On July 1, 2021, the Department welcomes a new faculty member to the Division of Neuropathology, directed by C. Ryan Miller, M.D., Ph.D.
Alex Feldman, M.D., joins the UAB Department of Pathology as Assistant Professor, Neuropathology. This is his first faculty position.
Dr. Feldman completed his medical school education at the UAB School of Medicine in 2012. He then completed one year as a general surgery intern at the University of Illinois at Chicago before moving back to UAB for an anatomic/clinical pathology residency in the Department of Pathology. Feldman served as AP Chief Resident in his final year at UAB before completing a Pediatric Fellowship at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He returned to Chicago to complete a Neuropathology Fellowship at Northwestern University in June 2021.
Feldman won multiple awards throughout his time as a trainee, including twice winning the Outstanding Trainee Teaching Award for Multidisciplinary and Medical Student Education at UAB. He is a member of several professional societies including the Society of Pediatric Pathology and American Association of Neuropathologists.
While having only recently completed his fellowship training, Feldman has extensive experience delivering seminars, presenting posters, and publishing papers. He has taught for multiple modules at both UAB and Northwestern University. Additionally, he is currently participating in the American Association of Neuropathologists' Neurodegenerative Disease Scholars Program.
Outside of work, Feldman is an accomplished oboist and choral member, having sung at tenor in the Men's Choirs of Birmingham, Columbus, and Chicago.
In addition, we welcome David Figge, M.D., Ph.D., as an Instructor/Fellow in the Division of Laboratory Medicine.
Dr. Figge recently completed his residency training here at UAB Pathology and we look forward to his continuation with the Department. He has served as a postdoctoral fellow under supervisor Casey Weaver, M.D., Professor, Anatomic Pathology since 2019. In 2018, he won the UAB William Boyd Medal for Most Outstanding Medical Student in Pathology. Figge graduated from the UAB School of Medicine and went on to earn his Ph.D. from UAB before completing his clinical residency.
During his medical training, Dr. Figge began to appreciate how the multiple organ systems are deeply interconnected using unique combinations of common biochemical mechanisms to lead to specialized cellular functions. This led to his interest in understanding the functional effects non-coding genetic regions have on transcriptional and cellular behavior. His graduate thesis focused on understanding the epigenetic modulation of long-term cellular memory in the central nervous system and its subsequent dysregulation in Parkinson's Disease. During his clinical training, he became fascinated with the pivotal role the immune system plays in the development of several aging-related disorders, and the correlation between chronic inflammation and neurogenerative disease. His current research interest focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the transcriptional dysfunction observed in immunosenescence and the pivotal role it plays in the development of neurodegeneration.
"It is my belief that understanding the transcriptional dysfunction underlying these maladaptive immune responses could broaden our understanding of multiple aging related disorders, while generating new insights for potential therapeutics," he says.
Originally from Wisconsin, Figge describes himself as a "transplant to the South" and has been a Birmingham resident for 12 years. He has developed an avid appreciation for the city's food scene and enjoys dining out with his wife, Jessica. In his free time, he can be found playing golf or spending time with this pet dog and cat, Gabby and Gary Greyface.