People of UAB

Eaton and Subramaniam selected to 2022 class of Women Who Shape the State

Eaton and Subramaniam are next in a long line of UAB faculty to receive this honor.

RS45799 Eaton 851797 scrEllen Eaton, M.D.
Photography: Steve WoodEllen Eaton, M.D., associate professor, and Akila Subramaniam, M.D., assistant professor, with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, have been named to Alabama Media Group’s 2022 Women Who Shape the State.

Eaton, an associate scientist with the Division of Infectious Diseases, has been at UAB since 2016. She uses her research to identify and test interventions at the nexus of substance use, mental illness and infectious diseases like HIV. She is the director of the ’s Office Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT) Clinic and a strong advocate for harm reduction, including naloxone prescription to prevent overdose.

“None of us do this for the attention or accolades, but just knowing that I have made a difference, and helped the ‘least of these’ is what is carrying me these days,” Eaton said.

Subramaniam, an assistant professor in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, was instrumental in patient education regarding COVID-19 vaccines, pregnancy and fertility concerns. She is also the assistant director of the UAB OBGYN Diagnostic and Research laboratory.

Subramaniam Akila insideAkila Subramaniam, M.D. Photography: Nik Layman"It is humbling to be considered an honoree for Alabama Media Group's Women Who Shape the State,” Subramaniam said. “As a women's health care provider and a researcher striving to reduce the disproportionate adverse outcomes of pregnant women, especially in this state, nothing could make me prouder than to be honored as a woman for serving the women of Alabama."

For the past seven years, Women Who Shape the State has honored women from a multitude of backgrounds, including astronauts, educators, artists, CEOs, activists, business leaders and volunteers. All of these women have one thing in common: They are making their communities better places. These women are considered by their peers to be leaders within their respective communities and professional industries and are nominated in recognition of their efforts to advance Alabama through their work in philanthropy, commerce, advocacy or public service, as well as their work in the nonprofit or small-business sectors.

Since its creation in 2015, the Women Who Shape the State list has included several members of the UAB community, including:

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