The Department of Cell, Integrative and Developmental Biology within the School of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has recruited two new faculty members.

Anita Hjelmeland, Ph.D., is a new assistant professor and a cancer biologist who comes to UAB from the Cleveland Clinic. She earned her Ph.D. in pharmacology and cancer biology from Duke University in 2003.  Hjelmeland’s work is focused on brain cancer stem cells, which have been shown to drive the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors, the movement of cancer cells as they invade more of the brain and the ability of cancer cells to survive radiation and chemotherapy. Working specifically with glioma stem cells, she seeks to understand the proteins at work inside such cells.

Williams Brooks, Ph.D., is also a new assistant professor within CDIB. Brooks comes to UAB from Freed-Hardeman University and Harding University. Since earning his Ph.D. in cell biology at UAB in 2007, he has made education the focus of his career, teaching a variety of classes in biomedical disciplines. His duties include teaching anatomy and other foundational courses to medical, dental, nursing and optometry students, as well as to nurse anesthetists and physician assistants. He is also the new director of the gross anatomy and surgical anatomy labs. 

“We are delighted to have Drs. Brook and Hjelmeland as members of CDIB Department,” said CDIB Chair Etty (Tika) Benveniste, Ph.D., who was recently elected president of the American Society of Neurochemistry.  “They significantly enhance our education and research missions, respectively, and come with outstanding credentials.”