The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., has been named Executive Vice Chair for Research.
Ambalavanan is a professor of pediatrics and the Virginia Walker Jones Chair in Neonatology. He also serves as co-director of the Division of Neonatology, director of the Division of Neonatal Research and director of the Translational Research in Normal and Disordered Development (TReNDD) Program.
In his new role, Ambalavanan will help advance the department’s research enterprise by strengthening infrastructure, supporting investigators and fostering collaboration across disciplines.
“Being named Executive Vice Chair for Research is both a tremendous honor and an extraordinary opportunity,” said Ambalavanan. “This role allows me to extend efforts beyond a single division and work toward advancing the entire Department of Pediatrics research enterprise.”
Throughout his career at UAB, Ambalavanan has helped build research programs, mentor investigators and develop interdisciplinary collaborations. His research interests include neonatal lung injury, lung development and pulmonary hypertension, as well as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal nutrition, feeding practices and neonatal outcomes.
Ambalavanan said he is especially looking forward to bringing investigators from different disciplines together and creating new opportunities for discovery.
“Some of the most impactful advances in medicine occur at the intersection of diverse fields,” he said. “UAB has exceptional strengths across basic science, translational research, clinical investigation, engineering, informatics and population health.”
Among his priorities are strengthening existing research resources, expanding opportunities for collaboration and investing in faculty, trainees and research teams. He also hopes to enhance research space, equipment, clinical informatics capabilities and biorepository infrastructure while increasing the use of emerging technologies such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence.
Over the longer term, Ambalavanan hopes to expand big-data and precision medicine initiatives, strengthen core research facilities, support the development of multicenter research networks and create longitudinal pediatric cohorts that can help researchers better understand how prenatal, perinatal and childhood experiences influence lifelong health.
Supporting faculty and developing the next generation of pediatric researchers will also be a key part of his leadership. Ambalavanan has served as director of the Neonatology Fellowship Training Program and director of Neonatal Research since 2009. He has also received several honors for his work in research and mentorship, including the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2020 and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring in 2024.
“I see my primary role as one of creating opportunities for our Department faculty to succeed in research,” Ambalavanan explained. “I want every member of our research community to feel that they have the support, infrastructure and collaborative environment needed to pursue bold and innovative ideas that can make a meaningful difference in child health.”
Ambalavanan has authored and contributed to more than 500 PubMed-indexed publications and has led and collaborated on numerous federally funded research projects throughout his career. His current research includes studies focused on neonatal opioid exposure, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other conditions affecting newborns and premature infants.
“My goal is to help position UAB and Children’s of Alabama as a globally recognized leader in pediatric research,” said Ambalavanan.
In his new role, Ambalavanan will continue working across the Department of Pediatrics to strengthen research programs, expand collaboration and support investigators at every stage of their careers. His leadership will help guide the department’s continued growth in pediatric research and discovery.