Our faculty were honored with prestigious national and international appointments, awards, and leadership roles that recognize their contributions to research, education, clinical care, and service. These honors underscore the tremendous impact of their work and our school’s continued commitment to advancing medicine and improving health.
Irfan Asif, M.D., chair and Heersink Endowed Professor of Sports and Exercise Medicine in the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean for Primary Care and Rural Health, was elected as second vice president of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and will assume the organization’s presidency in 2027.
Cheri Canon, M.D., president of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation, chief physician executive for UAB Health System, and professor emerita in the UAB Department of Radiology, received the American College of Radiology’s Radiology Leadership Institute Larry R. Muroff Luminary Award, the organization’s highest honor.
Daniel Chu, M.D., MSPH, professor, Selwyn M. Vickers, M.D., FACS Endowed Chair, and director of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, UAB Department of Surgery, and was inducted as an active member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
James Cimino, M.D., distinguished professor and chair of the UAB Department of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, was the keynote speaker at the 20th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics.
Boni Elewski, M.D., James E. Elder, M.D., Endowed Professor for Graduate Education and chair of the UAB Department of Dermatology, received the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Gold Medal Award for her exceptional contributions to the field.
Maria Grant, M.D., professor and Eivor and Alston Callahan, M.D., Endowed Chair in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, received the Research to Prevent Blindness David F. Weeks Award for Outstanding Vision Research for her groundbreaking work in stem cell therapies that is transforming retinal disease treatment.
Gregory Kennedy, M.D., Ph.D., professor, John H. Blue Chair of General Surgery, and executive vice chair in the UAB Department of Surgery, began his term as president of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract May 6, 2025.
Farah Lubin, Ph.D., distinguished Triton Endowed Professor in the UAB Department of Neurobiology, was honored with the American Epilepsy Society Distinguished Service Award for her work to advance knowledge and support evidence-based clinical practices to improve outcomes for individuals with epilepsy.
Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., chair and Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Pathology, was named president of the Genitourinary Pathology Society, effective April 1, 2025.
Navin Nanda, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, was honored by the American College of Cardiology (ACC), which named its International Service Award after him in recognition of his significant contributions to cardiovascular medicine, particularly in echocardiography. The inaugural Navin C. Nanda International Service Award will be presented at the 2026 ACC Scientific Session.
Charles Peyton, M.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Urology, received a highly competitive 2025 National Cancer Institute Early Career Cancer Clinical Investigator Award in recognition of his dedication to advancing cancer clinical research and leadership in academic oncology.
Paige Porrett, M.D., Ph.D., Vera Hauptfeld-Dolejsek Endowed Professor in Transplant Immunology in the Division of Transplantation, UAB Department of Surgery, and was inducted as an active member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.
Danielle Powell, M.D., associate professor and vice chair of Clinical Affairs in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, received the 2025 Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Roger Smalligan, M.D., MPH, regional dean of the Heersink School of Medicine Huntsville Regional Medical Campus, was selected as the next governor of the American College of Physicians Alabama Chapter. His governor-elect term begins April 18, 2026, and he will become governor in April 2027.
Corey Speers, M.D., Ph.D., chair and Merle M. Salter Endowed Chair of the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology, was named an Investigator with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The honor recognizes his leadership and innovative work to improve treatments for aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of breast cancer.
Lisa Willett, M.D., Paul W. Burleson Professor in Internal Medicine and executive vice chair in the UAB Department of Medicine, received the 2025 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
