Category Newsletter


Mini Med School: Curcumin and Inflammation

Chronic low-level inflammation plays a role in many health conditions and diseases. Curcumin, which is found in the spice Turmeric, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. Dr. M.N.V. Ravi Kumar, Distinguished University Research Professor of Bioscience and Medicine with The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, is studying the health benefits of curcumin. He has…


Accolades

Dr. Shawn Cecil, assistant professor of pediatrics with CCHS, Dr. Sara Phillips, assistant professor of pediatrics with CCHS, and Dr. Nicole Lally, a second-year resident with the College’s UA Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program, co-authored a poster presentation on the views of parents of children ages 6 month through 11 years about the COVID-19 vaccine.…


Retirement

After more than four decades of caring for patients and teaching medical students and resident physicians, Dr. Joseph Fritz will retire from CCHS at the end of 2022. Fritz, a family medicine physician, opened his own practice, Warrior Family Medicine, in 1978 in Tuscaloosa. In 2013, he merged his practice with University Medical Center, which…


Publications

Dr. Lisle Hites, associate professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, and Dr. Pamela Payne-Foster, professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, co-authored “Telehealth uptake among middle-aged and older Americans during COVID-19: Chronic conditions, social media communication, and race/ethnicity,” accepted for publication in the Journal for Aging & Mental Health. To…


New Faculty

Dr. Mallory Scogin joined CCHS as assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She will also care for patients at University Medical Center, which is operated by the College. Scogin received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from The University of Alabama, and a Master of Public Health Degree in health care organization…


Transitioning to retirement

Studies show that transitioning to retirement isn’t always easy, but there are ways for older adults to successfully navigate that journey, according to Dr. John Burkhardt, a clinical psychologist with University Medical Center. During a November Mini Medical School presentation to participants of The University of Alabama OLLI program, Burkhardt explained the five stages that…


CCHS Research and Scholarly Activity

College of Community Health Sciences faculty, staff, residents, medical students and graduate students were featured for their research and scholarly efforts during the College’s 13th Annual CCHS Research and Scholarly Activity Day on Nov. 17. “It is very exciting that we have the ranges of different posters focusing on medical and behavioral issues built from…


Publications

Dr. Sara Phillips, assistant professor of pediatrics with CCHS, Dr. Olivia May, associate professor of pediatrics with CCHS, Dr. Catanya Stager, post-doc fellow with the CCHS Department of Community Medicine and Population Health, and Dr. Abbey Gregg, assistant professor of community medicine and population health with CCHS, co-authored “An Assessment of Pediatric Primary Care Providers’…


COVID-19 Update

Dr. Tom Weida, chief medical officer for University Medical Center, provided information about COVID-19 during an October Mini Medical School presentation at The University of Alabama’s OLLI program. Mini Medical School is a series of lectures provided to OLLI by faculty of UA’s College of Community Health Sciences, which operates UMC. Weida said COVID-19 comes…


Drug Development

Dr. Meenakshi Arora, associate professor of biological sciences with the College of Community Health Sciences, explained the process of drug development during a Mini Medical School presentation to University of Alabama OLLI members in October. Arora is also a core member of UA’s Center for Convergent Bioscience and Medicine, which works to develop novel medications…