In UAB News

Thanks to a public-private collaboration, the projects added high-visibility crosswalks, planted 110 trees, improved parks, trails and sidewalks, installed lighting and public art and expanded recreational amenities.

UAB’s new Marshall Family Medicine Residency will train physicians in North Alabama, expanding rural healthcare access, strengthening the primary care workforce and supporting long-term health outcomes in underserved communities statewide.

Can AI replace therapy? A UAB psychiatry expert explains the benefits, risks and limitations of using AI for mental health support, why more people are turning to chatbots, who may be most vulnerable and when professional mental health care should be sought.

As children and young adolescents are turning to caffeine as an energy source, a UAB pediatrician shares his insight on the effects of energy drinks and caffeine on pediatric health.

A UAB study reveals that limited access to automated external defibrillators in Birmingham neighborhoods at highest risk for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest may affect survival outcomes and provides a model for improving emergency preparedness in communities beyond central Alabama.

Advances in genomics and data analytics are making the long-standing goal of personalized care increasingly attainable through precision medicine.

Equal Access Birmingham is a free clinic run by medical students and staffed entirely by volunteers.

From physical recovery to emotional changes, a UAB expert explains what new mothers can expect during the first 12 weeks after childbirth and when to seek additional support.

The invitation to join the AAU places UAB among the most prominent and impactful institutions of higher education and research in the United States and Canada.

Care providers at UAB and UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham know that maternal mental health is essential to the well-being of mothers and their families and have many resources in place to help those in all stages of motherhood.

 Researchers at UAB are investigating how chronic facial pain develops in the trigeminal nervous system. A renewed NIH-funded project aims to uncover pain mechanisms and identify new therapeutic targets for treating debilitating orofacial pain conditions.

UAB pediatric experts offer practical tips to help families navigate sensory challenges and create a more comfortable, inclusive Halloween experience.

UAB researchers have developed a new clinical trial combining medication, peer support, telehealth and ongoing recovery navigation to assist opioid overdose survivors.

New clinical services and specialty programs are expanding access to high-quality care in Birmingham and throughout Alabama.

A UAB expert explains how decreasing daylight hours during late fall and winter can contribute to mood changes and increase the risk of seasonal affective disorder, while offering practical strategies to support mental well-being throughout the season.

UAB’s Heart Failure Transitional Care Services for Adults Clinic provides innovative, patient-centered care for underserved heart failure patients while serving as a nationally recognized model for academic-practice partnerships and nursing education.

Mbila and Bias will each receive $2,500 scholarships and serve as ambassadors of UAB for the coming year and UAB Future Blazers Alumni leaders.

The new facility significantly expands UAB’s research capacity, reinforcing its role as a leading engine of discovery and health advancement for Alabama and beyond.

These new appointments strengthen service line leadership across Alabama’s leading academic health system.

UAB has been awarded funding for GLOBal PPCM, the largest global study for peripartum cardiomyopathy. The trial will test whether a widely available drug can save the lives of women with this condition. 

A UAB expert explains how to recognize hand, foot and mouth disease, prevent its spread, and know when to seek care.

UAB researcher Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., has been named the inaugural Heersink Endowed Professor in Primary Care, recognizing his leadership in primary care research and community health improvement.

UAB researchers discovered a fundamental immune system mechanism that helps CD4+ T cells balance antibody and cellular responses to infection, a finding that could improve vaccine design, advance immunology research, and deepen understanding of autoimmune and immune deficiency diseases.

Jenny Yang, a senior scientist at the O’Neal Cancer Center and professor in UAB’s Department of Medicine, is advancing protein-based molecular MRI technologies designed to detect disease-related biomarkers and distinguish cancer subtypes through multicolor imaging.

A UAB study found that brain regions used for attention-heavy tasks develop uniquely individualized connections, revealing how experience shapes neural wiring and offering new insights into brain plasticity, vision loss adaptation and personalized rehabilitation.

UAB researchers are using driving simulator technology and long-term traumatic brain injury data to better predict when patients can safely return to driving and develop more evidence-based rehabilitation guidelines.

In an online-centered world, digital technology has shaped how we focus. Two UAB experts share insight on how to protect attention and balance responsiveness.  

UAB researchers have received a five‑year NIH grant to investigate how genetic differences in natriuretic peptide biology shape salt sensitivity. The study pairs large‑scale genomic discovery with a genotype‑guided clinical trial to uncover mechanisms behind salt‑sensitive hypertension and support more personalized prevention and treatment.

The UAB CARES Center awarded four pilot projects addressing tobacco cessation, indoor air quality, physical activity and financial hardship to reduce cancer disparities in Alabama.

The 2026 Blazer Bridge Fund winners include seven innovative projects from across UAB.

The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is celebrating the anniversary of the couple’s transformational $100 million gift and the legacy it has created in healthcare, education, biomedical innovation and community development.

UAB researchers and collaborators are conducting an innovative first-in-human clinical trial, dosing the world’s first patient with an investigational gene therapy designed to advance research and healthcare for individuals with inherited, BAG3-associated dilated cardiomyopathy. 

A UAB expert shares how diet and nutrient-rich foods can support bone health, reduce hot flashes, maintain muscle mass and improve overall well-being during menopause.

A multi-institutional, UAB-led study found that pathologists can reliably distinguish the spectrum of HER2-negative breast cancer subtypes, strengthening the evaluation of how HER2-targeted therapies can improve patient treatment.

As the inaugural participant in the Heersink Student Mobility Program, McMaster University graduate student Dua Khan spent 10 weeks at UAB exploring community health, cancer disparities research and clinical medicine, gaining a broader understanding of how research, patient care and community engagement intersect to improve health outcomes.

The treatment is designed to redirect a patient’s own immune system to attack cancer cells, potentially opening a new chapter in ovarian cancer treatment.

Researchers showed how neuroblastoma cells change as the cancer spreads, helping them grow, survive treatment and escape the body’s immune defenses. 

A landmark UAB-led trial found that restoring blood flow through carotid revascularization does not improve cognition in patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, providing important insights for stroke prevention and patient care.

Current blood pressure thresholds may miss vital signs of dangerous instability in children due to pediatric reference values that were not designed for young patients who have experienced trauma.

UAB researchers and collaborators built a multi-ancestry genetic risk score for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that sharpens risk prediction across diverse populations, identifying people at markedly higher risk of developing the disease and of suffering complications, including those whose standard genetic tests are inconclusive.