Dr. Brett Bentley, clinical assistant professor of sports medicine in the CCHS Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine, was promoted to clinical associate professor. In addition to his academic position, he also provides patient care at University Medical Center in the Dr. Bill deShazo Sports Medicine Center. Bentley completed his undergraduate degree and medical school at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. He completed his family medicine residency at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., and his sports medicine fellowship at CCHS, which operates UMC.
Dr. Catherine Lavender, clinical associate professor of family medicine obstetrics in the CCHS Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine, was promoted to clinical professor. She also cares for patients at University Medical Center clinics in Northport and Carrollton. Lavender graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Alabama and received her medical degree from the UA School of Medicine. She completed her residency and served as chief resident at the UA Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program, which the College operates. Lavender also completed an obstetrics fellowship at the Austin Medical Education Program in Austin, Texas.
Dr. Mercedes Morales-Aleman, assistant professor in the CCHS Department of Community Medicine and Population Health and the Institute for Rural Health Research, was promoted to associate professor with tenure. Morales-Aleman serves as the chair of the CCHS for Academic, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Her research interests are in sexual health and health care access among ethnic minority women in the southern United States. In addition, Morales-Aleman was awarded funding for a Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship by the Faculty Teaching and Research Support Committee of The University of Alabama Council on Community-Based Partnerships. The $20,000 fellowship will allow Morales-Aleman to hire a graduate student to assist with her research.
Dr. Sara Phillips, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics with the CCHS Department of Pediatrics, was promoted to clinical associate professor. Phillips received her bachelor’s degree in biology and her master’s degree in human and environmental sciences from The University of Alabama. She received her medical degree from the UA School of Medicine. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark.
Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster, professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, will present “Promising Practices in Lupus Clinical Trial Diversity and Awareness” July 21 at the American College of Rheumatology’s clinical trial symposium, “Engaging Diverse Participants in Lupus Trials: The Path Forward.” The symposium seeks to connect rheumatology leaders, referring physicians, researchers and industry leaders to discuss challenges and strategies in diversifying rheumatology clinical trials utilizing lupus as a case study.
Dr. M.N.V. Ravi Kumar, Distinguished University Research Professor and faculty with CCHS, received a University of Alabama President’s Faculty Research Award April 19 during a Faculty Research Day ceremony at the Bryant Conference Center. The awards, which are sponsored by the offices of the UA President and vice president for Research and Economic Development, are awarded to outstanding faculty researchers from across campus. Faculty Research Day highlights and celebrates excellence in research and creativity and generates enthusiasm for scholarship among faculty while increasing awareness of the University’s research and its impact.
Mariana Rios Nava, an undergraduate research assistant with CCHS, received a first-place award in the Health Science category for her poster at the UA Undergraduate Research and Creativity conference. Nava is working on her research study, “Peer-delivered Interventions to Improve Mental Health among Latinas in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Promotoras Literature,” with Dr. Mercedes, Morales-Aleman, associate professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS.