McKenna Green using a pipette and beaker in the laboratory.

A new study from researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is exploring whether a drug originally developed to combat neuroinflammation in dementia could also help reduce the harmful brain inflammation associated with alcohol withdrawal — a discovery that could eventually open n

A man in a plaid shirt talking to a female medical professional.

Clinical trials are often associated with new treatments, breakthrough findings, and the promise of what comes next. What is less visible is the hard work behind the scenes that makes those moments possible.  

From left to right: Markey Research Day poster competition awardees Michelle Pitts, Maisy Webster, Julia Magsam, Oluwaseyi Omodiminiyi, Haoming Wu, Rakshamani Tripathi.

More than 120 poster presentations and a full day of lectures, oral abstracts and networking brought together researchers, clinicians, trainees and staff May 13 for the 16th annual Markey Cancer Center Research Day at the University of Kentucky.

Portraits of the undergraduates in a 4x3 grid. The bottom right corner is occupied by the 2026 CURE Fellowship logo.

The University of Kentucky Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) has announced the 11 students selected for the 2026 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Fellowship program. [Of the 11 students, 5 are from the College of Medicine.] 

From left: Warren Alilain, Lance Johnson, Carol Street, Bruno Menarim and Sybil Gotsch standing in front of decorative lights that read, "SHOWCASE"

Five University of Kentucky faculty members received the 2026 Excellent Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for their exceptional leadership and support of student researchers. 

17 2025-2026 University Research Professors gather with UK leadership for a photo

Last week, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved 17 University Research Professors for the 2026-27 academic year.

Photo of Dr. Mark Evers
Photo of Xia Liu, Ph.D., and Ka Wing Fong, Ph.D.,

Two University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers have each received a Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS), securing a combined $1.9 million to fund laboratory studies that may lead to new or more effective treatments for patients with few options.

Logo for the Saddle Up for Brain Health Conference

For decades, the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has helped shape how the world understands Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias — from groundbreaking discoveries to leading clinical trials that are changing what’s possible for patients and families.

A graphic of the human brain within a silhouette of the human head. Brain waves overlap and travel from left to right of the image.

Where people live — and the air they breathe, green space they can access, and social and political conditions they experience — may play a major role in how the brain ages, according to a large international study recently published in Nature Medicine.

The RADOR-KY research team in matching grey jackets. They are gathered in two, overlapping  semi-circles, with the front row sitting down, and the back row standing.

A new analytical system created by University of Kentucky researchers is helping to predict and prevent opioid overdoses in Kentucky.

Vedant Gupta

After an intensive national search and selection process, UK HealthCare leadership announced Vedant Gupta, MD, has been selected as the director of the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute and leader of the cardiovascular health se

Brian Stevenson wearing white coat, safety glasses, and gloves. He stands in his lab, smiling, and holding up a sample to the camera.

There’s a virus within a bacterium within a parasite, and University of Kentucky researchers are figuring out how to make them kill each other.

A person in a blue t-shirt snapping a cigarette in half.

A new study co-authored by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researchers Jessica Burris, PhD, Timothy Mullett, MD, and Graham Warren, MD, PhD, shows that making smoking cessation assistance a standard part of cancer care is achievable on a national scale and can happen relatively quickly.

Lance Johnson and Josh Morganti

A team of University of Kentucky researchers has uncovered a surprising clue in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease that could help doctors predict, and ultimately prevent, a common side effect of the newest generation of Alzheimer’s therapies.

A hand holds up a blood sugar monitor for a diabetic. The monitor reads 103 mg/dL

A new University of Kentucky study has mapped areas across the U.S. where high rates of diabetes and deaths from diabetes-related cancers overlap.

Headshot of Dr. Bonnie Firestein

A groundbreaking study identifying biological markers for schizophrenia could soon revolutionize how the disorder is diagnosed and treated in the Commonwealth and beyond.

A 3D model rendering of the human brain against a multi-color, gradient background.

Scientists at the University of Kentucky have uncovered a new reason why people with Alzheimer’s disease often struggle with sleep, long before memory loss begins. The study, led by researchers at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, reveals that a protein called tau “hijacks” the brain’s energy supply, keeping the brain in a state of overactive excitability that prevents restorative rest.

Peter Nelson stands on the UK basketball court, holding a UK basketball and wearing a white shirt that reads, "Together we can end alzheimer's"

Each year UK Athletics, UK HealthCare and the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging partner for a game honoring legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt — a beloved leader and fierce Southeastern Conference competitor, who battled Alzheimer’s disease with remarkable courage.

A line of three elderly women sitting together, holding musical instruments.

For many Kentuckians with dementia, medical interventions may seem like the only choice, but a new University of Kentucky study shows that prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities is vital for the health of both residents and the caregivers who support them.