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UAB Department of Surgery Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, was selected as the 2025 recipient of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) Young Investigator Award.

Several members of the UAB Department of Surgery have been selected to participate in UAB Medicine leadership programs.

Associate Professor
Chief, Section of Adult Cardiac Surgery

Areas of Interest
coronary artery disease, minimally invasive treatment of atrial fibrillation, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, aortic valve surgery, mitral valve and tricuspid valve repair, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), atrial septal defects, disorders of the thymus gland, chest tumors, saphenous vein harvest, pericardial effusions

UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Associate Professor Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, FACS, was recently selected as a participant in the 2023 cohort of the Momentum Leaders in Medicine at UAB.

Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Association for Surgical Education Foundation (ASEF), stemming from the Center for Excellence in Surgical Education, Research and Training (CESERT) program.

UAB Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Associate Professor Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, FACS, has been accepted into the Association of Women Surgeons’ Shining Star Leadership Program.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to announce Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, FACS, as the Vice Chair of Education. 

Division of Transplantation Professor and Arnold G. Diethelm Endowed Chair in Transplantation Surgery Jayme Locke, M.D., MPH, was accepted as a member into the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) in April 2022. 

From its recent accolade as one of the nation's top culinary destinations to its stunning Appalachian foothills views, Birmingham has earned a reputation as a destination ideal for both work and play.

From its recent accolade as one of the nation's top culinary destinations to its stunning Appalachian foothills views, Birmingham has earned a reputation as a destination ideal for both work and play.

UAB Division of Pediatric Surgery Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Colin Martin was appointed to serve as a consultant to the Pediatric Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery for the Pediatric Surgery In-Training Examination (PSITE).

UAB Department of Surgery Associate Professor Colin Martin, M.D., FACS, has been admitted into the prestigious Halsted Society.

Dr. Colin Martin

UAB Department of Surgery Associate Professor and Medical Staff President of Children’s of Alabama Colin Martin, M.D., FACS, has been invited to serve on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS) Editorial Board.

UAB Research Resident Katherine McElroy, M.D. has been selected for a featured poster presentation at the annual North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS)’s Multidisciplinary Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Medical Symposium in Washington D.C.

UAB Research Resident Katherine McElroy, M.D. was awarded a 2022 Association for Academic Surgery (AAS)Fall Courses Travel Award.

UAB AAES Endocrine Surgery Fellow Dr. Jessica Liu McMullin was recently selected to serve as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Surgical Research (JSR).

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery has a unique connection with the military. Twelve faculty members are either veterans or active duty military.

Five members of the UAB Surgery Department were honored at the Annual Service Awards Reception on Tuesday, Mar. 21.

The UAB Surgical Grand Rounds Committee is honored to introduce two new committee members – Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery Assistant Professor Dr. Andrea Gillis and Division of GI Surgery Assistant Professor Dr. Drew Gunnells. Together, they will join UAB Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy Division Assistant Professor Dr. Danielle Sutzko, who serves as co-lead of the committee, to coordinate the lists of speakers for the weekly seminar series.

The UAB Department of Surgery has added a new lactation room to its facilities, which will be available to all faculty, staff, and trainees.

UAB Surgery General Surgery Resident Dr. Clara Nicolas Martinez was selected as a recipient of the “Exceptional Award” from the faculty of the Department of Medicine from the University of Barcelona for her outstanding scholarship in her Ph.D. program.

Assistant Professor

Areas of Interest
mechanical circulatory support, ventricular assist devices, heart transplant, adult cardiac surgery, vascular and endovascular surgery

The UAB Department of Surgery is highlighting faculty, residents and staff who have an intriguing out-of-the-office hobby. The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by helping illuminate out-of-the-office moments and achievements.

The Pancreatobiliary Disease Center has recently added a digital resource for patients to stay connected to their healthcare team after they leave the hospital.

UAB Division of GI Surgery Associate Professor Dr. Abhishek Parmar, General Surgery Resident Dr. Steven Cochrun, and Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Professor Dr. Jan Jansen’s study on “Surgeon perspectives on the STITCH trial: A mixed methods study” was recently published in the journal of Surgical Endoscopy.

UAB Division of Pediatric Surgery professors Elizabeth Beierle Chen, M.D., (who goes by Dr. Beierle), and Mike Chen, M.D., MBA, are not only two faculty members within the UAB Department of Surgery and pediatric surgeons at Children’s of Alabama- they are also spouses of 29 years - 30 years in March.

UAB General Surgery Resident Mallory Perez, M.D., has recently received a position in the Collaborative Northwestern Surgical Oncology Research Training program (CONSORT) funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) T32 training grant.

The UAB Department of Surgery's Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds (PRISM) and Surgery Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) programs have announced summer participants for 2023.

UAB Division of Pediatric Surgery Associate Professor Robert Russell, M.D., MPH, was appointed to the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine’s Faculty Council for a term of three years, beginning August 2023.

Services have launched for a violence intervention pilot program to support survivors of gun violence who are cared for by the trauma service at UAB Hospital.

UAB General Surgery Resident Connie Shao, M.D., recently discussed the intentional integration of telemedicine to ensure equitable treatment for all patients in the latest edition of Health Tech Magazine.

UAB General Surgery Resident Connie Shao, M.D., is responsible for creating the graphic design for the new Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) logo. 

Assistant Professor
Surgical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support
Associate Program Director, Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency
Surgical Director of Pediatric Heart Transplant, Children's Hospital of Alabama

Areas of Interest
complex congenital heart disease, neonatal cardiac surgery, single ventricle palliation, heart transplantation, pediatric mechanical circulatory support, adult congenital heart disease, valve repair, pediatric cardiac critical care, surgical outcomes research

UAB Department of Surgery Division of Pediatric Surgery Assistant Professor Laura Stafman, M.D., Ph.D, has been awarded the 2025 New Investigator Grant from the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute (KPRI).

The UAB Department of Surgery welcomes its new communications manager, Emme Kirby Long Stewart. Stewart previously served the City of Decatur, Alabama as the primary media liaison for the municipality in the office of Mayor Tab Bowling.

Assistant Professor
Section Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Birmingham VA
Head of UAB Robotic CABG Program

Areas of Interest
adult cardiac surgery, aortic aneurysm and dissection repair, aortic valve repair, valvular heart disease, coronary artery bypass grafting, minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting, outcomes research

UAB Department of Surgery will be hosting a Virtual Open House for summer research internship programs on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. via Zoom. Highlighted programs will include Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds (PRISM) and Surgery Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE).

UAB Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy Assistant Professor Danielle Sutzko, M.D., M.S., FACS, recently addressed how physicians can prepare to tackle their student loan debt on the Association for Academic Surgery's blog.

Clinical Assistant Professor
Primary Practice Location: Montgomery Baptist

Areas of Interest
Adult cardiac surgery - coronary artery bypass grafting, heart valve repair/replacement, aneurysm repair surgery, robotic-assisted/open thoracic surgery, lung cancer surgery

The Department of Surgery is honored to welcome two new faculty members - Maria Helena Lima, M.D., and Demario Overstreet, Ph.D.

Lt. Gen. Robert Miller, the United States Air and Space Force Surgeon General, visited UAB to learn about the unique and successful military-civilian partnerships here.

UAB was well represented at the 2023 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Annual Meeting last month in Anaheim, California.

UAB Cardiovascular Imaging recently participated in a Living Heart Foundation screening event for former NFL players. Staff provided 62 comprehensive wellness screenings, along with echocardiograms, carotid ultrasounds, and EKGs, to the former players and their spouses.Photo Credit: Katherine Mozzone

The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) received the highest possible rating of three stars for its yearly participation in the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI).

The UAB Department of Surgery is proud to announce the creation of the Surgery Advisory Council.

The UAB Department of Surgery, along with hospital leadership, marked the monumental accomplishment of 20,000 completed robotic cases on Friday, April 28 with a public celebration in North Pavilion. 

On Tuesday, April 18, the UAB Department of Surgery hosted its annual Resident Research Day. The yearly event serves as a platform for general surgery residents to present their ongoing research projects and discuss their findings with the UAB Surgery community at large.

The UAB Department of Surgery is making the most of the end of summer with several team-building exercises in the great outdoors.

The UAB Department of Surgery is honored to welcome four new faculty members who have joined the department: Srikanth Iyer, Ph.D., William H. Cook, M.D., FACS, Angela Carter, Ph.D., and Russell G. Day, M.D., FACEP.