Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery

UAB’s new Clinical Trialist Development Program (CTDP) has selected 24 Heersink applicants for its 2026-2027 cohort. The program will provide these candidates with training, mentorship, and salary support to lead industry-sponsored clinical trials. It will also supply them with a 20% protected time allowance, allowing them to dedicate more time to research.

Jeffrey D. Kerby, M.D., Ph.D., reflects on how he brought about positive change for trauma care during his tenure as the chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma - and shares his goals for his new role at the ACS.

The UAB Department of Surgery is excited to welcome two new faculty members in September 2026 – Piyush Kumar Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., and Erin Burton, M.D.

Members of the UAB Department of Surgery were recognized this year with Patient Experience Hero Awards and Clinical Excellence in Nursing Awards, highlighting their commitment to delivering exceptional patient-centered care across the health system.

Five new faculty members joined the UAB Department of Surgery in August: Dr. Peter Abraham, Dr. Samantha Lloy, Dr. Jennifer Pappalardo, Dr. Anji Wall, and Dr. Taylor Wallen. We invite you to learn more about them and help us extend a warm UAB welcome!

Taylor Wallen, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, and Krystal Rivera, a Ph.D. candidate, published “Plasma Regulates Homeostatic Pulmonary Endothelial Signaling to Mitigate Vascular Leak Following Polytrauma and Hemorrhagic Shock” as co-first authors in the journal Shock last month.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery welcomed Lt. Gen. John. J. DeGoes, Surgeon General of the United States Air Force and U.S. Space Force, and Chief Master Sgt. James M. Woods, Chief of the Medical Enlisted Force, for a visit to see firsthand the growth and success of the military-civilian partnership between UAB and the U.S. Air Force.

Kelly Chapman, BSN, RN, CWOCN, a certified wound, ostomy and continence nurse in the Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery and the team-lead and supervisor of the UAB inpatient wound care team, was named the inaugural Certified Nurse of the Year by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB).

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery honored survivors of traumatic injury and their families, as well as first responders and healthcare professionals, at the third annual Heroes and Healers event on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Fifty-six UAB Department of Surgery staff members collectively logged more than 3.3 million steps during a four-week wellness challenge in March, organized by the department's Access & Engagement Committee.

Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Assistant Professor Zain Hashmi, M.D., spoke from his unique perspective as a trauma surgeon and researcher about what acting with integrity looks like for him.

The Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery will host the 3rd annual Heroes and Healers event on Friday, May 1, 2026 at the UAB Alys Stephens Center. The event celebrates survivors of traumatic injury, as well as the medical care teams and first responders who saved their lives and helped them on the road to recovery.

Department of Surgery research resident Chandler Annesi M.D., won the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Resident Trauma Paper Competition, earning national recognition for her research on pediatric trauma care.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery hosted the first Loring W. Rue, III, M.D. Endowed Lectureship, welcoming Jeremy Cannon, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania as the inaugural lecturer. The lectureship honors the legacy of Rue, an instrumental figure in the history of UAB’s trauma program.

Their love story began as it often does for two future doctors: in med school. Zain Hashmi, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, and Saulat Sheikh, MBBS, an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Transplantation, met in 2010 at a going away party for a mutual friend.

Jeffrey Kerby, M.D., Ph.D., Brigham Family Endowed Professor and director of the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, has been named the new medical director of trauma education for the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Acute Care Surgery, a service line of the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, was recognized as one of UAB Medicine's top ten service lines for timely and effective consults, according to results from the 2025 hospital-wide Consult Optimization Survey.

Rondi Gelbard, M.D., a professor in the UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, has received the 2025 Alliance Committed Leader Award from the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance (The Alliance) which recognizes a leader who commits significant time and expertise to Alliance initiatives and taken on significant efforts to advance nationwide collaboration and engaged learning within the organ donation and transplantation community.

The UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery led a holiday clothing and supply drive to support several local non-profit organizations, including Impact Family Counseling, the Offender Alumni Association, and the UAB Compassion Closet.

Herbert Chen, M.D., the Fay Fletcher Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Surgery, gave the 2026 State of the Department presentation earlier this week, spotlighting achievements from the past year and reflecting on the 80 year history of the department.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to congratulate five faculty members who have recently graduated from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Emerging Leader Series (ELS) professional development program, which was developed by UAB Medicine's Leadership Development Office (LDO).

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) celebrated the graduation of the 11th cohort from the Institute for Leadership on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.

The UAB Department of Surgery is proud to highlight the outstanding research achievements of faculty, trainees, and researchers over the past quarter.

A Ph.D. candidate reflects on lessons learned about injury, recovery, and growth

The UAB Department of Surgery is excited to welcome two new faculty members in the month of November 2025: Drs. Eliot Gagne and Lauren Theiss Gleason.

UAB General Surgery ResidentEmily Baird, M.D., M.A., has been elected to serve as the Resident/Fellow Councilperson at-Large for the Excelsior Surgical Society (ESS), an organization affiliated with the Military Health System Strategic Partnership of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). 

Medical student Hari Pradhyumnan was recognized at the 2025 UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Medical Student Research Day (MSRD), where he was awarded first place in the Surgery category for his outstanding research presentation.

This year signifies a remarkable milestone for the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine—30 years of delivering life-saving care, excellence in clinical training, and driving innovation.

The UAB Department of Surgery was honored to recognize the second-annual awardees of the Moore-McDougal Staff Excellence Awards in Surgery on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the annual Surgery Staff Town Hall.

Zain Hashmi, M.D., an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, is a 2025 recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Support of UAB and Shared Governance.

Numerous members of the UAB Department of Surgery were recognized as new fellows of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) at the 2025 Clinical Congress in Chicago, Illinois.

UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Professor Marty Vander Noot, M.D., is a 2025 recipient of the UAB Medicine Excellence Award.

The UAB Department of Surgery is proud to announce the recent promotion of ten faculty members.

UAB’s Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (WOC) team was recently featured on a podcast for WOC teams nationwide.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to welcome five faculty members in the month of September: Drs. Juliet Blaskeslee-Carter, Michael “Frank” Gleason, Luis Hidalgo, Victoria Huynh, and Erin White.

The beginning of August marks the new step in the training process for our incoming fellows and an exciting new chapter for our graduating trainees.

UAB was well represented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery, with five faculty serving as presenters, discussants, and panelists thought leaders on the national stage.

Four doctors are set to join the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery’s Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship next August: Ben Hazen, M.D., Justin Leavitt, M.D., Paul Shadowen M.D., and Sierra Smith, M.D.

Kimberly Hendershot, M.D., a professor in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, is now president of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

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.

Rachael Rafferty McCurdy, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, recently joined the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery as the new trauma performance improvement (PI) coordinator.

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.

Since its launch, the Compassion Closet has been embraced and supported by UAB staff and the community alike, and its mission continues to grow.

The UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery team highlights the dangers of red-light running and urges caution behind the wheel.

Four new fellows are set to join the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery this August as part of the 2025-2026 Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship.

The UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is committed to training and equipping the next generation of trauma surgeons through theTrauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship.

Toria N. Pettway, LMSW, a psychiatric social worker for the UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, has been named the 2025 recipient of the UAB Social Work Partnership in Community Service Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to patient care, mental health advocacy and community engagement.

Dana Doriety, RN, BSN, MSHQS, a nurse burn educator in the UAB Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery, recently represented UAB at the 48th Annual Alabama Fire Fighters Conference in Guntersville, Alabama on June 20.

UAB Hospital has been reverified as a Level I adult trauma center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma (COT) and remains the only ACS-Level I adult trauma center in the state of Alabama. Learn what it takes to meet the rigorous standards set by the ACS.

The UAB Department of Surgery recognizes the outstanding research contributions from faculty, fellows, residents and research staff. This continued momentum in scholarly activity underscores our shared commitment to advancing surgical science and shaping the future of academic medicine.