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This professor’s new startup aims to erase immune memories to stop Crohn’s diseaseCharles Elson, M.D., has developed an “antivaccine” that could remove the faulty memory cells that drive this autoimmune disorder. He launched ImmPrev Bio, Inc., in order to reach a first-in-human clinical trial.Dragonflies in the dark: An award-winning mentor shares her steps to successWhat’s the secret to mentoring undergraduates in STEM? Biology Associate Professor Sami Raut, Ph.D., who has mentored nearly 40 students and recently earned a national award from the Council on Undergraduate Research, offers six tips.Chatham named director of UAB Center for Teaching and LearningAmy Chatham, Ph.D., who currently serves as assistant dean for undergraduate education in the School of Public Health, will begin her new role Aug. 18.Report on federal opioid programs highlights challenges with grant design, structural/policy barriers and COVID
Karen Cropsey, Psy.D., director of UAB’s Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention, served on an expert panel studying the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
New grad says “nothing more gratifying” than hunting cyberthreatsCuriosity led Jenna Taer to the Computer Forensics Research Lab — and on to a master’s degree in cybersecurity. Then a major industry scholarship let her network with CEOs in a field she loves.
From punches to pitches, Pham looks for maximum impactA childhood illness, a year spent working for the UFC and an on-campus internship are all fueling a grad student’s goal of breaking down health care barriers through biotechnology.
4 appointed to endowed positionsThe University of Alabama System Board of Trustees voted to appoint one chair and three professors to endowed positions during its Feb. 3 meeting. Those honored are Jeffery Walker, Lewis Shi, Farah Lubin and Brant Wagener.
Researcher turns startup founder to pursue promising oral diabetes drugAnath Shalev, M.D., did everything she could to change treatment for Type 1 diabetes from her lab, but getting to first-in-human trials meant taking a step she had always resisted. The most surprising thing about launching a startup, though? “I have enjoyed it.”
This radiologist is helping doctors see through the hype to an AI futureThe AI Literacy Course that fellow Jordan Perchik, M.D., began in 2020 for UAB trainees now reaches 25 programs in 10 countries — at a time when radiology faces global shortages and a proliferation of artificial intelligence tools.
Kirklin’s ‘new chapter’: a health-tech startup powered by his research breakthroughsFive years after he retired from the OR, cardiothoracic surgeon James K. Kirklin, M.D., is starting a new company that will leverage his team’s research on advanced statistics and machine-learning algorithms to track and predict outcomes for high-risk patients.10 appointed to endowed positionsThe University of Alabama System Board of Trustees also voted to accept endowments for four chairs, a professorship and a lecture.
Diagnosis leads professor to global marathon challengeSeven questions for Michael Sloane, Ph.D., on his seven-year quest to race on every continent.
Neuroscience alumna is UAB’s first-ever Knight-Hennessy ScholarAlumna Shreya Malhotra was named among the fifth cohort of Stanford University’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars, the largest fully endowed graduate fellowship in the world; Malhotra graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s in neuroscience and a master's in public health as part of the Science and Technology Honors Program.
Neuroengineering Ph.D. program graduates first studentInspired by a family diagnosis and a viral video, Adeel Memon, M.D., Ph.D., is exploring the possibilities of brain-computer interfaces to treat Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions.How seaweeds can help predict life on a warming planetWith a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation and innovative genetic techniques, UAB algal expert Stacy Krueger-Hadfield, Ph.D., is uncovering clues to the success of a coastal ecosystem engineer.Searching for the holy grail of room-temperature superconductors with seriously big data and supercomputingWith a prestigious NSF CAREER grant, physicist Cheng-Chien Chen, Ph.D., is working on a problem that could lead to a new generation of electronics — and giving UAB students a front-row seat to the action.Chen recognized by Association for Computing Machinery for ‘outstanding scientific contributions to computing’Jake Chen, Ph.D., associate director of the Informatics Institute, is the first ACM member in Alabama to be honored as a Distinguished Member in this category.
Overlooked enzyme intermediates, students are focus of new NSF CAREER awardGayan Wijeratne, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, is studying versatile molecules with heme iron centers that could be useful in new cancer therapies and greener, cheaper fuel cells. He also will use this grant to attract more high school students to higher education in science.
NSF CAREER grant powers quantum magnet researchAssistant Professor Wenli Bi, Ph.D., in the Department of Physics will expand studies in a field that could lead to new green technologies — and more opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in cutting-edge physics.
These employees went from pandemic to ‘Pomp and Circumstance’Meet four more hardworking staff who completed their degrees this month.
Docu-series tells stories from Alabama’s past to forge a better futureThe first installment, “Bending the Arc: The Vote,” which tells the stories of Black people and white allies who fought for racial justice during the 1960s, is the collaborative effort of retired and current UAB employees and community partners.
For these employees seeking degrees, 2020 brings stress — and successWhat was it like to complete a degree while working full-time during a pandemic? Three employees share their stories ahead of this weekend’s commencement ceremonies.
Children’s book explores the roles of moms working in health care“Is Mommy a Doctor or a Superhero?,” written by emergency medicine physician Amy Faith Ho, M.D., uses colorful illustrations and whimsical characters to show that doctor moms are heroes and children can find superheroes within themselves.
Problem to product: New way to navigate twisted blood vesselsWith his idea for a coil that travels through the vasculature much like a sailboat riding the breeze, a UAB neuroradiologist has earned a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Creating a smart software assistant for researchers and research participantsA faculty member in the School of Health Professions turns his own experiences running research projects into a vision for a comprehensive, automated digital solution with the help of funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Targeting SARS-CoV-2 entry into cellsA novel detergent-like compound developed by UAB researchers that blocks HIV and HSV viruses from entering cells could have the same effect against the virus that causes COVID-19. The team is exploring the compound’s potential with a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
'Institutional treasure' Cartner propelled UAB research forward behind the scenesColleagues explain say retiring Animal Resources Program Director Samuel Cartner, DVM, Ph.D., has helped shape the institution’s research.
Problem to product: Protecting surgeons and their scopesScopeAssist, invented by a physician and an engineer, is designed to help surgeons deal with the rigors associated with endoscopic surgeries.
Problem to product: Building ZorroFlow to help babies thriveDoctors don’t have anything to reliably collect urine from neonates. A solution to this problem earned a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Building a better helper for vaccinesThe vaccine pipeline rests largely on a single tree in Chile. A sustainable, cost-effective solution from this UAB chemist earned him a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Shielding providers from COVID-19 particlesMost PPE goes on the provider, not the patient. A solution to this problem from UAB faculty earned them a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
UAB team wins AHA prize for project mapping links between health disparities and COVID-19An interdisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students are using machine learning to identify geographic areas in which social determinants contribute to the COVID-19 burden as a way to improve the public health response.
‘Jumping the Train’ chronicles more than a century of Avery family historyThis history of Dina Avery’s family and Tarrant’s Rushing Spring community is a lifetime of stories and experiences that influence Avery’s work with minority and disadvantaged populations today.
Lubin, Gray among 'inspiring black scientists in America'Farah Lubin, Ph.D., associate professor of neurobiology, and Michelle Gray, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, were listed among those singled out by a leading publisher of cutting-edge biomedical and physical science research.
Aiming for a cure against the odds, Costa earns standing ovationAn innovative study led by Luciano Costa, M.D., Ph.D., generated national buzz for its success in beating back blood cancer — and enrolling African American patients.
Early career awards recognize neuropsychologist’s research on cognitive declineAdam Gerstenecker, Ph.D., recognized for contributions to understanding causes, effects of loss of memory and thinking skills.
‘I was tired of being the only’: words and deeds that can save science careersUAB neurobiologist Farah Lubin, Ph.D., went against type to go to college, change the paradigm on how memories are made and make science more welcoming for under-represented students.
Purcell re-elected president for CALEAUAB’s chief of police to continue leadership of national accrediting body for law-enforcement agencies.
Appointment to NCAA committee an ‘unbelievable honor’ for MessinaFrank Messina is the nation’s only faculty athletics representative selected for a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee, which promotes the health, education and safety of student-athletes.
Justement in line to lead ‘one of the most powerful forces for science in America’Louis Justement, Ph.D., has been named president-elect for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.