Department of Surgery
Lead author Sasha Still, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and her colleagues, published their experience of TAVR explantation in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and offer evidence-based strategies to optimize clinical outcomes in high-risk patients undergoing this procedure.
The UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) hosted the second annual Hops & Hope Fair on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Cahaba Brewing Company.
UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, has been chosen as a recipient of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Faculty Research Fellowship. The ACS research fellowship will begin in July 2025 and continue through July 2027, with an annual stipend of $40,000.
Designing Dreams, a nonprofit co-founded by UAB Division of Plastic Surgery resident Lauren Curwick, M.D., has begun broadening its mission to the state of Alabama. The organization's mission is to create healing spaces for children with cancer, bringing hope and happiness to their lives.
The UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center recently announced five winners of the O’Neal Invests grant awards, two generously funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA).
Henry Fisher has watched the transformation of UAB and the Department of Surgery over his three-decade tenure and played a vital role in bringing accessible transplantation services to thousands of lives across Alabama and beyond.
The UAB Department of Surgery welcomes two new faculty members, Margaret Romine, M.D., and Matthew Romine, M.D., who both completed their surgical residencies and fellowships at UAB.
The UAB General Surgery Residency Program honored its chief residents, as well as supporting faculty and residents across the program, at an annual awards day celebration.
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.
Allie Hulcher, UAB Department of Surgery communications specialist and Trauma Survivors Network coordinator for the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, was recognized with numerous awards at the UAB Marnix E. Heersink Excellence in Communications Awards.
UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Margaux Mustian, M.D., MSPH, participated in the Society for Surgery of Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Complex General Surgery Fellowship Virtual Grand Rounds Webinar.
UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Assistant Professor Andrea Gillis, M.D., MSPH, has been selected for the Southern Surgical Association (SSA) Leadership Development Program (LDP) -- a prestigious recognition awarded to emerging surgical leaders.
The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery honored survivors of traumatic injury and their families, as well as first responders and healthcare professionals, at the second annual UAB Heroes and Healers Gala on Friday, May 2, 2025.
UAB General Surgery Resident Alizeh Abbas, M.D., recently earned third place in the ACS Advocacy and Health Policy Abstract Competition at the American College of Surgeons' 2025 Leadership & Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.
On February 22 and April 12, members of the Health Pros for the ASO Giving Society gathered for concerts and receptions in support of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO). Health Pros for the ASO is a giving society made up of medical professionals across all disciplines and roles who support the ASO and seek to preserve it for future generations. As benefits of their support, members of the giving society are invited to attend an ASO concert and enjoy a reception.
The UAB Pancreatobiliary Disease Center (PDC) is honored to welcome new staff and faculty to support patients across the Southeast and beyond.
UAB General Surgery Residency hosted its annual Resident Research Day on April 14, 2025.
UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Assistant Professor Sasha Still, M.D., joined UAB MedCast to discuss how aortic disease presents itself in women and potential avenues for treatment specialization.
Four faculty and staff members from the UAB Department of Surgery were recognized at the annual UAB Service Awards, which celebrates employees for their long-term dedication to UAB.
UAB Division of Plastic Surgery Professor R. Jobe Fix, M.D., has completed 35 years of service at the UAB Department of Surgery, combining patient care and commitment to medical education.
Executive Vice Chair of Surgery Gregory Kennedy, M.D., Ph.D., begins his term this month as President of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT).
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.