Explore UAB

  Pictured Above: (L to R): Ladonnan Elliott, Dr. Qing Zhao, Wayne Duck, Dr. Doug Morgan, Shane Wiley, and Dr. Chuck Elson

The Department of Medicine is delighted to celebrate Lennard "Wayne" Duck, Scientist I, in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology as the inaugural winner of the DOM STAR Award for Staff Excellence. Duck received an overwhelming number of nominations from faculty, staff, and colleagues expressing the ways he embodies UAB’s shared values. With over 29 years of experience in research laboratory at UAB, Duck has truly made a lasting impression on the people around him. Congratulations!

Sylvia Huang, Ph.D., (Assistant Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) is principal investigator for the first community-based professional training initiative designed to improve psychological and social cancer care in local communities. The Psychosocial Oncology Training Academy, or POTA, offers interactive workshops, live webinars, and bite-size videos for mental health and primary care providers to develop their skills in providing specialized care for breast cancer patients and their families.

 Pictured Above (L to R): Abby Misdom Johnson, R.N., Garima Arora, M.D., Carrie Lenneman, M.D., Riem Hawi, M.D., Efstathia Andrikopoulou, M.D., and Courtney Estes, CRNP 

The Department of Medicine partnered with UAB Heersink School Medicine and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion to observe Women's History Month. We highlight the all-female team of cardiologists who bridge heart health and cancer care in the emerging specialty of cardio-oncology. Directed by Dr. Carrie Lenneman, the team identifies and treats cardiac side effects caused by cancer treatment. The program recently received Gold Standard accreditation from the International Society of Cardio-Oncology. Congratulations to this group of women medical professionals for making medical history all year long!

While lifestyle factors like diet and exercise play a major role in the risk of serious heart diseases, Drs. Pankaj Arora (Associate Professor) and Vibhu Parcha (Fellow) are working to understand how a patient’s genetic makeup can influence their overall cardiovascular health. They lead patient care and research in the new UAB Medicine Cardiogenomics Clinic to incorporate patient genetic history in predicting cardiovascular risk, developing personalized treatment, and treating common cardiovascular conditions.

Hitesh Batra, M.D., (Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) and colleagues recently made an exciting advancement for bronchoscopy, using the Siemens Healthineers Cios Spin System. This makes UAB the first hospital in Alabama to offer real-time cone beam CT imaging during bronchoscopies. The system allows physicians to get live images during the procedure to more accurately determine where their instruments are located in relation to their target. The new technology paves the way for UAB to perform ablation of lung cancer via bronchoscopy in the near future.