News

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine Department of Behavioral Science and Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) are excited to welcome four exemplary researchers to campus.

Anika Hartz, PhD, was recently promoted to professor in the UK College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences. The secret to her success is rooted in her love for science and pursuing groundbreaking discoveries.

Terry Hinds, PhD, joined the University of Kentucky College of Medicine faculty with an impressive record of groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art specialized technology. He is not only advancing scientific discoveries at UK but also helping more undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows gain early experience with high-impact work.

This summer, undergraduate students from across Kentucky and beyond participated in a 10-week UK program preparing them for research careers.

Asked how she copes with the emotional side of her role in palliative care, Abigail Latimer, PhD, MSW, LCSW, puts it simply. “I want to be there for people on some of their hardest days.”

When pursuing a research career, earning a PhD is a traditional and exciting, yet challenging, part of the process. This fall, sisters Katie and Sally Pauss will lean on one another when they begin the journey together at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

“We both independently felt like that was the right thing for us,” Katie said.

The following clinicians and researchers working under the UK College of Medicine Alliance Research Initiative have been named recent awardees of pilot grants.

Peter Hardy, PhD, College of Medicine

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce that faculty, staff, learners, and trainees will have free access to a leading online resource for medical Spanish proficiency.

CanopyLearn, a Spanish language training program for health care professionals, will be available to the UK College of Medicine community starting Aug. 1.

Staff at UK Innovate – the innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic enterprise for UK Research – recently attended an international conference to connect with industry partners, showcase areas of expertise, and promote exciting technology developing at the University.

A recent study from the lab of the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Director Linda Van Eldik, Ph.D., has been published in PLOS ONE. The work centers around the idea that various anti-inflammatory drugs could be effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study focused on a protein known as p38.

Na’Tasha Evans, PhD, MEd, is a researcher, published author, champion for female empowerment, and our new vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Learn more about her goals, her past work, and more in the following Q&A.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in research? 

A new program beginning this fall at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine will provide opportunities for recent college graduates interested in research, who may not have had the resources to pursue it.

Charles “Chipper” Griffith III, MD, has been named dean of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. 

Pending approval from the Board of Trustees, Griffith will begin his appointment July 15, 2023. He has served as acting dean of the college since July 2021. 

Congratulations to the following basic science and clinical faculty at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine! These individuals were honored with promotions and tenure in fiscal year 2023.

Names are organized alphabetically by department.

Sarah Jean Hall, MD, PhD
Associate Professor

The University of Kentucky STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) program recently closed out its summer session, with START Apprentices gaining tremendous insight into research careers and higher education.

This week, communities across the Midwest and eastern parts of the U.S. are experiencing the effects of smoke from wildfires in Canada. Parts of Kentucky reached unhealthy levels in the air quality index (AQI).

Liz Arnold, PhD,  LCSW, is a new faculty member who brings years of experience as a behavioral intervention researcher. She recently joined the University of Kentucky College of Medicine faculty and is prepared to use her expertise to help bolster its clinical research enterprise.

Following an extensive national search and interviews with highly qualified individuals, the College of Medicine is excited to welcome Na’Tasha Evans, PhD, MEd, as the new vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and associate professor in the department of behavioral science.

The College of Medicine’s clinical and basic science departments, centers, and educational offices are all working to develop more inclusive and equitable practices. Our Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors are charged with leading these efforts.

In 2020, the University of Kentucky joined 22 other academic institutions and organizations as inaugural members of The National Center for Pre-Faculty Development, working together to focus on pre-faculty development as a means to diversifying academia.