Graduate students present research progress during inaugural symposium

Natthida Tongluan, who was awarded Outstanding Young Scientist, presents at the symposium.

Graduate basic medical sciences students from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology presented their research progress during an inaugural symposium earlier this month.  

Rachel Rodenberg, left, receives the award

for best symposium presentation from

Kevin Macaluso, Ph.D., professor and chair

of microbiology and immunology.

Rachel Rodenberg earned the best symposium presentation, while Natthida Tongluan was named Outstanding Young Scientist by a panel of judges.  

Other student presenters included Killian Brewer, Nam Suwanbongkot, Amanda Tuckey and Meagan Taylor.   

The keynote speaker, Brian Fouty, M.D., a professor of internal medicine who also serves in the Department of Pharmacology and the Center for Lung Biology, shared details with the students about his educational and professional journey through science and how it has shaped his career as a clinical researcher. 

Allyson E. Shea, Ph.D., an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology, served as the organizer and moderator of the event.  

View abstracts of the students' presentations.

Meet a Med Student: Connor Posey

Connor Posey

Age: 23

Class: 2026

Hometown: Oakman, Alabama

Undergraduate education: B.S. in biomedical sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham

What do you enjoy most about being a medical student at the Whiddon College of Medicine?
I love how much our class feels like a family. There isn’t a single person whose name I don’t know or that I don’t find it easy to have a conversation with. It feels like we are on each other's side and want to see our peers succeed as well as ourselves. The family atmosphere helps to make our educational journey and our life outside of school more enjoyable and engaging.

Are you involved in any research, organizations or other initiatives at the College of Medicine?
I hope to get involved with a research program this summer.

What are your interests and hobbies?
In my spare time, I love to do anything that has to do with sports. I also enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family. 

What is something unique about you?
A unique experience I have had was during my gap year before medical school. I had the opportunity to teach math and coach the varsity baseball team at a local school – the same team and school that I attended while in high school.

USA celebrates Clinical Trials Day

The Clinical Trials Office staff were recognized for their work on Clinical Trials Day.

The USA Clinical Trials Office staff, along with their director, Stefanie White, celebrated Clinical Trials Day on Friday, May 19. The goal was to recognize the Clinical Trials Office for the incredible work they do to advance science, improve patient outcomes, and turn today’s hope into tomorrow’s reality. The theme for this year’s event was “Together We Can.” 

“Together, our team of dedicated coordinators, investigators and patient volunteers at the center of it all help advance the science and give hope for future generations,” said Melissa Beavers, CCRP, associate director of research quality assurance and improvement. “We are all grateful for the work and time they dedicate to clinical trials at USA.”

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated by many organizations and academic institutions annually on May 20 to commemorate the first randomized clinical trial by James Lind in 1747. His experiment aboard a British Royal Navy ship led to the discovery that oranges and lemons were a cure for scurvy. Today, Clinical Trials Day is a time to reflect and recognize all that has been accomplished thanks to clinical trials and the people behind them. 

USA’s celebration included lemon- and orange-themed treats and a short presentation on the history and importance of clinical trials.

The Clinical Trials Office is a USA Health systemwide office providing support to investigators conducting clinical studies, including industry-sponsored, investigator-initiated, and federally funded trials.

Learn more about Clinical Trials Day.

COM faculty recognized as top-funded investigators

Two faculty members from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine – Allen Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., and Troy Stevens, Ph.D. – were recognized among the top 10 investigators at the University of South Alabama who have received the most funding over the past five years. USA President Jo Bonner honored the faculty at a reception on April 27. 

Perkins, professor and chair of family medicine, is the highest funded investigator, having received $20.5 million in awards since 2018. His recent funding includes grants from the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop the Primary Care Pathway program at the Whiddon College of Medicine. The program is designed to enhance medical students’ educational experience in preparing them to serve populations in rural and underserved areas. 

Stevens, professor and Lenoir Louise Locke Chair of Physiology and Cell Biology and director of the USA Center for Lung Biology, has received $10.4 million in awards over the past five years. His research, largely supported by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on the mechanisms pertaining to endothelial cell heterogeneity, particularly in the lung. Most recently, he was awarded an NIH Research Project Grant (R01) for his research on lung endothelial tauopathy.

Additionally, the Whiddon College of Medicine was recognized as the top-funded college at the University of South Alabama. It has received $102.5 million in awards over the past five years. Overall, USA has received $475 million in extramural funding since 2018. 

Learn more about research at the Whiddon College of Medicine.