In the background, a group of students in lab coats work in a laboratory. In the foreground, overlaid text reads "Congratulations to the 2025 College of Medicine Research Awardees"

The UK College of Medicine Office of Research 2025 Research Awards recognize faculty and staff who have made outstanding contributions to basic, clinical, and translational research in the College of Medicine.  Please join us in congratulating the following awardees: 

Zhonglin Hao, dressed in white coat, and leaning against the bottom of the stairway in the UK Pharmacy building.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has treated the first patient in the U.S. with a new immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer, offering hope for patients whose cancers have stopped responding to other treatments.

Denise Fabian - A blonde woman wearing her white coat - smiling, conveying positivity and professionalism.

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Centerradiation oncologist Denise Fabian, MD, will lead a national symposium focused on theranostics, a rapidly advancing approach to precision cancer care that combines diagnostic imaging and therapeutic interventions. 

Riham El Khouli, MD, sits in a dark computer lab, examining brain scans that highlight in a range of vivid colors.

Imagine being able to see the invisible—amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and metabolic changes in the living brain. This is no longer science fiction; it’s reality at the University of Kentucky.

Fong with members of his lab, standing in front of their lab station. Conveying a unified presence.

A University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Centerstudy reveals how prostate cancer cells adapt their metabolism to thrive in bone tissue, offering a potential new treatment target for patients with advanced disease.

Bernardo Aguzzoli in a lab coat holds a Wilson basketball in an indoor hallway, smiling confidently. The setting suggests a fusion of science and sports.

The University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is home to researchers pushing the field of Alzheimer’s science forward — among them, soon-to-be graduate Bernardo Aguzzoli Herbele, who will earn his doctorate in neuroscience this month.

Elderly person in a wheelchair on a sunlit path, surrounded by greenery and houses. The scene conveys tranquility and contemplation.

By Dana G. Smith

Dec. 1, 2025

This article was published by the New York Times.  Read the full article on New York Times.

UK University of Kentucky, Behind the Blue Podcast logo

Kentucky has one of the nation’s highest burdens of chronic lung disease, a challenge intensified by smoking prevalence, occupational exposures and limited access to specialized care in rural communities. As UK HealthCare looks to expand its services for those with advanced lung conditions, a new leader is helping to guide that effort.

Northern Kentucky Campus medical student wearing white coat smiles in front of research poster.

The UK College of Medicine recently hosted medical student research showcases across three of our campuses — Bowling Green, Lexington (virtual), and Northern Kentucky.

Matthew Bush, a man in a blue suit with green bowtie, leaning on a handrail on UK's campus.

Hearing loss is one of the most common health challenges worldwide, touching individuals of all ages and stages of life. It can influence relationships, learning and overall well-being.

Sara Police sits in an office chair, smiling, and holding a laptop. The background features a colorful painting and an anatomical poster, creating a scholarly atmosphere.

Two students at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine have had unique learning and training opportunities thanks to generous contributions to a new gift account.

A blood sugar monitor, reading 106 mg/dl at 10:30 in the morning on February 1st.

University of Kentucky researchers were recently awarded a prestigious Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant that will significantly bolster diabetes prevention research. 

Jay Avasarala leaning against a railing in front of a large, arched window.

For most of us, the phrase “stroke of the eye” sounds like a metaphor. But for UK HealthCare’s Jagannadha “Jay” Avasarala, MD, PhD, it’s a literal and urgent diagnosis — one that could mean the difference between sight and permanent blindness.

Dr. Eric Rellinger headshot

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center researcher Eric Rellinger, MD, was selected to receive the American College of Surgeons’ 2026-2031

Mindy Thompson headshot

When Mindy Thompson talks about her career at the University of Kentucky, she doesn’t describe a carefully mapped plan. Instead, she shares a story of saying yes to opportunities, learning from mentors, and trusting her ambition to carry her forward.  

Dr. Lotte Bjerre Knudsen

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine will welcome internationally recognized scientist Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, PhD, as the featured speaker for the William R. Martin Lecture Series on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.

A man receiving a CT scan of his lungs while a female person stands nearby.

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Centerresearchers Jennifer Redmond Knight, Dr.P.H., and Timothy Mullett, MD, are co-investigators on a new National Cancer Institute grant that will expand Kentucky’s successful lung cancer screening quality improvement program to 60 sites across the U.S.

From left: Britt Brockman, Kentucky Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, Linda Van Eldik, Mallory Martinez, Kentucky House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy and Eli Capilouto standing in front of a Sanders-Brown Center on Aging banner wall.

University of Kentucky leadership, along with state and community leaders, joined members of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging to celebrate a significant achievement: 40 years of continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for their revolutionary work in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Bill Haney, documentary director, and Phil Sharp standing in Dr. Sharp's lab.

The University of Kentucky community is invited to the documentary film premiere of “Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp & the Biotech Revolution” 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 at the Kentucky Theatre, with a post-screening conversation on UK biotech research, innovation and commercialization.

ASTRO 2025 meeting logo on a red gradient background.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center made a strong impact at the 2025 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting this fall.