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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!

 L to R: Kristian Baker-Coon, Stephanie McSweeney, Terri Middlebrooks, Emily Simmons, Adrianne Lawyer, Latonya Freeman, Jennifer Hicks, Dr. Rodney Tucker, Jared Ball, Dora Honeysucker, Dr. Ken Boockvar, and Dr. Anand Iyer This week, the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, co-directed by Rodney Tucker, M.D., (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) observed National Healthcare Decision Day — an initiative designed to inspire, educate and empower the public to consider and document their wishes regarding healthcare. While 92% of Americans say it's important to discuss their wishes for end-of-life care, only 32% have had such a conversation. At three hospital locations, patients and employees were invited to learn how to begin important conversations prior to an emergency or end-of-life crisis. Each received resources to guide them in thinking about future goals of care and serve as a reference for health decisions.

 L to R: Maria Gabriela Gastanadui, M.D., Sara Biswal, MS, Claudia Edell, Rachael Cowan, Jhalak Dholakia, M.D., and Mary Latimer, Ph.D.On March 8, the Department of Medicine hosted its annual Trainee Research Symposium — a major research day where the DOM highlights the extraordinary talent among residents, fellows, graduate students and post-docs, in both basic and clinical research. Congratulations to the six awardees who took top honors this year. We are inspired by your promising science.