Department of Pediatrics
UAB Medicine's Leadership Development Office celebrated the graduation of 18 healthcare leaders from its 12th cohort of the Institute for Leadership during a ceremony held June 24 at the Heersink Conference Center Lobby.
June is recognized as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, and this year, the city of Birmingham helped shine a light on a condition that affects millions but is often misunderstood.
Adolfo Molina, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been selected to serve on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative Quality Network (PACCQN) Steering Committee.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Founders’ Fund recipients.
Maria Rueda-Altez, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been appointed to the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Microbiology and Immunology Test Material Development Committee.
For the past year, Emma Nichols, R.N., has served patients and families in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics Primary Care Clinic. As a registered nurse with seven years of nursing experience, Nichols provides compassionate care to children while helping families feel informed and supported throughout their visits.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics has named Steven Marchman director of financial research.
The Department of Pediatrics congratulates Anna Paige Crumbley, M.D., and Jacob Wurst, M.D., on being named the 2025-2026 Joe LaRussa Interns of the Year.
The Department of Pediatrics congratulates Madelaine Southall, M.D., Stefan Raicevic, M.D., Chris Turley, M.D., Carson Huynh, M.D., and David Wolff, M.D., on receiving the 2026 Outstanding Resident Quality Improvement Project Award.
Ambika Ashraf, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, has been appointed to the American Heart Association’s Young Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Committee.
For more than 23 years, Karen Brooks has played an important role behind the scenes in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As administrative supervisor in Pediatrics Administration-Human Resources, Brooks helps support faculty and staff through a variety of human resources responsibilities that keep the department running smoothly.
The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) is proud to honor the latest graduates of the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) — 24 accomplished professionals who represent the breadth and strength of our institution.
Please join us in celebrating the retirement of Walter H. Johnson, Jr., M.D., professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, after a distinguished career of extraordinary service, leadership, and dedication to children with congenital heart disease. Johnson will be retiring at the end of June 2026.
Congratulations to Daniel Cooper PGY-3 Med-Peds resident and David Wolff PGY-2 pediatric resident for receiving the 2026 Walt “The Rock” Johnson Award.
Congratulations to Chris Turley, pediatric resident PGY-3, on being selected as the recipient of the 2026 Carolyn Ashworth, M.D. Pediatric Primary Care Award.
Heather Watts, M.A., communications manager in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics, has received the 2025 Senior Communicator of the Year Award from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Excellence in Communications Awards.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is pleased to welcome Rich Lee, MHA, as its new executive administrator.
Emily Gantz, D.O., associate professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Pediatric Neurology, has been named associate program director for the UAB Child Neurology Residency Program.
UAB Department of Pediatrics Professor Ambika Ashraf, M.D., has co-edited a comprehensive textbook highlighting the latest research findings and clinical guidance for managing diabetes in children and adolescents.
Buse Baykoca-Arslan, M.D., first-year fellow in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, has received the 2025-2026 Spring Pediatric Research Roundtable and Fellow Core Conference Attendance Award.
For more than a decade, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics has been helping residents do more than learn medicine, it has been teaching them how to improve it.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., MPH, professor in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, has begun her term as the 138th president of the American Pediatric Society (APS), one of the most prestigious academic pediatric organization in North America.
For the past several years, Audrey Minter has been a welcoming presence for patients and families visiting the Sparks Center for Development and Learning Disorders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As a Patient Services Coordinator I, Minter helps ensure clinic operations run smoothly while creating a positive experience for those receiving care.
Theresa Wright, administrative supervisor in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and Leen Matalka, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, have graduated from the Elevate Leadership Academy, an eight-month leadership development program designed to strengthen leadership skills and prepare participants for expanded leadership responsibilities.
As temperatures rise and families head to pools, lakes and beaches, pediatric experts are reminding parents that water safety starts long before children step into the water. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, making prevention one of the most important steps families can take during warmer months.
With great pride and excitement, we announce the appointment of John Bridges, M.D., M.S., assistant professor, in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology as assistant program director for the Combined Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, effective Oct. 1, 2026.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, distinguished professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been named the 2026 recipient of the American Cancer Society Trish Greene Quality of Life Award.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama are pleased to announce a leadership change within the Pediatric Simulation Center effective May 1, 2026.Nick Rockwell, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, has been named the medical director of the Pediatric Simulation Center. Previous medical director, Nancy Tofil, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, has stepped down to the senior associate director of the Pediatric Simulation Center. “I am excited about this opportunity and look forward to building on the legacy and success that Nancy Tofil has established at our center,” said Rockwell. “My goal is to expand the reach of simulation by bringing it to new disciplines and areas of the hospital that have not traditionally engaged in simulation-based education.”
The Dixon Foundation supports the Dixon Pediatric Fellowship training program for fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with a research emphasis (ranging from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research) in approved pediatric subspecialties.
The Chu Family has generously donated funds to Children's of Alabama and the Department of Pediatrics to support educational initiatives. A portion of this donation has been set aside for the pediatric fellows to fund scholarships for fellows who apply. Candidates were selected on a competitive basis. These awards will provide funds for tuition, books and fees related to their educational endeavors.
We are pleased to announce that Mark Reynolds Jones has joined the Department of Pediatrics leadership team as director of Pediatrics Business Services.
The UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Dean's Excellence Awards for Faculty, recognizing exceptional faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, service, access and engagement, and mentorship.
The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to honor our 2025-2026 Department of Pediatrics Faculty Achievement Awards. They have attained a level of excellence recognized by their peers due to their exceptional contributions for the development of the department and in turn, the achievers of tomorrow - our children.Please join us in congratulating the winners in each category.
Ortal Resnick, M.D., a third-year fellow in the UAB Department of Pediatrics Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, has been selected as a 2026 RAPID Scholar.
A stroke is often thought of as a condition of adulthood, yet it remains a significant and underrecognized cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Despite being cited among the leading causes of death in children, pediatric stroke is frequently missed or diagnosed late, in part due to its relative rarity, diverse clinical presentations and the unique risk factors that distinguish it from adult stroke. As a result, many children with stroke present outside the narrow window during which acute interventions may be considered, limiting opportunities for therapies that can meaningfully alter neurologic outcomes. In pediatric stroke, as in adult stroke, the principle remains the same: Time is brain.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce leadership changes within the Division of Pediatric Critical Care effective May 1, 2026.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics announces with great pleasure the appointment of Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, as associate division director, effective May 1, 2026.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Randy Q. Cron, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Section on Rheumatology (SORh) within the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Ariel Salas, M.D., MSPH, associate professor in the Division of Neonatology, along with his research team, has secured a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute R34 award totaling $654,330 over three years.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Hope P. Wilson, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and founding director of the Pediatric Thrombosis Program, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health K23 Career Development Award totaling approximately $944,000 over five years.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that David Taylor, M.D., first-year fellow in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been selected as the inaugural Children’s of Alabama Global Health Fellow Scholar, beginning in July 2026.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics announces with great pleasure the appointment of Kathryn Lalor, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology, as division director, effective May 4, 2026.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize Melinda D. Chance, M.D., third-year pediatric fellow in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, for being selected as a recipient of the American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award at the ASH Annual Meeting in December 2025.
Shea Duerring, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been appointed by the Secretary of Transportation to serve on the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).
For more than a decade, Geeta Chhabra has supported research efforts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As a Research Grants Manager, Chhabra works closely with faculty and staff to ensure grant submissions are accurate, timely and compliant.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics welcomes a new faculty member in the month of April. Please join us in making them feel at home!
William Harris, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine.
When Babajide Ojo, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, was completing his doctoral degree at Oklahoma State University, one of his peers had a child with Crohn’s disease. Ojo was so struck by the burden of the condition and its treatment on the child and his classmate, who eventually had to drop out of the program, that he decided his research must focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
What began as a way to bring pediatric residents together outside the hospital has grown into one of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics’ longest-running traditions. Now celebrating its 20th year, the Spring Scramble 5K continues to bring together residents, faculty and community members in support of children and families across Birmingham and beyond.
In 2025, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, expanded care, training and research for children with developmental and behavioral challenges.