The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted a Grand Rounds presentation titled "Using NLP Approaches in Medical Informatics – A Path Towards Developing Gen AI Applications," featuring Ashish Gupta, Ph.D., Globe Life Professor of Business Analytics and Ph.D. Program Coordinator in the Department of Business Analytics & Information Systems at Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025.

Sandeep Bodduluri, Ph.D., is working to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve health care processes and the patient experience. Through courses offered by the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation, he is sharing his knowledge with clinicians at UAB and abroad, emphasizing the importance of interaction between clinicians and engineers in AI research and development.

Rubin Pillay, M.D., Ph.D., is a leader in the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and health care, using his expertise to drive innovation and educate future generations. As the chief innovation officer for UAB Medicine and an esteemed author, he has dedicated his career to exploring the transformative power of AI in medicine. His passion for educating others extends beyond his institutional roles, manifesting in his books, lectures, and leadership initiatives.

Martina Gonzalez-Gomez, M.D., M.Sc., program manager for the Global Neurosurgery program in the Department of Neurosurgery, and James Johnston, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery division, co-instruct the Global Surgery course. In 2023, we met with Gonzalez-Gomez and Johnston to learn more about their vision for the course, which launched with the introduction of the UAB Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) program offered by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and the UAB School of Public Health (SOPH).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping medicine, and one of the many ways the Heersink School of Medicine has responded is by developing new training programs, including an AI in Medicine Graduate Certificate and an AI in Medicine Master of Science (M.S.) degree, that prepare trainees for new opportunities in health care technology and innovation. Both programs are established collaboratively with the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation.

The UAB campus is rapidly being reimagined through numerous new construction and building renovation projects. These include projects that directly support the goals of UAB’s Forging Ahead strategic plan and Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose, which set a goal of increasing research expenditures to $1 billion, from $774.5 million in fiscal year 2023. Several projects also advance the Heersink School of Medicine’s strategic goals across its mission pillars in clinical care, medical education, and biomedical research. 

The AI in Medicine and Nursing Symposium, hosted by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, UAB Medicine, UAB School of Health Professions, UAB School of Nursing, and Maastricht University Faculty of Science and Engineering, concluded successfully, bringing together leading experts, researchers, and industry representatives to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care.

Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation (Innovation Institute) leadership regularly takes part in various events regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and health care, offering their expertise and professional insight. This fall, three of the institute’s leaders participated in a one-day program titled “A Primer for AI in Healthcare,” co-offered by the UAB School of Health Profession’s Department of Health Services Administration Center for Healthcare Management & Leadership.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted a Grand Rounds presentation titled "How an Innovation System Uncovered Breakthrough Solutions for CAUTI and AKI" with speaker Todd Dunn, an experienced transformation and innovation executive, on Tuesday, Oct 3.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation hosted a Grand Rounds presentation titled "Innovating the Future of Healthcare Design" with speakers Tushar Gupta, Mark Vaughan, and Chris Ressler, renowned leaders in healthcare architecture and design, on Tuesday, July 16.

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty members recently participated in the AI in Medicine and Healthcare Symposium at Maastricht University, which brought together experts and stakeholders to discuss the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming health care.

Udbhav Ram, an international scholar from McMaster University, recently joined Carlos E. Cardenas, Ph.D., in his lab to study and research and serve as an undergraduate ambassador.

UAB recently hosted a VR/AR Association meeting that brought together innovators and experts from across the country to explore the application of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in solving real-world challenges.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation offers an AI in Medicine Graduate Certificate to meet the growing impact of artificial intelligence in academic medicine. Stevan Fairburn, a UAB MS2 student currently enrolled in the program, met with the Heersink communications team to shed some light on the certificate program and its curriculum. 

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation held a Grand Rounds presentation with speaker Christy Harris Lemak, PhD., Professor in the Department of Health Services Administration in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, on Tuesday, April 2. 

The United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE) recently held its annual conference in Birmingham, Alabama, from Jan. 9-14, 2024. Hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) J. Frank Barefield, Jr. Entrepreneurship Program, the event, titled USASBE 2024: Forging the Future Together, brought together educators, innovators, and entrepreneurs from across the country and featured many team members from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and UAB Medicine.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation held a Grand Rounds presentation with speaker Byron W. Lai, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, on Thursday, March 14.

The American College of Physicians Alabama Chapter recently held its annual Winter Meeting at UAB’s new Active Learning Center in Volker Hall. The meeting, hosted by the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, focused on “Medicine in the Machine Age: The Integration and Influence of AI in Medicine,” and featured presentations and expert involvement from the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation team and other Heersink School of Medicine leaders.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation is devoted to driving the transformation of health and health care by future-proofing the health care workforce and fostering and facilitating high-value innovation that will improve health outcomes and economic development. One way the institute has done this is through the Dothan Community Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, which was held at the Health Center South Medical Tower.

The Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation held a symposium titled "Generative AI for Healthcare: Progress or Peril" with multiple speakers, all innovators in the field of health care, on Tuesday, Sept. 12.