Explore UAB

José Fernández, Ph.D., FTOS, was named a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Distinction from The Obesity Society (TOS) for “leadership and scholarship in the field of obesity that has inspired a more diverse group of scientists and clinicians.”

Five students have been awarded a UAB School of Health Professions Blazer Forever Scholarship. The award is given to SHP students during Homecoming Week based on an essay answer. This year, we asked students to talk about the ways classroom collaborations and/or team-based learning has made them stronger teammates.

A 40-plus year career in one field is quite the accomplishment, and doing so with only a handful of job changes is rare in this day and age. That’s what Sharon Smalling (DI, 1980) has managed to do though, and she takes a lot of pride and joy in that.

Lia Puzzo, a graduating student of UAB’ School of Health Professions (SHP) Dietitian Education Program (DEP), is the winner of the 2024 Outstanding Graduate Award for the Dietitian Education Program.

Alanis Stansberry, a student in our PhD in Nutrition Sciences program, developed recipes for individuals with common chronic illnesses utilizing foods available in Live HealthSmart Alabama's Mobile Market. The project was for her service as a 2023-24 Alabama Schweitzer Fellow.

Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., and Mary Heersink, longtime supporters of UAB, have made a gift of $1,040,000 gift to the UAB School of Health Professions. The donation, which established the Heersink Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship in Health Professions, is the largest single scholarship gift in school history.

University of Alabama at Birmingham professors James Hill, Ph.D., and Holly Wyatt, M.D., have launched a new podcast that explores the complexities of weight loss with science, humor and real-life experiences.

The Department of Nutrition Sciences’ 2023 Chair’s Report highlights the accomplishments of the faculty, staff, alumni and students who deliver excellence in nutrition and lifestyle research and education.

Lizzy Davis, assistant professor and director of the UAB School of Health Professions Dietetic Education Program (DEP), is a winner of the 2024 Outstanding Dietetics Educator Award from the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors.

Barbara Gower, Ph.D., an internationally renowned scientist and director of the UAB Metabolism Core Laboratory, has been named chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences following a nationwide search.

Five students have been awarded a UAB School of Health Professions Blazer Forever Scholarship. The award is given to SHP students during Homecoming Week based on an essay answer. This year, we asked students to talk about the ways classroom collaborations and/or team-based learning has made them stronger teammates.

Douglas Moellering, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, receives the UAB President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which honors those who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in teaching.

In this edition of our alumni feature, we highlight and celebrate Dr. Pi-Ling Chang. All of you may remember Dr. Chang - she was the very first student in the PhD program and she remained with the department throughout her career.

Governor Kay Ivey, during a bill signing ceremony on Thursday, signed into law the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program to provide income tax credit incentives for certain health professions students who train in rural and underserved counties across Alabama.

Addy Bias, a senior majoring in biobehavioral nutrition and wellness, created the mural that is displayed in the stairwell on the north side of the Susan Mott Webb Nutrition Sciences Building (WEBB). Bias wanted to create a piece that represented movement and the School of Health Professions from her viewpoint. We sat down with Bias to learn more.

Emily Pounds, a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, created the mural that is displayed in the stairwell on the south side of the Susan Mott Webb Nutrition Sciences Building (WEBB). She used her artistic background to create a mural titled, “A Spot in the Sun.” We sat down with Pounds to discuss her upbringing, her connection to art, and what UAB means to her.

Ayse Zengul, student in the UAB PhD in Nutrition Sciences program, has been awarded the Switzer Research Fellowship by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The Merit Fellowship supports scientists in the earlier stages of a research career, who conduct research on various outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

Camille Worthington, PhD, RDN, LDN, has been selected as the 2022 Named New Investigator by the UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC). 

W. Timothy Garvey, M.D., was named University Professor in the School of Health Professions Department of Nutrition Sciences. Garvey joined UAB in 2003 as chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences, where he served until 2018.

Brooks Wingo, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and Amy Goss, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences, are part of a team awarded a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. The investigators will look at diet’s impact on mobility, physical and cognitive function, as well as on pain, fatigue, sleep, mood and anxiety in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).