EDUCATION
RESEARCH & EDUCATION
As part of UAB ’ s academic mission , one of our goals is to educate the people of Alabama and beyond about the life-changing benefits of transplantation . With leadership roles in major national and international transplant societies , UAB faculty also educate transplant clinicians around the world . Our fellowship training programs in transplant nephrology and abdominal transplant surgery date back to 1988 and are among the nation ’ s most active and respected .
HIGHLIGHTS
• Vineeta Kumar , MD , a professor in the Division of Nephrology , received the 2019 UAB President ’ s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the UAB School of Medicine , largely due to glowing feedback and appraisals from her medical students . Dr . Kumar is a renowned specialist in kidney transplantation and a key architect of the record-setting UAB Kidney Chain , which as of mid-2020 includes more than 114 kidney transplants and is the longest in the world .
• UAB Director of Pancreas Transplantation Carlton Young , MD , was the first recipient of the Mark Deierhoi Faculty Mentor Award , which was created in 2020 to recognize a UAB Department of Surgery faculty member who exhibits the characteristics of mentorship , patience , and dedication to surgical training that Dr . Deierhoi exemplified . The award includes a cash stipend that winners can designate to the charity of their choice . Dr . Deierhoi , who died in June 2020 after serving UAB for 34 years , was instrumental in the rich history of transplantation at UAB – especially in the renal transplant program .
• UAB trainees lead prestigious transplant programs at such institutions as The Ohio State University , Henry Ford Health System , Tampa General Hospital , Carolinas HealthCare System , Medical University of South Carolina , and the University of Ottawa . UAB has a longstanding training program in advanced heart failure and transplantation , and we also developed a transplant pharmacy training program . A planned gift from a grateful patient to promote transplant education promises to help the UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute develop new programs to train the transplant leaders of tomorrow .
• UAB received a five-year , T35 training grant from the NIH for a study titled “ Short-Term Research Experiences Advancing Medical Students ”, or STREAMS . Its goal is to support medical students interested in careers as surgeonscientists , and it provides opportunities for health services , basic , and translational research in topics related to various surgical disciplines , including transplantation .
Vineeta Kumar , MD
16 UAB CTI Report