News

Julie Youssefi, MD, discusses being the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s epilepsy fellow in 2020-2021 – and how being the fellow gave her the tailored experience she needed.
Julie Youssefi, MD, became interested in epilepsy care during medical school and neurology residency training at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

The following individuals were honored at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Awards Convocation on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Winners included those in Bowling Green, Lexington, Morehead, and Northern Kentucky.
Biomedical EducationOutstanding Graduate Student Award:
Jamila Tucker, MS

A group from the University of Kentucky recently returned from several days in San Diego at a global symposium where they educated attendees from 48 different countries about the field of neurogastronomy. Neurogastronomy is a somewhat new study that unites the science and culinary worlds by examining the human brain and behaviors that influence how we experience eating and drinking.

Burnout is a problem in any profession, but it is rampant in health care. This national problem has been evident recently as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many learners, practitioners, faculty, and staff to the limit.

Asked how she copes with the emotional side of her role in palliative care, Abigail Latimer, PhD, MSW, LCSW, puts it simply. “I want to be there for people on some of their hardest days.”

The following clinicians and researchers working under the UK College of Medicine Alliance Research Initiative have been named recent awardees of pilot grants.
AI in Medicine (AIM)
Peter Hardy, PhD, College of Medicine

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce that faculty, staff, learners, and trainees will have free access to a leading online resource for medical Spanish proficiency.
CanopyLearn, a Spanish language training program for health care professionals, will be available to the UK College of Medicine community starting Aug. 1.

The UK HealthCare/Norton Healthcare – Stroke Care Network (SCN) is announcing its 37th affiliate. Paintsville ARH joins the network, expanding access to high-quality stroke care in Eastern Kentucky. With the addition of Paintsville, all Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals are now affiliates o

Na’Tasha Evans, PhD, MEd, is a researcher, published author, champion for female empowerment, and our new vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Learn more about her goals, her past work, and more in the following Q&A.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in research?

Standing before a classroom of college juniors, orthopaedics resident Cristina Rivera-Ramirez, MD, skillfully interpreted an X-ray of a distal radius fracture in a patient’s arm. The next step was to reveal how to treat it. By the time she got out the supplies to demonstrate making a splint, students were at the edge of their seats, ready to volunteer.

Congratulations to the following basic science and clinical faculty at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine! These individuals were honored with promotions and tenure in fiscal year 2023.
Names are organized alphabetically by department.
AnesthesiologySarah Jean Hall, MD, PhD
Associate Professor

Omar Al-Janabi, MBChB, PhD, MS, initially arrived in Lexington, Ky., for a master’s program and an affordable place to live with his family. Nearly a decade later, he has completed not one but three graduate training programs at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He also has engaged with mentors who will have a lasting impact on his career in medicine and research.

Standing before a classroom of college juniors, orthopaedics resident Cristina Rivera-Ramirez, MD, skillfully interpreted an X-ray of a distal radius fracture in a patient’s arm. The next step was to reveal how to treat it. By the time she got out the supplies to demonstrate making a splint, students were at the edge of their seats, ready to volunteer.
Ima Ebong, MD, assistant professor of neurology and clinical neurophysiology, is one of 10 winners to receive the University of Kentucky’s 2022-23 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

Following an extensive national search and interviews with highly qualified individuals, the College of Medicine is excited to welcome Na’Tasha Evans, PhD, MEd, as the new vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and associate professor in the department of behavioral science.

On Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear and Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Eric Friedlander recognized UK HealthCare’s Robert J. Baumann, MD, with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Khawla Abusamra, MBBS, and Thien Thanh Nguyen, MD, are fourth-year residents in the UK College of Medicine Department of Neurology. As they near the end of their programs, they reflect on the department’s exceptional training and the lasting friendships they built along the way, including with one another.
Samantha Ford had always wanted to go to medical school, but after training in a clinical laboratory setting at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, she gained a new perspective on how research can play a role in her future career as a physician.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is proud to recognize its fourth-year students who learned their pivotal next step in training – residency – during Friday’s Match Day celebrations.

Nearly three years ago, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine launched the Alliance Research Initiative to promote collaboration and mentorship through interdisciplinary research teams. With members spanning across UK departments and colleges, these teams were established to address Kentucky’s most urgent health needs.