News

The UK College of Medicine chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is commemorating Black History Month by curating educational information about the Black community's impact in medicine.

This week, SNMA conducted a Q&A with Black physician-leaders who either currently work or have worked at the UK College of Medicine to learn their perspectives on medicine and how we can continue to improve.

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is thrilled to announce the addition of Brian Hamilton, MEd, as its new director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In this newly established role, Hamilton works under the direction of Stephanie White, MD, MS, to advance the mission of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and help execute the college’s strategic plan. This includes implementing new initiatives and increasing engagement to build a more welcoming, inclusive campus while focusing on efforts for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff, and learners.

Ima Ebong, MD, MS, assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Neurology, was recently named one of “1,000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America” in a list published by Cell Mentor, an online resource for researchers.

The list, compiled by The Community of Scholars, recognizes the significant contributions Black scientists have made in research.

Professor Richard Welsh’s desire to help Kentucky families propelled a decades-long career in health care and academia at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare. After nearly 52 years of service, Welsh, LCSW, MSW, has made official plans to retire.

To Welsh, the decision to say goodbye was a difficult one. He garnered a wealth of expertise in treating disruptive behavior disorders and made a tremendous impact as a professor, holding joint appointments in the UK College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and the UK College of Social Work.

The seventh annual Healthy Hearts for Women virtual symposium will take place Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. A virtual round table hosted by Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) will follow the symposium.

8:30 a.m.-Noon
Healthy Hearts for Women Symposium

As part of its commitment toward creating a more inclusive work and learning environment, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has established additional leadership roles in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The college is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Pearson, PhD, to oversee progress in research as the inaugural director of inclusive research initiatives.  

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne bacterial disease in the U.S., with 200,000 new cases each year. While incidence in Kentucky typically has been relatively low, the incidence of the tick vector, lxodes scapularis, has increased over the past five years, even spreading to areas it did not previously live.

Following the excellent and long-tenure of leadership by Phillip A. Tibbs, MD, the UK College of Medicine has announced Craig G. van Horne, MD, PhD, as the new chair for the department of neurosurgery effective Dec. 1.

Marilyn Duncan, PhD, a driven researcher and well-regarded professor in the department of neuroscience, has been elected to serve on the University Senate Council, the executive body of the University Senate. 

Dr. Duncan is serving a third term on the University Senate. During her tenure she has been part of the Advisory Committee for Prior Service, the Academic Programs Committee, the Academic Area Committee for Promotion and Tenure in the Biological Sciences, and the Library Committee. 

Her term on the Senate Council will run from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2023.

Daniel Lee, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience and a researcher at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, an internationally recognized Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He joined the UK College of Medicine in August 2019. He is also a member of the Faculty of Color Network and currently serves as co-director for the Research Education Component (REC) of the UK-ADRC.

Veterans Day is a time to recognize individuals who have made the honorable decision to protect our country's freedom through military service. Below, we are honoring four of our of our very own faculty members and learners who have served our country, are serving our country, or are committed to serving our country in the most selfless of ways - through the military and in health care. 

Nancy Schoenberg, PhD, professor of behavioral science and director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation, has been invited to present her research at the Behavioral and Social Science Research Festival. 

The festival, which will be held virtually, will take place 1-4 p.m. EST on Dec. 1-2, 2020, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Unconscious Bias: Anti-Asian Bashing in the Age of COVID

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
4:30 p.m. 
Zoom

Speaker: Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning co-anchor for ABC Nightline and Good Morning America.

The Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), in collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, has selected five undergraduate students for the inaugural African American Research Training Scholars (AARTS) program.

A research abstract from Jacob Hubbuch, a third-year student from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, was awarded first place in the Education, Innovation, and Outcomes category of the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Medical Student Research Program. The research was among three top finishers featured at the ACS 2020 Virtual Clinical Congress on Oct. 3.

Matthew Bush, MD, PhD, MBA, is an experienced clinician, academic leader, and researcher. While he has been directly involved in health care and academia throughout his career, he credits the progress of his research career to a program he completed at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine while serving as a faculty member.

After dedicating more than two years as interim chair of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has officially named Jeffrey Selby, MD, chair of his department. The promotion took effect Oct. 1. Dr. Selby has been a devoted physician and educator since joining the University of Kentucky as a faculty member in 2002 after graduating from the UK College of Medicine’s orthopaedic surgery residency program. Dr.

Henrietta Lacks’s “HeLa” cells continue to influence scientific discovery even after her death from cancer in 1951. These cells have been used to study cancer growth, learn more about viruses, and study drug effects on the body. They even helped develop the polio vaccine.

The UK College of Medicine’s Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) will host its sixth annual Visiting Professor Program, also known as “WIMS Day,” this fall as a virtual program. The event will serve as an opportunity for faculty, staff, and learners to network, develop their career skills, and learn about the strides women have made in medicine and science.

Rosalind Ritchie, MD, is a professor in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and was recently named chair of the college’s Faculty of Color Network, an organization with a vision of being undeniable, uncompromising, and unstoppable in pursuing diversity and inclusion. She enrolled in the first class of UK’s Women’s Executive Leadership Development Program and is the medical director of UK Chandler Hospital’s Center for Advanced Surgery.