Institute News - Immunology Institute

Dr. Randall was awarded the Albert F. LoBuglio Distinguished Faculty Award for his outstanding contributions to the research mission of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (OCCC) at UAB at the OCCC Research Retreat on October 18, 2024.

Sleckman Randall award

The Immunology Institute hosted the 2024 AMC21 awardee welcome reception on October 1, 2024. This year's awardees are Erica Acox, James ‘Nick’ Brazell, Craig Peters, and Kimia Rayat Sanati. The incoming awardees were selected from the entering Graduate Biomedical Sciences class of 2024-2025 for their academic excellence and prior research accomplishments.

The Third Annual Immunology Symposium and Dorothy Oliver and Drucilla Russ-Jackson Vaccine Lecture was held on October 2, 2024 at the UAB Alumni Society House featuring Dr. Matthew Laurens, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Congratulations to all of the trainees who submitted abstracts and presented their posters at the Symposium. SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS to Aaron Lucander and Gbengo Ojo who were chosen as the top abstract winners and given the opportunity to present their research in oral presentations during the Symposium. The top poster presenters included Daniel Minassian and Susana Cheetham in the Senior Trainee category and Vanesa Radilla-Garcia in the Junior Trainee category.

This symposium, hosted by UAB, was held on August 16 – 17, 2024 at the Red Mountain Theatre and the dinner and reception at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Downtown Birmingham, AL. With more than 400 registrants attending the symposium and 208 abstracts submissions, it provides a forum where the newest developments in basic, translational and clinical immunology will be shared with the goal of fostering increased relationships and collaborations.

For more information on SIS, go to https://sites.uab.edu/sis2024/

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UAB Undergraduate Immunology Soceity(UIS), sponsored by the Immunology Institute, partnered with Vestavia Hills City Schools to host immunology outreach programs at Vestavia Hills Elementary East (VHEE) and Liberty Park (VHLP) on March 19 and 22, 2024. This program introduced germs and the immune system to the fourth graders at VHEE and the fifth graders at VHLP. More than 200 elementary students participated in the program, learning how vaccine works, and building their own antibodies. Through another interactive activity they get to play as the immune system before and after a vaccine. The Immunology Insitute hopes to expand this outreach program to more VH schools in the upcoming year.

UAB’s Undergraduate Immunology Society (UIS) was able to attend the GEMS event at Berry Middle School, an event encouraging girls to foster interest in STEM at a young age. UIS, supported by the Immunology Institute, introduced the students to immunology, more specifically antibodies, vaccines, and phagocytosis, and received very positive feedback from the attendees.

The Immunology Institute hosted the 2023 AMC21 scholars welcome party. This year's new scholars are Stephanie Suinn and Caroline Ennis. The incoming scholars were selected from the entering Graduate Biomedical Sciences class of 2023-2024 for their academic excellence and prior research accomplishments. The AMC21 Scholars Program began in 2017 and provides scholarships to attract top candidates in the biomedical science disciplines.

The 2023 Drucilla Russ-Jackson and Dorothy Olivery Vaccine Lecture and Symposium was held on Oct. 11, 2023 at the Alys Stephens Center. Dr. Sabra Klein, professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from the Johns Hopkins University, delivered the keynote speech "SeXX Differences in Vaccine Outcomes". The symposium included two faculy and two trainee presentations, and a poster session in the afternoon. Ungergraduate trainee Olivia Johnston won the top poster award in junior category and Eddie-Williams Owiredu in senior category with an award of $100 each. Shivangi Dave and Charles Kuhlmann won the top oral presentations with an award of $250 each.

Immunology Institute trainees, Eddie-Williams Owiredu and Stephen Opoku, collaborated with colleagues and professors from Ghana to organize a week-long workshop aimed at enhancing the research capacity of Ghanaian undergraduates and postgraduates. The event took place from September 4th – 8th and close to 200 participants from various universities in Ghana joined the workshop.

The workshop encompassed a wide range of training modules, including theory and techniques for cell isolation from tissues, flow cytometry, and data analysis with FlowJo, ELISA/ELISPOT, mouse models, and more. Eddie taught FlowJo, mouse models in Immunology and B cell activation/differentiation, and Stephen taught in vitro stimulation of T cells and immunofluorescence techniques and ELISPOT. Although the facilitators were online whereas the participants were in-person , the feedback at the end of the workshop was very positive and encouraging.

The institute faculty and trainees presented at the 10th annual Southeastern Immunology Symposium in Nashville, TN. The Institute Director Dr. Frances Lund also gave a talk titled “Effector and mucosal tissue resident memory B cells – first responders to vaccination and viral infection” at the SIS as a faculty speaker.

UAB researchers, educators and trainees attended the American Association of Immunologists annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on May 11, 2023. At least 30 posters and/or talks were presented by trainees and faculty, and trainees even had a chance to meet with many state representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss investment in NIH and support for scientific research.

Two of our faculty received achievement awards:
Dr. John Kearney of the Department of Microbiology was chosen as a Distinguished Fellow of AAI Class of 2023
Dr. Jianmei Leavenworth of the Department of Neurosurgery recevied the 2023 Lustgarten-Thermo Fisher Scientific Memorial Award.

UAB Undergrauate Immunology Society (UIS) students hosted an immunology workshop on Jan. 28, 2023 at McWane Science Center. The workshop is a series of community outreach program sponsored by the Immunology Institute to promote immunology education and health awareness on campus and in greater Birmingham area.
There were 114 participants at the workshop, and the UIS students volunteered to help young participants make pathogen and antibody crafts.

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One of the key deliverables of the HSOM Immunology Institute is to support community outreach. The Immunology Institute teamed up with Live HealthSmart Alabama Wellness Mobile in October to provide health screenings for local communities at Vila Maria apartments and Elyton village. Residents received health check-ups, including height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, at no cost.

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The Immunology Institute Director Frances Lund, and Program Director Carol Ballinger, helped build the UAB Habitat House Build 2022 on Oct. 1, 2022. Along with other UAB employees who volunteered that day, together they constructed the subfloor of the house.

This build is with Eddie Mae Hopkins 1309 5th Ave W, Birmingham 35208.

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The Immunology Institute hosts the AMC21 scholars welcome party on September 26, 2022. The welcome party was postponed since 2020 due to the pandemic but was resumed this year to welcome 2020-2022 scholars.

The “Introduction to the Immunology Institute” seminar was held on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 4pm in BBRB 170. The introductory seminar included ample time for questions, dialogue and suggestions regarding strategic initiatives that can be spearheaded by the Institute. Immediately following the Town Hall, the Immunology Institute hosted an Open House with light refreshments in the BBRB courtyard.