College of Medicine and HEED Award logos

For the second consecutive year, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has received the 2022 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

A collage of the 10 students moving to the Research Competition

The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) is proud to announce the fourth annual 5-Minute Fast Track Research Competition finalists. These undergraduates competed in the competition’s preliminary round and were selected as Top 10 finalists to present their research during the final round 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct.

Joy Miracle

Joy Miracle works with Anthony Sinai, PhD, in the UK College of Medicine Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. In the following Q&A, she shares her experience studying parasitic infection and how mentorship in Dr. Sinai’s lab has helped her develop as a scientist.

Lisa Williams, new wellness dean

To enable the University of Kentucky College of Medicine to succeed in its mission for a healthier Kentucky, leadership must prioritize the wellness and well-being of faculty, staff, and learners. Lisa Williams, MSSA, is serving in the college’s new leadership position, associate dean for wellness and well-being, to help us excel in this goal.

Beth Garvy, PhD

Please join us as we congratulate Beth Garvy, PhD, who recently received a leadership title change to reflect her growing responsibilities and ensure equity in her position. The new title went into effect July 1, 2022.

Andrew  Krusenstjerna

Andrew Krusenstjerna is a rising fourth-year PhD candidate in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics.

UK researchers (left to right) Tiantian Chen, Robert Murphy, Matthew Gentry and Craig Vander Kooi.
Jamie Sturgill, PhD

By the time COVID-19 first reached the Commonwealth, UK HealthCare had already established a system for efficiently collecting lung samples to propel important research forward. That’s thanks to Jamie Sturgill, PhD.

Monkeypox virus

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 1, 2022) — Monkeypox has exploded into the news recently, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) closely tracking cases that have been recently reported in several countries that don’t normally have monkeypox activity, including the U.S.

Research from the lab of Ilhem Messaoudi (right) suggests asymptomatic COVID-19 could still cause adverse pregnancy outcomes.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 31, 2022) — According to a new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study, asymptomatic COVID-19 infection during pregnancy could still have potential long-term consequences for a developing baby.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 18, 2022) — The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the immune system, revealing there is still much about how it functions that is not well understood: Why do some people get severe disease and others don’t? And why can certain factors like age, or comorbidities like obesity, cause the immune system to go haywire?

University of Kentucky College of Medicine researcher Ilhem Messaoudi, Ph.D., has dedicated her career to answering these questions.

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The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is pleased to announce the faculty, staff, and learner winners of the inaugural Mission, Vision, Pillar, and Enabler Awards.

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EXINGTON, Ky. (March 11, 2022) — A small black lump, about an inch or so in width, rests­ on the bottom of a sealed plastic container. It doesn’t look like much ­­– in fact, it doesn’t look like anything. But this little black lump has untold potential, full of secrets for the researchers at Kentucky Research Alliance for Lung Disease (K-RALD) to discover about the pandemic that has ravaged the world for more than two years.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 4, 2022) — Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a two-to-four-week course of antibiotics, some patients still experience lingering, debilitating effects of the disease months after they finish treatment.

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Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics is pleased to welcome Dr. Saikat Boliar from Cornell University, an MIMG Faculty Recruitment Candidate in Virology. His Seminar titled: “Role of lncRNAs in HIV-1 Persistence: New Targets for Therapy” will take place on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 in MN463 at 11:00 am. This seminar will also be live streamed via Zoom for those who wish to attend virtually: https://uky.zoom.us/j/85716255311
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Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics is pleased to welcome Dr. Nir Drayman from University of Chicago, an MIMG Faculty Recruitment Candidate in Virology. His Seminar titled: “Single Cell Virology and Drug Repurposing Efforts against SARS-CoV-2” will take place on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 in MN463 at 11:00 am. This seminar will also be live streamed via Zoom for those who wish to attend virtually: https://uky.zoom.us/j/83417117057
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 13, 2022) — The University of Kentucky is participating in a nationwide study that seeks to understand why some people have prolonged symptoms (long COVID) or develop new or returning symptoms after an acute bout of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics is pleased to welcome Dr. Jay Vornhagen from University of Michigan, an MIMG Faculty Recruitment Candidate in Microbiome. His Seminar titled Consternation over colonization: Klebsiella pneumoniae in the gut will take place on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 in MN263 at 10:00 am. This seminar will also be live streamed via Zoom for those who wish to attend virtually. https://uky.zoom.us/j/82543019076
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Grant writing is a competitive process. Without the proper resources, staff, or expertise, faculty may struggle in gathering key funding that could benefit future research projects, and ultimately, promote innovative health discoveries.

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Dr. William Hudson from Emory University, an MIMG Faculty Recruitment Candidate in Tumor Immunology. Will be giving a Seminar, titled CD8 T cell exhaustion in human brain metastases on Wednesday December 1, 2021 at the Karpf Auditorium at 10am. This seminar will also be live streamed via Zoom for those who wish to attend virtually. https://uky.zoom.us/j/89949749015