Professor Timothy King, M.D., Ph.D., will depart UAB for the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine, effective Jun. 4. He will serve as the chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery.

King is currently the director of research for the Division of Plastic Surgery as well as the program director for the Plastic Surgery Integrated Residency and associate program director for the Plastic Surgery Independent Residency. He also has a faculty appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and is the chief of plastic surgery at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. While serving as the director of plastic surgery research at UAB, the division saw a 10-fold increase in peer-reviewed publications compared to the five years prior to his arrival. 

“I’m so grateful to my colleagues for supporting my research and career opportunities while at UAB,” said King. “I will miss the rich culture of the department, but I look forward to leading the Loyola Division of Plastic Surgery.”

 While at UAB, King specialized in plastic and reconstructive surgery for infants, children, and adults. His clinical interests include: pediatric plastic surgery; trauma reconstruction, cancer reconstruction; hand surgery; and the treatment of birthmarks and vascular lesions.

King is also an active researcher, investigating new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cutaneous wound healing through which a clinically relevant therapeutic intervention could be developed for the treatment of cutaneous wounds.

While in the UAB Department of Surgery, King launched the Plastic Surgery Integrated Residency Program alongside Assistant Professor René Meyers, M.D. The new, integrated six-year program accepted two medical students this spring who will start their internship in July.

“Dr. King has edified the pillars of UAB: excellent patient care, progressive research, and an educational focus,” said Herb Chen, M.D., FACS, Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair. “We are grateful for his time at UAB as a faculty member and look forward to watching him continue to succeed.”