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. 

Join us in congratulating Andres Ayoob, MD, Abdominal Radiologist, Associate Professor of Radiology.

The Department had nine publications listed in PubMed for the month of April 2021.

1: Erfani S, Hua H, Pan Y, Zhou BP, Yang XH. The Context-Dependent Impact of Integrin-Associated CD151 and Other Tetraspanins on Cancer Development and Progression: A Class of Versatile Mediators of Cellular Function and Signaling, Tumorigenesis and Metastasis. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Apr 21;13(9):2005. doi: 10.3390/cancers13092005. PMID: 33919420.

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.

Congratulations to Ashley White for receiving the 2021 Student Employee of the Year Award! "We nominated [Ashely] because [she's] fantastic", said Dr. Campbell in his pre-recorded video congratulating Ashley. Ashley's work with the COVID Biobank, assistance with the vaccine trial, and volunteering at Kroger Field were all cited major accomplishments in the last year. "We are excited to have [Ashley] in the lab", he added. "[She's] going to go on and do great things."

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.

The College of Medicine is pleased to announce that Jacqueline Pope-Tarrence, PhD, has been selected as the new leader of the Health Equity and Advocacy Thread.