June 21, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees appointed University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Nutrition Sciences faculty member Wendy Demark-Wahnenfried, Ph.D., R.D., the inaugural holder of the Webb Chair in Nutrition Sciences during its June 18 meeting.

The Webb Chair in Nutrition Sciences was established in 2001 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Webb Jr. and their daughter Elizabeth R. Webb Collier in the UAB School of Health Professions Department of Nutrition Sciences.

Demark-Wahnenfried joined the UAB faculty in March; she previously was a professor of behavioral science for M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She obtained her doctorate in nutritional science from Syracuse University. She has consulted on review panels for American Dietetic Association, National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society and is a Susan G. Komen Professor of Cancer Survivorship. She also holds membership and leadership positions with multiple professional and scholarly organizations including the American Society for Preventative Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society for Nutrition.

About the UAB School of Health Professions
The UAB School of Health Professions is one of the nation's largest schools of health professions, with more than 1,500 students enrolled in 21 academic programs. Several graduate programs are nationally ranked, and the school is ranked No. 1 among all allied health schools for National Institutes of Health funding. The school offers degree programs in clinical and diagnostic sciences, health services administration, nutrition sciences, occupational therapy and physical therapy.