The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is training more students to be future physicians than ever before. The college is also growing its faculty, its research and its outreach and service to Kentuckians.

Dr. Robert DiPaola is the dean of the UK College of Medicine and vice president for clinical academic affairs for UK HealthCare.

On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” UKPR‘s Carl Nathe talks with DiPaola about why he came to UK nearly three years ago and the positive momentum his college and the entire university are enjoying.

Dr. John Draus, MD, FACS has been selected as the Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery, according to a recent announcement by Dr. Jay Zwischenberger, Chair of the Department of Surgery. 

In this role, Dr. Draus has been charged with maintaining the excellent clinical outcomes of the division, building the division through targeted recruitment, fostering a strong educational and academic mission, and strengthening relationships with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. 

In January, Department of Surgery Administrator Shawn Coffey officially welcomed Mandy Bucy as the new division administrator for Cardiothoracic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Dermatology.

She joins the Department of Surgery administrative team which, in addition to Coffey, includes associate administrator Dijana Zaimovich, and fellow division administrators Sally Grasch and Pete Rogers.

Dr. Sibu Saha, a professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery at the University of Kentucky, accepted an invitation this January to serve as one of the senior editors of the International Journal of Angiology. The invitation came from the journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. John Elefteriades, who also serves as director of The Aortic Institute at Yale University.

Though she be but little, she is fierce. From the moment she was born, Audrey Armstrong defied every expectation.

Congratulations to the first round of participants completing Quality Improvement Training Value at Our Best Azure Belt Certification! Participants included Shannon Evans (pictured on right), William Fuller (pictured below, top middle), Randy Jones (pictured below, bottom left), Lauren Stroud (pictured below, bottom right), Aaron Hesselson (not pictured), and Predeep Yarra (not pictured).

The University of Kentucky Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Sciences (UK-CARES), in partnership with the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH), announces the inaugural Community Engagement Award in Environmental Health Sciences. The UK-CARES/CERH Community Engagement Award recognizes individuals or community-academic teams who demonstrate effective research or project evaluation to improve environmental health in Appalachia.

The individual or community-academic team you nominate must meet at least one of the following guidelines:

Study Links Smoking During Pregnancy With Increase in Obesity Later in Baby's Life

University of Kentucky researchers have identified a potential cellular mechanism that connects a mother's smoking while pregnant with an increased risk in the offspring's obesity later in life. 

Obesity is considered an epidemic in the U.S., with nearly 35 percent of adults and 20 percent of children six to 19 years old deemed obese. Obesity is a serious economic burden as well: more than $150 billion is spent annually on obesity-related healthcare costs in the U.S. alone.

On Friday, January 11 2019, Khalid Eldahan successfully defended his dissertation, earning his doctoral degree. Congratulations Dr. Eldahan!

TARGETING MALADAPTIVE PLASTICITY AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTONOMIC DYSREFLEXIA