The UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (UCEM), one of the University-Wide Interdisciplinary Research Centers (UWIRC), was established by the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama on February 4, 2011. UAB is among the first major academic medical centers to establish a center aimed at studying the effects of exercise on a molecular and cellular level. The center brings together more than 200 members and trainees, 36 departments, and 10 schools for a multi-disciplinary approach. UCEM's overarching goal is to understand the biological mechanisms underlying exercise-induced adaptations and their clinical utility in disease treatment and prevention. To achieve that objective, the center's interventions are focused on optimizing exercise treatments for specific diseases using a dose-response approach. The center also serves as a resource for exercise medicine researchers ranging from undergraduates to senior scientists. It offers expertise and infrastructure for human or animal model research involving exercise intervention. Through its training and educational programs, pilot support and consultation services, UCEM aims to advance the field of exercise biology and medicine.