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2023 DOM Dean's Excellence AwardeesOn Tuesday, the Heersink School of Medicine proudly celebrated the inspiring achievements of 16 Dean’s Excellence Awardees. Five faculty members from the Department of Medicine were nominated by peers and selected as honorees through a rigorous review process. There was Department representation in the categories of research, service, and diversity enhancement. Congratulations to each awardee for their exceptional contributions to science and medicine. Your dedication and accomplishments serve as a source of pride for us all.

Pictured: Drs. Ken Saag and Amy Warriner In observance of National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, the Department of Medicine sat down with Ken Saag, M.D., MSc, Professor in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, and Amy Warriner, M.D., Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism to learn more about why osteoporosis is considered a “silent disease,” and the steps people can take to prevent and treat osteoporosis. .

Pictured: Dr. Harada (front, third from left) with medical students from the Lyons Learning Community. Caroline Harada, M.D., Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, has been appointed as the new Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Medical Education. Dr. Harada brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles, including serving as Assistant Dean for Community-Engaged Scholarship, spearheading the Learning Communities program, and providing leadership in the Office of Service Learning. In her new position, Dr. Harada will leverage her expertise to lead strategic projects aimed at enhancing the quality of medical education at the Heersink School of Medicine.

(Back L to R) Drs. Erwin Van Meir, Brant Wagener, Lewis Shi, David Schneider, Farah Lubin, Suzanne Lapi, Mike Mugavero, Surya Bhatt, Amit Gaggar, Edie Hapner. (Front L to R) Drs. Michelle Gray, Karen Gamble, Karen Cropsey, Ray Watts, Luciano Costa, Bassel El-Rayes, and Renee Heffron.The Heersink School of Medicine recently honored faculty who have been appointed to endowed chairs or professorships by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. These endowments recognize the holder’s exceptional contributions to academic medicine and honor our generous donors who invest in the school’s tripartite mission of patient care, education and research. We congratulate the six Department of Medicine faculty — as well as the 12 others newly appointed to endowed roles — who were celebrated at the spring reception!

The Department of Medicine Research Excellence Advancement and Mentorship (DREAM) Council, is proud to announce the 2023 Walter B. Frommeyer, Jr., Fellowship in Investigative Medicine awardees. Instructor Joe Chiles, M.D., and Assistant Professor Kadambari Vijaykumar, M.D., are both faculty in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine. Each will use their two-year intensive, mentored research experience to explore lung disease. Chiles will investigate "Multi-Omic Biomarkers of Weight Loss in COPD." Vijaykumar will study "Prolonged Effects of Modulator Therapies on Mucociliary Abnormalities in Cystic Fibrosis." Congratulations to these outstanding physician-scientists!