Burt Nabors, M. D. CENTER PROFILE
“ We have patients who are becoming long-term survivors from even the most malignant types of brain cancer. We have a long way to go, but we’ re making progress.”
Burt Nabors, M. D., is a professor in the UAB Department of Neurology and a senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. A nationally recognized expert in the field of neurological oncology, Dr. Nabors has been a member of the UAB faculty since 1995.
CCC Magazine: How did you end up at UAB?
BN: I’ m originally from Columbus, Mississippi. I went to Mississippi State for my undergraduate degree and the University of Tennessee for medical school. I was a general practice doctor in the Navy for four years before I came to UAB for more training. I was trained as a neurologist, and I did a fellowship in neuro-oncology here. My research was going well and I was developing strong collaborations, so I ended up staying. I didn’ t think that was going to happen, and now it’ s been 20 years.
CCC Magazine: What’ s your favorite part of your job?
BN:: I don’ t know if there’ s any single favorite part of my job. What I like about it is that I get to do a lot of different things, and I like all of them. I’ m involved in clinical care, and I have my research lab and clinical trials. I’ m also involved in the teaching of residents, medical students and fellows. I like all these opportunities, and they all complement each other. I like the ability to do different things. I really enjoy what I do.
CCC Magazine: What do you like to do in your spare time?
BN:: I enjoy going to the beach and backpacking. Two of the other doctors here and I like to go backpacking together.
I like reading stuff that’ s not related to science or brain cancer. There doesn’ t seem to be a lot of other time to do anything else. I have an old house in Homewood so keeping it together is another hobby. It was built in 1920, so it always needs a little something here and there.
CCC Magazine: How has your work changed since you came to UAB?
BN: One of the real struggles of brain cancer is that the brain is essential to defining everything there is about us as an individual. Your ability to do what you do, to interact with family and friends – there is no other organ that determines our quality of life and our satisfaction with our life as our brain does. We’ re now able to be involved in other aspects of cancer that we previously had not been active in. For example, neuro-psychologists who are interested in neuro-cognitive aspects of the disease or neuro-ophthalmologists interested in tumors of the nervous system that affect vision. We’ ve got interests in nutrition and the microbiome, which may impact how patients respond to treatment. There’ s a far broader and greater depth to the program than when I came here. We have patients who are becoming long-term survivors from even the most malignant types of brain cancer. We have a long way to go, but we’ re making progress.
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