Ravi Bhatia, M.D.An endowed chair was filled and an inaugural holder was named for an endowed professorship in the School of Medicine during the June 19 meeting of the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.Professor Ravi Bhatia, M.D., was selected as the next holder of the Martha Ann and David L. May Endowed Chair in Cancer Research in the School of Medicine. Dr. Bhatia, a native of New Delhi, India, joined UAB in January of this year as director of the UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology and deputy director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is expected to be the driving force responsible for delivering precision medical care to cancer patients and fostering breakthrough discoveries that could change the way cancer is treated.
Bhatia is principal investigator on multiple research grants consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute and other organizations. His research interests include investigation of the regulation of normal and malignant stem cell growth in hematologic malignancies and the development of effective approaches to eliminate malignant stem cells to enhance outcomes for these cancers.
Edward W. Hook III, M.D.Professor Edward W. Hook III, M.D., director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, was chosen to be the inaugural holder of the Cobbs Endowed Professorship in Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine.Hook was recruited to UAB in 1992 as professor with joint appointments in the departments of Microbiology and Epidemiology and as medical director for the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Program in the Jefferson County Department of Health. A clinical educator and investigator, Hook has helped shape the division through recruiting and mentoring fellows and faculty, contributing to the educational mission and helping to establish a vibrant research program in sexually transmitted diseases.