The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was recently ranked in the top 6% of global universities by U.S. News & World Report (USNWR). Seven areas within the UAB Heersink School of Medicine ranked in the top 100 including “Endocrinology and Metabolism” at No. 58.
The 2024-2025 Best Global Universities rankings rated institutions from the U.S. and more than 100 other countries based on 13 indicators that measure their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations.
Overall, the rankings named UAB No. 164 out of 2,459 schools, making it the highest ranked school in Alabama. UAB ranked No. 58 for Best Global Universities for Endocrinology and Metabolism, which includes diabetes, out of 250 schools globally.
Several faculty in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism within the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Medicine are also members of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC), which specializes in diabetes research. High-impact research and scholarly publications produced by faculty helped contribute to the rankings.
“This ranking shows that UAB is a top academic institution not only in the U.S. but also around the globe with a reputation of providing world-class education and training to the next generation of health care professionals who will care for patients with diabetes and other endocrinology disorders,” said Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Professor Fernando Ovalle, M.D., who is also associate director of the UCDC. “The collaborative environment of the UCDC and the division supports translational research that allows us to develop new clinical trials and innovative treatment approaches for patients.”
UCDC Director Anath Shalev, M.D., said the global ranking is a testament to the school and faculty’s dedication to excellence in research, education, and patient care.
“The UCDC is proud to support the research efforts of UAB faculty in the UCDC and the division through our shared vision to improve the lives of those with diabetes,” Shalev said.
The UCDC is a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center comprised of over 200 faculty members from many different schools and many different departments and its research spans basic, translational, and clinical studies. It also serves as the umbrella for various research programs and awards, including the prestigious P30 Diabetes Research Center (DRC) and several research core facilities.