Sixto Leal, M.D., Ph.D., Jay M. McDonald Endowed Professor in Experimental Pathology and Division Director, Laboratory Medicine, was recently awarded the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists (ACLPS) Ellis Benson Award. Leal received the award at the ACLPS annual meeting on May 31 in Atlanta, Georgia.

David S. Geldmacher, M.D., FANA, FACP, professor, Warren Family Endowed Chair, Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, and Director of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been appointed to the rank of University Professor. This makes him the first person to hold the rank of University Professor in the 50-year history of the Department of Neurology.

  The UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and UAB Callahan Eye are saddened to share the passing of Harold W. Skalka, M.D., on April 27 at the age of 83.

UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, has been chosen as a recipient of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Faculty Research Fellowship. The ACS research fellowship will begin in July 2025 and continue through July 2027, with an annual stipend of $40,000.

Designing Dreams, a nonprofit co-founded by UAB Division of Plastic Surgery resident Lauren Curwick, M.D., has begun broadening its mission to the state of Alabama. The organization's mission is to create healing spaces for children with cancer, bringing hope and happiness to their lives.

As summer ushers in the next generation in OB/GYN, we will soon bid a heartfelt farewell to our graduating chief residents. These eight exceptional physicians have left a lasting impact through their dedication to patient care, commitment to research, and contributions to medical education. Please join us in celebrating their accomplishments and wishing them well on their next chapter.

Testosterone plays a crucial role in men’s health, influencing everything from energy levels and mood to muscle mass, bone density, and sexual function. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options is the first step toward reclaiming health and well-being.

Last week, we honored our UAB Pediatric Residency graduating class of 2025! This class has been an absolute joy, and we are thankful and grateful to them. May they continue life-long learning and strive for greatness!

Congratulations to our UAB Pediatric Fellowship Class of 2025. Thank you to all who helped us celebrate the graduates at a reception in their honor on May 28th. Please see below where they will be going after completing fellowship training.

Every year the Department of Pediatric Subspecialty Fellowship Programs give out achievement awards to graduating pediatric fellows in three separate areas: research, quality improvement, and service.

The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed one new faculty member in the month of May. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

Think a sunburn is just temporary redness? Discover how UV radiation penetrates deep into your skin, damaging DNA, accelerating aging, and silently increasing your risk of cancer—even before the burn begins.

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., FRCPC, as director of the Division of Anatomic Pathology, effective June 6, 2025. Adeyi joins the department from the University of Minnesota Medical School where he served as professor since 2019 and as director of surgical pathology. Prior to his appointment at Minnesota, Adeyi joined the University of Toronto in Canada as an assistant professor in 2006 and was promoted to associate professor in 2014.

Anthony P. Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D., recently left UAB after spending 29 years as a faculty member in the Department of Neurology. In that time, Nicholas established himself as a leader in the field of movement disorders on both clinical and research fronts, all while acting as a mentor for young neurologists representing medical students, residents, and junior faculty.

At UAB Heersink School of Medicine, many work quietly behind the scenes to ensure medical students have the tools, support, and structure to succeed. One key figure is Kenneth Hurd—a technician turned educator whose influence shapes everything from high-stakes exams to hands-on electives. His blend of technical expertise and student-centered service makes him a trusted presence during one of the most demanding phases of a future physician’s journey.

On May 9, 2025, members of the Heersink School of Medicine Medical Education Committee (MEC) met for its annual retreat to discuss directions for the undergraduate medical education curriculum. The MEC’s primary responsibility is to plan and oversee the curriculum and the communication of curricular changes to wider faculty, student, and administrative audiences across Heersink’s four campuses and instructional sites. The presentations and organized discussions throughout the day facilitated the beginning of conversation around the future of undergraduate medical education.

The UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center recently announced five winners of the O’Neal Invests grant awards, two generously funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA).

Henry Fisher has watched the transformation of UAB and the Department of Surgery over his three-decade tenure and played a vital role in bringing accessible transplantation services to thousands of lives across Alabama and beyond.

The Department of Pathology is pleased to announce a new faculty member joining our team, effective June 1. Taru S. Dutt, Ph.D., is joining the Division of Laboratory Medicine as an assistant professor. Dutt joins us from Colorado State University where she served as a research scientist I and as co-director of the Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Sequencing Core since 2022.   

Tourette syndrome (TS) often begins in childhood, but for many patients, its challenges and care needs continue into adulthood. From early recognition and behavioral interventions to managing transitions and overcoming adult treatment barriers, TS demands a comprehensive, lifespan approach. At UAB, experts are addressing these needs through a collaborative model that supports patients from childhood through adulthood.

The UAB Department of Surgery welcomes two new faculty members, Margaret Romine, M.D., and Matthew Romine, M.D., who both completed their surgical residencies and fellowships at UAB.

How do you celebrate an extraordinary family? One that has devoted themselves to bringing skilled nursing into thousands of homes across Alabama? One that has given generously in support of hospice and palliative care for decades? For the family of the late Charles D. Beard Jr., the answer is simple. Keep on giving.

Harshad P.A., Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neurobiology. 

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) senior Nic Amison recently spent two semesters serving as the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center’s (UCDC) first communications intern. 

The UAB General Surgery Residency Program honored its chief residents, as well as supporting faculty and residents across the program, at an annual awards day celebration.

A new UAB clinic offering a range of ENT services is backed by decades of experience in one convenient location on Highway 119. UAB ENT at 119, previously known as Alabama Nasal and Sinus Center, officially opened its doors under its new moniker in January 2025. The clinic is led by Michael J. Sillers, M.D., FACS, who recently rejoined the UAB Department of Otolaryngology as a clinical professor specializing in rhinology.

You’re not the only one digesting your lunch—so are your microbes. Every time you eat, an entire ecosystem inside your gut gets to work, breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and boosting your immune system. Probiotics, live microorganisms found in certain bacteria and yeasts, are at the heart of this process. But understanding how they function (and why you should care) can be more complicated than it seems.

Each year the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) selects a member who advocates for cost-effective practice and quality improvement in pediatric endocrinology to present the Paul Kaplowitz, MD, Endowed Lectureship at the annual meeting.

Sarah Novara, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology, has been named a Fellow of the Child Neurology Society (FCNS).

The Cassell Family Bidirectional Training Program—empowered by the generous support of Ralph Cassell, Dr. Gail Cassell, and Dr. Cynthia Cassell—had its first major milestone in advancing global health initiatives and medical training in Peru with the launch of its first collaborative workshop. This program focuses on the bidirectional training of physicians in a global health fellowship through the UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and Partners in Health (PIH), known locally as Socios En Salud, in Lima, Peru.