Dr. Mikel Smith, the Alberto Mazzoleni Professor of Cardiology and the director of echocardiography at the Gill Heart Institute, has been given the American Society of Echocardiography's 2014 Richard Popp Excellence in Teaching Award. The award recognizes an outstanding teacher who epitomizes the ideal qualities of a mentor and role model. According to Dr. Vincent Sorrell, director of advanced cardiovascular imaging at the Gill Heart Institute, the Popp Award is particularly meaningful because the awardee must be nominated by one of his or her students or peers.

The Louisville Ironman – a triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim in the Ohio River, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run – is a competition that would test even the toughest of wills. But for University of Kentucky radiation oncologist Dr. Jonathan Feddock, the competition is about more than achieving a personal goal – Feddock, an accomplished triathlete, is using his athletic talents to help provide better care for the cancer patients he treats. When he competes in the Aug.

Tetsuhiro Yasuma, postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been selected to receive the 2014 Fight for Sight Postdoctoral Award from Fight for Sight, a non-profit organization that promotes eye research by providing pilot funding to promising new researchers. Yasuma received training in biomedical research as an undergraduate student in Japan and general ophthalmology and surgery in graduate school. Yasuma joined the Ambati lab at UK in 2012.

The Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) has accepted an article by authors Sanda Despa, Savita Sharma, Todd R. Harris, Hua Dong, Ning Li, Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, Kenneth B. Margulies, Bruce D. Hammock, and Florin Despa. JAHA plans to publish their work, "Cardioprotection by controlling hyperamylinemia in a 'humanized' diabetic rat model," as soon as possible.

Most people hear the word "artifact" and think of amazing items found by archeologistsat a dig -- objects that shed light on bygone cultures.

For Dr. Vincent Sorrell, and his colleagues on the Gill Heart Institute's Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging team, the thought of artifacts means a challenge but one they have worked to overcome.

Yasir Alsiraj received an American Heart Association (AHA) Great Rivers Affiliate (GRA) Predoctoral Fellowship award for his research project titled “Sex differences in angiotensin-induced AAAs." Mr. Alsiraj is a Pharmacology doctoral candidate in Dr. Lisa Cassis lab in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences. Congratulations, Yasir Alsiraj!

Yu Wang received an American Heart Association (AHA) Great Rivers Affiliate (GRA) Predoctoral Fellowship award for his research project titled “The role of ACE2 in mediating sex differences in the development of obesity-hypertension in mice.” Mr. Wang is a Nutritional Sciences doctoral candidate in Dr. Lisa Cassis lab in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences. Congratulations, Yu Wang!

University of Kentucky medical residents, fellows and faculty members packed into a classroom next to the medical center library on July 16 to practice fundamental newborn resuscitation maneuvers on baby mannequins. The Helping Babies Breathe training didn't teach these pediatric professionals anything new — they were all familiar with the process of drying, suctioning and ventilating a newborn with breathing problems.