UAB launches three new research centers

The three new centers that will enhance UAB's Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose.
Photography: Steve WoodThe University of Alabama at BirminghamMarnix E. Heersink School of Medicine has added three new centers that will enhance UAB's Research Strategic Initiative: Growth with Purpose. The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System approved the centers in the June 2024 meeting.

Center for Lung Analytics and Imaging Research

Current methods of diagnosis and monitoring of chronic lung diseases are inadequate and difficult for patients to perform. The Center for Lung Analytics and Imaging Research, or CLAIR, will be instrumental in spearheading the introduction of several novel methods for lung imaging to UAB. These include imaging of the lungs with magnetic resonance imaging with hyperpolarized xenon. Currently, only seven centers in the United States have this capability.

Members of the center will continue collaborations with Pulmonary, Radiology and ECE to develop novel methods for diagnosing and monitoring. This includes applying AI-based methods to significantly enhance the detection and phenotyping of lung disease, placing us among the leaders in the field of lung imaging nationally.

Center for Integrative Structural Biology

The Center for Integrative Structural Biology will identify critical areas in biomedical research at UAB for growth and expansion. It will focus on methodologies to study biological problems primarily related to infection, inflammation, immunity and neurodegeneration, with a strong emphasis on drug discovery.

The center will promote the use of cryogenic electron microscopy, which has revolutionized 21st-century biomedical research. Additionally, it will expand existing research cores by facilitating access to instruments, IT infrastructure, data collection and analysis software. The center will partner with departments and existing centers at UAB to translate basic research findings into applied discoveries.

The Center for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces

The Center for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces aims to impact numerous neurological and psychiatric conditions, including stroke, neurodegenerative disorders, cognitive impairment, dementia and other brain diseases. One of the CNBCI's key goals is to develop brain-computer interfaces that could restore function to a damaged nervous system by interacting with, interpreting and controlling neural signals to produce positive outcomes.

While founded as a consortium in 2021, CNBCI was selected and approved as a University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center for 2025. Selection as a UWIRC signifies an institutional endorsement of an increased programmatic research capacity and represents a substantial investment of expertise, collaborative energy and resources.