UAB MSTP

Our program director, Dr. Yacoubian, was featured in backspace the NIGMS blog. Check it out below!

Dr. Talene Yacoubian leads the NIGMS-supported Medical Scientist Training Program at UAB Heersink School of Medicine, which trains M.D.-Ph.D. students to combine clinical practice and rigorous scientific research. The program supports students in many ways and helps organize the annual Southeastern Medical Scientist Symposium, which provides networking opportunities. Learn more about Dr. Yacoubian and the program she directs in our latest Biomedical Beat blog post. https://bit.ly/3Foz6Nr

It’s interview week, which means it’s time for another Instagram Takeover. Check out today’s story to follow Zoe through a day in the life of an MS-2. See you in the comments!
.
.
.

We are very excited to be hosting in-person this weekend! We can’t wait to see you all here and if you weren’t able to attend be sure to check out our story for highlights!

Congrats to MSTPs Courtney Swain (GS-2/MSTP-4) and Samuel Chang (GS-2/MSTP-4) for their fantastic presentations at ‘s Annual Research Retreat last week!

Courtney was awarded Outstanding Predoctoral Poster Presentation, and Samuel won the 2-Minute Data Blitz.

Congrats guys. We’re so proud! 🥳
.
.
.

Happy Friday! Check out our recap of a busy week in the UAB MSTP.

Slides 1-2: We held the first session of the semester for the MSTP 795 Continuing Clinical Education course that our students take during the PhD phase of training. This semester’s “Health Equity Rounds” was on Harm Reduction and Drug Use and included a training session on how to administer Narcan in a suspected opioid overdose. Special thanks to Dr. Ellen Eaton and the Jefferson County Department of Health for the Narcan kits!

Slides 3-4: We also held our first Translational Research Seminar aka CAMS of the year. Dr. Paige Porrett, a leading surgeon-scientist, talked about her path to becoming a physician-scientist, uterine transplants, and of course 🐷 kidneys.

We’re incredibly grateful for everyone who helped put together these events and look forward to upcoming activities!
.
.
.

Happy Tuesday! MSTP interviews for the 2022-23 cycle begin tomorrow, which means our IG Takeovers are back!

Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) as Alana Jones walks us through a day in the life of a 6th year MSTP. Be sure to turn on your notifications and we’ll see you in the comments!
.
.
.

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part Three

Our third and final installation of the "Reflections on Grant Submission" series is up now. Special thanks to Taylor Person for all her hard work on this!

https://unabridgedmstp.wordpress.com/grants-corner/reflections-on-grant-submission-part-three/

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part Three Taylor Person, GS-3 Ultimately, this experience is here for you to learn, not to be perfect.  Okay y’all, confession time: It took me…an embarrassingly long amount of time to write this blog p…

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part Two

Part Two of our Grant Writing Series is up on our blog now. Check it out!

https://unabridgedmstp.wordpress.com/grants-corner/reflections-on-grant-submission-part-two/

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part Two Taylor Person, GS-3 Venerated gospel singer Ms. Dottie Peoples once sang “Get your house in order. Do it today.” The song expresses the importance of being spiritually prepared for Jesus’ return, a…

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part One

🚨New blog alert 🚨

Special thanks to Taylor Person (GS-3) who's authored our summer series: Reflections on Grant Writing. Part One is out now (link below), and check back next week for Part Two!

https://unabridgedmstp.wordpress.com/grants-corner/reflections-on-grant-submission-part-one/

Reflections on Grant Submission, Part One Taylor Person, GS-3 Rites of passage are ubiquitous phenomena. The bar/bat mitzvah and the Quinceañera come to mind. Sweet 16s. 21st birthdays. First baptisms and confirmat…

See the info below for a fantastic seminar next week, coordinated by some of our MSTP students, Jana Badrani & Rishi Devulapalli:

Join us in discussions of medical humanism and narrative medicine with Dr. Jay Wellons, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Vanderbilt University and author of All That Moves Us, on Tuesday, July 19th, from 1:30 PM-3:00 PM in Volker Hall Lecture Room D. We will reflect on the importance of storytelling and the stories of patients as we are reminded of what it means to be a physician and why we have chosen careers in medicine. All are welcome!

The book and discussion apply to the medical humanism of every specialty. Snacks and coffee will be provided. To provide an accurate number of attendees, please sign up using the link below.
Link: https://tinyurl.com/allthatmovesus
Contact: Jana Badrani ([email protected]) and Rishi Devulapalli ([email protected])

Calling all Alum of the UAB MSTP. We are seeking alums to participate in different facets of the UAB MSTP. Please access the included survey for details. Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYGsv-WulwJV7gRDNVZwn5OUEf9CpjaWtCYU__UoUHvcBvyg/viewform?usp=sf_link

May is AAPI Heritage Month. Swipe to learn how this celebration came to be. And then check out our latest blog post, “From the Vault”, which features an interview from 2021 with Dr. Victor Sung, an AAPI physician-scientist and beloved educator at UAB (unabridgedmstp.wordpress.com).
.
.
.
.

Dr. Alexander Zane Feldman Obituary (1984 - 2022) The Birmingham News

We are sad to read of the passing of Dr. Alex Feldman. After he completed his Medical Degree, Alex did a Pathology internship and residency at UAB, becoming the Chief Resident his final year. He subsequently did two fellowships in Pediatrics at Ohio State University and in Neuropathology at Northwestern University. Alex came back to UAB in July 2021 as an assistant professor in the Neuropathology Division of the Pathology Department. He was known and well respected for his clinical services as well as his mentorship and teaching. He won numerous teaching awards and taught multiple medical school classes.

The visitation and viewing will be from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 20, 2022 at Meadow Brook Baptist Church, 4984 Meadow Brook Road, Birmingham, AL 35242. Also on Friday night, a brief Celebration of Life Service will begin at 7 p.m. at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Alexander Zane Feldman's memorial fund. This will be used to sponsor a music scholarship endowment fund at UAB and a room named after him at UAB. Give at https://gofund.me/ca019535.

https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/birmingham/name/alexander-feldman-obituary?id=34740514

Dr. Alexander Zane Feldman Obituary (1984 - 2022) The Birmingham News View Dr. Alexander Zane Feldman's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

Last weekend, 8 of our MSTPs received their “final doc”, marking the end of a long but incredible chapter. Today, they’re transitioning to prestigious institutions across the country as neurologists, psychiatrists, radiologists, urologists, and internists. From recruiting new students, to mentoring undergrads and younger MSTPs, to creating podcasts, to chairing committees, to developing curricula, they have left an indelible impact on the UAB MSTP and this institution overall.

We couldn’t be more excited as they embark on their new journeys!
.
.
.

ONE DAY LEFT!

If you haven’t registered for the annual meeting of the Association of Advocates for Women in Science and Medicine (AAWSM), there’s still time. Just go to aawsm.org and sign up to attend this free virtual conference. Swipe to see some of their dynamic speakers!
.
.
.

Happy Friday! We are now 2 weeks away from the annual meeting of the Association of Advocates for Women in Science & Medicine (AAWSM), planned by some of our *awesome* MSTPs. To register and/or submit an abstract for presentation, visit aawsm.org.
.
.
.

Congrats to soon-to-be Dr. Jake Files (GS-4, Immunology), who'll be defending his dissertation this afternoon at 4 pm CST. The defense will be held in BBRB 170, or you can attend via Zoom (Meeting ID: 859 1612 3434).

It’s dissertation season! Asher Kahn-Krell (PhD Program: Biomedical Engineering) will defend his dissertation this afternoon. You can find the Zoom info at bit.ly/kahnkrell.

Congrats Asher!
.
.
.

Congratulations to some of our favorite for matching into their dream specialties. We're incredibly proud of all of you!

Dr. Sergey Antipenko
Neurology, UNC-Chapel Hill

Dr. Garrett Brinkley
Urology, Tulane University

Dr. Corey Duke
Child Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital (Harvard)

Dr. Kristin Olson
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, UAB

Dr. Brandon Pope
Neurology, Medical College of Georgia

Dr. Fabio Raman
Prelim Yr, Brookwood Baptist Health
Radiology-Nuclear Medicine, Johns Hopkins

Dr. Lindsay Stoyka
Neurology, University of Michigan

Dr. Morgan Zipperly
Psychiatry (Research Track), University of Colorado-Denver
.
.
.

UAB MSTP updated their address.

UAB MSTP updated their address.

Miller awarded $3.09 million R01 to study drug targets for glioblastoma

Congrats to UAB MSTP Alum and the Vishnu Reddy Translational Research Endowed Professor and division director of Neuropathology C. Ryan Miller, M.D., Ph.D., who received $3.09 million from the National Cancer Institute for the grant, titled “Credentialing next-generation human glioma models for precision therapeutics,” for research over the next five years.

https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/12661-miller-awarded-3-09-million-r01-to-study-drug-targets-for-glioblastoma?fbclid=IwAR25UzZrbfLdnn8ZsT9h7nvEkdVg6LksL4DCqqk1iaQUSsYl8szqMTH2DKs

Miller awarded $3.09 million R01 to study drug targets for glioblastoma The grant will fund research surrounding next-generation human models that could potentially aid in the development of treatment for glioblastoma.

Today for , we're highlighting the women of the UAB MSTP, who are all amazing in their own right. Swipe for some fast facts about these physician-scientists (to-be).

1. Our program is led by Dr. Yacoubian, a neurologist whose research focuses on neurodegenerative disease. And we're happy to have Dr. Krick, a pulmonologist and cystic fibrosis researcher, who joined our MSTP family last fall as one of our Assistant Directors.

2. Even as trainees, the women of the UAB MSTP continue to making an impact on our program, this institution, and beyond. They
- comprise 45% of our student body
- lead 6 of 10 MSTP Student Committees in addition to other organizations on campus
- make up 4 of 7 class-specific liaisons to the MSTP administration
- represent 53% of current students who've obtained pre-doctoral fellowships, such as the NIH F30 award.

Today we celebrate you! 👏 And be on the lookout for more highlights throughout this .
.
.
.

Today is more than just a palindrome in a week of palindromes. It's also the birthday of our program manager and assistant director of the Physician Scientist Development Office.

Happy Birthday Randy Seay! Whether it's stocking up on our favorite brands of pens or helping us navigate the endless paperwork that is graduate school or just being a listening ear when we need it, we're so grateful for you. Enjoy your day!

Today's highlight is Dr. Alexa Canady, a surgeon-scientist and the first Black woman neurosurgeon. Dr. Canady obtained her medical degree from the University of Michigan before completing her residency in neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota. She was the Chief of Neurosurgery at the Children's Hospital of Michigan for almost 25 years before her retirement in 2001. During her illustrious career, Dr. Canady also evaluated the efficacy of treatments for hydrocephalus, as well as developed novel techniques to treat the condition.

Dr. Canady is a trailblazer who has received numerous and well-deserved awards. And as she puts it "if you do good work, the rest does not matter."
.
.
.

Today, we're highlighting two physician-scientists: Dr. Edward W. Hawthorne and our own Dr. Gregory Payne.

Dr. Hawthorne was a renal physiologist who developed novel methods to measure cardiovascular function in different animal models. Dr. Hawthorne loved Howard University, completing his BS, MD, and clinical training there. And after obtaining his PhD at the University of Illinois-Chicago, he returned to Washington, DC, to spend his entire career at Howard contending with his "personal vendetta against ignorance". Dr. Hawthorne was also committed to training the next generation of physician-scientists, creating the Physiology department a Howard, leading their medical school as dean, and later serving as a fellow of the American College of Cardiologists and vice president of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Gregory Payne currently serves as an Assistant Director to the UAB MSTP, in which his primary focus is on the graduate student transition to clinic (MS3-MS4 years) and preparation for residency applications. He graduated from the Indiana University MSTP in 2011, and completed the ABIM Research Pathway with a fellowship in Cardiology at UAB. Dr. Payne's current research focuses on cardiovascular physiology, particularly the role of the extracellular matrix in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. We're incredibly grateful to have him as part of our MSTP family.

Quiz: In the comments, list how many things Drs. Hawthorne and Payne have in common (hint: it's a lot!).
.
.
.

Congrats to our MSTP director, Dr. Talene Yacoubian, for being recognized as one of "10 women scientists in Birmingham you need to know".

From Bham Now:
"Dr. Talene Alene Yacoubian is the Director of the UAB Medical Scientist Training Program and divides her time between patient care, laboratory research and training of future physician scientists. According to UAB’s website, Dr. Yacoubian’s research focuses on understanding mechanisms underlying the degeneration of the nervous system and testing proteins with neuroprotective potential in cellular and animal models of Parkinson’s disease.

BONUS: Did you know that her research has been funded by the American Parkinson Disease Association, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Parkinson Association of Alabama and National Institutes of Health?

Dr. Yacoubian graduated magna cm laude with her A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College then received her MD and PhD in Neurobiology from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina in 2001."
Link: https://bhamnow.com/2022/02/11/7-women-scientists-in-birmingham-you-need-to-know/?fbclid=IwAR2bdKHGXFkAhBHxLFMa3x6WJlxGzGogWjDOiX1h9aDhKlccXyWm74ggBsA
.
.
.

Celebrating MSTP student Courtney Swain on International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Who do I read about in the News! Our own Courtney Swain! What a great story.

Celebrating MSTP student Courtney Swain on International Day of Women and Girls in Science On International Women and Girls in Science Day, the Heersink School of Medicine shines a spotlight on MSTP student Courtney Swain. Courtney talks about her beginnings in STEM and what she is most excited about in her research.

As it is also the , today's physician-scientist highlight is Dr. Crystal C. Watkins-Johansson, a leading neuropsychiatrist and neuroscientist. She completed her MD-PhD training at Johns Hopkins University and was the first alumna of the Meyerhoff Scholars program to obtain an MD & PhD. During her graduate training, Dr. Watkins-Johansson discovered a novel method to treat gastric motility disorders in patients with diabetes, which led to the development of a patented pharmacological compound. Today, her clinical practice focuses on geriatric neuropsychiatry, and her research ranges from neuroscience to brain imaging to cancer disparities in African American women. Dr. Watkins-Johansson has already made significant contributions in her field in her short career, and we can't wait to see what she does next.
.
.
.

Today we recognize Dr. Bobby Satcher Jr., an orthopedic oncologist, chemical engineer, and astronaut. Born in Hampton, Virginia, Robert Lee Satcher, Jr., obtained his BS and PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT. He later earned his MD from Harvard and completed residency in Orthopedic Surgery from UC-San Francisco, a postdoctoral research fellowship from UC-Berkeley, and a fellowship in Orthopedic Oncology from the University of Florida.

While still practicing as a surgeon, Dr. Satcher applied for the NASA Astronaut program and later completed in a mission to the International Space Station. Dr. Satcher is a current faculty member at MD Anderson Cancer Center and continues to be a groundbreaker in multiple fields.
.
.
.

Check out this opportunity to participate in this research study conducted by our own Kristina Tymes-Wilbekin (GS-4):

"Have you heard of multipurpose prevention technologies? This research study is looking for women to participate in one-on-one interviews about reproductive and sexual health behaviors and how they might influence birth control and/or STI prevention.

Interviews can be held in Birmingham, AL, or virtually. Participants will be compensated for their time.

If you are interested in participating or want more information, contact Kristina Tymes-Wilbekin at (404)-901-7780 or email [email protected]. This study is supported by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). "

On this day, we reflect on the work Dr. King accomplished during his life, but we also recognize that we still have further to go in realizing his dream for our society.

As we train the next generation of physician-scientists, we remain committed to cultivating a program culture that prioritizes health equity and justice.

To learn more about how you can participate in Birmingham King Week activities, visit .
.
.
.

It's our fifth and final interview week of the 2021-22 cycle (that went fast!), which means it's time for another Instagram Takeover. Tomorrow (Tuesday), Rishi will take you through a day in the life as a 1st year medical student.

Be sure to turn on your notifications for and we'll see you in the comments!
.
.
.

Watch this reel by uabmstp on Instagram

Check out our . Stay safe and Happy New Year!
https://www.instagram.com/uabmstp/reel/CYHVuHoFoU9/?utm_medium=copy_link

Watch this reel by uabmstp on Instagram losangelless • 2021 recap

Our final interview of 2021 is this week, which means it's time for another IG Takeover! Tomorrow (Tuesday), Dalton will take you through a day in the pre-PhD life as a 2nd year medical student.

Be sure to turn on your notifications for and see you in the comments!
.
.
.

November is Native American Heritage Month. Today, we recognize Dr. Susan La Fleshce Picotte, the first Native American woman to obtain a medical degree in the US. Upon graduating from the top of her medical school class, Dr. Picotte returned to her Omaha tribe to provide healthcare and become an advocate for improving living conditions on reservations. Today, Indigenous communities still face systemic barriers to careers in healthcare, as Native Americans comprise