Jim Bakken

Jim Bakken

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jimb@uab.edu • (205) 934-3887
Chief Communications Officer, Public Relations 

As chief communications officer for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and UAB Medicine, Bakken leads teams that set and execute internal and external communications strategy. Prior to joining UAB in 2012, Bakken spent a decade working with a diverse client base at two full-service communications firms. Bakken spent eight years in Nashville at McNeely Pigott and Fox – one of the largest PR firms in the Southeast – prior to launching Peritus Public Relations in Birmingham in 2010. Bakken has served on the board of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and has been a Birmingham Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 honoree.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham report a genetically engineered herpes simplex viral therapy is safe when used in conjunction with radiation in the treatment of malignant gliomas, one of the most deadly forms of brain cancer.
April is Earth Month, and UAB is getting into the environmental swing with several events. There is an Arbor Day celebration in progress on campus today until 1 p.m., according to the UAB Reporter. The event includes educational demonstrations, a tree-planting ceremony and other activities. One of the sponsoring groups is the UAB student environmental group, Green Initiative.
“In addition to being a major risk factor for melanoma, indoor tanning might identify a group of teens at increased risk of eating disorders,” said David C. Schwebel of University of Alabama at Birmingham.
One out of five Medicare patients with heart failure is readmitted to the hospital within just one month of discharge, a fact that is not only bad news for patients who would most likely prefer to avoid another hospital stay, but it also places intense economic pressures on hospitals and the healthcare system as a whole, especially amid new federally imposed reimbursement cuts related to readmissions.
An industry news organization has named UAB Hospital as one of the top 100 in the country. UAB is the only Alabama hospital to make the 2014 “100 Great Hospitals in America," by Becker's Hospital Review.
Federal grant allows study of critical languages abroad
Can you write a memorable song about Birmingham? If so, folks at the Alys Stephens Center want to hear it. They've been accepting submissions for a contest linked to a new festival on June 21: Make Music Birmingham Day.
Community members will have the opportunity to access the knowledge and experience of some world leaders by attending Leadercast® at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Friday, May 9. This year’s theme, “Beyond You,” challenges leaders to focus outward rather than inward.
“In addition to being a major risk factor for melanoma, indoor tanning might identify a group of teens at increased risk of eating disorders,” said David C. Schwebel of University of Alabama at Birmingham.
From: AANS Neurosurgeon
New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that users pay more attention to Internet safety than previously assumed. Researchers used a novel methodology to gain new neurological insights into how users face security questions and how their personalities might affect their performance.
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