Six prominent physician scientists in the UAB School of Medicine will hold informal discussions on hot topics in science and medicine on Wednesday, May 20 at the “Drinks with a Physician Scientist” event, sponsored by the UAB student chapter of the American Physician Scientists Association.

“There’s a lot of disconnect between the public and the scientific and medical communities, so we decided to bring the two groups together in an informal environment in hopes of sparking discussion,” said Travis Hull, a graduate student in the Medical Scientist Training Program and APSA member.

Featured event speakers are: Michael Saag, M.D., Ph.D., renowned HIV expert and director of the UAB Center for AIDS research; Warner Huh, M.D., a pioneer in cancer screening and HPV treatment; Stuart Frank, M.D., director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine; Nancy Tofil, M.D., Ed.D., associate professor of Pediatrics and medical director of the pediatric simulation center at Children’s of Alabama; Roslyn Mannon, M.D., professor of Medicine and Surgery and director of research in the Comprehensive Transplant Institute; and Sumanth D. Prabhu, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Mary G. Waters chair of Cardiovascular Medicine and director of the Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center.

The evening will be structured as a meet-and-greet discussion after the speakers introduce themselves and their areas of expertise, Hull said. The speakers will each be assigned a table, and guests will be able to move about to ask questions. The free event is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at World of Beer, 1005 20^th Street South. The APSA chapter will provide appetizers; beverages will be available for purchase. 

Established in 2012, the UAB student chapter of APSA includes some 100 students in the schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health, along with the Medical Scientist Training Program. The organization’s goal is to aid in the training of successful physician scientists by providing opportunities for professional development, career planning and networking within the scientific and medical communities.