Heersink School of Medicine
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.
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).
How do you celebrate an extraordinary family? One that has devoted themselves to bringing skilled nursing into thousands of homes across Alabama? One that has given generously in support of hospice and palliative care for decades? For the family of the late Charles D. Beard Jr., the answer is simple. Keep on giving.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, while lack of access to mental health care is a national problem, Alabama’s needs are especially acute.
In a profession marked by long hours, precision, and high emotional stakes, health care specialists may burn out and disconnect from themselves. To meet demands and care for others, whether through teaching, research, or clinical work, many overlook one of the simplest yet most powerful forms of support: engaging with nature. On Tuesday, May 20, from 12-1 p.m. via Zoom, the Heersink School of Medicine invites faculty, staff, students, and trainees to attend “Well-being through connection: How time in nature supports physical and mental health,” presented by Anne Markham Bailey, a teaching artist with UAB Arts in Medicine.
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.
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 Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024/2025 Multi-PI Awards, each funded with $150,000 per year for two years. These awards recognize outstanding collaborative research efforts aimed at addressing critical health challenges.
UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) scientist Kirk Habegger, Ph.D., is featured in the Diabetes Spotlight in the May 2025 issue of Diabetes, the flagship research publication of the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
When you go to the doctor, the first thing you’re asked is, “Do you have a family history of X?” Do you know the answer?
Scott Austin, MBA, senior advisor for Faculty Affairs, and Shane Wiley, MBA, executive administrator in the Department of Medicine, have been named 2025 Will Ferniany Academic Medicine Leadership Award recipients.
On April 5, students representing the UAB Center for Community Outreach Development (CORD) attended the Alabama State Science and Engineering Fair at Auburn University.
Gregory Payne, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor 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.
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.
In this facilities update, we will highlight our major projects that are both nearing completion and recently completed but will not discuss all ongoing construction or renovation projects.
The recent Montgomery Health Policy Meeting brought together state leaders and healthcare experts to discuss mental health care in Alabama.
The Heersink School of Medicine has introduced a new Bridge Funding program—"Under Extended Review.” This program is designed to support investigators whose proposals have received a “fundable score” but await the Advisory Council meeting.
As a lab manager, Khadija Seck oversees daily lab operations and helps coordinate experiments in the Habegger Lab.
The Heersink School of Medicine launched a new brand refresh on March 19, creating a more cohesive and unified identity. This article provides a deeper look into some of the new brand usage and how you can help ensure a unified image.
Eight students from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine have been selected for the 2025-2026 class of Alabama Albert Schweitzer Fellows. These distinguished students are part of a broader cohort chosen from institutions across the state. Over the upcoming year, these fellows will dedicate themselves to implementing service projects aimed at addressing the social determinants that impact health outcomes in underserved communities.
The Office of Service Learning has announced the largest cohort of Health Equity Scholars (HES) in the program's history, with 15 medical students embarking on this transformative opportunity. The Health Equity Scholars Program aims to cultivate future physician leaders by equipping them with the skills needed to provide quality health care to communities with less resources.