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Neuroengineering student launches startup after entrepreneurship training from NIHChristian Lopez Blanco, a doctoral student in UAB’s neuroengineering program, pitched his idea to industry leaders at the major BIO convention in San Diego as part of the Bio-Entrepreneurship Capstone program from the National Institutes of Health.How this lawyer and “rising star” does his part to power UAB’s research enterprise“Collaborate” and “Excel” are two of UAB’s four Shared Values: We CARE. Brad Steele, J.D., grants and contracts officer in the Office of Sponsored Programs, is an example of those values in action. Steele was recently selected for the Future of the Field award from the Society of Research Administrators International. Here is why.With an NEH grant, a philosopher expands her investigation of AI and creativityHave AI models made human creativity obsolete? Lindsay Brainard, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to pursue an inquiry into the future of creativity — and present her work at the World Congress of Philosophy in Rome this August.Advancing faculty careers through the UAB Academy of Health Professions EducatorsCarolina Harada, M.D., professor in the Department of Medical Education, received HSF-GEF grants to provide mentorship and recognition for junior faculty clinician educators at all six health professions schools at UAB. Participants have been promoted, published research, taken on leadership roles and won teaching awards.Building immuno-imaging at UAB through specialized technologyAnna Sorace, Ph.D., core director and associate professor in the Department of Radiology, has leveraged HSF-GEF grants to help grow UAB’s nuclear imaging program.Turning a pilot project into the standard of careDaniel Chu, M.D., division director of GI Surgery, leveraged an HSF-GEF grant to help Enhanced Recovery Programs reach widespread use at UAB and establish himself as a leader in the field.Making the leap from one hospital to another through UAB’s STEP Program
Carlie Stein Somerville, M.D., an associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, turned an HSF-GEF grant into a nationally recognized program that provides multidisciplinary support to help young adults transition to adult care. Four years later, “we have been able to show the impact that we can make with patients and families,” she said.
As people with Down syndrome live to late middle age and beyond, new symptoms are appearing. This new clinic is built to help.A partnership between pediatrician Snehal Khatri, M.D., and program director Betsy Hopson will focus on care for patients across the lifespan, including addressing palliative and memory challenges. The unique approach was made possible through an HSF-GEF grant.Building a health system that can learn calls for “team science to the max”Michael Mugavero, M.D., professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, received HSF-GEF funding to launch the UAB Learning Health System project, where the people setting the research questions are not individual investigators with their own niche interests, “but the people in the trenches.”Using geographic information systems in patient-oriented researchGabriela Oates, Ph.D., director of UAB’s institutional Social Determinants of Health Core, is leading a project funded by an HSF-GEF grant to improve care by combining patient records with their residential information. The goal: “to improve patient care and people’s health.”Faculty go to Washington for leadership roles at NSFEugenia Kharlampieva, Ph.D., of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Molly Wasko, Ph.D., of the Collat School of Business, are serving as program directors at the National Science Foundation through a program that brings practicing scientists into the heart of the country’s scientific decision-making.This professor’s new startup aims to erase immune memories to stop Crohn’s diseaseCharles Elson, M.D., has developed an “antivaccine” that could remove the faulty memory cells that drive this autoimmune disorder. He launched ImmPrev Bio, Inc., in order to reach a first-in-human clinical trial.Dragonflies in the dark: An award-winning mentor shares her steps to successWhat’s the secret to mentoring undergraduates in STEM? Biology Associate Professor Sami Raut, Ph.D., who has mentored nearly 40 students and recently earned a national award from the Council on Undergraduate Research, offers six tips.Chatham named director of UAB Center for Teaching and LearningAmy Chatham, Ph.D., who currently serves as assistant dean for undergraduate education in the School of Public Health, will begin her new role Aug. 18.Report on federal opioid programs highlights challenges with grant design, structural/policy barriers and COVIDKaren Cropsey, Psy.D., director of UAB’s Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention, served on an expert panel studying the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act.
New grad says “nothing more gratifying” than hunting cyberthreatsCuriosity led Jenna Taer to the Computer Forensics Research Lab — and on to a master’s degree in cybersecurity. Then a major industry scholarship let her network with CEOs in a field she loves.
From punches to pitches, Pham looks for maximum impactA childhood illness, a year spent working for the UFC and an on-campus internship are all fueling a grad student’s goal of breaking down health care barriers through biotechnology.
4 appointed to endowed positionsThe University of Alabama System Board of Trustees voted to appoint one chair and three professors to endowed positions during its Feb. 3 meeting. Those honored are Jeffery Walker, Lewis Shi, Farah Lubin and Brant Wagener.
Researcher turns startup founder to pursue promising oral diabetes drugAnath Shalev, M.D., did everything she could to change treatment for Type 1 diabetes from her lab, but getting to first-in-human trials meant taking a step she had always resisted. The most surprising thing about launching a startup, though? “I have enjoyed it.”
This radiologist is helping doctors see through the hype to an AI futureThe AI Literacy Course that fellow Jordan Perchik, M.D., began in 2020 for UAB trainees now reaches 25 programs in 10 countries — at a time when radiology faces global shortages and a proliferation of artificial intelligence tools.
Kirklin’s ‘new chapter’: a health-tech startup powered by his research breakthroughsFive years after he retired from the OR, cardiothoracic surgeon James K. Kirklin, M.D., is starting a new company that will leverage his team’s research on advanced statistics and machine-learning algorithms to track and predict outcomes for high-risk patients.10 appointed to endowed positionsThe University of Alabama System Board of Trustees also voted to accept endowments for four chairs, a professorship and a lecture.
Diagnosis leads professor to global marathon challengeSeven questions for Michael Sloane, Ph.D., on his seven-year quest to race on every continent.
Neuroscience alumna is UAB’s first-ever Knight-Hennessy ScholarAlumna Shreya Malhotra was named among the fifth cohort of Stanford University’s Knight-Hennessy Scholars, the largest fully endowed graduate fellowship in the world; Malhotra graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s in neuroscience and a master's in public health as part of the Science and Technology Honors Program.
Neuroengineering Ph.D. program graduates first studentInspired by a family diagnosis and a viral video, Adeel Memon, M.D., Ph.D., is exploring the possibilities of brain-computer interfaces to treat Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions.How seaweeds can help predict life on a warming planetWith a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation and innovative genetic techniques, UAB algal expert Stacy Krueger-Hadfield, Ph.D., is uncovering clues to the success of a coastal ecosystem engineer.Searching for the holy grail of room-temperature superconductors with seriously big data and supercomputingWith a prestigious NSF CAREER grant, physicist Cheng-Chien Chen, Ph.D., is working on a problem that could lead to a new generation of electronics — and giving UAB students a front-row seat to the action.Chen recognized by Association for Computing Machinery for ‘outstanding scientific contributions to computing’Jake Chen, Ph.D., associate director of the Informatics Institute, is the first ACM member in Alabama to be honored as a Distinguished Member in this category.
Overlooked enzyme intermediates, students are focus of new NSF CAREER awardGayan Wijeratne, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, is studying versatile molecules with heme iron centers that could be useful in new cancer therapies and greener, cheaper fuel cells. He also will use this grant to attract more high school students to higher education in science.
NSF CAREER grant powers quantum magnet researchAssistant Professor Wenli Bi, Ph.D., in the Department of Physics will expand studies in a field that could lead to new green technologies — and more opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in cutting-edge physics.
These employees went from pandemic to ‘Pomp and Circumstance’Meet four more hardworking staff who completed their degrees this month.
Docu-series tells stories from Alabama’s past to forge a better futureThe first installment, “Bending the Arc: The Vote,” which tells the stories of Black people and white allies who fought for racial justice during the 1960s, is the collaborative effort of retired and current UAB employees and community partners.
For these employees seeking degrees, 2020 brings stress — and successWhat was it like to complete a degree while working full-time during a pandemic? Three employees share their stories ahead of this weekend’s commencement ceremonies.
Children’s book explores the roles of moms working in health care“Is Mommy a Doctor or a Superhero?,” written by emergency medicine physician Amy Faith Ho, M.D., uses colorful illustrations and whimsical characters to show that doctor moms are heroes and children can find superheroes within themselves.
Problem to product: New way to navigate twisted blood vesselsWith his idea for a coil that travels through the vasculature much like a sailboat riding the breeze, a UAB neuroradiologist has earned a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Creating a smart software assistant for researchers and research participantsA faculty member in the School of Health Professions turns his own experiences running research projects into a vision for a comprehensive, automated digital solution with the help of funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Problem to product: Targeting SARS-CoV-2 entry into cellsA novel detergent-like compound developed by UAB researchers that blocks HIV and HSV viruses from entering cells could have the same effect against the virus that causes COVID-19. The team is exploring the compound’s potential with a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
'Institutional treasure' Cartner propelled UAB research forward behind the scenesColleagues explain say retiring Animal Resources Program Director Samuel Cartner, DVM, Ph.D., has helped shape the institution’s research.
Problem to product: Protecting surgeons and their scopesScopeAssist, invented by a physician and an engineer, is designed to help surgeons deal with the rigors associated with endoscopic surgeries.
Problem to product: Building ZorroFlow to help babies thriveDoctors don’t have anything to reliably collect urine from neonates. A solution to this problem earned a commercialization grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.