Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
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.
Li Li, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the Second Holder of Vivian Conatser-Turner Endowed Professorship at UAB. The title was approved at the UAB Board of Trustees meeting on April 4, 2025.
Logan Wareham, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Mandeville, Louisiana, Wareham completed his undergraduate education at Louisiana State University and his medical degree at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology welcomed Rui Zhang, Ph.D., to the faculty as an assistant professor in February 2025.
The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology is thrilled to announce the employees recognized this month in our Let’s S.H.I.N.E. Psychiatry Rewards and Recognition Program! These outstanding team members have gone above and beyond, exemplifying our department’s values through their dedication, compassion, and hard work.
The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology will present its 2025 Annual Research Symposium on April 22 at 9 a.m. featuring guest speaker Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico.
Taylor Spiletic, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Spiletic completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Florida and medical degree at Florida State University College of Medicine.
Nine faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) spring 2025 program. The program, presented by the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, recognized its graduates at a ceremony on March 13, 2025.
The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology is excited to welcome our newest class of residents in the 2025 Match.
When Daylight Saving Time (DST) kicks in, the clocks spring forward by one hour in the spring and fall back in the fall. While the time change last week seems like a minor shift, it may have significant effects on your sleep, mood, and overall well-being. This change can disrupt your body’s natural rhythms, leaving you feeling groggy or out of sync.
Srihari Prahad, M.D., PGY1, joined the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology in June 2024. A native of Hoover, Alabama, Prahad completed his undergraduate degree at the University of South Alabama and medical degree at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.
Minae Niwa, Ph.D., has been named the First Holder of the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Professorship in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology. The title was approved at the UAB Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 7, 2025.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 2025 Pittman Scholars. This prestigious honor recognizes assistant professors who have held that rank for fewer than five years for their exceptional research achievements and potential for future contributions to their fields. Named after former School of Medicine Dean James A. Pittman Jr., M.D., this award highlights the school's commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in medical research.
Four students from the College of Arts and Sciences—three from the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program and one from the Undergraduate Immunology Program—have been nominated for the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
November 2024 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (EMBI) at UAB. The institute was made possible by a generous gift from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF), matched by the university, to support research in cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. Ronald Lazar, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been director of the institute since 2017.
The Heersink School of Medicine honored the achievements of eight esteemed faculty members during the Fall 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception, held Oct. 29 at the Wallace Tumor Institute. Families, faculty, and leaders of the Heersink School of Medicine joined the honorees to celebrate their outstanding contributions to medical education and research. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, opened the event by welcoming guests and recognizing the significance of these prestigious appointments.
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.
Five new scholars have joined the UAB Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's (ADRC) REC Scholars program, which aims to develop research expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As part of the Research Education Component (REC), the program offers mentorship and a specialized curriculum, helping scholars build experience in cross-disciplinary, team-based science.
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.
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.
A platform for undergraduate students to advance their research, the UAB Summer Research Academy (SRA) launched its seventh installment of the program on June 3, 2024. This competitive research program provides summer scholarships for students in the joint health sciences while preparing them for advancement to graduate or medical scientist training programs.
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.
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.
Lillian Brady, Ph.D., Elizabeth Lucas, Ph.D., Michael Alec Owens, Ph.D., and Kirsten Schoonover, Ph.D., received their postgraduate degrees at UAB, went to another prestigious institution to complete their postdoctoral research, and returned to UAB for full-time positions. Today, they work in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and share their stories about the road back to UAB.
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.
Jose O. Maximo, Ph.D., scientist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, received the 2023 Young Alumni Rising Star Award from the UAB National Alumni Society.
Blessing Falola, M.D., director of the UAB Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program, co-director of the First Episode Psychosis Clinic, and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been selected for the Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA) class of 2024.
Merida Grant, Ph.D., director of the Trauma-Related Disorders Clinic, and Rebecca Rampe, Psy.D., director of the Initial Psychotherapy Practicum Psychology Clinic and the Developmental Trauma and Traumatic Grief Clinic, are conducting research to learn more about treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders.
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.
Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, welcomed faculty members and their families to the Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception on April 25.
Medical students honored their outstanding mentors, professors, courses, and course directors at the annual Argus Awards Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 6.
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.
Yogesh Dwivedi, Ph.D., Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, has been awarded the 2022 Dean’s Excellence Award in Research.
Four staff leaders from UAB residency programs were recently awarded certification from the Training Administrators for Graduate Medical Education (TAGME).
In part three of the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s Black History Month Series, Merida Grant, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, provides tips on Black emotional health and well-being.