Stuart J. Frank, MD, professor of medicine, is the new director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. The appointment was announced by Edward Abraham, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Frank has served as interim director since the resignation of Jeffrey E. Kudlow, MD. A national search, led by William E. Dismukes, MD, was conducted for the new director.
Dr. Abraham commented, “Dr. Frank is an outstanding educator, clinician, and researcher. I have every confidence that he has the leadership abilities, research skills, creativity, and energy level required to build on the division’s existing strengths and to develop productive programs in new directions.”
The new director is also professor in the departments of Cell Biology and Physiology and Biophysics; director of the Basic Science Section, Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care; chief of the Endocrinology Section, Birmingham VA Medical Center; and chair of the School of Medicine Faculty Council.
He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed internship and residency in internal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. He completed a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and was a medical staff and senior staff fellow in the Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, NICHD. He joined the UAB faculty in 1991. His research on growth hormone (GH) receptor signal transduction and structure/function relationships and mechanisms of generation of the GH binding protein, is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Dr. Frank takes direction of the division at a time that diabetes and obesity are recognized as national priorities. “The emphasis on diabetes and metabolism in the research and clinical strategic plans, the tremendous philanthropic support for the new Comprehensive Diabetes Center and related activities, and the recent NIDDK decision to fund UAB’s Diabetes Research and Training Center – all are important developments that directly impact the role of our division. I foresee recruitment of world class research faculty in diabetes and endocrinology to complement our existing excellent basic and clinical research programs. I envision that our planned Multidisciplinary Comprehensive Diabetes Clinic will similarly enhance our already robust clinical efforts.”
Dr. Frank says he looks forward to collaborating with leaders in the Department of Medicine to develop new clinical, research, and training programs.