Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Professor and UAB Cardiovascular Surgical Research Endowed Chair James George, Ph.D. recently won the Heersink School of Medicine’s Featured Discovery for his study “Resident macrophage subpopulations occupy distinct microenvironments in the kidney" that was published in the JCI Insight.

The Featured Discovery award celebrates unique scientific findings and discoveries made by faculty and research staff while exhibiting UAB’s national leadership in research.

In collaboration with co-first authors Matthew Cheung and Elise Erman, graduate students at the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, the team studied macrophage sub-populations and immune cells in the kidneys. Their data confirmed seven new macrophage populations.

They discovered after injury, the macrophages develop in different areas. Some macrophages do not return to their original location, indicating why some patients who fully recover might experience problems in the future.  

Dr. George is an experienced molecular and cellular biologist with interests in heart failure and transplantation. He received a Master of Science in Biology from the University of Cincinnati and his Ph.D. from UAB.

His active research focuses on transplantation immunobiology, immune regulation, and the role of heme oxygenase-1, with clinical research efforts with heart failure physicians studying patient outcomes, clinical care, and post-treatment events.