At the University for Kentucky, understanding and addressing the health needs of the people of the Commonwealth is the goal of many faculty, staff, clinicians and researchers. As a step toward improving health equity, the University of Kentucky Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) was established and recently approved by the UK Board of Trustees. 

Ten researchers from institutions across the U.S. have been selected to participate in the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Advocacy Training Program, a rigorous six-month program aiming to produce the next generation of science advocates. Among those chosen is Aria Byrd, a doctoral candidate in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and researcher in the Fillmore Brainson Lab. 

By Loretta Stafford, UKnow
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Difficulty in accessing culturally affirming and informed health care has long deterred members of the LGBTQ* community from seeking fundamental services and resources.

The Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR) has received a $2.6 million contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to continue its participation in the NCI’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. If the NCI exercises all contract options, the contract could be worth up to $31 million over 10 years.

Department Chair
The College of Medicine seeks a dynamic academic and research driven innovative leader to serve as its next Chair for the Department of Behavioral Science and invites applications for the position.

This is a unique opportunity to build upon a strong and diverse foundation to substantially impact the behavioral health challenges facing the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. Therefore, we desire a visionary Chair with an understanding of the future of behavioral science for the Commonwealth and demonstrated leadership abilities.

Grace Mlachak has an undeniable passion for being active, with hobbies spanning the gamut from water sports to nature hikes. However, when she broke her femur in a wakeboarding accident in late 2008, the healing process did not go quite how anyone expected. Mlachak was left with a leg deformity that slowly worsened her mobility. After nearly a decade of pain and discomfort, she was referred to Dr. Paul Matuszewski with UK Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Now, Mlachak is back to enjoying a pain-free active lifestyle.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a neurodegenerative disease of some fame in the United States. Many Americans know the illness, which currently has no cure, as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the beloved baseball player whose career and life were cut short by the condition in the 1930s and 40s. More recently, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking died of ALS. Perhaps more than anyone else, Hawking reminds us of the particular cruelty of the disease, which slowly robs a person of muscle movement while leaving their cognitive abilities intact.

 Luke Bradley, Janice Fernheimer and Gregory Luhan received the University of Kentucky 2018 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.

Nearly 80 million Americans – one out of every four people – are infected with human papillomavirus (HPV). And of those millions, more than 31,000 will be diagnosed with an HPV-related cancer this year. Despite those staggering figures and the availability of a vaccine to prevent the infections that cause these cancers, HPV vaccination remains low in the United States.

On May 5, the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, in partnership with the Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) and the Huffman & Huffman Clinic, held its first UK Global Ophthalmology (UK GO) outreach service in Hazard. 

The University of Kentucky Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center held its eighth annual Obesity and Diabetes Research Day, highlighting the work of students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty from around the region. The program features presentations from nationally recognized physician-scientists, as well as researchers chosen from abstract submissions. 

Better delivery of medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) is key to addressing the opioid crisis and helping the 2.6 million Americans affected by the disease.

While FDA-approved medications are effective for treating persons with OUD, including buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone, each has its own unique barriers that impact patient access to care. 

When Dr. J. Thomas Murphy moved to the United States in 2002 to practice medicine as an anesthesiologist, he'd never even heard of the opioid drug Vicodin. Originally from Canada, Murphy completed his medical education and training at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia before moving to Saudi Arabia to work as a cardiac anesthesiologist. When he came to the University of Kentucky, he saw the impacts of the opioid epidemic time and again in the cardiac operating room and would eventually feel called to join the fight.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center recently held its ninth annual Markey Cancer Center Research Day, highlighting the work of UK students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty from the past year.

Research Day provides an opportunity for investigators to showcase their work and also view the work of their colleagues across the campus. Markey researchers are housed all across the University, spanning eight colleges and 28 departments.

With a $4.9 million contract from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the University of Kentucky will expand and improve treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas of Kentucky.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognized UK HealthCare's General Pediatric Clinic as a model in its implementation of early childhood screenings.

By integrating a series of standardized screenings into a child's visit, including developmental surveillance, maternal depression screenings, social determinants and family strengths, doctors, nurses and staff are able to get a more complete assessment of a child's health beyond his or her physical well-being. All pediatric providers complete the same screenings for all patients.

This week, it was my distinct pleasure to present the University Research Professorship Awards to 14 members of our faculty who have demonstrated excellence in research and creative work that addresses scientific, social, cultural, economic and health challenges in our region and around the world.

At a reception hosted by President Eli Capilouto at Maxwell Place, with their families, deans, associate deans for research and nominators on hand to celebrate with them, we had the opportunity to recognize and publicize the accomplishments of these scholars.

 The Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala, internationally recognized as the “premier” Kentucky Derby gala and counted among the “10 Best Parties in the World” by Condé Nast, has announced the celebrity lineup for its 30th annual gala being held Friday, May 4 in Louisville.