Burt Nabors , M . D . CENTER PROFILE
“ We have patients who are becoming long-term survivors from even the most malignant types of brain cancer . We have a long way to go , but we ’ re making progress .”
Burt Nabors , M . D ., is a professor in the UAB Department of Neurology and a senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center . A nationally recognized expert in the field of neurological oncology , Dr . Nabors has been a member of the UAB faculty since 1995 .
CCC Magazine : How did you end up at UAB ?
BN : I ’ m originally from Columbus , Mississippi . I went to Mississippi State for my undergraduate degree and the University of Tennessee for medical school . I was a general practice doctor in the Navy for four years before I came to UAB for more training . I was trained as a neurologist , and I did a fellowship in neuro-oncology here . My research was going well and I was developing strong collaborations , so I ended up staying . I didn ’ t think that was going to happen , and now it ’ s been 20 years .
CCC Magazine : What ’ s your favorite part of your job ?
BN :: I don ’ t know if there ’ s any single favorite part of my job . What I like about it is that I get to do a lot of different things , and I like all of them . I ’ m involved in clinical care , and I have my research lab and clinical trials . I ’ m also involved in the teaching of residents , medical students and fellows . I like all these opportunities , and they all complement each other . I like the ability to do different things . I really enjoy what I do .
CCC Magazine : What do you like to do in your spare time ?
BN :: I enjoy going to the beach and backpacking . Two of the other doctors here and I like to go backpacking together .
I like reading stuff that ’ s not related to science or brain cancer . There doesn ’ t seem to be a lot of other time to do anything else . I have an old house in Homewood so keeping it together is another hobby . It was built in 1920 , so it always needs a little something here and there .
CCC Magazine : How has your work changed since you came to UAB ?
BN : One of the real struggles of brain cancer is that the brain is essential to defining everything there is about us as an individual . Your ability to do what you do , to interact with family and friends – there is no other organ that determines our quality of life and our satisfaction with our life as our brain does . We ’ re now able to be involved in other aspects of cancer that we previously had not been active in . For example , neuro-psychologists who are interested in neuro-cognitive aspects of the disease or neuro-ophthalmologists interested in tumors of the nervous system that affect vision . We ’ ve got interests in nutrition and the microbiome , which may impact how patients respond to treatment . There ’ s a far broader and greater depth to the program than when I came here . We have patients who are becoming long-term survivors from even the most malignant types of brain cancer . We have a long way to go , but we ’ re making progress .
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