News

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 23, 2020) – Recent work published by researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) highlights what the lead investigator calls the “cornerstone” of her lab. Maj-Linda Selenica, assistant professor at SBCoA, led the study recently published in BBA Molecular Basis of Disease.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 23, 2020) – A study led by researchers at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center highlighted differences in patient diagnosis and treatment in those with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) across the state of Kentucky. Recently published in PLOS One, the study used Kentucky Cancer Registry patient data from 2007-2011 to identify trends in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation testing and the usage of the EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib. EGFR mutations are common in NSCLC.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 22, 2020) – The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has joined a consortium of 17 cancer centers around the country to better understand the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to disrupted cancer prevention, detection and care.

April Hatcher, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience and was recently named chair of Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS), an organization facilitating networking and mentorship opportunities to support career advancement for women.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 1, 2020) — Alan Daugherty, senior associate dean for research at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been selected to serve as chair of Scientific Committee of the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation, an organization that trains medical students to be leaders in cardiovascular science and medicine.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 3, 2020) – The Society of Research Administrators International will be presenting its 2020 Hartford-Nicholson Award to University of Kentucky faculty Nathan Vanderford. 

We are pleased to announce a plan for remote clinical trial monitoring. This plan will give study monitors view-only access to the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and offers options for monitoring documents outside of the EMR using existing platforms at UK (One Drive and Zoom). EMR access is enabled by UK HealthCare IT and is subject to review and/or audit by the Office of Corporate Compliance.

Details and resources for remote monitoring are available at
ccts.uky.edu/Remote Monitoring

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2020) – The National Science Foundation recently awarded a three-year, $1,163,869 grant to the University of Kentucky to develop new state-of-the-art metabolomics data analysis tools that will derive new data, knowledge and interpretation from the active metabolic state of organisms and ecosystems with broad biological and biomedical applications.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2020) — Working with their colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, researchers at the University of Kentucky have found that they can differentiate between subtypes of dementia inducing brain disease.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2020) — Research looking at a possible new therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease was recently published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.

When flipping through almost any medical textbook or research publication, one will find that paragraphs of text are typically broken up with elaborate graphics illustrating the complex scientific processes and information.

These graphics are the work of medical illustrators, professional artists with advanced training in both science and visual communication. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine has two, Thomas Dolan and Matthew Hazzard, who are instrumental in their ability to enhance medical instruction, patient education, and research within the college.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an ever-changing environment requiring quick adjustment, especially in the field of research. In response to the pandemic, scientists at UK ceased non-essential research activity in the spring, and education was moved to online platforms. While these measures were necessary to ensure safety for faculty and learners, graduate students in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS) PhD program saw their progress interrupted.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 24, 2020) – Kidney stones are infamously painful. Even at their tiniest size, these mineral deposits can wreak havoc as they exit the kidneys, leading to the type of breathtaking pain that’s often compared to the experience of giving birth.

But for Middlesboro resident Michael Slusher, that pain turned out to be a wake-up call for something much more serious.

“I’m probably the only person who says, ‘Thank God for a kidney stone,’” he said. “Because it discovered my kidney cancer before it metastasized.”

HAZARD, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2020) — The 6th Annual Appalachian Research Day (ARD): Come Sit on the Porch will be held as a virtual seminar series, beginning Sept. 16, 2020. ARD is an annual event hosted by the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CEHR) to share results of health research conducted with communities in Appalachia.“Disseminating health disparities research findings at the local level is something our Center is strongly committed to,” said Dr.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 13, 2020) — PDS Biotechnology, a clinical stage immunotherapy company, has announced positive results from preclinical testing conducted at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, PDS0203. 

Nika Larian, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, has been awarded a Science & Technology Policy Fellowship with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) aim to support evidence-based policymaking by leveraging the knowledge and analytical mindset of science and engineering experts, and foster leaders for a strong U.S. science and technology enterprise.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 6, 2020) — For a couple of years now members of the University of Kentucky Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center (SCoBIRC), in collaboration with UK College of Arts and Sciences, have been working to increase the representation of Black undergraduate students in neuroscience.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 5, 2020) — COVID-19 has dramatically altered everyday life around the globe. Ongoing research studies are not immune to the disruptions and changes caused by the global pandemic. Researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) are continuing their important work amid COVID-19 by implementing many safety guidelines and protocols. While navigating this uncharted territory for many, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research poses an added obstacle as the aging population is believed to be at greater risk from the virus.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 4, 2020) – The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has announced that Krystle Kuhs, Ph.D., M.P.H., will serve as co-leader of its Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program. Kuhs will co-lead the program with University of Kentucky College of Public Health Associate Professor Jerod Stapleton, Ph.D., who joined the university in November 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements have affected every aspect of our lives, often causing anxiety, uncertainty and disrupted routines. In a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly half (45%) of Americans reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the virus. Such stressful situations, especially when they last for a long time, can lead to harmful health behaviors like increased alcohol consumption and trouble sleeping.