Department of Pediatrics
The Department of Pediatrics announces with great pleasure and gratitude the appointment of Mark Law, M.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics, to the permanent position of division director of Pediatric Cardiology.
Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named the recipient of the 2025 American Cancer Society (ACS) Professor Award. This award is the most prestigious grant made by ACS and recognizes professors who have made seminal, high-impact contributions to cancer research across a wide range of disciplines, including fundamental, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, and epidemiologic fields. It provides $400,000 in funding for five years and can be extended for another five years.
Last week, we honored our UAB Pediatric Residency graduating class of 2025! This class has been an absolute joy, and we are thankful and grateful to them. May they continue life-long learning and strive for greatness!
Congratulations to our UAB Pediatric Fellowship Class of 2025. Thank you to all who helped us celebrate the graduates at a reception in their honor on May 28th. Please see below where they will be going after completing fellowship training.
Every year the Department of Pediatric Subspecialty Fellowship Programs give out achievement awards to graduating pediatric fellows in three separate areas: research, quality improvement, and service.
The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed one new faculty member in the month of May. Please join us in making them feel at home!
Tourette syndrome (TS) often begins in childhood, but for many patients, its challenges and care needs continue into adulthood. From early recognition and behavioral interventions to managing transitions and overcoming adult treatment barriers, TS demands a comprehensive, lifespan approach. At UAB, experts are addressing these needs through a collaborative model that supports patients from childhood through adulthood.
Each year the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) selects a member who advocates for cost-effective practice and quality improvement in pediatric endocrinology to present the Paul Kaplowitz, MD, Endowed Lectureship at the annual meeting.
Sarah Novara, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology, has been named a Fellow of the Child Neurology Society (FCNS).
The Chu Family generously donated funds to Children's of Alabama and the Department of Pediatrics to support educational initiatives.
The Dixon Foundation supports the Dixon Pediatric Fellowship training program for fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with a research emphasis (ranging from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research) in approved pediatric subspecialties.
The UAB Pediatric Residency Program hosted the 19th Annual Coat of Arms Spring Scramble 5K on Saturday, May 17 in downtown Homewood.
Erin Shaughnessy, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, has been announced as the executive vice chair of operations for the Department of Pediatrics, effective June 1, 2025.
The Department of Pediatrics would like to introduce the 2025 Department of Pediatrics Staff Recognition Awards. These awards were created to honor staff members throughout the department for their contribution and commitment to the department's mission. Our staff are essential to making our department run, and this is an opportunity to show our appreciation.
The spring meeting of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was held this past weekend in Gulf Shores, AL.
The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce Anisha Haldar and Lindsey Hitchcock as the awardees of the 2025 Russell Cunningham Memorial Research Program.
Emily Johnston M.D., MS, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, was recently named as director of Pediatric Palliative Care Research and Education within the Center for Palliative and Supportive care.
We are honored to announce Claire Doss, M.D., Meredith Goldenberg, M.D., and Sam McCartney, M.D., as our pediatric co-chief residents for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.
The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office recently recognized eight individuals in its sixth cohort of Sharing Authentically to Inspire and Lead (SAIL). The spring 2025 graduates were honored at a ceremony on April 8.
Chibuzo Ilonze, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, was selected to serve on the Subboard of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).
David Kimberlin, M.D., distinguished professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has been elected to the Association of American Physicians (AAP) Council. He will serve a term for five years beginning May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2030.
Three new faculty members have joined the leadership team at the Children's of Alabama Pediatric Simulation Center. Sarah Bingham, M.D. Jaycelyn Holland, M.D. and Lauren Robinson, M.D., all serve as assistant professors in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
PPN Updates: Youth boards tackle substance use, mental health & autism awareness.
Cynthia Wozow, D.O., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, recently attended the invitation-only ACGME Summit on Fostering Disability-Inclusive Health Care in Resident Education.
Mark Law, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, has been named the second holder of the Lionel M. Bargeron Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair in the Division of Cardiology.
After more than three decades of dedicated service, Susan Branscum is retiring from her role in the Department of Pediatrics (DOP) at UAB, leaving a significant legacy in research and education.
Avi Madan-Swain, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been honored with the Wright Ross Salk Award for Distinguished Service in Pediatric Psychology by the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP), a division of the American Psychological Association.
Matthew Kutny, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been elected to the Children's Oncology Group (COG) Voting Body Steering Committee.
Livie Timmerman, Clinical Research Coordinator II for the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, has been elected to serve a three-year term as Chair of the Research Coordinator Network for the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA).
After a national search, Yung Lau, M.D., has been named chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics and physician in chief of Children's of Alabama, effective March 24, 2025.
Charitharth Vivek Lal, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Neonatology at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, has been named the latest recipient of the school's Featured Discovery award.
Louis Muglia, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and medical geneticist and pediatrician known for his groundbreaking research on preterm birth and prenatal testing, delivered "The Time to Be Born" at the Heersink Grand Rounds on Jan. 30.. His talk explored the complex mechanisms that determine birth timing and the genetic factors involved.
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).
The AI in Medicine and Nursing Symposium, hosted by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Medicine, UAB School of Health Professions, UAB School of Nursing, and Maastricht University Faculty of Science and Engineering, concluded successfully, bringing together leading experts, researchers, and industry representatives to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care.
Yung Lau, M.D., has been named interim chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics, effective Nov. 1. Lau is a professor of Pediatrics and vice chair of Clinical Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics. He holds the Thomas N. Carruthers Endowed Chair in Cardiology. He also serves as division director for Pediatric Cardiology.
In Fall 2024, UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the winners of the 2024 Dale J. Benos Medical Student Research Day (MSRD). All medical students were invited to present the results of their research projects and submit posters for judging.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) celebrated its annual Innovation Awards on October 11, 2024, recognizing outstanding innovators and entrepreneurial achievements. Anath Shalev, M.D., director of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and founder of TIXiMED, was awarded the 2024 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, the institute’s highest honor. Shalev's start-up, TIXiMED, recently advanced toward clinical trials after receiving FDA clearance for its novel Type 1 diabetes treatment, TIX100.
The complexity of the human brain has long been an enigma that neuroscientists have sought to untangle. Now, new technology at UAB will act as a critical tool to help researchers and clinicians interpret the brain in unprecedented ways.
Caroline G. Richter, Ph.D., and S. Justin Thomas, Ph.D., have been selected for the 2024-2025 FCIDD McNulty Civitan Scientist Award.
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.
Cassandra Newsom, Psy.D., director of the Translational Research Core in Autism and Neurodevelopment of Civitan International Research Center, has completed participation in Phase 2 Clinical Trials of a new drug, NNZ-2591, that shows promising results for a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder called Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS).
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.
Twenty exceptional faculty members were honored with the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions across service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement, and mentorship within the School of Medicine.
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.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recently recognized 12 individuals in its fourth cohort of Sharing Authentically to Inspire and Lead (SAIL). The spring 2024 graduates received their certificates on April 9.
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.