After a national search, Yung Lau, M.D., has been named chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics and physician in chief of Children's of Alabama, effective March 24, 2025.
Lau is a professor and the vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, where he holds the Thomas N. Carruthers Endowed Chair in Cardiology. He also serves as division director for Pediatric Cardiology.
Lau has served as interim chair of Pediatrics since Nov. 1, 2024. He stepped into this role prior to the December 2024 departure of Mitch Cohen, M.D., who served as the Pediatrics chair for 10 years.
“It is an honor to serve as chair of a department where I have been a proud faculty member for over 30 years,” Lau said. “We are a thriving department whose faculty have dynamic ambition. We will harness this dynamism to fulfill our tripartite mission as we continuously improve our care of the children of Alabama and beyond—both for the patient in front of us and for the future.”
Lau is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric electrophysiology, including arrhythmia management with catheter ablation, pacing, and device. His other major research focus is congenital heart disease.
Lau has delivered lectures at events around the country, including conferences of the Heart Rhythm Society and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. He has contributed to more than 40 published manuscripts and authored several book chapters.
“Dr. Lau’s deep roots at UAB and Children’s of Alabama, his demonstrated leadership, and his passion for clinical excellence, innovative research, and committed mentorship will be key assets in shaping the future of the Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama. I congratulate him on these well-deserved appointments,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
"Dr. Lau's dedication to advancing pediatric care and research make him an exceptional choice to lead the department,” said Tom Shufflebarger, president and CEO of Children’s of Alabama. “I am confident that under his guidance, the Department of Pediatrics and Children's of Alabama will thrive in their shared mission of providing the finest pediatric care to all children while fostering excellence in research and medical education."
Lau earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University in California before conducting his internship and residency in Pediatrics at UAB. He completed a Pediatric Cardiology postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina before joining the UAB faculty in 1994.