Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
UAB Department of Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Distinguished Professor Robert Brunner, M.D. has been appointed the Women's Committee of the Spain Rehabilitation Center Endowed Chair in Rehabilitation Neuroscience Research.
Recognizing the importance of emotional and physical well-being, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation launched a wellness initiative to support its faculty and staff.
The Association of Academic Physiatrists has selected UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Robert B. Kyle Endowed Professor and Chair Vu Q. C. Nguyen, M.D., MBA, to receive the 2026 AAP Outstanding Mentor Award.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has named its chief residents for the 2026–27 academic year. Charlotte DeRose, D.O. will serve as administrative chief resident, and Victoria Christian, D.O. will serve as education chief resident beginning July 1, 2026.
UAB Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is expanding access to rehabilitation medicine services across Birmingham with the opening of a new clinic at UAB Medicine One Inverness location. This new clinic space is focused on Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine.
The Empowered Care Program supports individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury connecting them with the resources and support they need to achieve better overall wellness. One component of this focuses on social activity and connection.
Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the UAB Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (CEDHARS) and professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), has received a 2-year, $199,029 research grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Research Foundation to lead a national study examining the demographic profile of and long-term outcomes after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Associate Professor and UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System Project Director Rachel Cowan, Ph.D., was selected to serve a second term in the UAB Faculty Senate.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation welcomed members of Merz Therapeutics North America for an official ribbon cutting ceremony at the state-of-the-art simulation training room in the new UAB Rehabilitation Pavilion.
Amplitude magazine announced their Reader's Choice Awards honoring outstanding prosthetic professionals. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Orthotics & Prosthetics Lab and team members Dylan Baas, Brandy Crawford, Brian Mueller, and Randy Odgers all received first place in their categories.
On any given day at UAB Hospital-Highlands, Berdale Colorado, D.O., MPH, might be helping a ballet dancer recover from a foot injury, performing a platelet-rich plasma injection on a tennis player’s elbow, or diagnosing a nerve injury.
The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is proud to have thirteen providers honored by UAB’s Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for delivering an outstanding patient experience. Each provider achieved a remarkable 95% or higher rating on patient satisfaction surveys ranking them among the top performers across UAB Medicine.
Rachel Teranishi, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, received a grant from UAB’s Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (CEDHARS) to partner with LoveYourBrain — an organization that develops programs for patients recovering from traumatic brain injury focusing on mindfulness, yoga, psychoeducation, and nutrition.
UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center is a leading provider of physical medicine and rehabilitation services. Teams of specialists use innovative therapies to deliver the highest levels of inpatient and outpatient care to those with an injury or disability, with the goal of improving long-term function and quality of life.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is excited to welcome new faculty members Daniel McBride, M.D. and Sabrina Thelen, PsyD.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is excited to announce the creation of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medicine Fellowship, which will begin accepting applications in April 2026. Cassandra Buchanan Renfro, D.O. will serve as the program director and Radhika Sharma, M.D. will serve as assistant program director.
Darryl Walker is the first peer navigator for UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center’s new Post-Rehab Transitions Program. A former patient himself, Walker helps extend outpatient rehab care to those who’ve been discharged following a traumatic spinal cord injury.
Gracie McGuire, MPH, PA-C, advanced practice provider in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, was honored with the 2025 APP Champion Award for her dedication to patients and students.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Administrative Director Stephanie Walters has been a steady, trusted presence in the department for over twenty years. Her dedication has lead to UAB Medicine Dean’s Excellence Award recognition.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Danielle Powell, M.D. was selected to receive the 2025 Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Ten Heersink School of Medicine staff have been honored with the 2025 Dean’s Excellence Awards. Now in its third year, the Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff recognize individuals who have made significant and meaningful contributions to the school’s mission through their work in education, service, and research.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation is pleased to name Elizabeth Twist, M.D. the new assistant program director for the PM&R residency program, effective September 1. She will work closely with Dale Colorado, D.O., program director, and Michelle Turnley, M.D., associate program director, on all aspects of the PM&R residency program.
The UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) welcomes two rehabilitation psychology postdoctoral fellows. Heather Clark, Ph.D. and Cassandra Mondesir, Psy.D. joins the department’s rehabilitation psychology division to enhance their skills through training, research opportunities, and mentorship.
A state-of-the-art simulation training room focused on neuromuscular and musculoskeletal interventions will be a highlight of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s new Rehabilitation Pavilion, which opened in August.
Tracy Brewer-Woods, administrative director in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was selected as a recipient of the 2025 UAB Medicine Excellence Awards. This is the highest honor available for staff.
Dale Colorado, D.O., MPH, associate professor and chief of sports and musculoskeletal medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), was named head team physician for Boccia United States.
The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) spinal cord injury (SCI) clinical and research team had strong representation at the 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) held in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Training Program welcomed four new PGY1 residents July 1, 2025.
Karen Weeks, psychometrist in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has been selected by UAB's Office of Patient Experience and Engagement as one of the 2025 Patient Experience Heroes.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) welcomes Assistant Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist Candace Marten, PsyD, MBA as a new faculty member effective July 11, 2025.
As a part of their educational experience, UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PGY4 residents present findings from their scholarly activity projects as an introduction to research methodologies and practices.
UAB Hospital has been reverified as a Level I adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and remains the only ACS-Level I adult trauma center in the state of Alabama. Learn what it takes to meet the rigorous standards set by the ACS.
The UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) welcomes Micah Sells as a prosthetic resident in our Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) Lab. This year-long prosthetic residency, will allow Sells to build off the information learned in her master's program and allow her to perfect patient encounters.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) welcomes new faculty member Jenn Coker, Ph.D., MPH, FASIA effective May 30, 2025.
Congratulations to our newest class of graduating residents on their completion of the UAB Heersink School of MedicineDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation residency program. Our 2025 graduates are Cynthia Francis, M.D., Vinayak Memula, M.D., Darien McNeill, M.D., and Jason Schroeder, M.D.
For many patients, it takes time to regain full consciousness after a brain injury, and some develop a disorder of consciousness (DOC). Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Assistant Professor Rachel Teranishi, M.D., a brain injury specialist, explains in this UAB MedCast why up to 40% of DOC cases are misdiagnosed and outlines what providers need to know about assessment, treatment, and long-term recovery.
Twelve UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) spring 2025 leadership development program. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its third cohort of graduates at a ceremony on June 5.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation hosted the Kessler Foundation for on-site training as part of collaborative research project within the Spinal Cord Injury Model System. UAB is one of four research institutions participating in the study.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Associate Professor Berdale S. Colorado, D.O., MPH was selected to receive the 2025 Innovators & Influencers Award by the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is proud to announce the first Fellow selected for their North American Spine Society (NASS) recognized Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine (ISMM) Fellowship.
Johan Latorre, M.D., MS, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), is the junior faculty winner of the Dean’s Excellence Award for Faculty in Access & Engagement by UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
Fourteen UAB chief residents recently completed the Chief Residents Leadership Development Workshop. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, was held on May 9, 2025.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) recognizes Michael Neville and Vicky Ott. The two have been participating in the UAB Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) research project for 50 years.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Assistant Professor Radhika Sharma, M.D. is featured on UAB MedCast to discuss spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
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.
The Association of Academic Physiatrists honored the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of PM&R Associate Professor Berdale S. Colorado, D.O., MPH with the 2025 AAP Early Career Academician Award.
As international events like the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and 2025 Invictus Games put adaptive sports into the spotlight and, locally, the University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team recently earned a fifth consecutive national championship, a team spearheaded by UAB hopes to have a big impact on the health of these athletes.
The AHSAA Super 7 football state championship games showcased more than just athletic talent this past year. Patients from the UAB Sports & Exercise Medicine clinic and Children’s of Alabama took center stage as honorary captains, representing resilience, determination, and hope on the state’s largest high school sports stage.
Twenty-two UAB leaders graduated among the ninth cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership on Dec. 11, 2024. Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, an organization dedicated to providing tools and training to empower UAB Medicine’s leaders and the individuals and groups they manage.