News

The UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) is proud to announce leading diabetes researcher Ralph A. DeFronzo, M.D., and precision medicine expert Matthew Might, Ph.D., as keynote speakers at the UAB Diabetes Research Day on Nov. 17, 2026, at the Heersink Conference Center.

For years, doctors and researchers have talked about a future where health care is built around each patient. But lately, many experts have started using a new term to describe that goal: precision medicine.

Andrew Crouse, Ph.D., director of Research and Operations in the UAB Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, will attend the Undiagnosed Diseases International Conference in Singapore this September. The conference is focused on advancing solutions for individuals with complex medical conditions that remain without a diagnosis.

During a recent visit to UAB, Leadership Alabama participants took part in a hands-on precision medicine case simulation led by members of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.

The 2026 CHARM Hackathon brought together researchers, clinicians, and engineers for a weeklong intensive software development sprint focused on developing artificial intelligence tools to improve care for patients with rare and complex diseases.

The Department of Urology is pleased to announce the appointment of Chen-Han Wilfred Wu, M.D., Ph.D., to the faculty at the rank of associate professor. Wu also serves as associate director for Precision Surgery in the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.

Matt Might, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), has been selected to deliver a distinguished lecture at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting this October in Boston.

The UAB Precision Medicine Institute’s SUmmer in PREcision MEdicine (SUPREME) program is an immersive eight-week program that prepares medical students to navigate the uncertainties of rare diseases. Learn more from the most recent SUPREME cohort as they reflect on their journeys.

Michael Patton, Ph.D., a student in Heersink’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), recently defended his doctoral dissertation, an achievement that moves him one step closer to becoming a physician-scientist. His work with the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), under the mentorship of Matt Might, Ph.D., director for PMI, and William Byrd, Ph.D., associate director for PMI, played a central role in his Ph.D. journey.

For one family, a difficult genetic diagnosis sparked a mission. With help from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), they’re now turning their journey into hope for families worldwide.

The UAB campus is rapidly being reimagined through numerous new construction and building renovation projects. These include projects that directly support the goals of UAB’s Forging Ahead strategic plan and Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose, which set a goal of increasing research expenditures to $1 billion, from $774.5 million in fiscal year 2023. Several projects also advance the Heersink School of Medicine’s strategic goals across its mission pillars in clinical care, medical education, and biomedical research. 

The Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI) team has partnered with Every Cure on a groundbreaking project to build a large drug-repurposing database. The project, called ML/AI-enabled Therapeutic Repurposing In eXtended uses (MATRIX), received a contract from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for up to $48 million, announced earlier this year at a White House event.

Heersink School of Medicine awarded nine staff members as the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for Staff winners. Individuals selected for this honor showcased outstanding accomplishments beyond their daily duties and contributed considerably to Heersink’s core mission areas – education, clinical care, and basic, translational, and clinical research.

Camerron Crowder, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Neurobiology and assistant director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), offers a unique research opportunity for undergraduate students by teaching the PMI research process, how to develop animal models, and the use of artificial intelligence to identify treatment options through courses in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program.

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty members recently participated in the AI in Medicine and Healthcare Symposium at Maastricht University, which brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming health care.

The American College of Physicians Alabama Chapter recently held its annual Winter Meeting at UAB’s new Active Learning Center in Volker Hall. The meeting, hosted by the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, focused on “Medicine in the Machine Age: The Integration and Influence of AI in Medicine,” and featured presentations and expert involvement from the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation team and other Heersink School of Medicine leaders.