L to R: Sequoya Eady, Adrianne Marbury and RayShon Murdock-WilliamsSequoya Eady, MPH, Program Director I, Adrianne Marbury, MPA, Program Manager and RayShon Murdock-Williams, MBA/HCM, Administrative Supervisor, in the Division of Adolescent Medicine have been accepted to participate in the inaugural UAB Medicine Women’s Minority Mentoring Academy. As participants in the Academy, they will complete 90 days of mentorship for professional development, including interviewing and resume preparation. Upon completion of the program, they will compete via an interview process for one-on-one mentorship with select UAB Medicine senior leaders.
Congratulations to Sequoya, Adrianne and RayShon!
Congratulations to Meghana Gaini, 2018 Russell Cunningham Memorial Research Scholar, for placing third in the poster competition at the Future of Pediatric Practice 2019 Conference in Orlando, Florida over Labor Day weekend. Her poster presented research she completed with David Kimberlin, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and was titled "Oseltamivir Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Dosing in Infants Under 1 year of Age Based on Drug Disease Modeling in Infants with Influenza Virus Infection."
Meghana worked with Myriam Peralta, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, on her project titled "The Effects of Demographic Differences in the Use of Breast Milk and Complementary Foods on the Growth of Preterm Infants" during her summer internship as a Russell Cunningham Memorial Research Scholar in 2018. “The Russell Cunningham scholarship provided me with a wonderful opportunity to truly immerse myself in the world of developmental pediatrics with Dr. Myriam Peralta," said Meghana. "I believe that it is a blessing to be able to influence a child’s life, which in turn influences the adult they eventually become. Through my summer research experience, I gained confidence in interacting with children and their families. I had such a positive experience that I continued pediatric research in the department of pediatric infectious diseases with Dr. David Kimberlin during my research block in my third year of medical school. This scholarship is beneficial to any student, whether they have a current interest in pediatrics or not; it is an opportunity to gain valuable medical experience with a pediatric population prior to the beginning of your third year of medical school. I already have and will continue to encourage medical students to apply for this priceless experience.” She is a 2021 UASOM MD candidate.
Stephanie Moore, Ph.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has been named the new associate director of the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance (ADDA) effective September 1st. Dr. Moore is taking over the position from Dr. Maaike Everts after her departure from UAB in June. Dr. Moore has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and a doctorate in molecular and cellular pathology, both from UAB. For the past four years, she has directed research in the lab of Dr. Trent Tipple, Neonatology, focusing on studies related to neonatology including hypoxic stress in neonatal mice and effects of selenium on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Prior to that, she completed rotations in the labs of Dr. Lou Del’Italia, Pathology, Dr. Larry DeLucas, Biophysics and Dr. Matthew Renfrow, Biochemistry, which has provided her with a breadth of experience in research labs across the UAB campus.
Congratulations Dr. Moore!
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, has been elected to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) Board of Directors. The Birmingham City Council approved the new Board slate at the August 27th regular meeting. The Board will assist the BCRI will its strategic plan and mission. Dr. Coyne-Beasley looks forward to assisting in the strategic mission of the BCRI which is to “enlighten each generation about civil and human rights by exploring our common past and working together in the present to build a better future.”
Dr. Coyne-Beasley joins 18 other community leaders including: Cassandra W. Adams, Samford University, Cumberland School of Law; Nyesha Cheyenne Black, PhD., Noire Analytics; William H. Burgess III, The Burgess Group; Yolanda Clayton, Alabama State University & Alabama A&M University/Clayton and Associates, LLC; Robert Dickerson, Birmingham Resource Center; Daryl R. Grant, KPMG Advisory Services; Rosilyn Houston, BBVA USA; Danny Markstein, Markstein; Angela D. McKenzie, Regions Bank; J. John Oros Jr., Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau; Jonathan Porter, Alabama Power; Richard A. Rice, The Rice Firm, LLC; John D. Saxon, John D. Saxon, P.C.; David A. Thomas, Starbucks; Rev. Gwendolyn C. Webb, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church/Foot Soldiers International, Inc.; and Rev. Thomas L. Wilder Jr., Bethel Baptist Church.
Amy CaJacob, M.D., Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, will serve as the president of the Alabama Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology for the 2019-2020 term. In 2020, the Alabama Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology will be celebrating its 41st year. One of Dr. CaJacob's major responsibilities as president is planning the annual conference. "Our largest event is an annual conference in Sandestin, Florida with nationwide representation. I am looking forward to planning a successful, diverse meeting focused on food allergy, oral immunotherapy and eosinophilic gastroenteropathies," said Dr. CaJacob.
Congratulations Dr. CaJacob!
The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomes four new faculty members during the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home!
Vanessa Cardenas Soto, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Adnan Haque, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics
Samantha Hill, M.D., Instructor in Adolescent Medicine
Kathryn Lalor, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology
Vanessa Cardenas Soto, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, earned her medical degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Cardenas completed her pediatric residency and pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Michigan. She has a special interest in quality improvement and completed the Patient Safety and Quality Leadership Scholars Program during her fellowship. Her research experience has been focused on Drug-Induced Liver Injury in pediatric oncology patients. Her clinical interest is in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and she has worked on developing several protocols for the University of Michigan IBD program to improve the delivery of care of these patients.
Adnan Haque, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned his medical degree from New York University in New York, New York. Dr. Haque completed his pediatric residency at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
Samantha Hill, M.D. Instructor in Adolescent Medicine, earned her medical degree at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hill completed her pediatric residency at Thomas Jefferson University/AI duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Wilmington, Delaware and her adolescent medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Additionally, she received a Masters of Public Health focusing on health policy from UAB. Her other clinical interests include advocating for the health and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults, contraceptive management with a focus on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), HIV treatment, and HIV prevention with a specific focus on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. Her research interests include improving uptake and adherence to PrEP and as well as uptake of LARCs for adolescents and young adults in the Deep South.
Kathryn Lalor, M.D. Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Lalor completed her pediatric residency and child neurology residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Richard Whitley, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) John P. Utz Leadership Award. This award recognizes Dr. Whitley's leadership in the field of clinical virology and infectious diseases. “Johnathan Utz has been a hero in infectious diseases. All of us who practice this specialty emulate his contributions. This is very much of an honor," Dr. Whitley said about receiving this award.
The John P. Utz Leadership Award was established by the NFID in 2007 as a lasting memorial to the late John P. Utz, MD, a champion in the fight against infectious diseases. The award is presented to individuals who exemplify leadership in the field of infectious diseases, as selected by the NFID Board of Directors. Previous recipients include Drs. L Pickering. R. Besser, A. Schuchat, C. Baker, W. Schnaffer, among others.
The award will be presented on Monday, Dec. 14 at the virtual 2020 Awards Gala. Learn more about the other awardees here.
Congratulations Dr. Whitley!
Congratulations to Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, and Matthew Kutny, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, on being accepted into the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA). The HLA is a collaboration between the Collat School of Business and the School of Medicine. The program offers training opportunities and develops leadership skills essential to academic healthcare. 24 members were accepted into the academy for the 2019-2020 class and represent a well-balanced and diverse group. The program will begin in October 2019 and conclude in May 2020.
Donna Murdaugh, Ph.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and Brandi Pernell, DNP, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, are part of the latest six-member cohort of Scholars for the Deep South Mentored Career Development (KL2) awarded this summer by the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).
Selected through a rigorous, competitive process, Scholars enroll in an educational program, usually the MSPH in Clinical and Translational Science, and also conduct mentored research apprenticeship with a primary mentor. Designed for junior faculty in a clinical or related discipline, the CCTS KL2 program aims to provide knowledge, experience, and perspective to candidates who show promise for becoming independent investigators. A key component of the program is protected time, typically two years, to allow both formal training and conducting hands-on research.
Read more about the program here
- Dr. Coleman to serve on American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force
- UAB Pediatrics faculty and fellow receive Loan Repayment Program awards from National Institutes of Health
- Congratulations to Dr. Austin on the Following Awards and Appointments
- Dr. Atkinson Elected as New President of the Unites States Organization for Mycoplasmology