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Over the past year, Kyle Wood, M.D., MBA, professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has performed more than 300 ureteroscopies for the treatment of kidney stones—placing him among the highest-volume ureteroscopy surgeons in Alabama. The Department of Urology has performed close to 900 cases this year.
Four faculty members in the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology have received promotions, and one has received an award of tenure, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
Warner Huh, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named deputy chief physician executive of UAB Health System and vice president of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation (UAHSF), effective Oct. 1.
Ten faculty members in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine have been promoted, effective Oct. 1, 2026. “We are excited to have a record number of faculty promoted within the Department of Emergency Medicine this year,” said Andrew Edwards, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine. “This showcases the outstanding work by ten individuals who exceeded our departmental standard and the university’s criteria for advancement. I want to commend and congratulate each of these faculty members for their superior effort and dedication. We look forward to their continued leadership, growth, and contributions to the department.”
LaNeitria Head has spent 25 years building expertise in finance at UAB, but colleagues say it is her willingness to continually learn, lead, and support others that makes her truly stand out. Now a financial officer in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Population Science within the UAB Department of Medicine, Head has been recognized as the third quarter 2026 recipient of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence.
The UAB Department of Surgery is pleased to announce the recent promotion of nine faculty members.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Alyssa Goldman, D.O., PGY-2 resident in the Department of Pediatrics, has been recognized with the Rud Polhill Award for Outstanding Resident in Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Congratulations to the 25 faculty promoted effective October 1, 2026!
In recognition of Ultrasound Awareness Month, the communications team spoke with Niki Marsh, OB/GYN imaging manager for UAB’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, about her career, the evolution of the technology, and the future of the field.
Mary Kathryn "M.K." Sewell-Loftin, Ph.D., has been promoted to associate professor in the UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering, effective Oct. 1.
Kennon Ulicny, D.O., assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, has been named associate program director of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship.
Glioblastoma is a deadly brain cancer that is difficult to treat because tumor cells spread into the healthy brain, where they cannot be completely removed by surgery.
Eleven faculty members in the UAB Department of Neurology have been promoted effective Oct. 1, 2026. “These promotions recognize the impressive achievements of our faculty who are working every day to discover new treatments and bring the best neurological care to the people of Alabama,” said David Standeart, M.D., Ph.D., professor and John N. Whitaker Endowed Chair of the Department of Neurology.
UAB’s new Clinical Trialist Development Program (CTDP) has selected 24 Heersink applicants for its 2026-2027 cohort. The program will provide these candidates with training, mentorship, and salary support to lead industry-sponsored clinical trials. It will also supply them with a 20% protected time allowance, allowing them to dedicate more time to research.
The UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center has announced the inaugural awardees of its pilot program, Innovations in Community-Engaged and Population Health Research to Address Chronic Disease.
As the UAB Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery continues to expand access to specialized patient care, Allison Seamon, PA-C, lead Advanced Practice Provider (APP) in the department, has achieved a milestone that reflects both innovation in practice and a commitment to improving patient outcomes.
When David Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., flew to Birmingham from Boston to present a Grand Rounds at UAB in the fall of 2005, he did not know at the time that it would mark the beginning of a 21-year-long career trajectory defined by growth, innovation, and an enduring investment in the people and programs that would shape the future of neurology at UAB.
Patients with diabetes remain at higher risk for heart disease even after their blood sugar, or A1C level, is brought under control. The long-lasting effect, known as metabolic memory, suggests that past elevated A1C may leave lasting changes in heart cells. However, the biological mechanisms responsible for this impact are not fully understood.
Natalie Gassman, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, was named chair-elect for the UAB Faculty Senate, effective September 1. Gassman will hold the title until August 31, 2027, while serving as chair of the Faculty Senate Research Committee. She will become chair of the Senate September 1, 2027, through August 31, 2028.
For Abdulraheem Kaimari, research is an opportunity to help improve the lives of children and families facing cancer. As a fourth-year M.D.-Ph.D. student at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, he is working toward a career that combines patient care and research to develop new therapies that can lead to better outcomes for patients.
Jan Novak, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and the Jiri Mestecky Endowed Professor in the Department of Microbiology, is helping to build a new partnership between UAB and Fujita Health University (FHU) in Japan. The collaboration, formalized Sept. 21 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding, creates a framework for scientific and academic cooperation between the two institutions.
Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, has been named 2027-28 chair of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Rheumatology Subboard.
Damian Schwartz, Program Manager II for the Basic, Translational and Preclinical Research Lab in the UAB Department of Surgery, describes his job in two words: problem solving.
The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Hand Team provides comprehensive, patient-centered care for conditions affecting the hand, wrist, and upper extremity. From common problems such as trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome to complex fractures, nerve conditions, and specialized reconstructive needs, the team brings together surgical, clinical, and rehabilitation expertise to help patients restore function and return to daily life.
Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of research and improvement science within the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine, has been announced as the inaugural Heersink Endowed Professor in Primary Care.
Erik Roberson, M.D., Ph.D., has been named interim chair of the UAB Department of Neurology, effective Oct. 1, 2026. Roberson is a professor and vice chair for basic and translational research in the department and holds the Rebecca Gale–Heersink Endowed Chair for Alzheimer’s Disease. He is also the director of the Frances Gorrie Alzheimer’s Disease Center and the Killion Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics.
The UAB Department of Pathology has been strategically planning its digital pathology effort since well before its initial launch in 2024, but what is digital pathology? And why is this new initiative so important?
A new international trial, coordinated through the UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and the Center for Research in Women’s Health, will test whether a widely available drug can save the lives of mothers with peripartum cardiomyopathy. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded funding over seven years for the GLobal trial Of Bromocriptine for PeriPartum CardioMyopathy (GLOBal PPCM), establishing the largest and most diverse global research network addressing this disease.
With a career distinguished by expertise in neuromuscular and autonomic disorders, the development of innovative clinical programs, and a commitment to advancing patient care and research, Mohamed Kazamel, M.D., credits UAB Neurology with providing the foundation for his professional growth.
Hirotaka Ata, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and the only basic science researcher in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine, has been awarded more than $2 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his research in CRISPR technology for rapid detection of infectious pathogens.