News

Over the next few months, the UK College of Medicine will be releasing an exciting mini-documentary series called “Because We Care.” Capturing interviews and conversations with people across our community, the four-part series explores who we are as a college and why our mission matters to all of us, whether we are learners, faculty, researchers, or staff.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement. Named after Dr. James Parkinson, who first described it in 1817, this condition currently affects millions of people worldwide. April is recognized as Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, chosen because it is the birth month of Parkinson.

Congratulations to Andrew Witt, MD, who was selected as the March 2024 GME Resident of the Month! 

In 2017, Ima Ebong, MD, became a mother for the first time. She just graduated from a four-year neurology residency program at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and was one month into a rigorous year-long clinical neurophysiology fellowship – the final phase of her medical education before becoming an attending physician.

Down syndrome remains the most common chromosomal condition diagnosed in the United States. Each year, about 6,000 babies born in the United States have Down syndrome, meaning it occurs in about one in every 700 babies.

In 2019, Tiona Stevenson realized she didn’t feel like herself.

She couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t focus at work. Something was off, but Tiona couldn’t pinpoint the problem. She spent two long years working through it.

Larry Goldstein, MD, chair of the University of Kentucky Department of Neurology, has been selected to serve as co-chair of The Kentucky Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (KHDSP) Task Force r

“I went from being an extremely active person to spending all my time lying on my couch or in bed. I became an invalid, dependent on my husband for everything.” That is how Tina Frazier describes what life was like in the fall of 2022.

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.

Outstanding 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.

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) hospi

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.

Sarah 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.