The Heersink School of Medicine hosts a variety of events each month to enrich and connect faculty, staff, and students. This February is no exception, with events ranging from a food fair to educational seminars to trivia. Here are six ways to get involved this month!
Cultural Connections Food Fair: Second Look Kick-Off
Each year, the Heersink School of Medicine hosts Second Look, an opportunity for potential residents to visit campus and learn more about UAB and Birmingham. To kick things off, Heersink will host the Cultural Connections Food Fair on Feb. 6 at 4:30 p.m. in the North Pavilion Atrium, welcoming potential residents to meet the faculty and departments they may soon join.
Beyond welcoming future residents, the Food Fair also allows current faculty, staff, students, residents, fellows, and their families to connect and celebrate the rich cultures represented across the school. In the spirit of friendly competition, each department will showcase cultural dishes from their teams, all for the title of Best Table.
No registration required—bring your family and an appetite!
Access & Engagement Grand Rounds
On Feb. 7 at noon in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium, Caroline Harada, M.D., will join us as the keynote speaker for the Access & Engagement Grand Rounds to present, “Belonging: How Working for Access and Engagement in Alabama Helped Me Find Home.”
Harada, who has been a UAB faculty member since 2008, is a professor of medicine and a geriatrician who specializes in the care of older adults with polypharmacy and dementia.
She also serves as associate dean for Strategic Initiatives in Medical Education, overseeing the medical school’s continuous quality improvement initiatives and specialty programs. In 2024, the Association of American Medical Colleges awarded her the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award.
All faculty, staff, students, residents, and fellows are invited to attend and learn more about Harada’s journey to finding her place at the School of Medicine.
Lunch will be provided for the first 100 attendees.
Step AHEAD: Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Alabama
Although February is often synonymous with love, it’s also recognized as American Heart Month—an important reminder of heart health.
Join the Heersink School of Medicine on Feb. 17 at noon for February’s Step AHEAD lecture, either in person at Volker Hall (Rooms 620, 621, and 622) or via Zoom.
Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., a professor in the School of Public Health, will present, “Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Alabama.”
Judd, who also serves as the director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, researches disparities in chronic diseases in the United States, focusing on how diet and environment influence racial disparities in hypertension, kidney disease, and stroke.
All faculty, staff, students, residents, and fellows are invited to attend. Lunch will be provided for the first 50 in-person attendees.
Black History Month Trivia
February is also Black History Month, a time to recognize and commemorate African Americans’ achievements, contributions, and history.
On Feb. 25 at noon via Zoom, join the Heersink School of Medicine Black & African American Faculty Association for trivia to celebrate Black History Month.
All Heersink faculty, students, residents, and fellows are invited to attend.
Women in Medicine and Science Grand Rounds
On Feb. 26 at noon in Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium, Marcella Nunez-Smith, M.D., joins as the keynote speaker for this year’s Women in Medicine and Science Grand Rounds. She will present, “20 Years as a Health Equity Researcher: My View from Research, Government, and Non-Profits.”
Nunez-Smith, who serves as the director of the Equity Research and Innovation Center at Yale University, focuses her research on health care equity for marginalized populations. Through her work, she emphasizes the social and structural drivers of health, the influence of health care systems on health disparities, and the advancement of community-academic partnered scholarship.
All faculty, staff, students, residents, and fellows are invited to learn more about Nunez-Smith’s journey as a researcher.
Lunch will be provided for the first 100 attendees.
AMWA: Factors Affecting Faculty Achievements - Insights from 19 Academic Neurology Centers
On Feb. 27 at noon via Zoom, Jane B. Allendorfer, Ph.D., and Sima Patel, M.D., will present, “Factors Affecting Faculty Achievements - Insights from 19 Academic Neurology Centers.”
Allendorfer, an associate professor of neurology at UAB, and Patel have collaborated since 2021 to research barriers preventing underrepresented faculty in medicine from achieving scholarly or career advancement opportunities. Their lecture will present findings from two studies involving 35 underrepresented faculty members in medicine across the country.
All faculty, residents, and fellows are invited to attend.