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Faculty Detail    
Name WILLIAM S BROOKS
Professor
Assistant Dean for Preclinical Education		  
Campus Address VH 611 Zip 0019
Phone  (205) 934-7596
E-mail  wbrooks@uab.edu
Other websites
     

Education
Undergraduate  Freed-Hardeman University    2002  B.S. Chemistry 
Graduate  University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)    2007  Ph.D. Cell Biology 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Professor
Secondary  Dept of Medical Education  Dept of Medical Education Professor
Center  Ctr for Interprof Educ and Simulation  Ctr for Interprof Educ and Simulation Professor

Biographical Sketch 
Will Brooks received a BS in chemistry from Freed-Hardeman University (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in cell biology from UAB. He has spent his entire postgraduate career in education both at the undergraduate and graduate levels having served on faculty at Freed-Hardeman University and Harding University before joining UAB. Brooks has taught a variety of biomedical disciplines including gross anatomy, histology, physiology, cell biology, genetics, and pathology. Brooks joined the faculty at UAB in 2013 to serve as Director of the Gross Anatomy Lab and Surgical Anatomy Lab. In the School of Medicine he served as the content leader for gross anatomy and course director for the Musculoskeletal and Skin module before being appointed Assistant Dean for Preclinical Education in 2022. A native of Alabama, Brooks is married to Jenni Brooks and has two daughters.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Association for Anatomy     www.anatomy.org 
International Association of Medical Science Educators  Chair, Webinar Committee  www.iamse.org 
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Medical Education
Description
Brooks is interested in the evaluation of novel and innovative teaching methodologies, specifically team-based learning (TBL), in medical education. His research also explores the training of anatomical sciences educators and the utility of continuing education as a means of supplementing educator training.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
The Surgical Anatomy of the Dorsal Scapular Nerve: A Triple-tendon Transfer Perspective. MC Pinto, JL Johnson, HA Patel, EJ Lehtonen, AM Momaya, WS Brooks, BA Ponce, EW Brabston. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. In Press   
Gross Anatomy for Teacher Education (GATE): Educating the Anatomy Educator. Doss, AA, Brooks WS. HAPS Educator. 2016 20:36-40.   
Overexpression of the Kinetochore-Associated Proteins SKAP and Astrin in Human Breast Cancer. Wright C and Brooks WS. BIOS. 2013 Sept 84(3)   
The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase NARF Promotes Colony Formation in vitro and Exhibits Enhanced Expression Levels in Glioblastoma Multiforme in vivo. Anderson TW, Wright C, Brooks WS. Am J Undergrad Res.2010 9(2):23-30   
G2E3 is a nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling protein with DNA damage responsive localization. Brooks WS, Banerjee S, Crawford DF. Exp Cell Res. 2007 Feb 15;313(4):665-76  17239372 
Inactivation of the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme UBE2Q2 causes a prophase arrest and enhanced apoptosis in response to microtubule inhibiting agents. Banerjee S, Brooks WS, Crawford DF. Oncogene. 2007 Oct 4;26(45):6509-17  17471241 
G2E3 is a dual function ubiquitin ligase required for early embryonic development. Brooks WS, Helton ES, Banerjee S, Venable M, Johnson L, Schoeb TR, Kesterson RA, Crawford DF. J Biol Chem. 2008 Aug 8;283(32):22304-15  18511420 
Team-based Learning in the Gross Anatomy Lab Improves Academic Performance and Students' Attitudes toward Teamwork. Huitt TW, Killins A, Brooks, WS. Anat Sci Educ. 2015 8:95-103.  24799448 
Integration of Gross Anatomy in an Organ System-Based Medical Curriculum: Strategies and Challenges. Brooks WS, Panizzi Woodley KTC, Jackson JR, Hoesley CJ. Anat Sci Educ, 2015 8:266-74.  25132664 
Using generalizability analysis to estimate parameter for anatomy assessments: a multi-institutional study. Byram JN, Seifert MF, Brooks WS, Fraser-Cotlin L, Thorp LE, Williams JM, Wilson AB. Anat Sci Educ, 2017, 10:109-119.  27458988  
The impact of team-based learning (TBL) on physician assistant students' academic performance in gross anatomy. Isbell JA, Makeeva V, Caruthers K, Brooks WS. J of Physician Assist Educ, 2016 27:126-130.  27705982 
Is the Supply of Continuing Education in the Anatomical Sciences Keeping Up with the Demand? Results of a National Survey. Wilson AB, Barger JB, Perez P, Brooks WS. Anat Sci Educ. 11:225-235, 2018.  28906598 
Is Lecture Dead? A Preliminary Study of Medical Students’ Evaluation of Teaching Methods in the Preclinical Curriculum. Zinski A, Blackwell KPW, Belue FM, Brooks WS. Int J Med Educ, 2017 8:326-333.  28945195 
What does a Modern Anatomist Look Like? Current Trends in the Training of Anatomy Educators. AF Schaffer, AB Wilson, JB Barger, HM Azim, JJ Brokaw, WS Brooks. Anat Sci Educ. In Press.  30211985 
 

Keywords
Gross anatomy, team-based learning, medical education, continuing education, anatomical sciences