As the current cycle of the NAF Heersink Family Charitable Foundation Scholarships wraps up, we’re proud to spotlight the journeys of this year’s two fellows: Cristian Ghergu from Maastricht University and Marcelo Malisano Barreto Filho from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Their experiences reflect the power of international collaboration to advance global health research while fostering personal and professional growth.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Christy Foster, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, has been elected to membership in the Society for Pediatric Research. 

Two ambulatory clinics in the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology have achieved outstanding results in patient experience. The Office of Patient Experience and Engagement recently reported performance levels from July through September across all UAB ambulatory settings, showing that both Hazelrig-Salter Radiation Oncology Center and the Action Road Radiation Oncology Clinic achieved Level 5 ratings.

The Department of Pathology is thrilled to announce the winners of its inaugural 2025 Chair’s Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate faculty members in the Department of Pathology who exude clinical, research and educational excellence. This year’s winners are Hua Guo, M.D., M.S., Chair’s Award for Clinical Excellence, Ming He, M.D., Ph.D., Chair’s Award for Research Excellence, and Valeria Dal Zotto, M.D., Chair’s Award for Educational Excellence. Winners are chosen by Cristina Magi-Galluzzi, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Ruth Anderson Endowed Chair.

A recent study published in Redox Biology by researchers from the UAB Department of Pathology revealed that too much of a good thing, specifically excessive antioxidants, can lead to heart damage. Traditionally, antioxidants and reducing agents have been found to protect cells. The new study “Reductive stress induces unresolved ER stress and proteotoxic cardiomyopathy” authored by Sini Sunny, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, and Rajasekaran Namakkal-Soorappan, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, challenges this notion with their findings.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight the Read to Lead Initiative, a community engagement program overseen by Hope Pritchett Wilson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology. 

At a Starbucks inside UAB Hospital, J. Crawford Downs, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science at UAB, met with Marshall Holland, M.D., M.S., Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery. Holland led with a vexing question: “Is it possible to wirelessly monitor pressure within the brain in patients before they get to the hospital?”

Each year on November 8, colleges and universities across the country recognize National First-Generation College Student Day, a celebration of students who are the first in their families to pursue and complete a college degree. At the Heersink School of Medicine, the Office of Access & Engagement will join in the celebration with its own inaugural event honoring medical students who are the first in their families to earn a college degree and pursue a career in medicine. The evening will bring together students, faculty, and staff for dinner, conversation, and interactive activities that highlight the determination, resilience, and sense of community that define the first-generation experience.

Medical student Hari Pradhyumnan was recognized at the 2025 UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Medical Student Research Day (MSRD), where he was awarded first place in the Surgery category for his outstanding research presentation.

A research team within the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine led by Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., has been awarded a grant to create the Telehealth Outreach and Policy for Rural and Underserved Populations (TOP-UP) Rapid Response Center. The center will conduct rapid, policy-relevant data analysis and research studies to assess how different telehealth modalities impact health outcomes, making it the country’s first HRSA-funded center specializing in this work. 

David Reisner, M.D., joined the UAB Department of Radiology faculty September 2025 as a clinical associate professor. He completed his undergraduate studies in economics at the University of Pennsylvania before earning a medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College (then known as Jefferson Medical College) of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is excited to welcome new faculty members Daniel McBride, M.D. and Sabrina Thelen, PsyD.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is excited to announce the creation of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Medicine Fellowship, which will begin accepting applications in April 2026. Cassandra Buchanan Renfro, D.O. will serve as the program director and Radhika Sharma, M.D. will serve as assistant program director.

In recent years, radiation oncology has seen remarkable progress in making cancer treatment more precise, efficient, and patient-centered. One of the most meaningful advances for breast cancer patients is the move toward shorter-course radiation therapy, reducing the number of treatments without compromising outcomes.

Lisa Willett, M.D., MACM, executive vice chair for the UAB Department of Medicine, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. This award honors educators who have made significant contributions to medical education. Willett will receive the honor at 2025 AAMC Awards Recognition Event on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Darryl Walker is the first peer navigator for UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center’s new Post-Rehab Transitions Program. A former patient himself, Walker helps extend outpatient rehab care to those who’ve been discharged following a traumatic spinal cord injury.

The 42nd Annual J. Garber Galbraith, M.D., Scientific Session and Lecture was held Oct. 3 in the Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center.

On Sept. 12, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Pediatric Hospital Medicine hosted the second annual PHM Incubator in the Bradley Lecture Center at Children’s of Alabama.

Gracie McGuire, MPH, PA-C, advanced practice provider in the UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, was honored with the 2025 APP Champion Award for her dedication to patients and students.

The UAB Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB) has launched a new article series titled Meet the Minds of CDIB. The series spotlights the diverse faculty who power the department’s groundbreaking research. Through candid interviews, it gives readers a closer look at the career paths, passions, and real-world impacts of UAB researchers shaping the future of medicine.

In March 2025, Heersink School of Medicine held its annual Match Day ceremony, recognizing 183 medical students discovering where they would complete their medical residency training. These students have begun their residency journey around the state of Alabama and throughout the United States, taking the next step in their journeys of becoming the next generation of physicians. For Todd Peterson, M.D., assistant dean for students, Match Day is a culmination of four years of dedicated training and mentorship, preparing Heersink students for the transition to residency.

The Department of Microbiology hosted the 2025 Susan Roberts Dubay Endowed Lecture on Oct. 14, welcoming Lora Hooper, Ph.D., as this year’s keynote speaker presenting, “How the microbiome harnesses vitamin A to shape gut immunity.”

Ian McKeag, M.D., M.S., associate professor and head team physician for the USA Lacrosse Women’s Sixes team, recently played a pivotal role in helping the team secure a historic gold medal at the World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China.

Emily "Emme" Stewart, senior communications manager of the UAB Department of Surgery, has been elected to the board of directors Association of Academic Surgical Administrators (AASA), serving as chair of the communications committee.

Charles Peyton, M.D. associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, has been selected as a recipient of the highly competitive 2025 NCI Early Career Cancer Clinical Investigator Award (ECIA). The ECIA is a funding mechanism provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support early-career clinician-investigators who aim to pursue a career in cancer clinical research. Candidates must be nominated by their institution, typically an NCI-designated cancer center.

UAB Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Administrative Director Stephanie Walters has been a steady, trusted presence in the department for over twenty years. Her dedication has lead to UAB Medicine Dean’s Excellence Award recognition.

Joanne Murphy-Ullrich, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, recently received a patent coin to honor her hard work and dedication as a UAB inventor. The patent coin recognition program is led by the UAB Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Beginning this past spring, UAB researchers who are named on a full patent will receive a ceremonial coin stamped with their name and patent number.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to highlight Tanner Teat, program coordinator II for the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

High-pressure professions not only demand technical skill, composure, and moral clarity, but they also test one’s values and resilience. For Chief Annetta Nunn, Birmingham’s first African American woman Chief of Police, those same pressures became the foundation for a leadership philosophy rooted in courage, self-awareness, and service.

At 4:30 a.m., while much of Birmingham is still asleep, Taylor St. Martin, M.D., is already moving through the quiet rhythm of her morning. With bottles prepared for her daughter and her scrubs on, she heads out the door before sunrise. By 5:30, she is at UAB Hospital, ready to begin another day in anesthesiology residency — a role that demands focus and precision.