Cardiology faculty Drs. Suzanne Oparil, Salpy Pamboukian, Tanja Dudenbostel, Riem Hawi Front Row: Drs. Efstathia Andrikopoulou, Vera Bittner, Brigitta Brott, Carrie Lenneman, and John Kennedy
February is National Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year, approximately one woman every minute! The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health for this very reason. Proudly wear your red on Friday, February 7, 2020.
More Good News for February 5, 2020
James Tang, PhD (Professor, Infectious Disease) and local scientist, Ruby Rong Ni, have put together a team to provide resources and medical supplies to the front-line physicians in China working to combat the Coronavirus. We applaud Dr. Tang for his efforts to address this public health crisis.
Navkaranbir Bajaj, MD (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) has conducted research that identified a pathological change linking kidney disease and progressive heart disease for the first time. The pathological change identified is coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). CMD presents as decreased blood flow in the small blood vessels inside the heart muscle that provide oxygen and fuel to feed the pumping heart. Congratulations on this exciting breakthrough, Dr. Bajaj!
Christina Muzny, MD, MSPH (Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases) has received an R01 from NIAID entitled “Microbial Interactions between Gardnerella, Prevotella, and Atopobium Prior to Incident Bacterial Vaginosis" to investigate the pathogenesis of incident BV. The grant is based on her current hypothetical model of BV pathogenesis which was published last summer in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Three cheers, Dr. Muzny!
Luciano Costa, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, Hematology & Oncology) presented his innovative multiple myeloma trial “MASTER” at ASH to an enthusiastic response. This trial takes an unusually aggressive approach to wipe out a blood cancer currently considered incurable. Throughout his trial, Dr. Costa has enrolled 21% African American participants. Kudos, Dr. Costa!
This year the SOM identified more than 50 top-performing physicians and APPs in the Department of Medicine. These individuals demonstrated great skill in communicating with their patients and consistently received the best possible responses to the survey questions related to provider communication. Congratulations to all who were recognized!
The 2020 Diversity Fair was a success! The Department of Medicine proudly represented six countries as well as the LGBTQ community. Representing the Scientific Community of Outcomes Researchers: Monica Baskin, PhD; Greg Payne, MD, PhD; Alia Tunagur. Representing Infectious Diseases: Brittany Martin and Brianna Patterson. Representing Nephrology: Maria El Hachem, Alexandra Luzuriaga-McPherson, Valerie Paige, Norma Stewart, Katrina Moore, Ciara Mitchell (Team Leader), and Alicia Cole. Thank you to everyone who came out to show their support!
The Walter B. Frommeyer, Jr., Fellowship in Investigative Medicine is an annual research award supported by the UAB Department of Medicine. This fellowship is designed to foster the development of outstanding physician-scientists by supporting a two-year intensive, mentored research experience. The application deadline is March 6, 2020.
The Max Cooper Award is given annually to faculty with a primary appointment at the level of Associate or Full Professor in the Department of Medicine. This award recognizes researchers that have gained national recognition for important research discoveries over their scientific career. The nomination deadline is 5 pm, Friday, February 28, 2020.
Omer Hassan Jamy, MBBS, has joined the Division of Hematology and Oncology as Assistant Professor to care for patients with hematological malignancies, and to participate in the oversight and management of the BMT&CT Program database. He will also research the outcomes of patients with myeloid neoplasms, particularly acute myeloid leukemia.
Dr. Jamy earned his MBBS at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan in 2012, and he completed his residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2016. During his fellowship here at UAB, Dr. Jamy was “Outstanding Research Fellow of the Year” two years in a row and presented award-winning work at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in 2017 and 2018. Welcome, Dr. Jamy!
Seth Landefeld, MD, Professor and Chair in the UAB Department of Medicine, will deliver the “State of the Department” Address at noon on Wednesday, February 12, in the Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium.