UAB Briefs: NIH funding, honor for neurosurgeon, music at AEIVA

March 17, 2021 2:07 PM

Photo courtesy of UAB University Relations.

In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus at The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

We also provide updates regarding UAB’s efforts to cope with the COVID-19.

Let us know about people, events and programs on campus that deserve a mention in UAB Briefs. Email jchambers@starnespublishing.com.

And remember that the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Continue to follow all of the usual protocols and stay safe.

MR. PRESIDENT

Dr. James Markert, who serves as the James Garber Galbraith Endowed Chair of Neurosurgery at UAB, is the president-elect of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery for 2020-2021.

As a member of the executive committee, Markert will lead alongside AAcNS President Douglas Kondziolka, a neurosurgeon at NYU. Markert has served on the AAcNS executive committee for several years and served as its secretary for the last three.

“I look forward to furthering the mission of this wonderful organization” Markert said.

The leading neurosurgical organization in North America, the AAcNS is focused on promoting, sponsoring and mentoring laboratory, translational and clinical research in the neurological sciences.

Markert was appointed director of the UAB Division of Neurosurgery in 2006. When the Division of Neurosurgery became the UAB Department of Neurosurgery in 2013, Markert was named the inaugural chair.

DRAWING FEDERAL DOLLARS

Research funding at UAB from the federal National Institutes of Health was just over $325 million in 2020, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. UAB was ranked 12th among public universities for NIH funding received.

The largest chunk of the funding, just under $270 million, went to the School of Medicine, which ranked No. 24 among the nation’s medical schools.

The School of Optometry ranked third among optometry schools, with funding of more than $3.4 million.
The School of Health Professions ranked sixth among allied health schools, with $9.7 million.
The School of Dentistry ranked 10th, with a total of more than $7 million in grants.
The School of Nursing ranked 11th, with $5.9 million in funding.
The School of Public Health moved up four spots in the rankings to 15th with $18 million.

“This is the second year in a row that UAB research funding from NIH has been over $300 million, reaffirming UAB’s place as a leading academic research institution,” said Chris Brown, vice president for research at UAB.

MUSIC AND ART

The Chamber Music @ AEIVA series will feature a live video broadcast of a performance from the galleries at Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts on Thursday, March 18, from 6-7 p.m. This is a one-night-only performance with no re-broadcasting.

The music to be performed was curated in response to three exhibits at AEIVA — “Shona McAndrew: Wednesday Night,” “Lucas Blalock in T-e-l-e-p-h-o-n-e” and “Jordan Eagles: CAN YOU SAVE SUPERMAN? II.”

These pieces will be on the program:

“Three High Places” by John Luther Adams.
String Quartet No. 6, III Variations (on Pachelbel) by George Rochberg.
String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, Op. 161, III Scherzo by Franz Schubert.

Performers are Sarah Nordlund Dennis, violin; Pei-Ju Wu, violin; Rene Reder, viola; and Lauren Peacock, cello.

The Chamber Music @ AEIVA series is co-sponsored by the UAB Department of Music and AEIVA with support from the Music Performance Trust Fund.

It was founded in 2015 by adjunct faculty member Laura Usiskin, who curates each performance.