Explore UAB

Above L to R: Internists Andy Marshall, Lisa Willett, Rebekah Weil, Ben Taylor, and Raegan Durant 

An exciting collaboration between Cooper Green Mercy Health Services and the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program now provides residents the opportunity to provide primary care to underserved populations. Drs. Raegan Durant and Lisa Willett recognized the opportunity to marry the need for clinical care with ambulatory training and enlisted three internists — Drs. Andy Marshall, Rebekah Weil, and Ben Taylor — to be the attending physicians for a new clinic at Cooper Green. Residents now see patients enrolled in the primary care clinic at Cooper Green for their acute issues and intermittent needs related to chronic disease.

Above L to R: Jeremey Walker, M.D., (Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases), Aditi Jani, M.D., (Chief Medical Resident), Starr Steinhilber, M.D., (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine), and Mauricio Khan, M.D., (Infectious Diseases Fellow) 

For five years, the Heersink School of Medicine has incorporated resident and fellow volunteers known as Housestaff Mentors to its faculty-led Learning Communities. Housestaff have enriched the program by providing medical students with near-peer mentorship and a safe space for medical students to openly discuss their perspectives, opinions, and experiences while navigating medical school. Housestaff Program Director Starr Steinhilber, M.D., (Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine) explains that the incorporation of volunteers — including 32 from the Department of Medicine — will allow each student access to seven additional mentors, creating a more vibrant learning community.

Jeana Russell was a grateful survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma 32 years ago, and has counted on UAB to help her manage a subsequent series of health complications, including a triple-bypass, a pacemaker, and double mastectomy. At each step of the way, she turned to UAB, and now sees Carrie Lenneman, M.D., (Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) who provides specialized cardio-oncology care, helping her stay active and healthy despite the toxic cardiopulmonary effects of her life-saving radiation therapy.

L to R: Drs. Bria Carrithers, Alex D’Amico, Emmitt Turner, and Gill Garver  

The UAB Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program recently held the first session of its annual PGY-2 Retreat. During the event, residents were encouraged to reflect on the successes and challenges of the previous year. Through workshops and open dialogue they developed leadership and communication skills. Retreat sessions were led by Co-Directors Drs. Lisa Willett and Ryan Kraemer, Associate Program Director Dr. Jason Morris, Professor Dr. Stan Massie, and Chief Medical Residents Drs. Aditi Jani and John Locke.

Above: Dr. Kobie with the Melody™ Flow Cytometric Cell Sorter which is used to identify and isolate SARS-CoV-2 specific B cells and create monoclonal antibodies.  

James Kobie, Ph.D., (Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases) Mark Walter, Ph.D., (Dept. Microbiology) and colleagues have published a study in the journal PLOS Pathogens highlighting their discovery of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody that could act as a potent universal coronavirus therapy. In an animal experiment, the antibody protected against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants when given as an intraperitoneal injection or a nasal dose. Researchers believe their findings could lead to the development of vaccines that provide immunity for all coronaviruses.