How are salamanders connected to the human central nervous system? A research team at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine believes a quality of this amphibian could lead to game-changing treatment for damaged nerve cells in humans.

In response to the continued growth of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the evolving landscape of medical education, the Office of Medical Education is happy to announce a new curriculum leadership structure ahead of the 2021-2022 academic year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 6, 2021) — The Markey Cancer Center at Lexington Clinic location in Richmond, Kentucky, has moved into new, improved clinic space. As of July 2, the clinic is located at 2019 Corporate Dr. in Richmond.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 2, 2021) — A new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study suggests that time-restricted eating may be able to help people with Type 2 diabetes reduce nocturnal hypertension, which is characterized by elevated blood pressure at night.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 1, 2021) — Today marks the first day of Robert S. DiPaola’s tenure as acting provost. 

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto announced in May that he selected DiPaola, dean of the UK College of Medicine, to serve as in this role. 

He will serve in this capacity for a one-year appointment until June 30, 2022. Capilouto has announced he will begin a national search for a permanent provost this fall.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2021) — The University of Kentucky’s Neuroscience Research Priority Area (NRPA) supports a "collaborative matrix," bringing together diverse groups of investigators, trainees and research groups from nine different colleges across the University of Kentucky campus.

The College of Medicine has completed its elections for University Senate. Below are the results:

The four regular/special title series faculty selected are:

T.K. Logan, PhD, Department of Behavioral ScienceBrittany Smalls, PhD, Department of Family and Community MedicineKenneth Campbell, PhD, Department of PhysiologyMahesh Kudrimoti, MD, Department of Radiation Medicine

The clinical title series faculty selected is:

As part of the Office of Graduate Medical Education’s continued expansion of its graduate medical program opportunities, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare have established a new residency program to equip medical trainees with the necessary knowledge and experience to best treat Kentucky patients with both medical and psychiatric needs.

LEXINGTON, Ky.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 24, 2021) — Early in the evening of May 30, 2020, UK HealthCare trauma surgeon Dr. Zachary Warriner prepared an emergency operation to figure out the cause of a bowel obstruction. His patient, a 27-year old man, had come into the emergency department earlier that day with the vague symptoms of severe belly pain and nausea.

Hammodah Alfar is in his second year of graduate school in the UK College of Medicine Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, with a specialized interest in platelet biology.

He has gained important research experience as a member of the Virus-Induced Thrombosis Alliance (VITAL), led by Beth Garvy, PhD, associate dean for biomedical education, and Sidney Whiteheart, PhD, professor of molecular and cellular biochemistry.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 21, 2021) – A new University of Kentucky College of Medicine study will examine how policies that restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes impact health disparities among vulnerable populations. 

A five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will support the study on how local policies impact at-risk groups – including communities of color, low-income populations and youth – that are more likely to use flavored tobacco products.

When his parents drove from their home in rural Lincoln County to drop Michael Rankin off at Haggin Hall on the University of Kentucky campus in August 1967, it was one of the biggest places he had ever seen.

His high school math teacher had encouraged his love for math and science and in 1971 he received an engineering degree. His dream was to go on to medical school, but he feared achieving this goal was out of reach. Today, he wants to make sure that young men and women from rural areas who aspire to be physicians have the support they need to make their dreams come true.

Juneteenth is observed on June 19, 2021, to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. On this day, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were notified they had actually been freed almost 2.5 years earlier.

Members of the College of Medicine were asked a series of questions on how they honor Juneteenth.

Kaylin BateyClass of 2023

Q: When did you first become aware of Juneteenth?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 17, 2021) ­— In January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, declaring more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free, unbeknownst to many of those enslaved. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, more than two years later, on June 19, 1865, that the last enslaved U.S. populations were informed of the proclamation. 

Memory Sunday is designated nationally as the second Sunday in June. Memory Sunday was established to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and its impact on the African American community, since their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is two to three times higher than white Americans.

Em Neiport, MA, is project manager at the College of Medicine and staff co-chair of the LGBTQ* Advisory Committee.

Q: What are your roles at the UK College of Medicine?

A: I’m a project manager in the College of Medicine. The projects I’ve worked on are so varied and have allowed me to see just how expansive academic medicine really is. It’s fascinating! The best part of my role is having a chance to work with so many amazing people in all areas of the college.

University of Kentucky Provost David Blackwell has announced Dr. Charles “Chipper” Griffith III has been named the acting dean of the UK College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021.

Griffith will serve as acting dean while Dean Bob DiPaola serves as acting provost, from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. At that time, DiPaola intends to return to the College of Medicine and Griffith will return to his current roles.

A study by several researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) was recently highlighted in AlzForum. The study focuses on polyamines, the nitrogen-packed aliphatic molecules produced by our own cells and found in the foods we eat. They have been described by some as anti-aging generators.

Meriem Bensalem-Owen, MD, and Brian Gold, PhD, might not have ever had the chance to work on projects together. Dr. Bensalem-Owen is a physician who spends much of her time at the patients’ bedside, reviewing video-EEG monitoring studies, or in clinic treating patients with epilepsy, and Dr. Gold is a researcher who studies age-related brain and cognitive changes in the lab.

But thanks to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Alliance Research Initiative, they have joined forces to better localize, and ultimately treat, epileptic seizures.