Cristin Gavin, Ph.D., 
Cristin Gavin, Ph.D.serves as associate dean for undergraduate biomedical programs for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. In this role, she has fostered thriving opportunities for UAB students, many of whom matriculate into medical schools, through the programs she oversees.
The majors involved in the program, such as neurosciences, genetics and genomic sciences, immunology, bioinformatics, and cancer biology, represent a joint partnership between UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Heersink School of Medicine. The offerings provide a unique route for students interested in pre-health, as they are not required to take additional classes to fulfill pre-med prerequisites, and they obtain extensive mentored research experience spanning 2-3 years.
Gavin’s mission through this experience is to provide academically challenging options that prepare students for success beyond the major. Roughly 750 students are enrolled across all biomedical programs. Upwards of 50% of these students move on to medical schools while many of the remaining go on to attend other professional schools or graduate and PhD programs.
“The students who graduate from our programs have been held to a high standard both within and outside the classroom,” Gavin says. “We encourage diverse interests spanning multiple disciplines to help shape tomorrow’s medical leaders.”
Gavin notes that part of the program’s success lies in the quality of students who participate. The students are predominantly honors students and want to engage in everything the programs have to offer. She emphasizes that program leadership honors that commitment as well. Their program directors provide individualized mentorship throughout the students’ experience, meeting one-on-one with students once or twice a year, based on students’ needs.
Nicole Otero, Program Director II, assists Gavin with managing the partnership programs. Otero works directly with the program directors on the Heersink School of Medicine side of each program as well as with their counterparts in the College of Arts and Sciences. Serving as a critical juncture between the two schools, she aims to ensure the continued quality of education provided by both entities. She also coordinates student-facing activities and recruitment for the program to maintain maximum student engagement.
In addition to the pre-health and research opportunities, the biomedical programs also present students with a pathway to graduate with a master’s degree in addition to their undergraduate degree. UAB’s multiple accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs include a master’s in public health, a master’s in business administration, or a master’s in multidisciplinary biomedical science.
The multidisciplinary biomedical science degree is partially integrated into the undergraduate curriculum, which allows students to share courses across both degrees. Students can also benefit from a tuition program that allows them to take graduate-level courses at the undergraduate tuition rate and apply their scholarships to costs.
Aligning with the mission of student access and success, Gavin is thrilled about UAB recently receiving award notification for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) T34 grant. Thanks to work by Gavin, Michelle Gray, Ph.D., and William Geisler, M.D., the UAB MARC is now part of only 32 such programs across the United States and serves as the first for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. The undergraduate research grant will offer mentored research experience and represents a pipeline into Ph.D. and MD/PhD programs for students. Additionally, any student in the STEM program is eligible to apply for the grant.
A significant aspect of the biomedical programs that Gavin takes pride in is that they are built to give students room to explore their studies. The majors are streamlined so students can complete other majors, minors, or even the aforementioned master’s degrees. Gavin wants students to be diverse in their education, such as pairing a biomedical science major with a minor in fine arts, business, or philosophy.
Gavin views the impact of not limiting a student to only science is the diverse view of the world it provides. Students graduating from biomedical programs, especially those seeking further education in the health field, are going into servant-leader positions. She believes the opportunity to participate in multiple disciplines prepares students to interact with people from all walks of life and all manner of interests. She sees this as a valuable tool for creating more successful health professionals and future physicians.