Women of Influence: UAB space archeoligist Sarah Parcak
“Sharing knowledge is the greatest of all callings. There’s nothing like it in the land.” University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professor of anthropology Sarah Parcak told this ancient Egyptian quote to a crowd of listeners during a 2012 TED talk (which has since been viewed over 1 million times) on her work to detect hidden archaeological sites with satellites and Infra-red technology, also known as “space archeology,” and Parcak does just that. Parcak was born in Bangor, Maine, earned her bachelor’s degree in near Eastern languages and civilizations at Yale University in 2001, and her Master’s and Ph.D in Egyptian archaeology from Trinity College at Cambridge. From there, she taught Egyptian art and history at the University of Wales in Swansea before moving to Birmingham to work at UAB, where she founded the Laboratory for Global Observation. Parcak has since directed multiple surveys and excavation projects from the Sinai Peninsula, and the Nile’s East Delta to Romania, Nabetaea, Tunisia and Italy. Her work has been featured in three documentaries, the 2011 documentary Egypt: What Lies Beneath, the 2012 documentary Rome’s Lost Empire and Vikings Unearthed. Parcak’s team of archaeologists at UAB has claimed the discovery of 17 pyramids, more than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 settlements in the vicinity of Sa el-HagarIn, and in 2015 she collaborated on the identification of a possible Norse settlement in Newfoundland. But the spotlight really hit her in 2016 when she won the 2016 TED prize, a coveted prize of $1 million, which she used to fund the Global Xplorer platform; a web-based platform designed to “revolutionize how modern archaeology is done altogether, by creating a global network of citizen explorers.” The first goal of Global Xplorer is to map out the entire country Peru — the home of Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines and other archaeological wonders waiting to be discovered. “We will do nothing less than use state-of-the-art technology to map an entire country,” said Parcak at the TED Summit in 2016. “This is a dream started by Hiram Bingham, but we are expanding it to the world, making archaeological exploration more open, inclusive, and at a scale simply not previously possible.” One of Parcaks goals is to preserve the history, and save sites in the middle-east from looters, “the past few years have been horrific for archaeology. I’ve spent a lot of time, as have many of my colleagues, looking at the destruction,” Parcak said when she accepted the TED prize in 2016. “This Prize is not about me. It’s about our field. It’s about the thousands of men and women around the world, particularly in the Middle East, who are defending and protecting sites.” She has been selected for many top honors including being named on of the 100 Leading Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine, and is also a National Geographic Society Archaeology Fellow, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a 2013 TED Senior Fellow. Parcak’s work has led to many discoveries and excavated an abundant amount of historical sites otherwise lost to the modern world, she is also bringing together “citizen scientists” from around the globe to learn, and work together to open windows to the past for our modern world. For her service to our world, the students at the University of Alabama, and for her relentless pursuit of unearthing the past for our modern eyes, Sarah Parcak is doubtlessly an Alabama woman of influence.
Alabama legislature approves Rural Hospital Resource Center
The Alabama Legislature has approved a bill to create a resource center housed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System to provide support for nonprofit, rural, public hospitals in the state that are facing economic pressures. SB351, sponsored by Jasper-Republican state Sen. Greg Reed and it’s House companion bill HB446 sponsored by Cullman-Republican Randall Shedd, would create the Alabama Rural Hospital Resource Center, staffed and managed by the UAB Health System. It would assist rural public hospitals in areas including purchasing and supply chain, strategic planning, insurance and cost reporting, coding, recruitment, and compliance. “I believe that increasing access to quality health care for Alabamians in rural areas is essential,” Reed said. “The physicians and researchers at UAB are among the best in the world, and this new center will give Alabama’s rural hospitals direct access to game-changing innovations in medicine and health care management.” Shedd said the bill will help ensure appropriate health care is available to all Alabamians. “This is a concept that provides benefit to all parties involved, but most of all to the residents of rural Alabama who have seen their local hospital close or be forced to cut services,” Shedd added. “This can help ensure that appropriate health care is available to all Alabamians where they live and work.” The plan would call for the UAB Health System to add staff to provide expertise, advice and resources to hospitals that request assistance. “As the flagship health enterprise in the state, UAB has robust systems in place in the areas where a rural hospital might have needs — areas including coding, supply chain or regulatory compliance,” weighed-in Will Ferniany, Ph.D., CEO of the UAB Health System. “We can offer our knowledge, insights, and support as a means of helping rural hospitals across the state remain viable and open.” Ferniany says the resource center is one part of a larger effort by the UAB Health System to help stabilize small, rural hospitals and improve access to needed medical care for all residents of Alabama. That effort gained steam following a 2016 law enabling universities with medical schools to create University Health Authorities. “Many rural hospitals are in crisis,” Ferniany explained. “The resource center is designed to help keep those nonprofit, public hospitals operational so that Alabamians can get medical care close to home when appropriate. That helps ensure that a tertiary care facility like UAB Hospital will have available resources for the situations for which we are uniquely positioned to provide care — including Level 1 trauma, transplantation, and advanced cancer care, for example.” Hospitals that are eligible to request assistance from the center would be located in areas that meet federal designations of rural areas or have a shortage of health care resources under federal guidelines. More than 30 public hospitals in Alabama meet those criteria. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature, and the center will need approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.
UAB stroke study receives $20 million grant
The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s stroke study received a $20 million grant to help look into strokes in the South and among African-Americans. UAB’s Regions for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke will receive funds through 2023, Al.com reported. The study has gotten almost $100 million in grant funding in the past 15 years. More than 30,000 people have participated in the REGARDS study. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is funding the grant. University officials say study participants have taken part in the program for 14 years. The study is based in UAB’s School of Public Health. It includes collaborators from the University of Vermont, University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, Drexel University and Columbia University. UAB professor of biostatistics George Howard said the stroke mortality rate between the ages of 45 and 65 is 200 to 300 percent higher for African-Americans. He also said 11 percent of deaths from strokes in white people happen before age 65, but the number rises to 28 percent for African-Americans. Experts found that living in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee early in life increases the risk of stroke, the newspaper reported. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Personnel note: Alabama appoints Dr. Scott Harris state health officer
Alabama has appointed Dr. Scott Harris as the state’s twelfth state health officer, effective February 21. The position looks over 65 local health departments throughout the state. “I feel honored and privileged that the State Committee of Public Health granted me this opportunity to address the state’s health care needs and challenges,” said Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris has served residents of Alabama for 19 years, and brings with him the wide range of knowledge and extensive experience that come with that caliber of practice. He graduated from Harding University in Arkansas, and then attended medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine, serving his residency at Carraway Methodist Medical Center. He later returned to UAB to complete a fellowship in infectious diseases, and in 2017 was awarded a master’s degree in public health from the UAB School of Public Health with a concentration in health policy. He also practiced infectious disease medicine at Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center. “I care a lot about public health, which I think is true for anybody in the job, but what I’d like to bring to it is the perspective of somebody that’s born and raised here, who spent a couple of decades working in private practice and seeing how that works” Dr. Harris told WHNT. In 2005, he became medical director at the Decatur-Morgan Community Free Clinic — the non-profit clinic offers health care and dental care at no charge to low income, medically uninsured local residents. Dr. Harris has also served on many international medical missions to Central America, South America and Africa. He joined the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) as area health officer for seven North Alabama counties in 2015 where has served as acting state health officer for the last six months and currently co-chairs the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. The Talladega native is a fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP), Infectious Disease Society of America (FIDSA), and a credentialed HIV specialist, American Academy of HIV Medicine. He also served on the Medical Executive Committee, as medicine department chairman and director of multiple committees including infection control, pharmacy and therapeutics, and the surgical care improvement project at Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center. He is past chairman and current member of the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation.
Antarctica marine biology explorers embark on 2018 journey
By: Alicia Rohan | University of Alabama at Birmingham Marine biologists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham landed on the White Continent by way of Punta Arenas, Chile, for a research expedition. Over the next 16 weeks, the team of six explorers will spend the 2018 field season at Palmer Station researching the ecology of the very rich Antarctic seafloor communities and how important ecological interactions in those communities are structured through the production of chemical defenses against predation. In previous and planned research, the group also studies dramatic ecological effects of climate change on marine life of the Antarctic Peninsula. “The seafloor communities we study are exceptionally rich with lush beds of large seaweeds, which support very dense assemblages of invertebrate animals,” said Chuck Amsler, Ph.D., professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology and co-leader of the expedition. “There are many experiments that can only be conducted in Antarctica. Our research is important to understanding these vibrant communities, and we use unique features of Antarctica as tools that allow us to learn things that are applicable worldwide but can best be studied there.” The long-running team, which has been traveling on research expeditions to Palmer Station for 18 years, will focus their research on the continuation studies of the National Science Foundation-funded research program on the chemical ecology of Antarctic marine algae and invertebrates. Updates on their discoveries and life on Earth’s southernmost continent can be found on the UAB in Antarctica blog a few times each week. “Marine research in Antarctica is both intellectually challenging and physically demanding,” said James McClintock, Ph.D., UAB Polar and Marine Biology Endowed Professor, also a co-leader of the expedition. “Our research continues to reveal the potential impacts of rapid climate warming on Antarctic marine organisms, as well as organismal responses to predicted near-future increases in carbon atmospheric dioxide absorbed by seawater, a process known as ocean acidification.” The team will welcome North Carolina high school teacher Keith Smith to Antarctica for the last month of the trip. Smith, a science teacher at Freedom High School, will be traveling to Anvers Island, Antarctica, as part of the PolarTREC program that recruits teachers to participate in “hands-on field research experiences in the polar regions.” Smith will be able to take his knowledge learned in the research field back to his students and apply it to his work in the classroom. Eighty-seven percent of the glaciers on the western Antarctic Peninsula are in rapid retreat. In recognition of the retreat of these glaciers, an Explorers Club Flag Expedition will be led by McClintock, a 2016 elected Fellow of the Explorers Club. These expeditions are a fundamental component of the Explorer Club mission to engage in scientific exploration and broadly share the results. The flag will be planted on Amsler Island to celebrate Charles and Maggie Amsler’s contributions to science, but also to bring attention to the fact that Amsler Island emerged from under the Marr Glacier in the geological equivalent of ‘the blink of an eye’ due to unprecedented climate warming. Members of the 2018 expedition team include James McClintock; Chuck Amsler; Maggie Amsler, a research associate in the UAB Department of Biology; Michelle Curtis, a graduate research assistant from UAB; Sabrina Heiser, a graduate research assistant from UAB; and Cecilia Brothers, Ph.D., collaborating researcher and UAB alumna. Unique facts about the team traveling on the journey include: 76 previous trips to Antarctica collective on the team, with Curtis serving as the rookie this time around. A total of 1,440 frigid research scuba dives in previous Antarctic expeditions (C. Amsler 848, M. Amsler 411, S. Heiser 181). McClintock’s work in Antarctica in previous years earned him a distinction that few living people in the world have: a spot on the coast of Antarctica named McClintock Point in his honor by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. Maggie Amsler was on one of the first-ever manned submarine cruises to document the sea floor communities in Antarctica and is likely the first woman to make a submersible dive in Antarctica. Her deepest dive reached 1,001 meters depth, 25 times deeper than the deepest scuba dives the team routinely makes. Maggie and Chuck Amsler were honored by the U.S. Board of Geographic names with the designation of Amsler Island, which is approximately half a mile from Palmer Station. Travel companion Henry the teddy bear will take his farthest trip yet. Henry is part of Gardendale Elementary’s second-grade class project to see where his travels take him. Originally published on the University of Alabama at Birmingham website.
Alabama’s own Dr. House solves medical mystery
Imagine waking up almost every night, shaking with chills, unable to get warm under a pile of quilts, sweating profusely, then seeing your temperature rise to 102 or 103 degrees… and an hour later vomiting until there was nothing left inside of you. That is what a woman in rural Alabama experienced nearly every single night for nearly a decade. During the day her bones would ache, she felt tired and weak, had no appetite, had severe hives, and had lost over 80 pounds in a year. She’d been to the E.R. of her local hospital several times, and seen several specialists in Tuscaloosa, Ala. but no one had any clue what was wrong with her; until Alabama’s own Dr. House — Dr. Forest Huls, a pathology resident at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham — diagnosed her with an extremely rare auto immune disorder called Schnitzler syndrome. It all began with Dr. Jori May, an internist in her second year of training, who met the woman and began to study her charts and records. From the jump, she was unable reach a diagnosis. Eventually she stumbled upon an antibody, known as IgM, that was high and referred her to an infectious-disease specialist, who found no infection. May was stumped. No others doctors could figure out what was going on either. Flash forward seven months and May received an 11-page note from Dr. Huls, who was not involved in the case, suggesting the patient had Schnitzler syndrome. Turns out, Huls was right about his diagnosis. Thankfully, even though the illness is very rare, there is an effective treatment. Once May’s patient began taking the treatment the shaking chills and fever disappeared. Along with the nausea, vomiting, hives and bone pain. “When I see people suffering and I know that if I took the time and effort, I could figure it out, then I have to do something,” Huls told the New York Times. According to the New York Times, Huls is currently finishing his fellowship. He has yet to decide where he will end up.
Revolutionizing cancer treatment: UAB Proton Therapy Center to open in 2020
Imagine state-of-the-art cancer treatment that is so exact, it can target tumor-killing radiation directly to any spot in the body, with a low chance of harming tissue in front of, around or behind the tumor. Starting in 2020, UAB Hospital will begin offering this innovative treatment – proton therapy – for patients with localized cancer. On Jan. 30, UAB broke ground for the state’s first Proton Therapy Center at the corner of 20th Street South and Fifth Avenue. A technically advanced form of radiation, proton therapy uses highly precise proton beams instead of traditional X-rays to attack tumors. It painlessly delivers radiation through the skin, directly to a targeted place in the body, such as a tumor or organ. There, the proton beams deposit a precise dose of radiation, avoiding damage to healthy surrounding tissue better than conventional X-ray radiation. Currently, there are approximately 20 proton therapy centers in the U.S. Proton International at UAB will be in a three-story building that will house the proton therapy system, manufactured by Varian, a longtime partner with UAB in the delivery of radiation therapy. UAB will lease the property to Proton International, which will build and manage the facility. A leader in the field of proton therapy, Proton International also has two centers underway in Europe. Dr. John Fiveash, a UAB oncologist since 1998, looks forward to offering the treatment to his patients. When Fiveash began practicing medicine at UAB, he mostly treated prostate and brain cancers. Now, about 80 percent of his patients have brain tumors. “Proton treatment is the next step in improving nonsurgical cancer treatment,” he said. Providing targeted cancer treatment For some patients, proton therapy will provide more superior treatment, he believes. “We’ve spent the last 15 years looking at how treatment has evolved,” said Fiveash, one of 17 radiation oncologists. “This therapy has become more cost-effective, and we believe it will become a tool of choice for physicians. “Compared to standard treatment, proton therapy has the ability to target a tumor or cancerous growth, sometimes giving a higher dose of cancer-killing therapy with the same level of side effects,” said Fiveash, who earned his M.D. at the Medical College of Georgia in 1993. “In theory, this treatment is for patients who have localized cancer.” He said that oncologists will select patients who will best benefit, such as those whose cancer affects an organ and a few nearby lymph nodes. Not every patient will be eligible. It’s possible for oncologists to combine proton therapy with chemotherapy, which makes radiation more effective for many types of tumors. Fiveash said that proton therapy may prove less toxic. “Regular radiation can have many side effects,” Fiveash said. “For many tumor types, proton therapy can lead to a better quality of life.” Proton therapy may benefit children who have brain tumors. Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham sees about 60 to 80 patients a year who require treatment, but the hospital doesn’t offer radiation. Many Children’s patients are directed to Fiveash. “Regular radiation can cause intellectual and developmental disabilities later to the patient,” he said. “Head and neck or throat cancers may also benefit. For those patients, the mouth can get very sore, preventing the patient from eating. This may allow us not to irradiate the mouth as much.” UAB improving healthcare for Alabama residents, region “Establishing the first proton therapy facility in Alabama is one more way that UAB Medicine is improving health care for residents of the state and region,” said UAB Health System CEO Will Ferniany. “This advanced cancer-fighting radiation technology, coupled with the skill, experience and resources of Proton International, the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, will be a life-changing resource for cancer patients throughout our region,” Ferniany said. Chris Chandler, CEO of Proton International, said that proton therapy has proved itself as a front-line treatment for multiple forms of cancer. “Experts conservatively estimate that about 250,000 cancer patients in the United States alone could benefit from proton therapy,” Chandler said. “We are excited to partner with UAB and the Department of Radiation Oncology to put this outstanding tool into the hands of the best oncologists in Alabama.” Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Child sex abuse victim calls out Doug Jones for ‘hypocrisy’ in blasting Roy Moore
AL.com on Tuesday reported a woman who sued the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) over sexual abuse in 2001, called out Alabama Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Doug Jones for “hypocrisy” for his role as a defense attorney on behalf of the university. Brittany Benefield was a child-prodigy recruited by UAB at 14. While attending the university, living in the doors with football players, she claimed to have suffered sexual abuse by the hands of UAB coaches and the administration when she was only 15-years old. In the high-profile case, Jones said Benefield’s claims were “without merit.” “The charges against UAB administrators and coaches are entirely without merit and represent nothing more than a cynical attempt to extort money by slandering this institution and its employees,” Jones said at the time according to the AL.com report. Now, in light of Jones’ reaction to the allegations against Republican nominee Roy Moore, Benefield has come forward speaking against Jones. “I find it to be the height of hypocrisy that he sets his campaign to be on the moral high ground against Roy Moore,” Benefield told AL.com. She claims some of the things Jones said during the process “really made my jaw hit the floor. I just think Doug Jones is full of … something. He was cold, uncaring, unfeeling and calculated throughout the case.” Benefield is referring to Jones saying the credibility of the allegations against Moore “have a lot more credibility” than his denials. A response in stark contrast to his stance on the allegations Benefield made in 2001. “The credibility of the allegations and the statements of these women in Etowah County seem to have a lot more credibility than denials that he’s made or denials made by his handlers,” Jones said last Wednesday. However, Benefield’s attorney in the trial defended Jones actions. Attorney John Whitaker said Jones acted professionally did not mistreat his client. “Never, ever, do I think that Doug Jones did anything inappropriate,” Whitaker said. Jones faces Moore in the special election on Dec. 12.
Medical Properties Trust gifts $2.5 million to UAB’s Diabetes Center
Four Birmingham businessmen did not bond over shared hobbies. Their common interest was rooted in finding a way to eradicate a disease that affects close to 30 million Americans, including members of their own families and company – diabetes. Talk was not where the interest ended for Medical Properties Trust co-founders Edward Aldag Jr. and Emmett McLean, and philanthropists David Silverstein and Benny LaRussa Jr. A self-advised real estate investment fund, Medical Properties Trust recently donated $2.5 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center to further bolster the cutting-edge efforts of the research entity. In turn, LaRussa and Silverstein intend to raise an additional $2.5 million in private donations to match the Medical Properties Trust gift. UAB’s School of Medicine also has agreed to match this gift with an additional $2.5 million in institutional resources to support what is an overall $7.5 million initiative. “It was an easy inspiration,” said Aldag, CEO and president of Medical Properties Trust, the second-largest owner of hospital beds in the United States, with a reach that extends to five countries. “We are in the health care business, and diabetes is one of the worst and most prevalent diseases in this country. We have heard about the great work in the research lab of Dr. Anath Shalev at UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and it was an easy decision to give this gift.” UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center researchers are conducting cutting-edge research into the causes and mechanisms of diabetes with a promising drug currently in the Alabama Drug Discovery Alliance pipeline, and the ongoing clinical trial that repurposes verapamil as a beta cell survival therapy in Type 1 diabetes. Directed by Anath Shalev, M.D., the Nancy R. and Eugene C. Gwaltney Family Endowed Chair in Juvenile Diabetes Research, UAB scientists are working on these and other novel disease-altering therapies, and training future generations of diabetes researchers and clinicians while providing the highest-quality innovative care to diabetes patients. “The research efforts of Dr. Shalev and everyone involved in the Comprehensive Diabetes Center are centered around one goal – eradicating this debilitating disease that affects 30 million Americans, including more than 13 percent of Alabamians,” said Ray L. Watts, UAB president. “Gifts like this one from Medical Properties Trust combined with the philanthropic efforts of David Silverstein and Benny LaRussa are vital to expanding and accelerating our globally renowned research efforts. We are appreciative of their gift and determination to raise an additional $2.5 million to support our world-class researchers, and we are excited to partner with them in this effort.” Silverstein and LaRussa honored Medical Properties Trust for its gift with an October event at The Country Club of Birmingham. The event served as the launch to raise the additional $2.5 million in support of this $7.5 million initiative. R. Steven Hamner, Medical Properties Trust’s chief financial officer and co-founder, says the combined gifts from his company and UAB, and the drive to raise an additional $2.5 million from the community, are vital to continuing to advance the progress in the field. The three Medical Properties Trust leaders were also inspired to make this philanthropic donation because two valued employees have Type 1 diabetes, one of whom is Silverstein’s daughter, Sarah. “It’s personal to us as a company,” said McLean, Medical Properties Trust’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “I think a lot of our other employees didn’t realize these two have diabetes because they look so healthy, but the fact of the matter is that diabetes is an indiscriminate disease. It would be wonderful if the Medical Properties Trust gift could give those living with diabetes healthier lives.” Shalev said the desire that Medical Properties Trust has to help find a way to end diabetes is inspiring to the researchers in UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center. She says their generous gift will help combat the epidemic of diabetes and prediabetes in Alabama, which cost an estimated $5.4 billion total in direct medical expenses and associated indirect costs from lost productivity in the state each year, according to the American Diabetes Association. “We are in the buckle of the diabetes belt, and as a state, we are typically either No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation in terms of our diabetes prevalence,” Shalev said. “We are grateful to Medical Properties Trust for this gift, as it addresses an urgent need.” Fathers on a mission Providing healthier lives for people with diabetes is a cause Silverstein and LaRussa have championed since their daughters, Sarah Silverstein and Chelsey LaRussa Heslop, were each diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as children almost 20 years ago. “At the time Sarah was diagnosed, I knew very little about the disease,” said Silverstein, a principal at Bayer Properties Inc., who teared up while talking about his daughter’s fight. “But having a child with a life-threatening disease puts everything into perspective, and I made a commitment to Sarah that I would better understand the disease and do what I could to raise money to find a cure.” Silverstein has lived up to that promise. He and LaRussa initially raised $15 million through private donations and gifts from the Diabetes Trust Fund to establish the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center in 2008. “It’s important for people to understand that UAB made an institutional commitment to establish the Comprehensive Diabetes Center, and they didn’t do that randomly,” LaRussa said. “Dr. Shalev and the team she has assembled are world-class, which gives the center immediate credibility. That’s one of the mandates David and I both had when this all started.” Click here to read more. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
UAB provides top genetic counseling in Southeast
Many doctors treat patients under the belief “You are your genes,” meaning that every person is a product of his or her own unique heredity. The statement is true to some degree, said Dr. Anna Hurst, a medical geneticist and pediatrician in the Department of Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). That is because hereditary factors predispose every person to myriad characteristics including hair, eye and skin color, as well as height, physical conditions and diseases. Recently, there has been a huge increase in awareness about genetic predisposition following actress Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she carries a faulty copy of the BRCA1 gene, indicating that she has a strong hereditary tendency toward breast and/or ovarian cancers. Jolie elected to undergo preventative surgery to ensure she would not develop the cancer that killed her mother. Most cases are not so clear cut, said Dr. Anna Hurst, a medical geneticist and pediatrician at UAB Hospital. In her role, Hurst trains pediatrics and genetics residents at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. She and a genetic counselor often see patients together, screening family history forms and meeting as a team to discuss their findings with the patients and medical providers. “I’ve always been fascinated by the subject of genetics and how it affects people’s lives. It’s a complicated science topic, with implications for an entire family,” said Hurst, who trained in pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and studied medical genetics at UAB. She earned a master’s degree in genetic counseling at the University of South Carolina and an M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina. A tough discussion Hurst works in UAB’s Genetics Clinic, which assists with gathering patient information. She performs patients’ physical exams and prepares parents for the possible results. “Up to 15 to 20 percent of the time, there can be an inconclusive result,” Hurst said. “There can also be unexpected familial news, and you must prepare the patient and family for the psychosocial results. It is definitely difficult to discuss potential genetic conditions. But, by offering these results, we empower people about how they can use the results to better their health care. “We treat the patient first, not their genotype, or genetic information,” Hurst said. “With patients who are in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or in prenatal, it’s really difficult to discuss. The defect can be part of a larger picture. We try to be supportive throughout that time.” Working with families, Hurst said that it’s the counseling team’s role to determine whether there is a genetic reason behind the occurrence of a health condition, or whether the difference occurred spontaneously. Many conditions happen unexpectedly. “Many conditions are sporadic and aren’t preventable,” she said. On the cutting edge The counseling team – comprising a consulting physician, a genetic counselor and other staff – directs families and patients to support groups as needed. UAB sees patients from throughout the Southeast. Hurst noted that insurance companies cover most genetic counseling and some lab testing. The UAB Genetics Clinic accepts referrals and sees patients at the UAB Kirklin Clinic and Children’s of Alabama. Prenatal genetic counseling appointments can be scheduled through the Women & Infants, and Children’s Center. The department also participates in ongoing research opportunities such as the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative. The AGHI allows Alabama residents to take part in a biobank – a type of biorepository that stores human biological samples – for use in research. UAB performs initial genotyping, checking 59 actionable genes. Hurst works on the Pediatric Genomic Sequencing Project funded by HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Children’s of Alabama, seeking to identify genetic diagnoses for children with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. The goal is to see whether earlier diagnoses help in treating individuals. “UAB really is on the cutting edge for genetic testing,” Hurst said. “Genomic medicine has real, practical implications for individuals and patients. UAB has an Undiagnosed Diseases Program for individuals with severe chronic medical conditions who are undiagnosed. We try to find opportunities for people to get genetic testing. We are very fortunate to have programs for neonatal and pediatric patients and adults.” Team approach Genetic counselor Alicia Gomes, a UAB employee since 2010, works in laboratory genetic counseling and pediatric genetic counseling. Gomes meets with patients and families to determine whether they have a personal or family history concerning a genetic disorder, so she can inform the physician. Gomes and Hurst often work as a team in checking for characteristics that may point to a genetic syndrome. Genetic conditions such as Down syndrome or Noonan syndrome often display common facial features or physical conditions that may make a condition diagnosable without requiring genetic testing. “Subtle physical characteristics can sometimes point to one condition over another,” she said. Gomes’ first task is to make patients feel comfortable. “I give the patient the set-up of how the appointment will go,” said Gomes, who graduated in genetic counseling from the University of South Carolina. During the follow-up visit, Gomes meets with the patient and the geneticist, who conducts a physical exam to look for characteristics of genetic conditions. In pediatric genetic counseling, Gomes and physicians often take a “tag-team approach.” Together, they see the patient and address the family’s concerns about the patient’s condition and the reason for testing. If the genetic counselor and doctor determine that genetic testing is necessary to confirm a diagnosis, in most cases, a sample can be taken during the visit and shipped to the necessary laboratory. For some conditions or scenarios, Gomes and the physician may follow up with the patient annually or biannually to help in the management or surveillance of the disorder. In addition, Gomes works as a laboratory genetic counselor to serve as the bridge between clinicians and the lab: “I follow the sample through the testing process to communicate any information between both parties that may be needed to ensure that we can provide a quality test for the patient,” she said. UAB’s molecular testing lab is world-renowned for its work in specific subsets of genetic disorders such as neurofibromatosis, Rasopathies and tuberous sclerosis. Physicians from countries as far away as Australia, Japan, India, China and Singapore have submitted patient
Birmingham named one of Livability.com’s best places to retire, 2017
Today’s seniors are in search of a lifestyle as diverse and dynamic as they are. While many folks will choose to remain where they’ve spent most of their lives and built their communities, others will look for new adventures in a different location — and deciding where that place will be is an extremely important choice. With that in mind, Livability.com, a site focused on exploring what makes small-to-medium sized cities great places to live, has just released its Top 10 Best Places to Retire, 2017. Coming in at no. 7 on this year’s list is Birmingham, Ala. The Magic City has evolved dramatically over the years. The former steel town is now one of the leaders in the health care industry, with more than a dozen hospitals, as well as a premier medical school and research facility in the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The city center has been revitalized, earning accolades as one of the nation’s 10 Best Downtowns and one of the top Spring Break Destinations for Families. “This year’s retirement cities list perfectly reflects the diverse, dynamic lifestyles of today’s retirees,” says Winona Dimeo-Ediger, managing editor of Livability.com. “Some of these cities might surprise you, which is a good thing, because retirement looks very different in 2017 than it has in the past.” The full list of best retirement cities was determined by analyzing a range living characteristics including health care, climate, crime rates, cost of living, housing costs and access to recreational activities. Here are all top 10 places to retire in the U.S: Walnut Creek, Calif. Reno, Nev. Boca Raton, Fla. Plano, Texas Sioux Falls, S.D. Vancouver, Wash. Birmingham, Ala. Littleton, Colo. Bismarck, N.D. Salt Lake City, Utah To determine these rankings, Livability.com experts examined surveys and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Medicare, Esri, NOAA, Walk Score, the EPA and other sources, and crunched the numbers to determine the best U.S. cities for retirees. Research shows that seniors care most about health care, climate, crime rates, cost of living, housing costs and access to recreational activities — the site found 10 cities that deliver on all counts, each offering a completely different lifestyle to fit a wide range of tastes and interests.
Birmingham Southern, UAB ranked among top Ala. universities in survey
With years of state budget cuts to higher education adversely affecting the cost and quality of schools and research showing that public institutions can outperform private colleges in terms of graduates’ career outcomes, on Thursday the personal-finance website WalletHub released its 2018’s Best College & University Rankings, along with separate rankings for colleges and universities. Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) took the No. 1 spot on WalletHub’s 2018’s Best Colleges in Alabama survey, according to a Thursday news release. BSC ranked in the state as having the best graduation rate, 3rd on post-attendance median salary, 6th on admission rate and student-faculty ratio. It’s lowest scores were ranked 19th in net cost and 20th in on-campus crime. The study compared nearly 1,000 colleges and universities across the country and ranked them based on 26 key measures grouped in seven key categories: student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes. Here’s how schools in Alabama ranked: Top 10 Colleges and Universities in Alabama (national rankings are in parenthesis) 1 Birmingham-Southern College (143) 6 University of Alabama (376) 2 University of Alabama-Birmingham (226) 7 Auburn University (417) 3 Spring Hill College (289) 8 Samford University (443) 4 University of Alabama-Huntsville (292) 9 University of Montevallo (458) 5 University of North Alabama (351) 10 University of West Alabama (N/A) Here’s a closer look at some the top three schools in the Yellowhammer State and how each performed in certain metrics: Birmingham-Southern College (1 = Best; 12 = Average; 23 = Worst) 6th – Admission Rate 19th – Net Cost 6th – Student-Faculty Ratio 20th – On-Campus Crime 15th – Gender & Racial Diversity 1st – Graduation Rate 3rd – Post-Attendance Median Salary University of Alabama-Birmingham (1 = Best; 12 = Average; 23 = Worst) 14th – Admission Rate 11th – Net Cost 15th – Student-Faculty Ratio 12th – On-Campus Crime 4th – Gender & Racial Diversity 8th – Graduation Rate 7th – Post-Attendance Median Salary Spring Hill College (1 = Best; 12 = Average; 23= Worst) 2nd – Admission Rate 15th – Net Cost 9th – Student-Faculty Ratio 21st – On-Campus Crime 10th – Gender & Racial Diversity 4th – Graduation Rate 6th – Post-Attendance Median Salary
