LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 6, 2021) — A University of Kentucky College of Medicine professor has been awarded a $1.9 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for his research on the body’s immune response to sepsis, which could potentially help to improve therapies for the common disease. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 5, 2021) — Collaborative research between the University of Kentucky and the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that a noninvasive neuroimaging technique may index early-stage blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction associated with small vessel disease (SVD). Cerebral SVD is the most common cause of vascular cognitive impairment, with a significant proportion of cases going on to develop dementia.

The design phase for the construction of a new University of Kentucky College of Medicine building was approved Tuesday by the UK Board of Trustees.

As part of the college’s planned growth strategy, a new building will establish a world-class education facility that will become the hub of medical education in Kentucky and beyond, said UK College of Medicine Dean Robert DiPaola.

Kristen Fletcher, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics. Her excellence in medical education was recently recognized with a Distinguished Teacher Award during the latest round of Academic Convocation Awards. In the following Q&A, she shares why she loves teaching medical students and how enriching it is to help mold future physicians.

Q: What is your role at the College of Medicine?

For many years, ventricular assist devices (VADs) were considered a last resort for patients with serious heart failure. These mechanical pumps, which help maintain blood circulation, were mainly used for patients awaiting a heart transplant.

Recent studies conducted by University of Kentucky researchers suggest VADs actually could be used to recover the hearts of patients with heart failure, even those with advanced heart failure, possibly preventing their need for transplants in the future.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2021) —The 13th annual University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Mind Matters Health Fair is set to take place from 10 a.m. to noon, Monday, May 3. The format will follow last year’s move to a virtual platform to ensure the continued health and safety of both the presenters and attendees. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2021) – A recent study by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers looked into the association of financial burden with health insurance literacy in colorectal cancer patients.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2021) — Annually, Best of Cell Press celebrates the highest-impact research published in their journals during the previous year. A paper by Barbara Nikolajczyk, Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and associate director for Translational Research in Diabetes at the University of Kentucky, has been included in “Best of Cell Metabolism 2020.” The paper focuses on age-associated inflammation.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 27, 2021) — Dr. Peter Sawaya is the associate chief of Nephrology at the University of Kentucky, but it isn’t through his work there that he saw a great need in a certain area of health care. It instead is through his work on a much more personal level – as the primary caregiver for a family member living with dementia.

“I thought about it because I’m dealing with it. It is so hard,” he said.

Health care is a vital, rewarding field of work, but the job presents stressful moments that can take a toll on a health care worker’s mental and emotional health.

UK HealthCare’s Supporting One Another to Rise (SOAR) is a team of peers trained in crisis support and stress management who provide free supportive care and resources for employees who have gone through an emotionally traumatic event.

The team includes physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers, and other volunteers who are selected for their high level of competence and commitment to serve others.

National Donate Life Month is observed in April each year to raise awareness about the benefits of registering as an organ, eye, or tissue donor. Staff at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine shared their experiences with organ donation and how the generous sacrifice can help others.

Administrative Services Assistant, Department of Urology

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2021) — From Kentucky farms to University of Kentucky labs and now to Kentucky patients, the UK Markey Cancer Center has officially launched a unique new clinical trial to test whether Artemisia annua extract can prevent ovarian cancer recurrence.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 23, 2021) – We are inching ever closer to a return to normal with each scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the University of Kentucky Kroger Field clinic.

As each person walks through the line of tents at Kroger Field, checks in and winds their way up to their vaccination station, you can’t help but wonder, what’s their reason? Why are they choosing to be vaccinated?

Dr. Vincent L. Sorrell, the Anthony N. DeMaria professor of Medicine and the director of Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging at UK Gill Heart & Vascular Institute, will become editor-in-chief of CASE, an international cardiovascular imaging case reports journal.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2021) – A new study from University of Kentucky Markey Cancer researchers shows that Artemisia annua, a plant that has been traditionally used for its anti-malaria components, shows promise in treating ovarian cancer.   

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2021) – We are to a point now that seemed nearly impossible one year ago – having millions vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of UK HealthCare and University of Kentucky employees and volunteers, hundreds of thousands of emergency authorized vaccines have been distributed to Kentuckians. The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Kroger Field surpassed 200,000 vaccines in the beginning of April.

The NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases, in collaboration with the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS) announce the availability of limited funds to support pilot projects focused on research examining obesity-associated diseases.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 19, 2021) — One out of three individuals in the U.S. complain of sleep disturbances in their lifetime and 10% of the general population meet the diagnostic criteria of chronic sleep disorders. That number has risen among elderly individuals to 48% and over 50% among pregnant women.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 19, 2021) — The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that three Wildcats — biology students Kayli Bolton, Zoe Hert and Carly Karrick — have been awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. The UK students are among 410 students nationwide selected to receive the 2021-22 Goldwater Scholarship.

In order to maximize the impact of novel research, every research team needs a plan to bring those findings to the clinic and the communities who need health care treatments. A group of clinicians and scientists at the University of Kentucky is working to launch research discoveries beyond the walls of an academic medical center and into broader contexts – clinical practice, population health, and policy development – in order to efficiently promote research into the real world, particularly in underserved areas.