by Christina Crowe

The UAB Department of Pathology is pleased to announce the appointment of Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Endowed Professor in Experimental Cancer Therapeutics, as interim Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Pathology, effective September 1, 2023. Ponnazhagan (Pons) takes over the role from Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., who moved into the role of Division Director, Molecular & Cellular Pathology, effective July 1.

Ponnazhagan has been a faculty member in Pathology since 1999. His research, focused on breast and prostate cancers, has been supported by industry, the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and the NIH, including a recent R01 award entitled, “Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting of Osteoimmune Functions of RANKL in Breast Cancer.”
At UAB Ponnazhagan is a senior scientist with the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, the Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering, the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, the Nephrology Research and Training Center, the Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center, the Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders, and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is co-director of the Pathobiology, Pharmacology, and Physiology (P3), one of eight graduate program themes within the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Training Program.

“Pons is an outstanding researcher with a long history of dedication to advancing science in his area of focus, as well as working collaboratively with other teams and myself,” says Gene Siegal, M.D., Ph.D., UAB Distinguished Profesor and Interim Chair, UAB Pathology. “His experience makes him an ideal candidate to take on this role. We appreciate him stepping into this leadership position during a time of recent heightened research funding success in our department.”

“Pons is actively involved in many facets of research and training within the Department and University, and has played an important role in faculty recruitment and growth in research funding,” says Patel. “His experience and knowledge of the broad research areas within the Department will be invaluable as we build upon recent successes in this mission area.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Vice Chair for Research.