Category Newsletter


Largest class graduates from population health sciences program 

Nine students graduated from the College of Community Health Sciences with master’s degrees in population health sciences during The University of Alabama’s summer commencement on Aug. 2. It is the largest class to date to graduate from the graduate degree program.   Population health sciences is an interdisciplinary field that combines clinical care with public health…


CCHS researchers create nanoparticle to reduce inflammation 

The University of Alabama Center for Convergent Bioscience and Medicine, led by faculty from the College of Community Health Sciences, has developed a bio-engineered molecule that uses naringenin, a natural compound found in citrus fruits, to both target and treat inflammation.   The project was led by Dr. Meenakshi Arora, associate professor of biomedical sciences at…


UA offers free flu shots for students and employees 

The University of Alabama is once again helping its campus community stay healthy this fall with free flu shots for students, faculty and staff.   The 14th annual UA Flu Shot Campaign, led by the University’s College of Community Health Sciences, starts Sept. 3 and runs through mid-November.   During the campaign, free flu vaccines are provided…


New faculty 

Dr. William Brooks Burns joined CCHS as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. He also cares for patients as a psychiatrist in the Betty Shirley Clinic at University Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, which the College operates. Burns earned his medical degree from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at…


CCHS residency director appointed department chair

Dr. Tamer Elsayed, director of The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency Program, has been appointed chair of the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine (FIRM) at UA’s College of Community Health Sciences. Elsayed’s appointment, which takes effect Aug. 15, follows “a rigorous national search,” said CCHS Dean Dr. Richard Friend. “Dr. Elsayed…


Publications 

Dr. Catherine Lavender, a professor in the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine with CCHS, and Dr. Drake Lavender, associate professor in the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine with CCHS, authored two chapters for Berek and Novak’s Gynecology, 17th Edition – “Preventive Health Care and Screening” and “Primary Care.”   Dr. Maryam Bidgoli,…


Accolades 

Dr. Catherine Lavender, professor in the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine with CCHS, was a recent guest on an Alabama Academy of Family Physicians Amplify podcast. She shared insights about the vital role family medicine obstetricians play in providing care in underserved communities. She also talked about the maternity crisis in rural Alabama,…


New Faculty 

Dr. Madison Peoples joined CCHS as an assistant professor in the Department of Family, Internal, and Rural Medicine. She also cares for patients as a family medicine physician at University Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, which CCHS operates. Peoples earned a master’s degree in rural community health from the College as a Rural Medical Scholar. She…


Trauma-informed care: a compassionate clinical approach 

Traumatic experiences, such as exposure to violence, sexual trauma and certain medical complications, can impact a person’s health and how they engage in their care, said Dr. Mallory Scogin, assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology with the College of Community Health Sciences.   Scogin, who also provides ob-gyn care for patients at University Medical Center, said a trauma-informed…


New sports medicine fellows begin at CCHS 

The College of Community Health Sciences welcomed three new fellows to its Sports Medicine Fellowship for Family Medicine Physicians – Drs. Dana Hutton, Leroy Jemison and Joseph Snooks. They began their fellowships in July.  The sports medicine fellowship provides education and training in sports medicine to family medicine physicians. Fellows care for patients at the…