Joel Funk, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Urology as a professor in September 2025.

Joseph Crivelli, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Urology, recently participated in the AUA/SBU Academic Exchange Program in São Paulo, Brazil, benefiting from shared knowledge and experiences with colleagues in Brazil and supporting the program's goals to foster a closer alliance between the AUA and SBU (Sociedade Brasileira de Urologia).

Liranda Howard, education administrator senior in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as the recipient of the Program Coordinator Excellence Award from the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU) Association of Coordinators for Urologic Residency Education (ACURE). Howard will receive the award at the 2026 SAU Winter Meeting in Houston in February.

Twelve providers in the Department of Urology were recently recognized by the UAB Office of Patient Experience and Engagement for the exceptional care they delivered to patients during fiscal year 2025. These providers achieved a rating of 95 percent or higher in care satisfaction, based on patient feedback in Medallia.

The Department of Urology is pleased to announce the appointment of Chen-Han Wilfred Wu, M.D., Ph.D., to the faculty at the rank of associate professor. Wu also serves as associate director for Precision Surgery in the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.

On Thursday, Nov. 20., the Heersink School of Medicine honored 20 faculty members at the Fall 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception. This event recognizes Heersink faculty who have made major contributions to research, education, and clinical care.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) honored 33 graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) fall 2025 Cohort 4 during a ceremony held on Thursday, Nov. 12. The cohort completed a multi-session program designed to strengthen leadership capability for emerging leaders across the enterprise.

The Department of Urology is proud to spotlight Valencia Jones, an executive assistant in our department, whose open and welcoming spirit shines through her work.

Luke Shumaker, M.D., joined the Department of Urology as an assistant professor of reconstructive urology in September 2025. He completed his undergraduate degree in medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Purdue University. He then completed medical school at Indiana University before his residency training at UAB. He went on to complete a fellowship in abdominal urologic reconstruction at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Charles Peyton, M.D. associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as a recipient of the highly competitive 2025 NCI Early Career Cancer Clinical Investigator Award (ECIA). The ECIA is a funding mechanism provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support early-career clinician-investigators who aim to pursue a career in cancer clinical research. Candidates must be nominated by their institution, typically an NCI-designated cancer center.

The UAB Department of Urology has launched the Genitourinary Reconstruction and Prosthetics Fellowship, a one-year, high-volume clinical fellowship designed to provide in-depth training in complex reconstructive urology. The fellowship is accredited through the Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons.

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.

John Knight, Ph.D., tenured associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been named the Inaugural Holder of the John R. Burns, M.D., and Dean G. Assimos, M.D., Endowed Professorship. The appointment was approved at the Board of Trustees’ September 2025 meeting.

The UAB Department of Urology congratulates three of its faculty members who were recently promoted and awarded tenure.

Members of the UAB Department of Urology recently attended and presented at the 2025 Joint Meeting, 35th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology in Vienna, Austria. 

The UAB Department of Urology welcomed Dustin Hyatt, M.D., in August 2025 as a clinical associate professor in the Section of Academic Community Urology.

The UAB Department of Urology is pleased to announce a partnership with three global leaders in healthcare technology and pharmaceuticals to support its premier endourology fellowship program.

In the UAB Department of Urology, a strong commitment to growth and professional advancement is shaping the future of clinical care, research, and education. By appointing faculty and staff to strategic roles, encouraging participation in institutionally recognized leadership development programs, and fostering an environment where initiative and ambition are celebrated, the department is cultivating a culture of excellence that empowers its team to lead with purpose and impact.

The Department of Urology is proud to spotlight Amy Harlow, an administrative associate in our department, whose positivity, determination, and eagerness to grow shine through her work.

Three esteemed leaders in the field of prostate care are joining the UAB Department of Urology in 2025, bringing heightened expertise and a specialized subset of services to patients across Alabama and beyond.