Pictured above: Gastroenterology and Hepatology’s Monti Nix; Jim Callaway, MD; Jacalyn Witherspoon; and Ali Ahmed, MD, participate in the UAB Employee Wellness’ Annual “Colon on the Corner” Event.Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers with early detection, which is why UAB Employee Wellness hosted its annual “Colon on the Corner” event to talk about colon health and screening. Our Gastroenterology and Hepatology division recommends that if you're 45 or older, you should talk with your doctor to discuss what screening option is right for you. See Colorectal Cancer FAQs.
More Good News for March 6, 2019
The American Society for Clinical Investigation announced the election of new members for 2019, including Orlando Gutierrez, MD, MMSc (Professor, Nephrology). Dr. Gutierrez’ research has provided novel insights in understanding the progression of kidney disease and bone disorders in patients with kidney failure. Congratulations on this tremendous honor, Dr. Gutierrez!
Sumanth Prabhu, MD (Professor and Director, Cardiovascular Disease) and Martin Young, DPhil (Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) will be multiple-investigators on a study of macrophage circadian rhythms in heart failure with a forthcoming non-modular grant from the NHLBI. This collaborative effort typifies the extraordinary research in our cardiology division; we look forward to the outcomes of their investigation.
Richard Kennedy, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, GGPC) has been awarded a new four-year R01 grant. In this study, Dr. Kennedy and his team will examine methods for automating delirium recognition and risk prediction in electronic health records using machine learning. Delirium affects up to 7 million hospitalized older adults annually and is associated with long-term declines in cognition and function, but is not recognized by providers in up to 75% of cases.
Lynn Matthews, MD (Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases) has been invited to join the Health and Human Services Perinatal HIV Panel, the organization that advises best practices for antiretroviral therapy among pregnant women.
The Cullman Regional Medical Center Foundation will present Silvio Papapietro, MD (Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) with the H.C. Arnold Humanitarian Award in April. The award recognizes Dr. Papapietro for his contributions to the establishment of a successful cardiac interventional program—a collaborative effort between UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease and the Cullman Regional Medical Center.
In a recent faculty evaluation effort, the GME Office asked trainees to pick two words to describe their teaching faculty in the Department of Medicine. The resulting list of adjectives is overwhelmingly positive, with Knowledgeable, Efficient, and Approachable topping the list. Kudos to every DOM faculty member who contributes to our outstanding learning environment!
Laura Q. Rogers, MD, MPH, recently joined the Division of Preventive Medicine (DOPM) as the Director of the DOPM Research Clinic and a DOPM Associate Director. Her career passion is improving the health and well-being of individuals through healthy lifestyle behavior change. She is an obesity medicine physician in UAB’s Weight Loss Medicine clinic and leads a translational research program focused on physical activity benefits and promotion in chronic disease populations, especially cancer survivors. She believes that the development and testing of efficacious and mechanistic exercise interventions should be coupled with Dissemination and Implementation (D&I) science to increase uptake, reach, and sustainability of such evidence-based interventions for optimal public health impact. Welcome, Dr. Rogers!
Coming next week to Medical Grand Rounds
Joel Tsevat, MD, MPH, Professor of Population Health at Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, will present “Maximizing Bang for the Buck in the Era of Million Dollar Objectives” at noon on Wednesday, March 13, in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.
Announcements:
- The 2019 State of the Department address is now online. Watch the update with highlights from each of our mission areas, and take a look ahead, in the annual presentation from Department Chair Seth Landefeld, MD.
- Two General Internal Medicine faculty members will speak at TEDx Birmingham in May. Matt Might, PhD, and Stefan Kertesz, MD, MSc, will speak to this year’s theme: BALANCE. To purchase tickets, click here.
- Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships are available through the Health Services, Outcomes and Effectiveness Research Training Program. The training program prepares investigators to pursue careers in health services and outcomes research. The application deadline is March 15, 2019. Contact Jeff Foster or Jeanne Merchant.
- The Division of Hematology and Oncology is now accepting applications for a NCI Research Training position in Basic and Translational Oncology. The training program prepares independent investigators to pursue careers in basic and translational oncology research. The application deadline is March 18, 2019. Email Ryan Outman to apply.