Department of Urology
The UAB Department of Urology is thrilled to announce the results of our 2026 residency match!
Andrew Fang, M.D., joined the Department of Urology as an assistant professor in September 2025. He earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and neurobiology at the University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Houston McGovern Medical School.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office would like to welcome 19 individuals in its 12th cohort of the Institute for Leadership in the spring of 2026. The goal of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is to enhance existing personal, leadership, and management competencies while leveraging current leadership strategies and trends. The 6-month program features guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including former graduates of the Institute for Leadership.
Betsy Hopson, Ph.D., MSHA, joined the Department of Urology as an assistant professor in November 2025.
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.
When joining the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office’s (LDO) Institute for Leadership Cohort 7 in Fall 2023, Marissa Keppley, MBA, who currently serves as Executive Administrator in the UAB Department of Urology, didn’t anticipate how transformative the experience would be, not just for her professional skill set, but for the relationships it cultivated.
What if the sugar we consume, or even the sugar our own bodies produce, could increase the risk of cancer? That’s the question driving groundbreaking research by Hyeyoung Nam, Ph.D., instructor in the UAB Department of Urology, who was recently honored with a Department of Defense (DoD) Concept Award for her study, “The Polyol Pathway Promotes Renal Cancer Tumorigenesis via Glucose-mediated Lipogenesis.”
After 17 years as a faculty member of the UAB Department of Urology, James E. Bryant, M.D., will be retiring from his post on Sept. 1, 2025. He will transition to a professor emeritus in the department and continue his work at the Birmingham VA Hospital.
The UAB Department of Urology welcomed Kazumi Taguchi, M.D., Ph.D., as an associate professor in June.
Hyeyoung Nam, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been published in Science Advances alongside corresponding author, Sunil Sudarshan, M.D. and colleagues Richard L. Kirkman and Suman Karki, Ph.D. Their study, “HDAC7 promotes renal cancer progression by reprogramming branched-chain amino acid metabolism,” offers new insight into how kidney cancer cells grow and spread.
Gift from UAB Urology leaders establishes endowed professorship. In 2012, urology care, research, and training at UAB entered a new era when the Division of Urology became a department.
The UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership, the flagship program of the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office, recently celebrated the graduation of its 10th cohort.
The UAB Department of Urology recognized its 2025 residency graduates at its annual graduation and awards ceremony on Friday, June 20.
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.
Testosterone plays a crucial role in men’s health, influencing everything from energy levels and mood to muscle mass, bone density, and sexual function. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options is the first step toward reclaiming health and well-being.
Brejjette Aljabi, M.Ed., class of 2026 medical student in the Heersink School of Medicine, recently won Best Podium Presentation in the Renal Cancer Podium Session at the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association Annual Meeting. The meeting was held March 12-15, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.
The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine recognized 15 faculty members for their outstanding contributions to research, education, and clinical care at the Spring 2025 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception.
Adam Baumgarten, M.D., MBA, assistant professor in the UAB Department of Urology, Departmental Value Officer, Associate Residency Program Director, and Director of Medical Student Education, has been selected to join the 2025–2026 Leadership Class of the American Urological Association (AUA) Institute for Leadership & Business. Representing the Southeastern Section, Baumgarten is a part of a nationally recognized program designed to shape the future leaders of urology.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that chronic kidney disease affects more than one in seven adults in the United States, an estimated 35.5 million Americans. Additionally, the risk of developing kidney disease increases with conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Kidney stones are more than just a painful setback—they can be avoided. Studies show that with a few simple lifestyle and dietary changes, you can significantly lower your risk of developing these painful stones.
Soroush Rais-Bahrami, M.D., FACS, will be traveling to Japan to participate in the American Urological Association/Japanese Urological Association (AUA/JUA) Exchange Program from April 1 through April 20. Rais-Bahrami will spend the majority of the three-week program in Kyoto before traveling to Fukuoka for the JUA Annual Meeting on April 17-19.
The UAB Department of Urology is pleased to announce the establishment of The John R. Burns, M.D. and Dean G. Assimos, M.D. Endowed Professorship, thanks to a generous gift of $500,000 from Drs. Assimos and Burns.
The 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) is April 26-29 in Las Vegas, Nevada at The Venetian Convention & Expo Center.
Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, professor and chair of the UAB Department of Urology, has been named named Anton J. Bueschen, M.D., Endowed Chair of Urologic Surgery and Research.
Obesity does not only put individuals at risk for heart disease and diabetes—it's also a leading cause of kidney stone disease.
Tanecia Mitchell, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been awarded the Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology Early Career Award by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). This prestigious award recognizes early-career scientists for their outstanding contributions to translational and clinical pharmacology research.
The UAB Department of Urology, in collaboration with the Mike Slive Foundation, provided free PSA blood testing to more than 65 men during the Auburn University Men’s Basketball “AUTLIVE” cancer game vs. The University of Tennessee on Jan. 25. Their efforts were broadcast during ESPN’s coverage of the game, bringing widespread awareness to the significance of PSA blood testing as a screening tool for prostate cancer.
UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 16 individuals in its 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership in January 2025. UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the Leadership Development Office, aimed at empowering leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. It features an initial DISC assessment and a robust agenda of guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including Institute alumni, throughout the program.
Sunil Sudarshan, M.D., a professor in the Department of Urology, has been recognized as the latest winner of the Heersink School of Medicine’s Featured Discovery. This accolade honors and celebrates the significant research contributions made by Heersink’s faculty members.
After a national search, Thomas Chi, M.D., MBA, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Urology, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
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.