Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., has been promoted from associate dean for Global and Women’s Health to senior associate dean for Global and Women’s Health in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Tita is also the director of the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and holds the Mary Heersink Endowed Chair of Global Health.
“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Dean Agarwal and engage with our highly collaborative UAB community to make an impact on global health across our mission areas,” said Tita. "I am particularly grateful for the support of my colleagues in the Department of OBGYN and the teams at the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and the Center for Women’s Reproductive Health."
Tita received his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1 in Cameroon, a Master of Public Health in International Health from the University of Leeds in England, and his Ph.D. in Public Health (Epidemiology) from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in Houston. He went on to complete his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and his Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship at UAB.
Tita has led and continues to lead collaborative clinical trials and observational studies that influence practice and global policy. He was principal investigator for the clinical coordinating center of the UAB-led Chronic Hypertension and Pregnancy (CHAP) trial at over 60 sites, which received a Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award from Clinical Research Forum in 2023 and won the top prize, the Herbert Pardes Clinical Research Excellence Award. CHAP was also named the David Sackett Trial of the Year by the Society of Clinical Trials for 2023.
Tita served on the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Advisory Council and has participated on multiple World Health Organization guideline development groups. He also served on the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which is responsible for board certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Among his many honors, Tita’s clinical and research accomplishments led to his election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2022.
In this new role, Tita will provide oversight of all global health programs and facilitate initiatives within the Heersink School of Medicine including partnerships with other schools to advance global and women’s health activities. He will also strengthen existing partnerships and nurture new ones, aiming for enduring, reciprocal engagement with international partners, among other responsibilities.
“Dr. Tita’s vast expertise and talent for forging strong and mutually productive connections with partners locally and globally make him uniquely suited for this role,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. “I congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment.”