Kentucky is among the states most ravaged by opioid abuse and drug addiction.

But the University of Kentucky — with researchers and clinicians working across a number of colleges and disciplines — is on the front lines of finding solutions.

Leaders from UK Research and UK HealthCare — along with some of the institution’s most prolific researchers — took their stories of hope and challenge to Washington, D.C., recently to make the case with some of the country’s top elected officials about the need to continue federal funding to address drug addiction and abuse.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is one of 16 accredited cancer programs nationwide to receive the 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC).

Established in 2004, the award was created to "recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in demonstrating compliance with the Commission on Cancer standards and are committed to high-quality cancer care," according to the organization.

Last summer, a group from the University of Kentucky Brain Restoration center, led by Dr. Craig van Horne, professor of neurosurgery, capped off a series of conferences held at a number of renowned Chinese university hospitals by performing the first-ever deep brain stimulation surgery for a Parkinson’s disease patient being treated at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Henan, China.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC) has announced that the FCC and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have joined forces, signing a memorandum of understanding that will focus on how increasing broadband access and adoption in rural areas can improve the lives of rural cancer patients.

The University of Kentucky Global Ophthalmology (UK GO) program, a new program with a mission to prevent avoidable blindness by fighting eye disease across the Commonwealth and beyond, has partnered with the UK Global Health Initiatives, directed by Dr. Sam Matheny, professor of Family and Community Medicine, for a unique opportunity of a screening of the documentary, “Bending the Arc.” 

University of Kentucky students can register now to participate in the fourth annual Global Health Case Competition, an innovative graduate and undergraduate interdisciplinary team competition that develops strategies to address a critical global health challenge.

Registration closes midnight Friday, Dec. 15. The UK competition will be held Feb. 3. Register at http://international.uky.edu/GHI/Solve/Case.

Does reducing the use of cocaine, but not abstaining from the substance entirely, produce health benefits? There's currently little research available that answers that question.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is one of 22 cancer centers nationwide to receive funding to build and implement tobacco cessation treatment programs via the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (CCCI).

More than 350 researchers, students and guests attended the 20th University of Kentucky Cardiovascular Research Day at the Lexington Convention Center, an annual event that celebrates the innovative research in cardiovascular health.

University of Kentucky's Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program has not only supported faculty and researchers in their work, but also jump-started careers, aided in the publication of research and helped forge partnerships and mentorships across disciplines.

Dr. James Quintessenza, chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery at UK HealthCare, and Dr. Scottie Day, interim chair of the UK Department of Pediatrics and physician in chief at Kentucky Children’s Hospital, were featured during "UK at the Half," which aired during the UK vs. Utah Valley basketball game broadcast on radio Nov. 10.

The doctors talked about UK's new partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to offer the best pediatric heart care in the area.

The University of Kentucky Unconscious Bias Initiative is working to incorporate the understanding of unconscious bias to foster an environment where every member of the UK community feels a sense of belonging. Numerous sessions have been held locally and throughout the state for faculty, staff and students to expose themselves to the concept of unconscious bias and to learn how to mitigate the impact of unconscious thoughts. To that end, the UK Unconscious Bias Initiative, the UK Martin Luther King Center and the UK Center for Graduate and Professional Diversity Initiatives are sponsoring a

When George Quintero first heard about a new clinical trial that could improve motor function in stroke patients, he knew he had to find a way to bring it to UK HealthCare.

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded the University of Kentucky Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) funding to study the adoption of syringe exchange programs in rural communities in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. Rates of opioid use disorder and injection drug use have risen significantly in Kentucky, especially in rural communities. The serious health consequences of injection drug use include the spread of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and HIV infection.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Centerhas joined the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network® (ORIEN), a personalized medicine consortium that allows its members to exchange data and push forward evidence-based cancer care to patients. Markey is the latest addition to this 17-member research partnership, which includes many of the top cancer centers in the nation.

Picture this: you're battling heart failure and meeting with your doctor to discuss treatment. Before prescribing anything, the doctor pulls up a virtual model of your heart on her computer and "treats" it with several drugs. A few moments later, she can see how your heart is doing five years down the road.

Your doctor chooses the treatment with the best long-term outcome, and you live a longer and healthier life.

Two University of Kentucky researchers are working to make this experience a reality for the 5.7 million adults in the U.S. with heart failure.

Why do some people stay intellectually sharp into their 90s, while others have memory problems?  Is there anything we can learn from their lifestyles that can help everyone age successfully?

These are among topics scheduled for the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging's Markesbery Symposium on Nov. 3-4.  Keynote speakers are:

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, UK Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Dr. Mark F. Newman, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Dr. John Fowlkes, director of the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, and members of the Barnstable Brown family will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly expanded Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center at UK HealthCare’s Turfland location and celebration of the recent U.S. News and World Report National ranking placing the Barnstable Brown Center in the top 50 for endocrinology and diabetes care.

 University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Researcher Jessica Blackburn has earned a prestigious National Institutes of Health's New Innovator Award, a grant totaling $1.5 million over five years to fund pediatric cancer research.