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At the Faculty Black History Month quiz, our colleagues correctly answered Black History questions to receive the following books:

Suresh Boppana, M.D., professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, was elected to the Faculty Council.

Top L to R: Tom Harris, Ariel Salas, Jeffrey Blount, Christy Foster, Byron Lai and Hope WilsonChildren’s of Alabama and the Kaul Pediatric Research Institute (KPRI) are pleased to announce the 2024 awards. The major goal of the KPRI grant program is to allow investigators to obtain data that will advantage applications for additional extramural funding. This will bring new knowledge to the care of children, leverage the investment of the KPRI, and allow projects to be competitive for the very best science on the national stage. A second, but important, goal is to ensure that a dedicated funding source is available to unique segments of the pediatric research, education, and quality improvement enterprise.

Congratulations to Alan Tita, M.D., Ph.D., and Waldemar Carlo, M.D., professor in the Division of Neonatology, who have received an award from The Clinical Research Forum.

R to L: Valerie Davis and Edward Lose. Not pictured: Terry Hope.Congratulations to the three faculty promoted on the Clinical Faculty Track effective January 1, 2024!

Nancy Tofil, M.D., M.Ed., professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, has been selected for the 13th Pediatric Leadership Development Program (PLDP) cohort.

The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomed one new faculty member in the month of December. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

I am delighted to announce that Jeffrey Lebensburger, D.O., MSPH, professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Hugh Morgan Chair in Hematology/Oncology, will become vice chair of Faculty Development, effective Jan., 1, 2024.

Chibuzo Ilonze, M.D., MPH, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, was selected to participate in the 2023 class of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Clinical Research Training Institute (CRTI).

Karen Fowler, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, received the 2023 National CMV Foundation Professional Impact Award at the Congenital Cytomegalovirus Public Health and Policy Conference in Salt Lake City, UT in October.

The Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (PHTS) has awarded the Children’s of Alabama/UAB Pediatric Transplant and Heart team it PHTS Vanguard Award. This award is given to centers who have met criteria signaling a program’s reliability, timeliness, and adequate volume.

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to honor these faculty members. 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.

L to R: Xianzhen Hu, Michael Lopez, Shelby Rorrer, Katherine English, Matthew Alexander, and Muthukumar KaruppasamyThe Alexander Lab received the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Impact Award from the Birmingham chapter for their work on neuromuscular diseases.

Top L to R: Joycelyn Atchison, Hannah Hightower and Jose MestreJoycelyn Atchison, M.D., professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Hannah Hightower, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Neonatology, and Jose Mestre, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, were elected to the Heersink School of Medicine Clinical Faculty Council.

The 4th annual Safety and Quality Day held on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 provided a great opportunity to share experiences, ideas, methodologies, and challenges related to Epic and informatics, the day’s theme, as well as quality and safety efforts more broadly.

Ambika Ashraf, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, and Steven Rowe, M.D., professor in the Division of Pulmonology, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society (APR).

Vivek Shukla, M.D., Samuel Gentle, M.D., and Jegen Kandasamy, M.D., all assistant professors in the Division of Neonatology, have been elected to the Society for Pediatric Research (SPR). 

The UAB Pediatrics Administrative Supervisor & Leader Retreat took place Friday, Oct. 13.

The Department of Pediatrics and seven Pediatrics faculty have been nominated for multiple 2023 Argus Awards. Created in 1996, the Argus Awards give medical students the chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty members are nominated by course evaluations, and students vote to select award winners in each category.

Congratulations to all nominees!

Introduction to Clinical Medicine: Jessica Schmit, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes
Best Educator-Cardiovascular: Robb Romp, M.D., Pediatric Cardiology
Best Educator-Endocrine Systems: Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes
Best Educator-Preparation for Residency: Will Sasser, M.D., Pediatric Critical Care, and Michael Barnett, Palliative Care
Endocrine Systems: Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes
Best Clinical Department on the Birmingham Campus: Pediatrics
Best Clinical Educator, Birmingham Campus: Chang Wu, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and Swetha Pinninti, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Best Clinical Department on the Huntsville Campus: Pediatrics
Best Clinical Department on the Montgomery Campus: Pediatrics
Best Clinical Department on the Tuscaloosa Campus: Pediatrics
Best Clinical Educator, Tuscaloosa Campus: Heather Taylor, M.D.

Click here for full list of nominees

Scott James, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was elected a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).