Department of Surgery
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 19 winners of the 2025 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty.
The UAB Department of Surgery continues to be well-represented among recipients of the prestigious James IV Travelling Fellowship, a testament to the department’s commitment to advancing surgical innovation and global collaboration.
Adam Beck, M.D., Holt A. McDowell Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair of Vascular Surgery at UAB and UAB Vascular Surgery Integrated Resident, Angela Sickels, M.D., aimed to determine what part of the population benefited from prophylactic drains. Their research on the topic was presented at the 2025 Southern Association for Vascular Surgery Annual Meeting, and was featured in the national society newsletter.
UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, will co-moderate the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Symposium for Research in Surgical Palliative Care, which will be hosted on Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 7:00–8:30 p.m.
The UAB Department of Surgery hosted an in-depth research retreat this April. The event brought together faculty, trainees, and staff for a day full of learning, collaboration, and innovation across each of the nine divisions of the department.
This year, approximately 1,000 Alabama residents will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. With a trending increase in cases for patients under the age of 55, we can all familiarize ourselves with common signs and symptoms associated with pancreatic cancer to reduce our risk and identify key indicators of the disease.
UAB's Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) will host its second annual Hops & Hope Fair fundraiser at Cahaba Brewing Company on Saturday, May 31, from 12 - 6 p.m., for an afternoon of family-friendly fun.
Jillian Richter, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery published “Trauma promotes heparan sulfate modifications and cleavage that disrupt homeostasis gene expression in microvascular endothelial cells” in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology alongside her team, including UAB Department of Pediatrics associate professor Robert Richter, M.D.
Join the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery on Friday, May 2 for a special evening at the Heroes and Healers Gala, where we celebrate the incredible resilience of survivors of traumatic injuries and honor those dedicated healthcare professionals who support their journeys.
Prepare for an exciting afternoon at the Birmingham Zoo with UAB Surgery!
The UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery has been at the forefront of establishing an adrenal gland incidentaloma clinic guided by artificial intelligence (AI).
The American College of Surgeons has recognized the UAB Department of Surgery as a Surgical Quality Partner across numerous areas of patient care. This achievement is due to UAB's participation in five leading registries that focus on the highest standards of surgical care.
The UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy is expanding its podiatric surgical services and introducing a new podiatric fellowship – the first of its kind in Alabama.
The UAB Department of Surgery was represented at the recent annual meeting for the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), which was held in Long Beach, California.
The UAB General Surgery Resident Hannah Ficarino Sheffer, M.D., and Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Robert Hollis, M.D., MSPH, recently published their study, “Defining opportunities to improve perioperative ostomy care and education,” in the Annals of Surgery Open.
UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Associate Professor Rondi B. Gelbard, M.D., has been selected by the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance to serve as Chair of the National Donation Leadership Council (NDLC). Gelbard, a recognized contributor to the National Donation Leadership Council since 2019, began her term at the first of the year and will remain in that role until December 2026.
Daniel Chu, M.D., MSPH, and Paige Porrett, M.D., Ph.D., were elected as active members to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). They will be formally inducted at the national meeting in Chicago on April 25.
The UAB Department of Surgery welcomes Rajamiyer Venkateswaran, M.D, MBBS, M.S., renowned surgeon, researcher, and health system leader from the United Kingdom as a Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the Chief of Heart, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Lung Transplant.
UAB Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery Kyle Mauk, DPM, FACFAS, ABPM, recently appeared on the UAB MedCast podcast to discuss the new Limb Salvage Program at UAB as well as the new Advanced Podiatric Limb Salvage and Reconstruction Fellowship, which he directs.
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).
It was a special kind of homecoming: Selwyn Vickers, M.D., former dean of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, spoke as the 2025 Kirby I. Bland Endowed Lecturer on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
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.
Twenty-two UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2024 leadership development program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its second cohort of graduates at a ceremony on Nov. 7.
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 UAB Department of Microbiology and the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) hosted the inaugural HIV Basic and Translational Research Symposium Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the UAB Hilton Hotel. The all-day event featured speakers from the university and Southern Research, time for discussion, and a poster session.
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.
Eight faculty members recently graduated from UAB Medicine’s LEading Advancing Developing (LEAD) Fall 2024 leadership development program. The program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its graduates at a ceremony on Oct. 24, 2024.
Heersink School of Medicine awarded nine staff members as the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff winners. Individuals selected for this honor showcased outstanding accomplishments beyond their daily duties and contributed considerably to Heersink’s core mission areas – education, clinical care, and basic, translational, and clinical research.
August, 2021. Birmingham, Alabama. After working an overnight trauma call at UAB Hospital, six healthcare professionals gathered for a routine Friday morning meeting to discuss how their shift went. They didn’t know that within 48 hours, they would be bound for Kabul, Afghanistan, to join the dangerous and deadly effort to evacuate American citizens, allies, and Afghan refugees.
Paige M. Porrett, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery, has recently been honored with the Heersink School of Medicine's Featured Discovery award. She has been awarded alongside the first authors Rebecca Asiimwe, bioinformatician III in the Porrett Lab, and Matthew D. Cheung, a medical scientist graduate trainee. This initiative recognizes significant research contributions from Heersink faculty members.
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.
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.
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 UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine was honored to welcome National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., as the guest lecturer for the Department of Surgery’s annual Kirby I. Bland, M.D., Endowed Lectureship.
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.
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.
The UAB Department of Surgery hosted its annual Family Day this month at the McWane Science Center.
UAB Department of Surgery Administrative & Communications Director Marissa Cabrera Keppley has been elected to the Association of Academic Surgical Administrators (AASA) Board of Directors.
UAB Department of Surgery faculty are leading the way in education for trauma surgeons by creating guides for a new series published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Both pieces are “need to know” articles on damage control resuscitation (DCR) in both adult and pediatric trauma patient populations.
The grant will support a comprehensive five-year project in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) aimed at identifying and addressing barriers to medical diagnosis and care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, emphasizing the experience and impact on African American adults and adolescents and implementing community engagement programs with Birmingham-based organizations to raise awareness of IBD and provide education on effective management among local healthcare professionals, potential patients, and caregivers.
The wait is almost over - the 2023 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress is just a few weeks away!
The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to announce the recent promotion of nine faculty members.
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.
The UAB Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, alongside the Division of Endocrine Surgery, is pleased to offer the 2023 Endocrinology Update Conference on Saturday, August 19 beginning at 8 a.m. at the Hilton Birmingham at UAB.
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.