Congratulations to Dr. Mark V Williams on being named Chief Quality & Transformation Officer. Dr. Williams will work with Dr. Newman and other members of the Executive Quality Committee to provide leadership in ensuring that quality is the chief goal as an institution.

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.

Congratulations to Dr. Jean Edward on being selected into the first cohort of UK-CARES Fellows in Science Communication!! This program is designed to provide early career faculty with skills training for communicating science to a broader audience, leading to an enhanced capability for outreach and success in research, teaching, and service. Dr. Edward was chosen from an elite group of faculty at UK who will comprise the first cohort of 10 fellows.

 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.

Background

On January 31, 2018, the Academic Growth Drive Team approved the recommendations of the UK BEST project to:

Two residents from the UK Department of Surgery – Plastic Surgery Chief Resident Amaka Agochukwu, MD,  and Anh-Thu Le, MD, fourth year resident in General Surgery – won first and third prize, respectively, in the 2018 Lexington Medical Society’s (LMS) fourth annual essay contest.

The LMS will recognize and present awards to all essay contest winners at a dinner in the Hilary J. Boone Center on May 8.

Dr. John “Jeb” Hallett, Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina, gave a lecture on curiosity as an important trait for surgeons to cultivate. Dr. Hallett was the special guest speaker for the third annual Dr. Gordon Hyde Lectureship in Vascular Surgery on Wednesday, April 11.

The lecture, part of the Division of General Surgery’s weekly grand rounds presentations for faculty and general surgery residents, also welcomed alumni from the UK Vascular Surgery Fellowship and retired UK faculty members, including Dr. Gordon Hyde in his famous bow tie.

The annual Andrew M. Moore Sr., MD Visiting Professor for 2018 was Dr. Wyndell Merritt, a clinical professor in the division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. Dr. Merritt is also in private practice with an office in Henrico, Virginia.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been a hot topic of late as soldiers return from the battlefield and football players from the gridiron with debilitating injuries.

To date, treatment for TBI has been limited because the underlying mechanisms that cause brain damage are still poorly understood. Recently, however, science has shown increased interest in exploring ways to prompt the brain to heal itself after injury, or perhaps even protect itself as the injury occurs.