Troy Randall, PhD (Professor, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) and colleagues conducted groundbreaking research on an intranasal COVID-19 vaccine candidate, AdCOVID. Their mouse pre-clinical study, performed in collaboration with biopharmaceutical company Altimmune, showed strong serum neutralizing activity and potent mucosal IgA immunity in the respiratory tract. Based on these findings, AdCOVID is expected to be advanced to a Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity study in the fourth quarter of this year.

More Good News for July 15, 2020

William Geisler, MD, MPH (Professor, Infectious Diseases) has successfully renewed an RO1 for his investigation of interferon-gamma effector mechanisms, microRNAs, and genetic variants that mediate immune responses against chlamydia trachomatis, the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection.

Jennifer Pollock, PhD (Professor, Nephrology) has been selected by the American Heart Association's Council as the 2020 Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecturer. She will present her most recent work at the upcoming Hypertension 2020 Scientific Sessions. Kudos on this prestigious recognition, Dr. Pollock!

Mark Dransfield, MD (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care) has been named Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the COPD Foundation. He has served as an associate editor of the publication since 2017 and on the Editorial Board since the journal’s inception. Congrats, Dr. Dransfield!

Cindy Joiner, PhD, MPH, RN (Associate Vice Chair, Department of Medicine) and colleagues recently published their trial of a Clinical Investigator Training Program (CITP). The program proved to be a viable option to convey investigator competencies and encourage clinicians to take on the role of principal investigators.

Jessy Deshane, PhD (Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) has received an award to examine the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures in a three-dimensional tissue engineered model of non small cell lung cancer in hopes of better understanding their role in immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Mona Fouad, MD, MPH (Professor and Director, Preventive Medicine) and John Ruffin, PhD (Professor) recently co-authored a commentary with SOM Dean Selwyn Vickers outlining five actions the medical community can take to reduce the disporportionate burden of COVID-19 among African-Americans.

Four months is a short time to learn a whole new way of living; and it's a long time to withstand extraordinary stress. As the pandemic produces a growing sense of ennui, a soul-weariness that can erode our well-being, we must proactively guard against the isolation and burnout that can all too easily follow.

UAB seeks to understand the practicality of long-term remote work for some groups as a strategy to both slow the spread of COVID-19 and to alleviate parking and space constraints for our employees who are onsite. Please take a few moments to complete this anonymous survey to share your experiences with working remotely.