November 2024 marked 20 years since the establishment of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute (EMBI) at UAB. The institute was made possible by a generous gift from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF), matched by the university, to support research in cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. Ronald Lazar, Ph.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been director of the institute since 2017.

In Fall 2024, UAB Heersink School of Medicine announced the winners of the 2024 Dale J. Benos Medical Student Research Day (MSRD). All medical students were invited to present the results of their research projects and submit posters for judging.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIE) celebrated its annual Innovation Awards on October 11, 2024, recognizing outstanding innovators and entrepreneurial achievements. Anath Shalev, M.D., director of the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and founder of TIXiMED, was awarded the 2024 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, the institute’s highest honor. Shalev's start-up, TIXiMED, recently advanced toward clinical trials after receiving FDA clearance for its novel Type 1 diabetes treatment, TIX100.

The Heersink School of Medicine honored the achievements of eight esteemed faculty members during the Fall 2024 Endowed Chairs and Professorships Reception, held Oct. 29 at the Wallace Tumor Institute. Families, faculty, and leaders of the Heersink School of Medicine joined the honorees to celebrate their outstanding contributions to medical education and research. Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the Heersink School of Medicine, opened the event by welcoming guests and recognizing the significance of these prestigious appointments.

Cassandra Newsom, Psy.D., director of the Translational Research Core in Autism and Neurodevelopment of Civitan International Research Center, has completed participation in Phase 2 Clinical Trials of a new drug, NNZ-2591, that shows promising results for a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder called Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS).

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office recognized 13 individuals in its third cohort of Momentum Leaders in Medicine at UAB during a graduation ceremony on May 7, 2024.

Congratulations to all the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Medicine, UAB Health System, and Health Service Foundation leaders who were recognized on the Who’s Who in Healthcare list!

Momentum in Medicine's third cohort includes an impressive list of 15 women leaders from a variety of roles, departments, and backgrounds within UAB Medicine.

Brian Samuels, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, effective Oct. 1.

In the last several years, UAB Medicine and Heersink School of Medicine have worked to bring leadership development to faculty and staff through the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership and Momentum in Medicine programs.

UAB holds its administrative professionals in the highest regard. April 26, 2023, is Administrative Professionals Day – allowing us to recognize and celebrate our administrative professionals while also highlighting the administrative resources offered by UAB. Most recently, the Developing Emerging Administrative Leaders (DEAL) program was established to offer development opportunities for current administrative professionals through training experiences and networking, to assist administration with their career paths and plans of advancing within UAB and UAB Medicine.

Maria Grant, M.D., FARVO, professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and her colleagues have published a study that provides hope in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Medical Student Research Day celebrates the research accomplishments of medical students and provides them with the opportunity to present their projects to fellow students and faculty.