Pictured above L to R: Mandy Williams, Peggy Pack, Shelby Truitt share their journey and treatment at UAB rheumatology
For all three generations of one family — a grandmother, daughter and mother, and granddaughter — rheumatic diseases have linked them together in a dramatic way. With both rheumatoid arthritis and lupus involved, the family receives treatment here at UAB from rheumatology physician Winn Chatham, MD. The three report that they are able to lead full and active lives thanks to Dr. Chatham’s expert care.
More Good News for July 17, 2019
Vineeta Kumar, MD (Professor, Nephrology) has been selected as one of 12 recipients of the 2019 UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. A ceremony honoring these outstanding teachers will be held in September. Kudos, Dr. Kuma!
Todd McCarty, MD (Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases) has been named fellowship director in the Division of Infectious Diseases. In this position, he will oversee the two-track fellowship program of study to prepare fellows for careers as clinician-educators or ID researchers. Good luck in this new role, Dr. McCarty!
Derek Russell, MD (Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine) was named the 2019 American College of Chest Physicians Foundation Grant winner. Dr. Russell and colleagues recently discovered a pathway involving tiny, destructive nanoparticles called exosomes that causes COPD/emphysema. For this project he will compare the exosomes in the lungs of patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency to the severity of their emphysema to see if blocking this pathway might help improve symptoms. We congratulate your success, Dr. Russell!
The Multiple Myeloma/BMT Program completed its first telehealth appointment this month. The visit enabled a patient to see their physician for their annual bone marrow transplant follow up at their local county health department. The physical exam was conducted with the assistance of a video monitor, an on-site aid, and a Bluetooth stethoscope. The program hopes to expand this service to patients to improve access to care.
Nirav Patel, MD (Heart Failure Fellow, Cardiovascular Disease) and colleagues have published the results of their investigation in the JCI: Insight. Their findings indicate that the predictive ability of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels for incident heart failure was diminished among African Americans with obesity or impaired kidney function. Three Cheers, Dr. Patel!
Malgorzata Kasztan, PhD (Instructor, Nephrology) has received a K99 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support her research on the role of endothelin-1 in tubular injury in sickle cell disease. Her faculty mentor is Professor David Pollock. Congrats, Dr. Kasztan!
Maria Danila, MD, MSc, MSPH (Associate Professor, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology) discussed he importance of patient engagement at the European League Against Rheumatism 2019 congress. She shared the results of a point and figure study concluding that RA patients who view a series of animated videos express a greater willingness to change intervention on the advice of their rheumatologist. Nice work, Dr. Danila!
Dr. Well-Be says: Join us for our annual EAB Heart + Sole 5K Run, promoting health and wellness in the Birmingham community. All proceeds will be used to support the operations of Equal Access Birmingham. Saturday, August 24 from 7-10 am.