The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery welcomes Luz A. Padilla, M.D., M.S.P.H., as a secondary faculty. Currently an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Padilla will bring her expertise to the Department of Surgery while working closely with Professor of Surgery and Section Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Robert Dabal, M.D.

Dr. Luz A. Padilla

“I was drawn to the Department of Surgery because of the opportunity to be a part of their world-class congenital cardiac surgery program,” Padilla said.

Padilla studied kidney disease and diabetes before obtaining her M.P.S.H. in applied epidemiology from UAB. As a faculty member in the Department of Epidemiology, she is the course master for both undergraduate and graduate level courses and serves as a medical and data analyst consultant for the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study.

“I’m just passionate about reducing health disparities in congenital heart surgical outcomes," Padilla said.

As part of the Minority Health International Research Training, Padilla helped train students in research, conducting infectious and chronic disease studies, as well as nutritional and maternal and child health studies, internationally in countries such as Swaziland, Zambia, Ghana, Jamaica, Guatemala, Peru and Mexico.