News

Sergio Acuna Mancilla, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Transplantation, has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Foundation. The award was presented at the AHPBA 2026 Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Florida.

Rajamiyer Venkateswaran, M.D., M.S., professor in the UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and chief of heart, mechanical circulatory support, and lung transplant, received the Lifetime International Fellowship Award from the Indian Association of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgeons (IACTS) at its 72nd annual conference in Mumbai, India.

Frederick “Freddie” Thomas is always smiling, especially when he arrives at work and turns the hallway lights on just as the sun begins to crest over the horizon.

This National Social Work Month, social workers from across UAB have a message for the community: medical social workers are an integral part of the health system.

Department of Surgery research resident Chandler Annesi M.D., won the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Resident Trauma Paper Competition, earning national recognition for her research on pediatric trauma care.

Six members of the UAB Department of Surgery will be honored at the upcoming Annual Service Awards Reception on Monday, March 30, 2026 – representing a cumulative 180 years of experience in the department. 

Robert H. Hollis, M.D., MSPH, the leader of the O'Neal Cancer Center Colorectal Cancer Management Team and an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, discussed key aspects of colorectal cancer as part of an educational video series produced by the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For Lily A. Gutnik, M.D., MPH, associate vice chair of global surgery in the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, healing is a daily part of her work.

John Killian, M.D., Ph.D., a volunteer clinical assistant professor in the UAB Division of Transplantation, is working to understand the science behind organ rejection and how it can potentially be avoided.

Daniel Gomez Carrillo, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, received national recognition from the Association for Academic Surgery for his research on improving patient understanding during the surgical consent process.

Tracey Pu, M.D., a PGY-3 resident in the UAB General Surgery Residency Program, has received a travel award to attend the 2026 Society of Surgical Oncology Advanced Cancer Therapies (SSO ACT) annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.

More than 9,400 people are on the waiting list for a liver transplant in the United States. UAB’s new living-donor liver transplant program aims to help that number decrease.

UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Kristen Wong, M.D., was recently selected as an instructor for the Laparoscopic & Robotic Foregut Surgery Course offered by the Institute for Research into Cancer of the Digestive System (IRCAD).

When a patient undergoes an organ transplant, failure to match the donor and recipient can lead to the recipient's immune system attacking the new organ, a process triggered by a specific HLA (human leukocyte antigen) protein.

Scientists identify an immune switch, NFAT, that is crucial to successful pregnancies, offering new insights on the causes of preeclampsia, implantation problems and inadequate blood supply.

The UAB Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) has released its 2025 Annual Report – celebrating the institute’s accomplishments over the past year and highlighting milestones in patient care, quality recognition, and strategic growth.

Robert T. Russell, M.D., MPH, professor in the UAB Department of Surgery and director of the Trauma Program at Children's of Alabama, has been selected by the American Board of Surgery (ABS) to join a newly-formed case writing group for the General Surgery Certifying Examination.

A UAB expert provides recommendations on how to drink responsibly during spring break.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO) celebrated the graduation of 12 faculty members from the LEading, Advancing, Developing (LEAD) program for spring 2026. The cohort brought together leaders from across clinical and basic science disciplines who are committed to strengthening their leadership impact and advancing academic excellence across the institution.

UAB Department of Surgery faculty members Annabelle Fonseca, M.D., MHS, and Brenessa Lindeman, M.D., MEHP, presented research at the Southern Surgical Association (SSA) Annual Meeting last month, showcasing the department’s leadership in surgical education, workforce development, and health equity-focused outcomes research.

In this month's UAB Department of Surgery Access & Engagement Spotlight, Dr. Sergio Acuna Mancilla shares his experience as an assistant professor in the UAB Division of Transplantation and the pathway that led him to becoming an academic surgeon.

James George, Ph.D., a professor of UAB Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery for over 30 years, has been appointed to the prestigious role of professor emeritus for the UAB Department of Surgery.

UAB Division of Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor Kimberly Kopecky, M.D., MSCI, has been awarded the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) Geoffrey Dunn, M.D., Research Award.

The Executive Healthcare Leadership Academy is a cutting-edge program crafted in partnership with the esteemed Society of Asian Academic Surgeons and the prestigious University of Alabama at Birmingham. This exclusive academy empowers surgeons to delve into their leadership aspirations and proactively shape their professional path.

In February 2026, UAB performed its first NKR-facilitated transplants, opening a new era of expanded donor options beyond the program’s historically internal swap and chain database.

UAB Division of Vascular Surgery integrated resident Joseph Chitwood, M.D., was awarded the Founder's Award at this year’s Southern Association of Vascular Surgery (SAVS) annual meeting for his project entitled “Trainee impact on postoperative outcomes for open and endovascular aortic repair in the vascular quality initiative.”

Mike Chen, M.D., MBA, director of the UAB Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Joseph M. Farley Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery, has been named president-elect of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) for 2026 to 2027. After the year, he will then serve as president from 2027 to 2028.

On Feb. 12, 2026, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Research held its annual Strategic Research Retreat in the Heersink Conference Center. The day brought leaders from across the school and campus together and emphasized collaboration, infrastructure, and the growing impact of interdisciplinary science at UAB.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery hosted the first Loring W. Rue, III, M.D. Endowed Lectureship, welcoming Jeremy Cannon, M.D., from the University of Pennsylvania as the inaugural lecturer. The lectureship honors the legacy of Rue, an instrumental figure in the history of UAB’s trauma program.

The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery has been reaccredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as a comprehensive center for bariatric and metabolic surgery.