Dr. Anupam Agarwal Discusses Shaping the Future of Medicine, Science & Health in Alabama and Beyond
RCB President Bruce Rogers with Rotarians Dr. Ray Watts and Dr. Anupam Agarwal
This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Rotarian Dr. Anupam Agarwal, UAB Heersink School of Medicine Senior VP for Medicine & Dean to discuss “Shaping the Future of Medicine, Science & Health in Alabama and Beyond.” He provided an overview of the school of medicine, including a mission and vision in alignment with UAB Medicine, as well as substantial growth potential, largely thanks to a $100 million gift from the Heersink family. Dr. Agarwal shared how UAB’s expanding footprint impacts the state of Alabama with respect to economic impact, community enhancement, cutting-edge research and exceptional training for the next generation of medical professionals.
“The future of the Heersink School of Medicine, the collective spirit that we have of our faculty, our students, our staff, our other learners and patients really fuel my commitment to fostering an environment of growth and excellence in everything that we do,” Dr. Agarwal said.
Dr. Agarwal identified how UAB is tackling the state’s principal health challenges, including regional disparities, social determinants of health, healthcare workforce shortages, rural access to care, and the research funding landscape. He highlighted the national and global impact of UAB’s leaders in medicine, science and research, with $274 million in NIH funding and a ranking at #1 in AI in Medicine.
“Together I think we can shape a community that thrives on collaboration and innovation driven by the shared goal of creating a place where every individual easily receives the care they need.”
Bio for Dr. Anupam Agarwal
Anupam Agarwal, MD, FASN is Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine, James C. Lee Jr endowed chair and Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, in the Department of Medicine at UAB. He also serves as the Program Director of the NIH/NIDDK funded O’Brien Center, one of eight centers funded nationwide. Dr. Agarwal previously served as Executive Vice Dean for the Heersink School of Medicine (2014-2022), and Division Director for Nephrology (2008-2021). He served on the council of the American Society of Nephrology (2014-2022) serving as President in 2020. Dr. Agarwal has an active role in clinical medicine, teaching, research and administration. He has been a recipient of Outstanding Teaching Awards from the Department of Medicine at the University of Florida as well as at UAB.
Dr. Agarwal’s research program, funded by the NIH and Department of Veterans Affairs, has provided critical insights regarding the mechanisms of acute kidney injury. His bibliography includes >200 peer-reviewed papers and >50 invited reviews/book chapters, the former appearing in journals such as the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, JCI Insight, Journal of Exp Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Circulation, Circulation Research, American Journal of Pathology as well as others. He has been recognized by multiple awards and honors including election to membership in the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, American Clinical and Climatological Association, Dean’s Excellence award for leadership, the Graduate Dean’s Excellence in Mentorship award at UAB and the Mentor of the Year award from the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Dr. Agarwal has been invited to speak at national and international meetings and several named lectureships at multiple institutions and has served on national and international review panels and editorial boards of prestigious journals.