News and Events - School of Medicine - Surgery

Department of Surgery opens new Clinical Trials Unit

The UAB Department of Surgery recently established a new research unit to design and conduct clinical trials.

Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery to host esophageal cancer event

The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery will host an esophageal cancer event on the first-floor lobby of The Kirklin Clinic on Nov. 15.

Heart procedure won’t slow down 97-year-old World War II veteran

Trussville resident and World War II veteran Chuck Tompkins has no intention of slowing down, even after undergoing a TAVR procedure.

STREAMS program student receives travel award to attend ASC 2020

UAB medical student Amaris Elston will receive a Student Diversity Travel Award from the Association for Academic Surgery to attend next year’s Academic Surgical Congress.

Eight faculty named ACS fellows at 2019 Clinical Congress

Eight faculty from the UAB Department of Surgery were initiated into the American College of Surgeons as fellows at the ACS 2019 Clinical Congress in San Francisco, California, on Oct. 27. (Photo by Brenessa Lindeman)UAB Department of Surgery faculty, staff and trainees traveled to San Francisco, California, last month for the American College of Surgeons 2019 Clinical Congress, as well as a number of other national society meetings.

Lindeman to join Upward Early Career Program

Dr. Brenessa LindemanUAB endocrine surgeon and Department of Surgery Wellness Officer Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, FACS, has been selected to participate in Momentum’s Upward Early Career Leadership Program.

Marayati wins Rosenkrantz Award at AAP meeting

UAB general surgery research resident Dr. Raoud Marayati presents “Novel Retinoic Acid Derivative Induces Differentiation and Growth Arrest in Neuroblastoma” at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana, Oct. 25-29. (Photo by @RMarayati via Twitter)UAB general surgery research resident Raoud Marayati, M.D., won the Rosenkrantz Award for Basic Science Research at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana, Oct. 25-29. The AAP national conference is the premier venue for pediatric health care professionals to collaborate and allows attendees to engage in interactive, hands-on workshops, as well as pediatric-related[…]

UAB Surgery faculty receive promotions, tenure

Four Department of Surgery faculty members received promotions or tenure earlier this month.

Department launches new Champ Lyons Lecture Series

Next month marks the start of the UAB Department of Surgery’s new Champ Lyons Lecture Series. Beginning with the Champ Lyons Medical History Lectureship, which will be presented on Nov. 12 by Joseph Woo, M.D., this annual talk series will support nine visiting lectures at Surgery Grand Rounds over the course of the next year through the Champ Lyons Lectureship Fund.

Four to join Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship

The UAB Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship will welcome four new fellows next year: Cragin Currence, M.D., Zain Hashmi, M.D., Jacey Loberg, M.D., and Thomas Muse, M.D.

Transplant outreach arrives at Huntsville Regional Campus

UAB transplant hepatologists will see patients at the Huntsville Regional Campus once a month to make it more convenient to North Alabama residents.

Strickland to join UAB faculty at Montgomery, Alabama, clinic

The UAB Department of Surgery is excited to welcome breast surgeon Pamela L. Strickland, M.D., as its newest clinical assistant professor. Strickland will join the faculty in the Division of Surgical Oncology and will practice in Montgomery, Alabama, at the UAB Breast Health Clinic at Baptist Medical Center South.Dr. Pamela L. StricklandStrickland is an alumnus of the UAB School of Medicine, having graduated with her medical degree in 1996 after earning a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Mississippi in 1990. She then completed her residency training in general surgery at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, as[…]

Marayati wins at O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Retreat

Dr. Raoud Marayati wins first place at the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB Research Retreat on Oct. 11, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB)General surgery resident Raoud Marayati, M.D., won first place last week at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s 21st annual Research Retreat. Marayati took home the award for best research poster in the Clinical Residents and Fellows Category for her project, "PIM3 Kinase Promotes Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Hepatoblastoma.”

Locke makes BBJ’s Top 40 Under 40 of the 2010s

UAB transplant surgeon Jayme Locke, M.D., MPH, has been named one of “Birmingham’s Top 40 Under 40 of the Decade for the 2010s” by the Birmingham Business Journal. As one of the paper’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2015, Locke was chosen for this year’s list from the nearly 400 other winners who have been included in the annual series over the past 10 years.

CME opportunities on UAB limb preservation available

Score some CME credit and check out two new videos and podcasts from Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy assistant professors Brent Haverstock, DPM, FACFAS, and Graeme McFarland, M.D. Haverstock and McFarland are both co-directors of the UAB Limb Preservation Program.

UAB Surgery’s guide to ACS 2019 Clinical Congress

If you’re headed to this year’s American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress in San Francisco, California, Oct. 27-31, get ready with our guide to who’s presenting from the UAB Department of Surgery. All talks will be held at the George R. Moscone Convention Center.

Medical student awarded scholarship, completes visiting surgery rotation at UAB

Visiting medical student Kaitlin Weisshappel is preparing to head back to Rockford, Illinois, after completing her four-week visiting elective in general surgery this week at UAB.Kaitlin Weisshappel “I was told by several of our physicians back home about the excellence of the surgical department here at UAB, especially in regard to volume and the diversity of the caseload,” Weisshappel said. “I'm Midwest born and raised, and so seeing health care from a different regional perspective was what initially drew me to UAB. However, the more time I spend here, the more it feels like a natural home.”Weisshappel joined the UAB[…]

Orandi, Spangler named CCTS KL2 Scholars

UAB Department of Surgery faculty members Babak Orandi, M.D., Ph.D., and Emily Spangler, M.D., were recently named two of this year’s UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science Deep South Mentored Career Development Program Scholars.Dr. Babak Orandi Dr. Emily SpanglerThe program culminates in lead-author manuscripts and an extramurally funded research grant submission for scholars, including Orandi’s project, “The Role of Bariatric Surgery in Obese Liver Transplant Candidates and Recipients,” and Spangler’s project, “Assessment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Imaging Surveillance Practices in Veterans.”The mentored career development – or KL2 award – program at the CCTS is sponsored by the National[…]

Martin becomes member at large of COA committee

UAB pediatric surgeon Colin Martin, M.D., was recently named the most recent member at large of the Children’s of Alabama Medical Executive Committee. Martin will serve in this position for a two-year term ending in December 2022.Dr. Colin MartinMartin is the surgical director of the Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation at UAB and Children’s of Alabama, as well as the program co-director of the UAB Department of Surgery’s Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds.

Richter receives research funding from DOD

Assistant Professor Jillian Richter, Ph.D., was recently awarded a Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Discovery Award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.Dr. Jillian RichterOver the course of the next year and a half, Richter will receive $297,000 in total from the DOD for her project, “Role of Exostosin-1 in Regulating Hemorrhage-Induced Microvascular Dysfunction and Lung Injury.”Richter is a trauma researcher in the Division of Acute Care Surgery and leads a research lab focused on understanding the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in regulating post-injury outcomes in trauma patients.

UAB opens new Multidisciplinary Endocrine Tumor Clinic

Patients with thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas and adrenal tumors will soon have a one-stop shop for endocrine neoplasia treatment.

Full circle kindness: Transplant patients hope to inspire others

What connected two people before pales in comparison to what connects them now.

UAB expands use of virtual care technology

The ERAS program is a patient-centered approach leading to better patient satisfaction and health outcomes.

Biomarker identified for early beta cell death in Type 1 diabetes

The biomarker can identify beta cell death in children and adults with recent-onset Type 1 diabetes and in antibody-positive at-risk subjects before disease onset.

How do I talk to my child about surgery?

For many parents, talking about surgery can be tough. UAB doctors help share tips for having these conversations.

UAB Hospital using whole blood in transfusions for severe trauma

Lessons learned on the battlefield have brought about a change in blood usage at UAB.

Woman’s Christmas present: Surviving an internal decapitation

The ATV hit a barbwire fence and virtually cut her head off. Her story of survival is amazing.

Battling low health literacy one step at a time

Patients with low health literacy are at high risk of having poor health outcomes and experiences.

Brain protein mutation from person with autism causes autism-like behavioral changes in mice

This is a potential mechanistic underpinning — at least in a subset of patients — for the altered behaviors observed in autism.

UAB experts weigh in on Trump’s kidney disease executive order

This executive order could mean positive change in Alabama, which has the third-highest death rate from kidney diseases in the nation.

An innovative procedure is bringing hope, comfort to acid reflux patients

A new magnetic device eases symptoms of GERD

Three siblings share cancer diagnosis due to rare genetic mutation

MEN2A is a rare, hereditary condition occurring in roughly one in 35,000 people in the United States.

Vickers honored with Dr. James T. Black Award

Vickers was motivated by his uncle, Leroy Vickers, to seek a career in medicine, where he has become a world-renowned surgeon, pancreatic cancer researcher and pioneer in health disparities research.

Hernias can happen to anyone, especially after abdominal surgery

Every year, nearly 700,000 Americans have surgery for groin hernias.

Chu receives $430K research award from NIH

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health recently awarded Daniel Chu, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award for his research project, “Enhancing Health Literacy in Surgery to Eliminate Surgical Disparities for African-Americans with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.”

Learn about hernias, treatments and diagnoses

UAB doctors will host a free communitywide education event to discuss treatment and diagnosis of hernias.

UAB Hospital prepares for when disaster strikes

Maintaining emergency awareness and being prepared is a year-round activity.

Eighteen faculty members named winners of the 2019 Dean's Excellence Awards

Eighteen outstanding faculty members were named recipients of the 2019 Dean’s Excellence Awards, an honor recognizing exceptional contributions made by School of Medicine faculty in service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement and mentorship.

Stop the Bleed training in the month of May

May is Stop the Bleed Month, and UAB ramps up these bleeding-control training classes.

Living donor navigators are crucial part of organ transplant

Founded in 2017, the navigator program works with both recipients and donors to identify needs and guide each through the process to transplantation and post-transplant.

Vickers named president-elect of the American Surgical Association

Selwyn Vickers, M.D., FACS, senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the School of Medicine, has been named president-elect of the American Surgical Association (ASA). The ASA was founded in 1880 and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious surgical organization.

$17 million grant will explore immune cells in inaccessible tissues of the human body

Tissue-resident B cells likely have important differences that affect autoimmunity and transplant rejection.

City of Birmingham offers paid leave for living organ donors

The city of Birmingham joins UAB and the state of Alabama by providing paid leave for living organ donors.

Huh named 51st president of national gynecologic oncology society

UAB gynecologic oncologist Huh will serve in a leadership role within a national gynecologic organization.

UAB graduate and professional programs again ranked among the nation’s best

U.S. News & World Report ranking features a number of UAB programs ranked in the top 25, including a School of Health Professions’ master’s program at No. 1.

New single port robot changing robotic surgery at UAB

Patients at UAB now have access to state-of-the-art robotic surgery technology.

Human brain protein associated with autism confers abnormal behavior in fruit flies

The human dopamine transporter protein is missing a single amino acid.

School of Medicine celebrates third annual Diversity Fair

The School of Medicine’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted its third annual Diversity Fair Jan. 25, 2019 in the atrium of North Pavilion. Hundreds of guests attended and enjoyed wandering among the booths to sample cuisines while listening to the sound of international music.

Dean's Excellence Award winner profile: Benjamin Wei, M.D.

Benjamin Wei, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery, is one of two junior faculty members to win the Dean's Excellence Award in Service.

Transplanting pig hearts into sick babies may be a promising temporary treatment option

Pig heart transplants could potentially save the lives of infants with life-threatening heart diseases.

Ultrasound helps predict successful fistula formation for kidney dialysis patients

Creating a fistula in the arm is vital before starting hemodialysis, yet half of fistulas fail to mature so that they are usable for dialysis.

Kidney-resident macrophages — a role for healing during acute kidney injury?

These kidney macrophages reprogram to a developmental state after kidney injury, similar to those in newborn mice.

Locke named director of UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute

The Comprehensive Transplant Institute is a product of the culture of excellence that permeates transplantation at UAB, promoting state-of-the-art care and research across all organ systems.

Obesity surgery leads to emergence of new microbial strains in the human fecal community

A novel informatics technique allows researchers to identify different strains of the same bacterial species.

Blood and marrow transplant patients celebrate the holidays with UAB

UAB blood and marrow transplant patients received extra holiday cheer this season.

“A 4 percent chance is nothing to me”

Former MLB player Frank Baker says his experience at UAB’s Pancreatobiliary Disease Center was a home run.

Kidney Chain “Bridge Donor” author hopes to inspire others through personal story

In 2014, Berwager volunteered to donate one of her kidneys to a friend who was suffering from lupus, and who had kidney failure.

Chu receives grant to expand SeamlessMD

Using SeamlessMD, UAB Medicine provides patients with a digital experience through which they can access information about their surgeries via cellphone, tablet or computer — from surgery preparation to the recovery process.

An enzyme in immune cells plays essential role in host defense against tuberculosis

This finding may point to a therapeutic target to treat tuberculosis, which kills 1.3 million people each year.

Krontiras and Rutledge selected as Women Who Shape the State

Every year, AMG presents 30 Alabama women with the Women Who Shape the State award.

Mild blast forces cause pathology and deficits in the brain, despite lack of macroscopic damage

An animal model for mild traumatic brain injury shows microscopic neuropathology, as well as neurophysiological and biochemical changes.

Lindeman inducted into ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators

Lindeman was honored at a ceremony Oct. 3 in Chicago.

A guide to finding your passion

Here is a guide to finding your passion, no matter what field, from UAB transplant surgeon Jayme Locke, M.D.

Hernias: why they hurt and what can be done

Most people refrain from calling attention to an unusual bulge in their lower abdomen. But it could be a potentially dangerous condition that needs to be discussed with your doctor right away.

UAB creates integrated program to manage diseases of the pancreas, bile ducts

A new UAB center will serve as a state-wide resource for patients with diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts.

Six faculty awarded incentive grants to submit a second R01

Six School of Medicine faculty projects were recently funded through an AMC21 initiative giving NIH-funded investigators incentive to submit a second R01.

Bus accident update and a moment of gratitude

Last Friday, a bus carrying 26 UAB residents from the Department of Pediatrics was involved in a severe accident following a retreat at Camp McDowell. The School of Medicine leadership is extremely grateful to everyone who has been involved in the care for its residents and their families during this difficult time.

Clearing a xenotransplantation hurdle: detecting infectious agents in pigs

Sensitive, specific assays are needed to ensure the safety of inter-species transplants for patients needing new organs like kidneys and hearts.

Nation’s longest single-site kidney chain reaches 100

High-tech medicine and human kindness combine in UAB’s ongoing kidney chain, a series of transplant surgeries that have given 101 people a new lease on life.

Bariatric surgery is effective under the right circumstances

When you struggle with weight issues, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by your weight loss options and dismayed by setbacks.

Novel procedure shortens stay for melanoma patients

Melanoma is highly capable of spreading and can be deadly rapidly if not treated.

Local eighth-grader gets hands-on experience on her two passions — robotics and surgery

A 13-year-old girl gets to have a special training experience with UAB surgeons during robotics surgery celebration.

UAB leads the nation in robotic surgeries after more than 10,000

Surgeons across UAB Medicine are working together to enhance robotic surgery, cementing UAB as a national leader in the field.

Locke wins ACTS Distinguished Investigator Award

The Association for Clinical and Translational Science awarded its Distinguished Investigator Award for Translation into Public Benefit and Policy to kidney transplant surgeon, researcher.

Department of Surgery hosts Society of Black Academic Surgeons 28th Annual Meeting

The UAB Department of Surgery hosted the Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS) 28th Annual Meeting last week. More than 200 surgeons from all over the country traveled to Birmingham to attend the meeting.

Two faculty members receive RIME faculty development funding

Cordelia Stearns, M.D., and Brenessa Lindeman, MD, MEHP, were selected to receive the 2018 Research and Innovations in Medical Education (RIME) Faculty Development Award. Both Stearns and Lindeman received $7,500, which will go toward the 2019 Harvard Macy Institute Program for Educators in Health Professions.

Blood stored longer may be less safe for patients with massive blood loss and shock

In a collaborative study using a mouse model, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers from the departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Biostatistics, Emergency Medicine, Pathology, and Surgery have found mechanistic links between older stored red blood cell transfusions and subsequent bacterial pneumonia.

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