By Samil Baker
Eleven faculty were honored for exceptional achievement and contributions by The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees during their meetings in April 2024. Distinguished Professor recognizes achievement in a single field; University Professor is the appropriate designation for individuals whose work is more interdisciplinary in nature.
Marie BakitasMarie Bakitas, DNSc, was named University Professor in the School of Nursing. Bakitas joined UAB in 2012 as the Marie L. O'Koren Endowed Chair. She is a professor in the Department of Acute, Chronic, and Continuing Care and associate dean for Research and Scholarship. Additionally, she holds a dual appointment as a professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care.
Bakitas has led the creation of a Palliative Care subspecialty track within the School of Nursing Master's, DNP, and Ph.D. programs. She has mentored over 70 individuals in research and clinical practice. Her pioneering work in developing and testing the ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) intervention has transformed how patient care is approached for those with serious illnesses. Bakitas' evidence-based program has led to practice and policy changes and has been adopted in healthcare institutions nationwide.
Bakitas is highly regarded as a national and international nursing science leader, garnering over $18 million in funding and serving as a principal investigator co-investigator on more than 33 federal and foundation grants. She has published extensively, with more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and book chapters. Bakitas has received numerous prestigious awards from UAB and local, state, and national organizations, including the American Cancer Society's Pathfinder in Nursing Award and induction as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and in Palliative Care Nursing.
Robert BrunnerRobert Brunner, M.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). Brunner joined UAB in 1998 as an assistant professor and currently serves as a professor and vice chair of the Department of PM&R, medical director of Spain Rehabilitation Center Inpatient Hospital (SRC), director of the PM&R Outpatient Clinic, principal investigator and medical director of UAB Traumatic Brain Injury Model System. He chairs the UAB Health System Credentials Committee and is associate chief of the UAB Medical Staff.
Brunner's research focuses on interventions to improve recovery following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He is nationally recognized as a TBI expert and researcher who successfully led UAB's TBI Model System to the distinction of being only one of 14 TBI model systems nationwide. Brunner provides key leadership for the National Institute of Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. He has served as an officer with the Alabama State Society of PM&R and in various leadership roles with the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Brunner has contributed to 16 manuscripts and twice received the Teacher of the Year Award in UAB's PM&R Department.
Yogesh DwivediYogesh Dwivedi, Ph.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology. Dwivedi joined UAB in 2013 as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology and currently serves as the Elesabeth Ridgely Shook Endowed Professor in Psychiatry and vice chair for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development. He is also the division director of Behavioral Neurobiology, director of the UAB Depression and Suicide Center, director of the Alabama Brain Bank, scientist for the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and senior scientist for both UAB's Comprehensive Neuroscience Center and Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
Dwivedi's research interests focus on the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with mood disorders, stress, and suicidal behavior by integrating basic and clinical neuroscience. He has received numerous National Institute of Mental Health Awards with over $14 million in research grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia & Depression, the Marshal Reynolds Foundation, and the Stanley Foundation. He is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, a fellow of the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a fellow of the International Association of Suicide Research.
Dwivedi has authored and co-authored 165 peer-reviewed publications and 22 book chapters, with over 10,000 citations and an H-index of 55. He has received various UAB, local, and national awards, including the UAB Dean's Excellence Award for Research (Senior Category) and the Distinguished Investigator Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Mirjam-Colette KempfMirjam-Colette Kempf, Ph.D., was named University Professor in the School of Nursing. Kempf joined UAB in 2010 as an associate professor and currently serves as a professor of Nursing Family, Community & Health Systems. She holds secondary appointments with the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and several University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers, including the Center for the Study of Community Health, Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education, and the Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center.
Kempf is highly active within the UAB Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), where she contributes to multiple core facilities to support and promote cutting-edge HIV research and serves as Co-Director of the CFAR Developmental Core. She is the associate director of the proposed Implementation and Community Sciences Core and leads a working group in the CFAR "Ending HIV in Alabama" Scientific Working Group (SWG).
Kempf is a highly productive and successful researcher in HIV and socio-behavioral research. She is the most highly funded investigator in the UAB School of Nursing, garnering more than $50 million in extramural funding as a principal investigator or co-investigator and over $60 million as a co-investigator. Kempf has sustained continuous funding from numerous federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Mental Health. She has more than 150 publications in various high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and over 75 international and over 60 national presentations. Kempf has received numerous awards and recognitions from UAB and local, state, and national organizations, including the Samuel R. Robinson Community Service Award from Five Horizons Health Services.
Verna KeithVerna M. Keith, Ph.D., was named University Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Sociology. Keith joined UAB in 2018 as a professor and currently serves as chair of the Department of Sociology.
Keith is a leading internationally renowned medical sociologist and researcher, examining wide-ranging topics such as race and ethnic studies, mental health among Black women, racial discrimination, and psychological distress. Her work is frequently published in high-impact outlets across various health-related disciplines, including Social Psychology Quarterly, the American Journal of Sociology, and the American Journal of Public Health. She has also published three edited books, over 50 refereed articles, 18 peer-reviewed book chapters and essays, and 14 reports and other publications.
Keith has served as principal investigator, co-investigator, or consultant on 18 externally funded grants. She has received numerous grants from funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on Aging. Keith has been the recipient of various awards for her research
contributions, including recognition from the Association of Sociologists and from the Society and Mental Health Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, and the Author Meets Legacy Award for lifetime achievement in mentoring from the Association of Black Sociologists
Helen KrontirasHelen Krontiras, M.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Surgery. Krontiras joined UAB in 2001 as an assistant professor and currently serves as the Kirby I. Bland, M.D., Endowed Professor in Surgery. She is also the director of the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, director of Clinical Affairs for the O'Neal Cancer Service Line, co-director of the Lynne Cohen Preventive Care Program for Women's Cancers at UAB, and the co-director of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment Clinic.
Krontiras' research interests are focused on the prevention and risk assessment of breast cancer, disparities in cancer care, and outcomes of breast cancer treatment. She has an established record of continuous extramural support for her research, receiving competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Varian Medical Systems, Inc., the NRG Oncology Foundation, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Her research has been published in 68 peer-reviewed manuscripts and abstracts in prestigious scientific journals, along with 48 pending abstracts. She has presented at 67 national and international lectures and has contributed to 12 book chapters for breast and surgical oncology textbooks.
Krontiras has received many awards and honors from local and state organizations, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College Distinguished Alumni Award, the Castle Connolly's Exceptional Women in Medicine Award, and the Dr. Sally Abston Association of Women Surgeons Distinguished Member Award; in addition to being listed as one of the "Best Doctors and Women Who Shape the State of Alabama" and on Castel Connolly's "Top Doctors" List.
Cora Elizabeth LewisCora Elizabeth Lewis, M.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology. Lewis joined UAB in 1991 as an assistant professor in the Division of General and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine and currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology.
Lewis is an internationally recognized scientific leader in epidemiology and prevention research. She has acquired numerous extramural grants totaling over $100 million as an epidemiologist and preventive medicine physician with special interests in cardiovascular diseases and women's health, focused on obesity and osteoporosis. She has served as contact principal investigator on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study for the Birmingham Field Center, principal investigator on the NIH Southern All of Us Network, principal investigator on the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), and as subcontract principal investigator on the NIH/NIA Novel Insights into Osteoarthritis, Pain, and Function: MOST 4 studies.
Lewis has received the Research Excellence Awards in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine six times, the Max Cooper Award for Excellence in Research, the Distinguished Faculty Investigator Award, and the Alumnus Award for Scientific Excellence in the UAB School of Public Health. Nationally, she has been a recipient on two occasions of the Highly Cited Researchers award by Web of Science, an International CINDY Award for video production, and was named the Annals of Internal Medicine Top Quality Reviewer twice.
David M. MorrisDavid M. Morris, Ph.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the School of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy. Morris joined UAB in 1983 as a staff physical therapist and is currently a professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy.
Morris is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association and serves as chair of the Council of Worthingham Fellows. He is also a Credentialed Fellow Graduate of the Educational Leadership Institute Fellowship. Morris is an internationally recognized expert in Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, teaching continuing education workshops on this method in 15 countries. He served as Co-Director of Training for the Extremity Constraint Induced Therapy Evaluation (EXCITE) Trial, the first multi-site stroke rehabilitation trial.
Morris has served leadership roles in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as president of the APTA Aquatics Section, first vice president, then president of APTA Alabama, Centennial Scholar Mentor, and co-chair of the APTA Alabama Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet Neurology, Stroke, Physical Therapy Journal, and many more. Morris has earned many accolades, including the APTA Lucy Blair Service Award, the APTA Alabama Marilyn Gossman Award for Professionalism in Physical Therapy, The UAB School of Health Professions Joseph F. Volker Outstanding Faculty Award, and the APTA Marilyn Moffat Leadership Award.
Michele H. NicholsMichele H. Nichols, M.D., was named Distinguished Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Nichols joined UAB in 1990 as an assistant professor in the
Department of Pediatrics and currently serves as a professor and the Frederick Renneker III Endowed Chair in Pediatric Education and vice chair of Education. She is also director of the Pediatric Residency Program and director of Career Development in Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Nichols is one of the leading figures in the field of Pediatric Education, having won special recognition for her work on Local Cost Effectiveness of a Regional Poison Control Center and Injury Free Coalition for Kids. She has acquired numerous extramural research grants, one
of which was funded by Robert Wood Johnson on Injury Free Coalition for Kids. Nichols has been the recipient of various UAB, local, and national awards, including being a recipient on two occasions of the Ralph E Tiller Distinguished Faculty Award, the Southern Society of Pediatric Research Pediatric Educator Award, and a UAB Heersink School of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus.
Michael NeiderweisMichael Niederweis, Ph.D., was named University Professor in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Microbiology. Niederweis joined UAB in 2004 as an associate professor and is currently the inaugural holder of the Endowed Professorship in Bacteriology.
Niederweis is one of the world's foremost experts on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis. His research focuses on understanding the unique biology of this bacterium and the molecular basis for its ability to survive within an infected individual. Niederweis has made numerous discoveries that have fundamentally altered the understanding of Mtb, including the first and only known toxin produced by Mtb named Tuberculosis Necrotizing Toxin, and MspA, the first known mycobacterial outer membrane protein. His work on Mtb has led to multiple licensed patents and, as a result, being elected as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.
Niederweis has published over 130 scholarly peer-reviewed papers, with more than 80 of these manuscripts featuring work from his research conducted at UAB. Much of his work has been featured in the best multi-discipline journals, including The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., Nature Biotechnology, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and Science, having been cited more than 8,000 times, giving him an H index of 51. He is a renowned researcher awarded numerous honors, including the Best Abitur in Chemistry award from the Society of the German Chemists, the Human Frontiers Science Program Organization Fellowship, and the Young Investigator Award of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology.
David VanceDavid Vance, Ph.D., was named University Professor in the School of Nursing. Vance joined UAB in 2006 as an assistant professor and currently serves as a professor of Nursing Acute, Chronic & Continuing Care and director of Regulatory and Review
Processes in the Office of Research and Scholarship in the School of Nursing. He also holds a dual faculty appointment in the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology, as well as appointments in research centers across the university, including the Alzheimer's Disease Center, Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders, and Minority Health and Health Equity Research Center.
Vance is a highly productive and successful researcher in neurocognitive aging, and HIV and AIDS care for the aging, garnering funding that totals more than $14 million. He has sustained continuous extramural funding from federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Institute of Aging. His expertise has been recognized by the White House, with an invitation to attend the White House's first forum on aging with HIV in 2011, and as a member of the NIH Think Tank–Working Group on HIV and Aging sponsored by the Office of AIDS Research. He has been the national co-chair of the Neuropsychology Working Group for the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women's Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study.
Vance is regarded as a national and international leader in HIV and Aging science with more than 370 publications, of which more than 290 are peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and editorials. He is a member of numerous organizations supporting health and healthcare, including the NIH Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials Review Group, Alzheimer's of Central Alabama, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, MacArthur Foundation Network on an Aging Society, Center for AIDS Research at Emory University, and the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging.
The rank of Distinguished Professor is a campuswide appointment that recognizes international accomplishments to confer richly deserved prestige and honor on those selected to receive this designation. The rank of University Professor is a campuswide appointment primarily prestigious in a specific discipline and confers an academic rank that transcends departmental and disciplinary lines; the goal is to allow each designated individual the most significant latitude in teaching, writing, and scholarly research. Review the criteria online.
