Heersink School of Medicine
At the Heersink School of Medicine, our ability to shape the future of medicine through biomedical discovery depends on the people who power it. Strategic research recruitment is not simply about increasing faculty or funding numbers—it is a deliberate, long-range approach in disciplines where we have strong foundations, where we see emerging opportunities, and where coordinated effort can enhance our impact across the region, the nation, and the globe.
Maria Grant, M.D., and Seth D. Fortmann, M.D., Ph.D., have been recognized with a Featured Discovery award for identifying a key immune cell population that helps protect against age-related macular degeneration. Their findings reveal a potential new therapeutic target to preserve choroidal health and prevent vision loss.
Our alumni are among our most influential ambassadors, carrying the Heersink School of Medicine’s values into clinics, classrooms, laboratories, and communities across the globe, not to mention the many alumni who serve on our faculty. Few partnerships are as enduring and vital to our school as the one we share with our Medical Alumni Association.
On Feb. 12, 2026, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Research held its annual Strategic Research Retreat in the Heersink Conference Center. The day brought leaders from across the school and campus together and emphasized collaboration, infrastructure, and the growing impact of interdisciplinary science at UAB.
Rena Patel, M.D., MPH, MPhil, associate professor, UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases; associate director, Global Health Research, UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH), has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) Innovator Award, recognizing her outstanding and original contributions to HIV clinical care, research, education and community advocacy. The award was presented during the annual IDWeek® meeting, held each October, where leaders in infectious diseases gather to celebrate advancements in HIV medicine and public health.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, delivered the 2026 State of the School address. The annual update focused on how the school navigated a year of national uncertainty while continuing to advance research, expand access to care, and invest in its people.
Etty (Tika) Benveniste, Ph.D., senior vice dean at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, has been selected as a 2026 Distinguished Fellow of the American Association of Immunologists (AAI), one of the organization’s highest career honors. The title recognizes long-standing AAI members who have demonstrated exceptional scientific achievement, leadership, and service within the immunology community.
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the 2026 Pittman Scholars. This prestigious honor recognizes assistant professors for their exceptional research achievements and their potential to make future contributions to their fields. To be considered, the honoree must have held the rank of assistant professor for fewer than five years. 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.
The UAB Department of Surgery Access and Engagement Committee hosted Operation CARE, a new community outreach initiative focused on serving Birmingham’s unhoused population, on December 13 at Railroad Park downtown.
As we begin a new year, I want to thank each of you for the commitment, creativity, and resilience you bring to the Heersink School of Medicine. Our progress is driven not only by our research discoveries, clinical excellence, and educational mission, but by the people who make this work possible. As we look ahead to 2026, our guiding priority is clear: supporting our people and championing a culture that enables every member of our community to thrive.
Ryan Outman has transitioned from his role as executive officer for Finance and Administration to senior executive officer for Finance and Administration in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Outman steps into the senior executive officer role Jason Daniel has held since September 2023. Daniel will devote himself full-time to his position as vice president of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation.
D. Matthew Sherrer, M.D., associate professor in Anesthesiology, has been named assistant dean for Faculty Affairs at the Heersink School of Medicine. In this role, he will lead initiatives to strengthen clinical faculty development, advancing a key mission area for the school and UAB Health System.
An article published in Academic Medicine, authored by members of the Dean’s Office staff, explores how the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine improved administrative efficiency and organizational cohesion by implementing a shared services model.
Gang Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and Huachun Cui, Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine, have received the school’s Featured Discovery award for research that uncovers a critical process behind lung scarring—work that could pave the way for new therapies for chronic lung disease.
Roger Smalligan, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the Heersink School of Medicine Huntsville Regional Campus, has been named the next governor for the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and awarded ACP Mastership.
As we close the year, I want to reflect on one of the Heersink School of Medicine's greatest strengths: our deep, aligned, and enduring partnerships with the UAB Health System, led by CEO Dawn Bulgarella, MSHA, CPA, and the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF) physician practice plan, led by President Cheri Canon, M.D. This triad is the cornerstone of our success as an academic medical center and remains essential to our mission of healing, discovery, and education.
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.
The past month saw the culmination of years of planning and construction with the official openings of the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (ALGEN) and the Volker Hall Atrium. Both projects exemplify the power of partnership, collaboration, and innovation.
Jennifer Pollock, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
Be wary of text messages claiming to be deans, VPs, or even a manager within your department.
Lisa Willett, M.D., MACM, executive vice chair for the UAB Department of Medicine, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. This award honors educators who have made significant contributions to medical education. Willett will receive the honor at 2025 AAMC Awards Recognition Event on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
Earlier this year, an IDEA Performance Survey was conducted to gather feedback on my performance as dean. In addition, UAB partnered with Modern Think on a Campus Engagement Survey to hear directly from faculty and staff about their workplace experiences and the university’s operations. Both surveys provided significant insight into what is going well and where there are opportunities to improve.
Starting in the fall, the Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program will be managed by the HR Learning and Development team. This shift represents the university’s commitment to the success and development of its staff.
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.
Since its inception, the Health Services Foundation General Endowment Fund (HSF-GEF) has played a pivotal role in advancing UAB’s mission of excellence in research, clinical care, and medical education. Established to support institutional initiatives that often fall outside traditional funding mechanisms, the HSF-GEF has become a cornerstone for building cutting-edge capacities within the academic health center. The program empowers faculty innovation, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensures UAB remains at the forefront of medical advancement.
Girish Melkani, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
C. Vivek Lal, M.D., tenured professor (Oct ‘25) in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named executive in residence of the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE). Lal’s appointment marks the beginning of a partnership between HIIE and the Heersink School of Medicine that will allow both entities an avenue to better serve patients.
In a recent Harvard Business Review article on leadership, Ranjay Gulati — professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a Thinkers50 World’s Top Management Thinker — reminds us that “fortune favors the brave, not the cautious.” His reflections on cultivating courage in leadership in uncertain times resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities we currently face in academic medicine.
The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is pleased to announce a new endowed lectureship to honor the legacy of Loring W. Rue III, M.D., professor emeritus in the UAB Department of Surgery. Dr. Rue’s leadership and dedication to improving trauma care make him an instrumental figure in the history of the trauma program at UAB.
After more than three decades of unwavering service and leadership in trauma care, Holly Waller, RN, BSN, MPH, NE-BC, has been named a recipient of the UAB VIP Award, a recognition reserved for those who exemplify the values, integrity, and performance that define excellence at UAB.
With the growth of clinical research and trials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and to meet the evolving needs of investigators and study teams, two longstanding support programs—the UAB Department of Medicine’s Clinical Research Enterprise (CRE) and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Clinical Research Support Program (CRSP)—have merged to form the Clinical Research Support Enterprise (CReSt).
Since its launch, the Compassion Closet has been embraced and supported by UAB staff and the community alike, and its mission continues to grow.
A global pharmaceutical company based in India has committed to a major investment in a UAB startup working to pioneer breakthrough FDA-approved therapeutics for lung diseases.
Amy Warriner, M.D., professor in the Department of Medicine, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Brewer-Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine.
On August 16, we had the privilege of welcoming our newest class of medical students during our annual White Coat Ceremony.
Bassel El-Rayes, M.D., professor in the division of Hematology and Oncology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery Award. This recognition celebrates significant research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Research has unveiled a research focus area, Health Across the Lifecourse (HEAL). This focus area was developed to learn how different aspects over the course of a person’s life, such as their environment and background, can affect their access to healthcare and health outcomes. HEAL aims to use collaboration to connect research, practice, and policy.
In early 2025, Jonathan Kajjimu, MBBS, traveled from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) as part of the NIH D43 Integrated Networks of Scholars in Global Health Research Training (INSIGHT) program to participate in global health research mentorship under Matt Heimann, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine and associate director for Educational Programs in the Mary E. Heersink Institute for Global Health (MHIGH).
Ritika Samant, a medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Sara Crews Finley, M.D., Endowed Leadership Scholarship.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two medical institutions in India–the Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences University (PIMS-DU; Loni, Maharashtra) and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University Medical College (BVDU; Pune, Maharashtra).
The UAB Department of Urology welcomed Kazumi Taguchi, M.D., Ph.D., as an associate professor in June.
Jeremy Herskowitz, Ph.D., Patsy W. and Charles A. Collat Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Neurology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
At the Heersink School of Medicine, biomedical research is not only a critical pillar of our tripartite mission, but also the fertile ground out of which advancements in medicine and health care grow. The “bench to bedside” research pathway translates discoveries of the cellular mechanisms of disease into cutting-edge treatments that offer hope for patients here in Alabama and around the globe.
Lewis Zhichang Shi, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
For the first time in its history, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) will hold its annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted by Elliot Lefkowitz, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Microbiology.
Before there were MRI machines or CT scans—never mind the possibility of using AI to unlock the mysteries of the human brain—there was Civitan International.
Many of you may have seen the meaningful testimony delivered by Barry Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, “Biomedical Research: Keeping America's Edge in Innovation,” on April 30, 2025.
Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named the recipient of the 2025 American Cancer Society (ACS) Professor Award. This award is the most prestigious grant made by ACS and recognizes professors who have made seminal, high-impact contributions to cancer research across a wide range of disciplines, including fundamental, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, and epidemiologic fields. It provides $400,000 in funding for five years and can be extended for another five years.
Dana Rizk, M.D., tenured professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology, has been named the latest recipient of the school’s Featured Discovery award. This recognition celebrates notable research contributions made by faculty and highlights the impact of their scientific advancements.
Carlos E. Cardenas, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, has been named the 2025 recipient of the McMaster University Emerging Science Co-op Employer of the Year Award. This award recognizes employers and supervisors who act as mentors for co-op students and provide a rich and fulfilling learning experience.