuals in its eighth cohort of Institute for Leadership at a graduation ceremony on June 26, 2024.

Seven chief residents at UAB recently graduated from the Chief Residents Leadership Series Spring 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on May 30, 2024.

Twenty-eight UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) Spring 2024 program. In its pilot year, the program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its first cohort of graduates at a ceremony on May 23, 2024.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recognized 13 individuals in its third cohort of Momentum Leaders in Medicine at UAB during a graduation ceremony on May 7, 2024.

The spring 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception honored the distinguished faculty members of the Heersink School of Medicine for their outstanding impact on contemporary medicine and medical education. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., the dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, extended a warm welcome to the honorees, their families, and other leaders from the school. The gathering took place at the Wallace Tumor Institute on April 17. 

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the annual Women in Medicine and Science Promotion Reception April 11, which recognized women faculty promoted at the end of 2023. The honorees and their guests were greeted by Heersink leadership to celebrate their remarkable achievements.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine saw great success in acquiring research funding in 2023, making significant strides in securing resources to advance human health through biomedical discovery.

Thirteen faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) Spring 2024 program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its graduates at a ceremony on March 14, 2024.

World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every April 7, and is one of 11 global health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO Council on the Economics of Health for All, at least 140 countries currently recognize health as a human right in their constitution. However, as of 2021, at least 4.5 billion people were not fully covered by essential health services.

From January to May of 2023, Shelby Lyda, M.D., was extremely tired and had brain fog, but she chalked it up to the demands of a residency program.

Alan T. N. Tita, M.D., Ph.D., director for the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH) and associate dean for Global and Women’s Health, and Cynthia Ye, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, have partnered to instruct the Global Health Research Methods course.

On Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, students from Heersink School of Medicine gathered to celebrate faculty, courses, and course directors at the annual Argus Awards Ceremony.

Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, welcomed 13 esteemed faculty members, their families, and Heersink School of Medicine leaders to the Wallace Tumor Institute on Nov. 14 to honor the new endowed chairs and professorships for their contributions to modern medicine and medical education.

Momentum in Medicine's third cohort includes an impressive list of 15 women leaders from a variety of roles, departments, and backgrounds within UAB Medicine.

UAB and the University Teaching Hospital/University of Zambia in Lusaka, Zambia have collaborated on a project titled “Interventions to Reduce Infant Mortality and Morbidity in Low Resource Settings,” which has been continuously funded since 2003. The funding for the ongoing program has been competitively renewed for a seven-year term by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health. 

In this installment of MHIGH's Partner Profiles series, Dr. Isabel Scarinci shares about her life and work in global health.

Alabama is one of three states currently offering an ovarian cancer car tag, thanks to the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation. Proceeds from each tag purchased go directly to the Division of Gynecologic Oncology to support ovarian cancer research. Donations from the Drive Out Ovarian Cancer car tag have totaled almost $1.7 million since the tag's inception.

In the last several years, UAB Medicine and Heersink School of Medicine have worked to bring leadership development to faculty and staff through the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership and Momentum in Medicine programs.

Sixteen remarkable faculty members have been named winners of the 2023 Dean’s Excellence Awards for Faculty.

Chere L. Stewart, M.D., has been awarded the 2023 Dean's Excellence Award Winner for her outstanding work and accomplishments as an educator in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

UAB holds its administrative professionals in the highest regard. April 26, 2023, is Administrative Professionals Day – allowing us to recognize and celebrate our administrative professionals while also highlighting the administrative resources offered by UAB. Most recently, the Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program was established to offer development opportunities for current administrative professionals through training experiences and networking, to assist administration with their career paths and plans of advancing within UAB and UAB Medicine.

Three faculty from across the UAB Heersink School of Medicine were elected to join the Association of American Physicians (AAP), an honorary medical society that advocates for the advancement of scientific and practical medicine by promoting professional and social interaction among physician-scientists, disseminating research, and recognizing outstanding physician-scientists.

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion (Heersink ODI) recently held its virtual Diversity Grand Rounds, featuring Alan T. N Tita, M.D., Ph.D. as the keynote speaker. The annual event, held virtually during Second Look Weekend, was open to current faculty, staff, and potential UAB residents.

The Heersink School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB are consistently working toward eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem through cancer screening accessibility, public awareness, and innovative research.

The Heersink School of Medicine is pleased to announce the five faculty members being named the 2023 James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., Scholars.

Alan T. N. Tita, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for Global and Women’s Health and inaugural director of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health was recently named the Mary Heersink Endowed Chair in Global Health.

The UAB-led Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy (CHAP) trial has been named one of the New England Journal of Medicine’s (NEJM) Notable Articles of 2022.

Medical students honored their outstanding mentors, professors, courses, and course directors at the annual Argus Awards Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 6.

On Jan. 18, the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion and UAB Health System hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration that brought together the entire UAB community.

The Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at UAB is hosted this year on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium, and the event will offer lunch to the first 100 guests.

Alan T. Tita, M.D., Ph.D., Mary Heersink Endowed Chair of Global Health and associate dean for Global and Women's Health, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. The Academy specifically praised Tita as “an innovative and impactful perinatal epidemiologist and clinical trialist.”

More than 40,000 women die annually from breast cancer. However, annual mammography can reduce this risk. Together, the UAB Departments of Radiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) are encouraging women to prioritize their breast health and awareness.

Medical Student Research Day celebrates the research accomplishments of medical students and provides them with the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students and faculty.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is ranked fifth in the nation according to U.S. News and World Report 2022-2023 Best Hospitals rankings.

As the Heersink School of Medicine grows, the leadership has defined four new research focus areas to grow over the next five to seven years. This part explores the second focus area, Health Equity.

Six faculty members in the Heersink School of Medicine have been named the 2022 class of James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., Scholars.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Office of Research introduces new faculty for Fall and Winter 2022. Please join Heersink School of Medicine and the Office of Research in welcoming these new faculty.