The Department is delighted to celebrate the appointment of Luciano Costa, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Hematology and Oncology) as the new Associate Director for Clinical Research in the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Costa currently directs the Multiple Myeloma and the Immune Effector Cellular Therapy programs at UAB, and his primary research focus is the development of new therapies for plasma cell malignancies. In this new role, Dr. Costa will work with the team of O’Neal clinical investigators to expand the number of potentially disease-altering clinical trials that we can offer our cancer patients, and to accelerate the transition of research discoveries to clinical care.
More Good News for September 9, 2020
Erin Snyder, MD (Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine) has received the 2020 Brewer Heslin Award for Professionalism in Medicine. The award recognizes Dr. Snyder's extraordinary commitment to providing highly skilled and deeply compassionate medical care.
Jeremey Walker, MD (Fellow, Infectious Diseases) and colleagues recently published a study describing the impact of universal masking and universal testing at admission on high-risk exposures to SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers. As hypothesized, both prevention protocols dramatically reduced exposure.
Ashita Tolwani, MD (Professor, Nephrology) and colleagues patented an anticoagulant solution in 2011 to help patients safely receive continuous renal-replacement therapy. Now, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the mixture will be able to provide it in the U.S. for patients during the pandemic.
Lisa Willett, MD, MACM (Professor, General Internal Medicine) and colleagues examined whether internal medicine residents are being trained to address health disparities, and how residents perceive such training. Their findings suggest that adding health disparities curricula in their current forms may not adequately train residents to address gaps in care.
Effective antimicrobial stewardship programs create a safer clinical environment for patients and health care workers, with the goal of fewer hospital-acquired infections due to multidrug-resistant germs. Under the leadership of Dr. Pete Pappas (Professor, Infectious Diseases) UAB's program is now among 100 national centers of excellence.
Tom Buford, PhD (Associate Professor, UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) will present "Beyond Blood Pressure: The Renin-Angiotensin System and Aging" at Medical Grand Rounds. The event begins at noon, on Wednesday, September 16, via Zoom.
In a culture that prizes individualism and strength, how do we respond to surprising setbacks? The question begs a few moments for reflection about our tendency to "go it alone" rather than seek help when we need it. This week, Dr. Well-Be offers his thoughts on why it's important to create safe spaces for people when they need to heal.