Online Exclusives

From Pfizer and Harvard Medical School to Southern Research and now UAB, Corinne Augelli-Szafran, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to accelerating the path from laboratory discoveries to patient treatments. Now a faculty leader in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, she is helping shape the future of drug discovery at Heersink.

A breakfast stop, a routine doctor’s appointment, and dreams of life with twin boys. Within 24 hours, those dreams were transformed into a months-long journey in the UAB RNICU, where grief, hope, and groundbreaking neonatal care intersected.

In May 2025, after more than 30 years at The University of Iowa, John Engelhardt, Ph.D., packed up his laboratory and traveled 881 miles to Birmingham to begin a new chapter in advancing cystic fibrosis (CF) and drug development research at UAB. For Engelhardt, the move wasn’t just about his personal success—it was about building something transformative for translational medicine while creating new opportunities for the team he has mentored and worked alongside for decades.

For fourth-year medical student Leopold Nkengbeza, art and medicine are two sides of the same calling. From illustrating complex surgical procedures to contributing to the Volker Hall mural, he uses creativity to make medicine more accessible and meaningful.

How dedicated guidance shaped Brenton Bicknell’s path to medicine and research