Pictured Above: Bassel El-Rayes, MD, Director in the Division of Hematology and Oncology
The Department of Medicine is delighted to announce Bassel El-Rayes, M.D., will serve as the next Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. El-Rayes is the John Kauffman Family Endowed Professor for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Emory University School of Medicine where he serves as Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology and Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology. He also serves as Director of Clinical and Translational Gastrointestinal Malignancies Program and Associate Cancer Center Director for Clinical Research in Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute.
He will succeed Kelly Godby, M.D., who has served as Interim Division Director since October, and Ravi Bhatia, M.D., who served as Division Director and Deputy Director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2014.
Pending provost approval, Dr. El-Rayes will officially assume the role of division director in February 2022. Welcome to UAB, Dr. El-Rayes!
More Good News for December 3, 2021
The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team led by Sam McElwee, M.D., (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) and Keith Wille, M.D., (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) takes a multidisciplinary approach to acute care for pulmonary embolism, offering life-saving interventions for UAB patients like Amanda Pullen-Hendrix.
Steven Duncan, M.D., (Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care) and colleagues published a study that finds using the FDA- approved drug rituximab to treat patients with acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis results in clinical improvement in nearly half the patients. Findings suggest refining regimens could optimize AE-IPF treatment.
In a recent Annals of Internal Medicine, General Internal Medicine faculty, Robert Centor, M.D., (Professor Emeritus) and Terry Shaneyfelt, M.D., (Professor) propose five ways to fundamentally alter the development of clinical guidelines to promote balance and mitigate risks.
Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology fellow Fatima Alduraibi, M.D., was named the 2022 American Federation for Medical Research Henry Christian Awardee for her outstanding abstract entitled, “B-cell Interferon-β Correlates with Lupus Nephritis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.” Way to shine, Dr. Alduraibi!
In a recent JAMA Network Viewpoint, Jodie Dionne-Odom, M.D., (Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases) and colleagues highlight underrepresentation in clinical trials designed to manage and prevent sexually transmitted infections in individuals with pregnancy potential.
Ronit Elk, Ph.D., (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) was designated a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, one of the highest honors in hospice and palliative medicine. The fellowship celebrates of her significant commitment to the field. Congrats, Dr. Elk!
Amanda Brito, M.D., MPH, Assistant Professor in the UAB Division of General Internal Medicine and Director for Quality and Patient Safety in the Department of Medicine will present A Departmental Program for Quality and Safety: Present and Future at noon on Wednesday, December 8, via Zoom.