News

When J. Crawford Downs, Ph.D., arrives home after the eight-minute commute from his lab at UAB’s Volker Hall, he heads straight from his car to the garden in the backyard. “My wife has said that I often arrive home still ‘on fire’ from the office,” said the professor of ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, and computer science. “Heading straight to the garden to process and de-stress from my workday is great for me—and for the family.”

To improve service and better meet demand, the UAB O’Neal Cancer Center began expanding our Acton Road clinic in March. The project should be completed by fall 2026.

Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by long periods of sitting or lying down, can increase a person’s chances of heart disease — even among individuals who get the recommended amount of exercise each week. Alabama leads the nation in physical inactivity with 30.7 percent of adults in Alabama reporting no physical activity outside of work. Experts in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Cardiovascular Disease say there are many steps people can take to minimize the impacts of a sedentary lifestyle on heart health.

This National Social Work Month, social workers from across UAB have a message for the community: medical social workers are an integral part of the health system.

UAB recently delivered its first implant of a new therapy for urge urinary incontinence (UUI) using a process called implantable tibial neuromodulation (ITNM), expanding treatment options for patients living with a condition that significantly affects quality of life but is frequently underreported and undertreated.

The UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery will host the 3rd annual Heroes and Healers event on Friday, May 1, 2026 at the UAB Alys Stephens Center.

For the second consecutive year, UAB Medicine Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) John Petrov was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of “CHROs and Chief People Officers to Know”. This annual list highlights human resources leaders who play a key role in shaping workforce strategy and organizational culture across health systems nationwide.

The UAB Bariatric Surgery Center received a Comprehensive Center accreditation from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).

A pastor’s spouse is often a pillar of the community, speaking and ministering on behalf of the church. Katie Fordham embraced this role at Oak Bowery Church in Ohatchee, Ala., along with raising her three school-age children.

A Parkinson’s disease diagnosis changes a person’s life forever. But the path of the condition varies, and some aspects of the journey can be controlled.

Six UAB Medicine critical-care nursing units won 2025 Beacon Awards from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This national honor recognizes units that distinguish themselves by providing high-quality patient care in a healthy work environment.

When Shannon Kline first learned she had polycystic kidney disease six years ago, she knew the diagnosis might one day lead to a kidney transplant. PKD runs deep in her family. Both her grandfather and mother received kidney transplants at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and her physicians had always monitored her kidney function closely. Still, the 44‑year‑old elementary school teacher thought the need for surgery was far in the future.