The Department of Surgery is honored to welcome two new faculty members - Maria Helena Lima, M.D., and Demario Overstreet, Ph.D.
Maria Helena Lima, M.D.
Dr. Maria Helena Lima joined the UAB Department of Surgery in August 2023 as an associate professor in the Division of Plastic Surgery. She specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery of the breast, facial reconstruction, and body contouring.
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lima earned her medical degree Cum Laude from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She completed a residency in general surgery at Orêncio de Freitas Hospital in Niterói, Brazil, and a residency in plastic surgery at the National Cancer Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Subsequently, Lima completed a fellowship in body contouring after massive weight loss, two fellowships in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery, and a reconstructive microsurgery fellowship. She also practiced as a cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for four years.
Lima is a member of several professional societies, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association, and the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons. She also has several published materials and has given a multitude of presentations in congresses, courses, and symposiums.
Demario Overstreet, Ph.D.
Dr. Demario S. Overstreet joined the UAB Department of Surgery in August 2023 as an assistant professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
Overstreet obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU), a historically black college and university (HBCU) located in Normal, Alabama. He then obtained his doctorate in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Overstreet is a graduate of UAB’s NIH AHRQ-funded HSR T32 pre-doctoral program (2018-2021). After earning his Ph.D., he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine.
His research examines the biopsychosocial model of pain, investigating how these factors independently and interactively impact the experience of acute and chronic pain in patients following surgical procedures. Overstreet's research is currently focused on identifying the mechanisms that contribute substantially to the disproportionate burden of pain in GI conditions (i.e., colorectal cancer and IBD) in racial minorities and individuals living in poverty.