Sarah O’Kelley, Ph.D., recently assumed leadership of Alabama’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD) and the UAB Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) training programs. These programs are a collaborative effort within the UAB Department of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, and Civitan International Research Center, with clinical operations at the Civitan-Sparks Clinics. Dr. O’Kelley has been an active and vital part of the UCEDD and LEND’s function in the last decade and succeeds Fred J. Biasini, Ph.D., who helped build and then directed these programs for over 30 years before unexpectedly passing away in September.
Dr. O’Kelley is a clinical associate professor in the UAB Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics and has served as director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Clinic at UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics. Dr. O'Kelley has been involved in research and clinical activities with individuals with ASD and their families for over 20 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Child Psychology at the University of Alabama. Dr. O’Kelley completed her predoctoral internship at the UAB Psychology Internship Training Consortium as a LEND trainee and was a LEND postdoctoral fellow at UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics. From 2006 to 2008, a portion of her postdoctoral fellowship included a position of program coordinator for the University of Alabama Autism Spectrum Disorders College Transition and Support program (UA-ACTS), a program she helped develop and implement.
Dr. O'Kelley's research interests include cognitive and behavioral phenotypes of individuals with ASD and related neurodevelopmental disabilities, screening and early identification, sibling and family functioning, group social skills interventions, and issues across the lifespan for individuals with ASD. She collaborates in multiple research endeavors across campus, the state, and nationally and is an active participant and leader in activities of the Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council.
The Alabama UCEDD employs a comprehensive and broad-based approach to addressing the needs and expanding the resources and services available to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in a responsible, responsive, and culturally competent manner. There are 67 UCEDDs, with at least one in every US state and territory, funded through the Administration for Community Living with a mission of providing training, technical assistance, service, research, and information dissemination. The UAB Maternal and Child Health LEND is one of 52 LEND programs in 44 US states, with a mission of improving the well-being and quality of life of individuals and families affected by neurodevelopmental disabilities by training future leaders across disciplines, providing exemplary clinical services, and engaging in translational research and information dissemination.
“I am grateful for the confidence and support that our faculty, staff, and trainees have shown as we work together to continue the critically important work that was Dr. Biasini’s passion, and I look forward to the evolution of our programs to respond to the needs and input of stakeholders throughout the state,” Dr. O’Kelley stated. Both the UCEDD and LEND have remained active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing the work supporting families and training future leaders that these projects have provided for nearly 40 years.
Coat of Arms (Community Outreach and Advocacy), the advocacy group of the Pediatric Residency Program, hosted a Health Fair Drop-off this year as part of their community outreach initiative. The program usually hosts an annual Health Fair for the parents and students at Glen Iris Elementary School but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was changed to an outdoor drop-off.
Representatives from Adolescent Medicine, Primary Care Clinic, Hospitalist Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Trauma Service, Child Life, ThinkFirst and the Alabama AAP wear green to raise awareness.The inaugural Injury Prevention Awareness Day was a great success! The National Injury Prevention Awareness Day was started this year by the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. As part of the nationwide education awareness day, the Adolescent Clinic, Pediatric Primary Care Clinic and the Emergency Department all participated by wearing green, handing out injury prevention educational materials and providing safety equipment to patient families.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Children’s of Alabama hosted the annual Great American Smokeout event. With tables set up in both the McWane and Russell lobbies, volunteers greeted visitors and promoted tobacco cessation resources, including Quit Kits available through PedsRX pharmacy. Members of the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine showed their support by wearing t-shirts promoting UAB and Children's of Alabama as smoke-free campuses and assisting with passing out tobacco cessation resources.
Michael Stalvey, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes at UAB, recently launched a new study of infants and children with cystic fibrosis (CF) with support from the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation. Dr. Stalvey is co-principal investigator of the "A Prospective Study to Evaluate Biological and Clinical Effects of Significantly Corrected CFTR Function in Infants and Young Children (BEGIN)" along with Bonnie Ramsey, M.D., Lucas Hoffman, M.D., Ph.D., and Sonya Heltshe, Ph.D. from the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. This $11 million multi-center trial, including 30+ CF Centers across the US, will coordinate the study of children with CF for the next seven years, setting the framework for research priorities for years to come.
The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to honor these faculty members. They have attained a level of excellence recognized by their peers due to their exceptional contributions for the development of the department and in turn, the achievers of tomorrow - our children.
Please join us in congratulating the winners in each category.
2020 Department of Pediatrics Faculty Achievement Award Winners
UAB Medicine recently recognized faculty and staff who reached certain milestones of service at UAB with the annual Service Awards. Bill Britt, M.D., professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Jan Gentry, director of Business Services, and Karan Harris, office manager in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, were all honored for their 30 years of service.
Happy Diwali!
To those celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights starting Saturday, Nov. 14 and lasting five days, on behalf of the Department of Pediatrics, I wish you a joyous holiday.
Pallavi Iyer, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, and Herb Chen, M.D., Chair of the UAB Department of Surgery, are co-editors of a book dedicated to the care of children with thyroid and parathyroid disorders. "Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders in Children: A Practical Handbook" is designed to offer an approach to diagnosing and treating children with thyroid and parathyroid diseases from international experts in the medical and surgical fields, several of whom are UAB faculty members. The 16 chapter-book is divided into two sections: thyroid and parathyroid, discussing both common and rare disorders along with medical treatments and surgical techniques.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18 the Injury Free Coalition for Kids is launching the inaugural National Injury Prevention Awareness Day. The UAB Department of Pediatrics is participating in Injury Prevention Awareness Day by hosting a statewide education awareness day. On Nov. 18, Children’s of Alabama will be lit green and everyone is encouraged to wear green to raise awareness. This day is also a reminder of the importance of educating every family on injury prevention. The UAB Pediatric Primary Care Clinic, Adolescent Health Center and Emergency Department will be providing safety equipment as well as education on this day.