Category Newsletter


Accolades

Dr. Ravi Kumar, Distinguished University Research Professor at the College of Community Health Sciences, received an honorary doctorate from Krishna University in India for his contributions to pharmaceutical science and medicine. He is recognized for advances in nanotechnology and drug delivery systems that have changed how medicines are designed, developed and administered. His work combines…


Publications 

Dr. Antonio Gardner, associate professor in the CCHS Department of Community Medicine and Population Health, co-authored: “18: Health education research with black/African Americans” published in the Research Handbook on Health Education, Health Promotion and Diversity; and “Preparing Public Health Education Advocates” published in the Health Promotion Practice.   Dr. Lisle Hites, associate professor in the CCHS…


New Faculty 

Dr. David Chandran joined CCHS as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. He will also care for patients as a psychiatrist in the Betty Shirley Clinic at University Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, which CCHS operates. Chandran earned his medical degree from Kurnool Medical College in India and completed two residencies,…


Maternity deserts contribute to state’s high infant mortality rate 

Maternity care is vanishing in rural Alabama resulting in maternity care deserts and increasing the state’s infant mortality rate, which is already above the national average, according to data presented at a College of Community Health Sciences academic lecture.  More than a third of Alabama counties lack adequate obstetrics services, requiring expectant mothers to travel…


Future rural medicine physicians and dentists begin education at CCHS 

The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences welcomed 11 students to the Rural Medical Scholars Program and the Rural Dental Scholars Program, both part of the College’s Rural Health Leaders Pipeline.  The pipeline was created to address the shortage of primary care physicians and dentists in Alabama’s rural communities.   “We are excited to…


Publications 

Dr. Nathan Culmer, director of academic technologies and faculty development with CCHS, co-authored “Patient perceptions on the acceptability and appropriateness of mental health screening and follow-up in national dental practice-based research network practices” published in PubMed in the National Library of Medicine of the National Center for Biotechnology Information.  


Accolades 

Six UAB Heersink School of Medicine students who are or will be completing their third and fourth years of medical school at CCHS were selected to receive the school’s Dean’s Primary Care Scholarship. The merit-based scholarship provides both financial support and enrichment opportunities for students aspiring to become physician leaders in primary care. The CCHS…


Faculty member provides immersive health course in Vietnam 

Dr. Joy Bradley, assistant professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, taught a summer course that enabled students to explore the health and culture of Vietnam. The four-week program, which Bradley taught in Vietnam, combined classroom learning with real-world experiences, including engagement with local communities, hands-on field work and visitation of cultural sites.  


Fellows seek additional training in obstetrics

Two family medicine physicians seeking additional skills in obstetrics began their training as part of the Family Medicine-Obstetrics Fellowship at the College of Community Health Sciences.   Drs. Rachel Butler-Sarvaunt and Schae Hanson started their fellowships in July.  The Family Medicine-Obstetrics Fellowship is a one-year program created to address the need for obstetrics in rural and…


Residents and faculty attend annual recruiting conference 

Residents and faculty of The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program met medical students and prospective family medicine residents at the FUTURE 2025 conference held July 31-Aug. 2 in Kansas City, Mo.  The annual three-day conference, formerly known as the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference for Medical Students and Family Medicine…