Matthew Ithurburn, PT, DPT, PhD, assistant professor in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Department of Physical Therapy, has been selected by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Section on Research as a 2019 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. Ithurburn, who is also treasurer of the Biomechanics Special Interests Group (2018-2020), was nominated by the Section’s leadership to recognize his accomplishments and contributions to the PT profession and the APTA, early in his career.

For the third year in a row, a team from our Physician Assistant Studies program wins the UAB Gurney Derby!

Eta Berner, EdD, professor in the School of Health Professions and director of the Department of Health Services Administration’s Center for Health Informatics for Patient Safety/Quality, is newly elected to the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) 2018 and 2019 Class of Fellows.

Chris Eidson, MS, OTR/L, assistant professor in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Department of Occupational Therapy, is the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association‘s (ALOTA) 2019 Ann Cosby Service Award winner.

Andrew Butler, Ph.D., dean of the UAB School of Health Professions, was recently elected to the Lakeshore Foundation and the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions Board of Directors. Butler, who became dean of SHP in July 2019, came to UAB from the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University where he was associate dean for Research and director of the Clinical Neuroplasticity Lab.

Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research in the School of Health Professions Department of Nutrition SciencesUAB is a unique place, says Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Research in the School of Health Professions Department of Nutrition Sciences. But not just because the university brought in nearly $300 million in NIH funding this past year, or because our orthopaedic surgeons offer total knee replacements without an overnight hospital stay for some patients. For Gower, it’s the university’s collaborative spirit that makes it singular in nature. “There’s no other institution like it,” she said.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham launches the pilot class of the UAB Healthcare Educators Academy at an opening ceremony and reception on September 17, 2019. The HEA is a strategic partnership between the UAB Schools of Medicine, Health Professions, Dentistry, Public Health and Nursing designed to strengthen educators through mentorship that fosters a culture of excellence, develops innovative teaching resources and advances a collaborative environment.

Monica Aswani, DrPH, assistant professor in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Department of Health Services Administration, will receive a UAB National Alumni Society (NAS) Young Alumni Rising Star Award at a ceremony on September 19, 2019, at the UAB Alumni House.

Sue Feldman, RN, MEd, Ph.D., Director, UAB School of Health Professions’ Graduate Programs in Health Informatics, completed the 2019 HERS Institute at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) is a leadership development and research organization dedicated to women in higher education.

Kayla Stinson, a UAB School of Health Professions’ M.S. in Health Physics second-year student, was awarded a prize for her research presentation at the Health Physics Society annual meeting on July 7, 2019.

Enyonam “Enyo” J. Kpomblekou-Ademawou, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management in the pre-professional track from the School of Health Professions is announced as the speaker for UAB's undergraduate ceremony. Kpomblekou-Ademawou has earned presidential and dean’s list honors. 

Tapan Mehta, Ph.D., a scientist with appointments in UAB’s Diabetes Research Center and Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC), has been named director of research for the Department of Health Services Administration.

Brenda Bertrand, Ph.D., professor in the UAB School of Health Professions' Department of Nutrition Sciences and director of the nutrition science graduate program, is honored with a 2019 UAB President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Andrew Butler, PT, Ph.D.,FAPTA, dean of the UAB School of Health Professions, was honored as a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at the PT NEXT conference on June 13, 2019. The FAPTA award is the association’s highest honor.

Michelle Kung, a second-year student in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Administration-Health Services program, recently completed the year-long Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and results from her work with middle school students in Alabama show decreases in students’ misuse of prescription medications, and their use of cigarettes, vape and alcohol.

The Alabama Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (Alabama HIMSS) delivered four merit scholarships in 2019 – all four scholarships were awarded to students in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Graduate Programs in Health Informatics.

Krystle Glasgow, MIS, CNMT, NMTCB(CT), NMAA, clinical coordinator and teacher in the UAB School of Health Professions’ M.S. in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT) program, has been named to the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging’s (SNMMI) inaugural “Ones to Watch” list.

For the 4th year in a row, students in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Doctor of Physical Therapy program hosts Oxford-style debates to better learn the issues they may face in the PT field.

Kara Arnold, Sean Maleknia, and Hallie Taylor, third-year students in the UAB School of Health Professions’ Physician Assistant program placed 4^th at the American Academy of Physician Assistant’s 2019 National Medical Challenge Bowl. This is the second time in the past four years that the UAB PA team reached the Final Round.

By Adam Pope, UAB Media Relations

The perpetual association of current symbols with wheelchair users has been criticized for insufficiently representing individuals with other disability types.Recent research from the UAB School of Health Professions Department of Occupational Therapy has assessed individual comprehension and perceptions of nine existing and newly created accessibility pictograph symbols, and it identified one that represented universal access to fitness equipment.