News

Shea Duerring, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been appointed by the Secretary of Transportation to serve on the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

For more than a decade, Geeta Chhabra has supported research efforts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As a Research Grants Manager, Chhabra works closely with faculty and staff to ensure grant submissions are accurate, timely and compliant.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics welcomes a new faculty member in the month of April. Please join us in making them feel at home!

Recent innovations include a noninvasive external urine collection device, a system designed to simplify how clinicians manage fluid balance in critically ill patients, an ergonomic assist device for ureteroscopy and new ways to prevent kidney stones.

William Harris, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine.

When Babajide Ojo, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, was completing his doctoral degree at Oklahoma State University, one of his peers had a child with Crohn’s disease.

What began as a way to bring pediatric residents together outside the hospital has grown into one of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics’ longest-running traditions. Now celebrating its 20th year, the Spring Scramble 5K continues to bring together residents, faculty and community members in support of children and families across Birmingham and beyond.

In 2025, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, expanded care, training and research for children with developmental and behavioral challenges.

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama has been named the 2026 recipient of the Patient Safety First Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, recognizing its work to reduce unplanned extubations and advance patient safety.

Scott James, M.D., associate professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has been appointed Treasurer of the Council of Pediatric Subspecialties Executive Committee (CoPS).

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics would like to introduce the 2025 Department of Pediatrics Staff Recognition Awards. These awards were created to honor staff members throughout the department for their contribution and commitment to the department's mission.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that James Odum, M.D., MEd, assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care, has received the 7th Steven R. Alexander Best Pediatric Abstract Award at the national Acute Kidney Injury & Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (AKI & CRRT) conference in San Diego, California.

UAB Medicine's Leadership Development Office (LDO) recently celebrated the graduation of a group of clinical and operational leaders who successfully completed the High Performing Care Collaborative (HPCC) program.

As part of UAB Giving Days, Mini Medical School is one of four featured projects highlighting how UAB is investing in the future. Led by two Birmingham City Schools alumni, this hands-on program introduces middle school students to healthcare careers—and shows how Giving Days support can help inspire the next generation of healers.

UAB experts discuss the life cycle of the metabolism, ranging from before birth to older adulthood, and provide tips on metabolic health for a lifetime. 

In an effort to strengthen clinical operations leadership and develop system-level capacity for continuous improvement, Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics introduced the Excellence Through Partnership program, a strategic leadership model designed to align medical and nursing leadership.

The Glenn family has turned their personal experience into purpose through Stryker Strong, a family-led foundation dedicated to raising awareness for rare genetic conditions and supporting children with complex medical needs.

The study is aimed to track early brain and child development in the United States by following pregnant participants and their children for approximately 10 years.

For more than nine years, Elizabeth Alfano has helped support the daily operations of the Division of Academic General Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics. As an Administrative Office Specialist IV, Alfano plays a key role in coordinating schedules, maintaining important clinic resources and supporting the teams who care for patients and families.

Cancer treatment, while lifesaving, often comes with a wide range of physical, emotional and social challenges for young patients. Pediatric cancer survivors may face long-term effects from their treatments, impacting everything from mobility and strength to cognitive function and emotional well-being.

For families of children with disabilities, accessing health care often means navigating complex systems while managing significant caregiving demands. As more children with complex medical needs require coordinated, long-term care, reducing barriers and wait times has become increasingly important.

Elizabeth Proezna, M.D., PGY-3, and Rafaella Navarro Hoyos, M.D., PGY-2, in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, spent two weeks in Peru and realized a medical truth widely sought after in the UAB community. They learned that sometimes the most powerful medicine isn't just in the treatment, it's in a spirit of collaboration that can cross distance and borders.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a life-threatening condition in which the heart stops beating after its normal electrical signals are disrupted.

After more than 25 years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and nearly a decade with the UAB Department of Pediatrics, Cathy Turner, MSHA, CPA, CGMA, is retiring as executive administrator, concluding a career defined by steady leadership, operational strength and an unwavering commitment to the people who power pediatrics.

A national study led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is helping explain why some childhood cancer survivors develop new cancers years after their original treatment. The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that inherited genetic changes can greatly increase the chance of developing a second cancer later in life.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen unexpectedly, affecting children, teens and adults who may seem healthy just moments before collapsing. Through patient care, education and statewide partnerships, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama are working to improve awareness...

After nearly three decades of leadership, Carl Coghill, M.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, will step down as medical director of the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s of Alabama as he prepares for retirement in May 2026.

For the past three years, Jalisa Lankford has been a steady and motivating presence within the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, serving as an administrative supervisor who balances leadership, efficiency and compassion in a fast-paced clinical environment.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Matthew Alexander, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology, has been awarded a $149,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research focused on a rare neuromuscular disease.

For more than five decades, Richard Whitley, M.D., distinguished professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has helped shape not only the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics, but the field of pediatric infectious diseases on a global scale.