University of Kansas Medical Center News

Funded by a $10 million PCORI grant and in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, the researchers will study the effect of three smoking treatments on quit rates for Black adults.

KU Medical Center research project taps pediatricians to promote ‘language nutrition,’ with a goal of reaching more caregivers and reducing disparities in child development.

Nourish KC, a community kitchen, partnered with the Center for African American Health to serve a meal and distribute holiday food boxes, bringing awareness to health concerns in the community.

CuidaTEXT delivers daily text messages with tips and information on caring for someone with dementia, self-care, social support and other topics to assist caregivers.

Researchers at KU Cancer Center are working to make strides in diagnosing and treating brain cancers.

New models of collaborative care are needed to implement advances in dementia care, according to an article co-authored by the co-director of the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Originally part of the School of Medicine, KU School of Nursing was established as its own school in 1974, but it has continued to grow and expand since its first class graduated in 1909.

Breast cancer survivors who have experienced childhood trauma may be at greater risk for more significant and long-lasting fatigue, depression, anxiety and cognitive decline.

The study showed that having just one risk variant in a particular gene can significantly increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

Jacob Sosnoff, Ph.D., associate dean for research in the School of Health Professions since 2021, has had his work cited by others more than 10,000 times.

People with Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder, have up to an 80% lifetime risk of developing colon cancer.

Observational study by KU School of Health Professions faculty members quantified how each child may have benefited from pet ownership

Often referred to as the garbage disposals of the cell, proteasomes destroy and recycle misshapen and nonfunctional proteins.

The report card gave a physical activity grade of a D-, with just 20% to 28% of children getting the recommended daily hour of physical activity.

Originally part of KU School of Medicine, today the School of Health Professions houses multiple nationally ranked programs

Medical students gain real-world experience on how to use food to help patients avoid a lifetime of health problems.

KU’s BSN program in nursing ranked No. 26 for all schools in the country and No. 19 among public institutions.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center is part of the myeloMATCH trial, a large, coordinated effort to improve patient outcomes through targeted treatments for people with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome.

KU Medical Center faculty and staff commemorate a century for their flagship building with 1920s music and a fascinating lesson in university history.

Study looking at Medicare claims data for nearly 900,000 people with obstructive sleep apnea also found that those who used CPAP machines were less likely to have major cardiovascular events.

The grant, which includes researchers from KU School of Nursing and KU School of Medicine, will fund the creation of a sustainable model of quality obstetrical services and care at a network of hospitals in three rural Kansas counties.

Reuniting with a former patient and clinical trial participant, Fabian encouraged continued research and using new ways to locate clinical trials.

The report, based on data collected from many different credible sources, is the first issued by the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center.

Abiodun Akinwuntan, Ph.D., MPH, earned a third Fulbright award, this time to South Africa to identify opportunities for research collaborations and student and faculty exchanges.

At the Dedication to the Profession ceremony, new KU nursing students marked the beginning of their educations and their careers.

Finalists will be featured in the Beauty in Kansas wall calendar, and the grand prize winner’s photograph will appear on the cover of Kansas Country Living magazine.

Senior leaders will span both organizations to provide aligned strategy and expand clinical research.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures.

A $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense will fund this new study, which will take place at both KU Cancer Center and the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Researchers at KU Medical Center led the update released by the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the world’s leading organizations in the field of exercise science.

Medical gaslighting, when a health care professional discounts a patient’s complaints, is a serious problem for women’s health.

Study points to differences in how people of different races and ethnicities may benefit from Medicaid expansion

Funds will benefit the KU Cancer Center’s new building

Nationally high rankings in primary care, physical therapy and in the nurse midwifery program all reflect a commitment to caring for Kansans and beyond.

At this rite-of-passage tradition, the KU School of Medicine class of 2028 launched their careers in medicine.

Research led by KU Medical Center found that ChatGPT produced accurate short summaries of journal abstracts that could help busy doctors quickly review academic literature.

KU Medical Center researcher combines her education in music and cognitive psychology to study how music affects the brain

The Masonic Cancer Alliance community grant seeks to reduce stigma, promote screening in southeast Kansas

KU Medical Center is a site for the first trial of a drug specifically designed to go into muscle and target the molecular cause of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Biosensor technology can detect lung cancer in blood when it is still curable and could be used to screen large populations at risk for the disease.

Elizabeth Holmes, a rising fourth-year medical student, will work with the Kansas City Chiefs.

New grant-funded project to address food insecurity issues in six areas across the state

Blood biomarkers have the potential to accelerate diagnoses for dementia and identify people most likely to benefit from the new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.

Program supports students with economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in pursuing careers in the health professions

These devices improve clinical outcomes, but study shows they are used much less in rural areas, where the burden of type 1 diabetes is high.

In her first six weeks, the new dean of KU School of Nursing has engaged in a listening tour designed to ferret out opportunities and challenges.

Lead exposure rates are twice the national average for kids in Kansas, especially for those in rural areas, indicating the need for prevention and remediation.

Five graduates share stories about their extraordinary roads to graduation

Groundbreaking ceremony for new joint facility emphasizes partnerships across the state

The $11.4 million grant will improve patient outcomes by supporting and training the next generation of physician-scientists in precision medicine.

A 1958 graduate of KU School of Nursing, McNulty improved care and conditions in a mental hospital in Pakistan and recruited countless nurses around the world to the profession.

Students from the Salina Student Medical Outreach group volunteered at a clinic for children in Peru, experiencing first-hand the challenges of providing care in an environment with few resources.

More pregnant women and new mothers die in the United States than any high-income country in the world, but the leading cause is often left out of initiatives to combat that crisis.

Resource fair with local nonprofit provides bridge between academics and real-world experience

The Masonic Cancer Alliance partners with the Kansas Masons to provide screenings throughout the spring and summer.

KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is participating in the first clinical trial testing a drug intended to slow down or even prevent Alzheimer's in people with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for the disease.

KU School of Health Professions professor introduced rehabilitation methods to area where number of head and neck cancer patients is among the highest in the world.

KU Medical Center study aims to better understand attitudes and perceptions regarding sperm donation in the African American and Black community

Along with others nationally, KU medical students learned where and in what specialty they will take the next step in their career path

KU Medical Center has the first CT scanner in North America that can scan the whole body while a person is standing, enabling researchers to see the effect of weight on joints and other tissues.

Implemented by the Masonic Cancer Alliance, The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s outreach network, the Pool Cool program has trained over 13,300 aquatic staff at over 85 sites in safe sun protection.

Centene Foundation and Sunflower Health Plan announce major gift to develop a central source of data to address nursing shortages across the state of Kansas

At an annual event to encourage careers in research, KU Medical Center celebrated the achievements of 18 undergraduate students from 10 universities.

A national nursing scholar and native Kansan, KU School of Nursing alumna returns to lead the school.

A new research grant awarded to the KU Medical Center will support investigation into a neurological condition and has its roots in a Powerball jackpot.

Charles Porter, M.D., started his medical career at the same time as his career in photography, and both provide plenty of adventure to this day.

A resource that will be used by smartwatches and studies all over the world was updated this year to include sections with data specific to older adults and to those who use wheelchairs.

Landon Center on Aging researchers study how to prevent serious injury in older adults by collecting data from people who volunteer to fall in the lab.

KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center offers program featuring evidence-based strategies to improve and protect brain health

A study co-authored by a KU Medical Center researcher and published in Lancet Digital Health found that an online platform for cognitive behavioral therapy improved the mental health of people with MS and depression.

The iAmHealthy Parents First study is the first randomized controlled trial in the world designed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated obesity treatment program aimed at both adults and children.

Here are just some of KU Medical Center’s accomplishments and successes over the past year.

The inaugural geroscience symposium is part of KU Medical Center’s broader effort to foster research relevant to aging, age-related diseases, healthspan and longevity.

A 2021 grant for preventing the spread of COVID-19 in rural Kansas created a collaboration that responded to an August heatwave — saving lives and expanding community outreach.

Drug tested in pilot study showed promising results in reducing common concussion symptoms

As an undergraduate anthropology major at UCLA, Lauren Scott found that domestic cats have 276 unique facial expressions they use to communicate with each other.

“Why” is a documentary created by the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center that puts forth a positive perspective on the lives of people living with cognitive decline and dementia.

KU Medical Center scientists have partnered with scientists from NASA Ames Research Center in the first-ever examination of long-term space exposure on female reproductive physiology.

Physical activity is still important for the numerous holistic health benefits exercise provides, even for those losing weight on popular new drugs.

The new center, funded as part of a prestigious program at the National Institutes of Health, will bridge the gap between research knowledge and clinical practice and reduce health inequities.

Federal grant will support program to train cancer clinicians to conduct research.

Population health researchers at KU receive a nearly $3.7 million federal award to address chronic diseases in Grant, Finney, Ford and Seward counties in Kansas.

Sponsored by the Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map outlines 50 opportunities across the research and development continuum that are critical for improving the health of women in all socio-economic groups around the world.

KU Medical Center has nearly doubled its federal research portfolio since 2017 and increased its clinical trial revenues by 45% since 2021.

KU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program also ranked 23rd among all schools in the 2024 “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the All of Us Research Program is working to collect data from a million different people to drive new treatments and cures

Rural Health Education and Services at KU Medical Center invites entries to highlight the unique beauty of Kansas and its people

KU researcher John Taylor, M.D., received a Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network Innovation Award to investigate the biological reasons that people with Down syndrome are less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Rare genetic condition results in thousands of polyps and either near-certain colon cancer or a lifetime of screenings and surgery

A new class of nursing students begin their journey with the Dedication to the Profession ceremony

Launched by KU School of Medicine in partnership with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, the rural family-medicine residency aims to train doctors interested in practicing in rural areas, where the physician shortage is the greatest.

Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than other children, making learn-to-swim programs essential for their safety.

External counterpulsation therapy, originally created to treat angina and heart failure, was shown by KU Medical Center researchers to improve cognitive function.

KU School of Nursing has created a center to foster collaboration among nursing stakeholders across Kansas to address shortages of nurses and nursing faculty.

Approval moves forward a joint project to build a new health sciences center in downtown Wichita.

Immunologist Kalyani Pyaram gives hope to others suffering from the ‘two-body problem’ of a spouse also in academia

More than 200 students at the KU School of Medicine began their journey into the profession with the traditional White Coat Ceremony.

KU Medical Center researcher is co-author of commentary on exercise and physical activity published in JAMA

KU School of Medicine faculty member Diego Mazzotti, Ph.D., answered a few questions about his career path and how big data and informatics can influence sleep medicine.

KU residents and medical students published in journal Neurosurgery see room for improvement in rate of African-American medical school graduates accepted into neurosurgery residency programs, but also good results in retention.

Scientists at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center are researching the potential of a ketogenic diet and a heart-healthy diet to improve brain health.

KU Medical Center was a site in a study published in JAMA that identified a dozen symptoms and a scoring system to identify long COVID in adults.

The KU Cancer Center will build a new facility designed to place research and treatment side by side.

New initiative lets rural-based students and health professionals access training for long COVID and other pulmonary conditions.

Kimberly Johnson Hatchett, M.D., uses examples from her life to help others live their best lives

Rural Health Council facilitates collaboration and synergy among KU Medical Center researchers and faculty members, while the Rural Health Partners invites health care professionals across Kansas to provide input.

KU School of Nursing faculty member Heather Nelson-Brantley, Ph.D., brings business skills from her prior career for a unique perspective on the challenges facing nursing.

The Center for African American Health will partner with the community to enhance and improve the health and wellness of Black individuals and African Americans living in Kansas and beyond.

KU medical students will continue to benefit from the wisdom of Michael Kennedy, M.D., thanks to an innovative new procedure done at The University of Kansas Health System.

NFL program offers opportunity to KU School of Medicine student with aspirations in sports medicine.

Sally Maliski, Ph.D., FAAN, will retire after seven years as dean, faculty member and researcher.

Commentary seeks to set an agenda for national problem of cancer disparities in those who have been incarcerated.

The KU Center for Community Access, Rehabilitation Research, Education and Service (KU CARES) will develop and implement innovative rehabilitation strategies to improve the health and well-being of people with disabilities in Kansas and nationwide.

The University of Kansas schools of Health Professions, Medicine and Nursing honored students who weathered pandemic challenges and graduated only days after the COVID-19 public health emergency was lifted.

KU School of Medicine ranked 5th among all public medical schools in the country in the percentage of physicians practicing in rural areas and 9th among public institutions in producing primary care physicians.

The “Eat, Sleep, Console” care approach was more effective than standard of care to treat newborns exposed to opioids in the womb, according to a national clinical trial in which KU Medical Center participated.

The Center for Clinical Research, the investigative center of the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, is reaching out to rural residents via telehealth, telephone and mail service.

Researchers are conducting a clinical trial for a new drug that seeks to address the underlying cause of APOL1-mediated kidney disease rather than managing its symptoms.

The National Rural Health Association has recognized Moser, the former dean of KU School of Medicine-Salina, with its Louis Gorin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Rural Health.

U.S. News & World Report has postponed the 2024 rankings for Best Medical Schools but has released the 2024 rankings for specific programs in its Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Students in KU School of Health Professions practice what they are learning in the classroom by providing Kansas City-area patients with free physical therapy and occupational therapy.

Robert Deady has no scientific degree, but his dedication to the work of KU ADRC earns him the title (and award) of Citizen Scientist.

The new cryogenic electron microscope can reveal the structure of flash-frozen proteins and other biomolecules at nearly atomic resolution, enabling researchers to understand diseases and design drugs to fight them.

The findings show themes around data collection, relationship-building and best practices.

KU Medical Center researcher published in NEJM study showing large-core strokes can be treated with vacuum to retrieve clot

Jacob (Jake) Sosnoff, Ph.D., and LesLee Taylor, Ph.D., will participate in the leadership program from the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions (ASAHP).

The KU ARDC’s Michelle Niedens and Dementia Friendly Kansas City provided advice and advocacy to help make the new Kansas City International Airport more welcoming and accessible.

United in their fight against cancer, divided over who should be Super Bowl champions, prestigious cancer centers in Kansas City and Philadelphia enjoy friendly rivalry.

Decision-makers in nursing gathered in Topeka to discuss the nursing crisis in Kansas.

On Match Day, fourth-year medical students across the country find out where they will begin their residency training.

KU researcher Sandra Billinger, Ph.D., was part of a multi-site study that may change how stroke rehabilitation is conducted.

KU School of Nursing students presented research projects ranging from maternal health to elderspeak.

The annual K-INBRE Symposium gives promising students in Kansas and Oklahoma a chance to pursue research topics in the biosciences.

KU Nursing and KU Health Professions continue collaborative classrooms with Kenya, India and Ghana, building international connections that don’t require physical travel.

Available in English and Spanish, CareTEXT was developed by the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to help caregivers of people with dementia take care of their loved one as well as themselves.

The pandemic kept Samuel Durairaj, a Ph.D. student in rehabilitation science, separated from his family for 11 months, but they were there to see him win awards for research, teaching and leadership.

Students in KCK have faster internet access and expanded academic support thanks to new computer lab.

New mural is part of the KU Cancer Center’s campaign to encourage diverse participation in cancer clinical trials.

Neurosurgery faculty and residents provided a hands-on look for KU medical students, who rotated through various stations highlighting different neurosurgical procedures.

Area high school students came to KU Medical Center to participate in Kansas City Regional Brain Bee, a qualifier for the USA Brain Bee, sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience.

Brylee Aldridge, a student at the University of Kansas School of Nursing-Salina, comes from rural roots, and that background is shaping her future career.

CHAMPS Achievers allows students in the Department of Occupational Therapy Education at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions to volunteer and practice more than just karate kicks.

Clinical trials can benefit you, no matter what stage of cancer you have. Here, Tara Lin, M.D., professor of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics at KU Medical Center and medical director of the Clinical Trials Office at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, explains five reasons to consider participating in the testing of a novel cancer treatment.

The University of Kansas Area Health Education Center reports record-setting requests for events such as Night at the Lab and Women in Health Care.

Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, answered a few questions about her work and the problem of health disparities for Black infants and mothers.

The ketogenic diet, or “keto” diet, can be a quick way to shed pounds. But it’s also a very strict diet. Learn about keto and how it’s being studied in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Obesity is a complex national epidemic. The grant is intended to produce trainees who can think broadly about the condition from the laboratory to the clinic.

After going virtual in 2021 and being postponed in 2022, the 2023 event returns to its traditional time and format, with dinner, dancing and awards.

The pandemic worsened the nursing shortage in Kansas and nationwide. KU’s Sally Maliski is part of a task force seeking to increase the number of nurses in Kansas.

Tyler Hughes, M.D., hopes to share his passion for rural health care with KU medical students in Salina as the new dean.

Controlling hypertension is important to brain health as well as to cardiovascular health, but the condition often is not well managed. Researchers at KU Medical Center have designed a home-based hypertension program they hope will help.

May Maloba, a doctoral student at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, brings her expertise in women’s health to Kenya, Cambodia and the United States.

See what shaped the University of Kansas Medical Center this year.

KU Medical Center’s Office of International Programs welcomed six visitors from Ukraine as international visits resume.

The annual rural photo contest, supported by KU Medical Center Rural Health Education and Services, celebrates its 17th year.

Veronica Fernandez aims to support and promote the family-centered program that she says is ‘the best place in Wyandotte County’

Clinical assistant professor Jennifer Cheng, M.D., is one of about 550 female board-certified neurosurgeons in the nation.

Studies in JAMA show that walking 10,000 steps can improve cardiovascular health and reduce risks of both dementia and cancer better than any pill or injection currently available.

Results of the study of the antiparasitic medication, once a much-discussed potential treatment for COVID-19, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Families and friends of medical students attended the event, which helped them understand the medical school experience.

Mazen Dimachkie, M.D., was one of 36 researchers from Europe and North America to recruit participants for the first large-scale, randomized control study investigating intravenous immune globulin as a treatment for dermatomyositis.

The school’s new digital twin campus promises to change the way KU nursing students learn and eventually how many can be taught.

An observational study led by Halinder Mangat, M.D., demonstrated that rates of severe adverse events after COVID-19 immunization are very low compared with the risks from COVID-19.

TEAMSPORT will create a standardized approach to ordering genomic tests and adapt it for use in community cancer centers, where most cancer patients receive testing and treatment.

Susan Carlson, Ph.D., has spent decades researching the role of fatty acids in infants and pregnant women, and the University of Kansas has recognized the importance of that research.

Gregory Jones, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, learned about nursing from his mother’s studies and is now charting his own path in psychiatric care.

National call to action encourages use of low-dose CT to combat the leading cause of cancer in the United States

The Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research seeks to become a national hub for obesity-related research and the training of junior research faculty.

Radiation injury is a problematic side effect in cancer treatment, and radiation toxicity from radiological and nuclear devices has been a growing national concern since 9/11.

Thanks to a $3 million grant, the Kansas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities program continues its five-decade mission of training, research and leadership development.

Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, the prestigious National Academy of Medicine has approximately 2,200 members worldwide.

‘Discover KU’s Health Programs’ invited students from Kansas City, Kansas, who would be the first generation in their families to go to college.

Kendra Gagnon, now the founding director of a program at Johns Hopkins, urged students to take risks during the Jessie M. Ball Lecture and Pinning Ceremony.

Their work will inform the design of drugs aiming to one day restore the function of that protein in order to prevent or treat the disease.

The $50,000 prize earned by KC Digital Drive will help expand virtual simulation experiences for nursing students.

The KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center received a prestigious five-year, $1.5 million grant to expand and strengthen its program to boost brain health researchers.

Jeffrey Burns, co-director of the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, says early results of studies on lecanemab are promising.

Karen L. Weis, professor, KU School of Nursing-Salina, brings Air Force experiences and a wealth of research to nursing education in Kansas.

With the five-year grant, Frontiers strengthens collaboration among researchers from many different institutions to solve complex problems.

The contest, sponsored by KU Medical Center’s Rural Health Education and Services, aims to showcase the beauty of Kansas through photographs.

U.S. News and World Report placed KU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing as 22nd among all public colleges and 29th among all schools in its Best Colleges Ranking.

The grant administered through the Department of Pediatrics at KU School of Medicine will fund KanAWARE, a multi-agency project formed to address escalating student behavioral health needs in the Southeast Kansas corridor.

Karen Towne gains assistance to pursue her doctorate at KU School of Nursing and to research fetal development in challenging environments

At this informal event held at the beginning of the school year, students can connect with the dean and other students from across KU School of Health Professions.

The cancer center is one of just 53 centers in the country to be awarded Comprehensive status from the NCI.

The 2nd Annual Health Outcomes Assembly was titled "Disparities Between Counties and ZIP Codes”

On August 19, nearly 130 future nurses officially began their journey to joining the ranks of the most trusted profession in the world

University of Kansas Medical Center students marked the start of the 2022 fall semester by volunteering for six area organizations

Older adults who drink three cups of dairy milk a day can increase their brain’s level of a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the brain from the damage that accompanies aging and aging-related diseases.

KU Cancer Center oncology experts teamed up with statistical experts to warn those with leukemia and lymphoma of their increased risk of getting COVID-19

The clinic run by students now offers free food from Harvesters Community Food Network with special emphasis on fresh produce and providing care for the whole person.

If the program can raise $2,500 by Aug. 6, Robert D. Simari, M.D., executive vice chancellor, and Abiodun Akinwuntan, Ph.D., dean of the KU School of Health Professions, have agreed to participate in a swim-a-thon for Sensory Enhanced Aquatics.

Anna Arthur, Ph.D., MPH, RDN, is part of a research group recommending a good-fat, low-carb and plant-based diet for best results from head and neck cancer treatment.

The 212 new students of the University of Kansas School of Medicine were invited to gather in person at Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, to signify the start of medical school and to reflect on the road ahead.

KU Medical Center experts are testing the effectiveness of a wearable device at reducing disability after stroke

The school is one of just 16 nursing programs in the country to be awarded this designation by the National League for Nursing in 2022.

Glenn Frommer, who has polycystic kidney disease (PKD), is bicycling cross-country and met researchers, support staff and students at the Jared Grantham Kidney Institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center July 7.

NCI recognition as a Comprehensive cancer center is the culmination of years of community effort and means that KU Cancer Center joins the top echelon of leading cancer experts.

Their algorithm could be implemented into hospitals’ electronic alert systems to help clinicians protect patients from kidney failure.

Robert L. Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., gives a new perspective to residents and faculty of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine during Peltier Lectureship.

Templeton, M.D., professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, garnered recognition from the American Medical Association Foundation, the Women’s Health Congress and the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Gloria Ortiz, M.D., is on track to achieve her dream of a career in academic medicine

Researchers from KU Medical Center and the University of Minnesota found that patients may not be benefiting as much as they should from competition between producers of the generic drug, entecavir.

Russell Swerdlow, M.D., professor of neurology, earns the Oskar Fischer Prize for innovative Alzheimer’s disease research

African Americans have disproportionately high rates of tobacco-related disease, making treatment critical.

International Clinical Trials Day celebrates the accomplishments of human research studies, but diversity in those studies remains a challenge.

Professors from schools of Health Professions and Medicine connect a local elementary school with a bicycling nonprofit in a push for lifelong activity.

Hooding and Recognition Ceremonies were held in person with an audience of the graduates’ friends and family. In Lawrence, graduates attending commencement heard advice from KU Medical Center’s Steve Stites, M.D.

The panel, which will convene on May 19, is the third installment of the Superando event in which experts address topics that concern Latinos, who, along with other minorities, are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

About 95% of participants achieved a measurable immune response after vaccination, according to study led by a KU School of Medicine professor and published in JAMA Oncology.

With help from local teachers and other members in his department, scientist Aron Fenton is breaking down stereotypes about scientists and sharing stories of science as a career.

While engaged in many facets of population health research, Lee’s expertise lies in implementation science and health care delivery research in cancer prevention and control.

The five-year, NIH-funded COMET clinical trial is the largest of its kind to compare aerobic, resistance training or a combination of both while looking at cognition in older adults.

Equipment upgrade provides cutting-edge resources to researchers across the region

Davids secured federal funding to provide advanced imaging equipment for the cancer center that will accelerate the research necessary to create new and better therapies.

The KU Medical Center Botanical Gardens partnered with Bee KC to make the Kansas City campus a home for nature’s hardworking pollinators.

The school also ranks in the top 10 for producing physicians who practice in rural areas, and several of the school’s specialty programs rose in the 2023 rankings by U.S. News and World Report

The University of Kansas School of Medicine honored exceptional performance in the “biggest, baddest” gala this side of the pandemic.

Match Day 2022 featured in-person celebrations for students at all three KU School of Medicine campuses across Kansas.

The program is one of just 23 such accredited health informatics master’s programs in the United States and Puerto Rico.

College students who graduated high school in urban centers in Kansas are eligible for the first year of a program that provides mentorship, job shadowing and academic preparation for medical school.

The annual symposium is part of the K-INBRE initiative to prepare promising university students for bioscience careers in Kansas.

The grant was offered in response to COVID-19 but its design allows for a community response to all kinds of health issues.

The decorated Air Force veteran and noted researcher also will oversee research at the newly established Kansas Center for Rural Health housed on the Salina campus shared by the KU schools of Medicine and Nursing

The center will provide the infrastructure needed so that researchers, educators and rural health stakeholders can work together to find ways to reduce or eliminate health disparities in rural Kansas.

The method offers a powerful alternative to conventional flow cytometry based on blood DNA rather than intact living cells

The study, part of the NIH Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, is designed to determine the long-term effects of COVID-19 and to understand why some adults develop long COVID and others do not.

The University of Kansas Clinical Research Center (KU CRC), a dedicated clinical trials facility with support from a Johnson County sales tax, celebrates it's 10 year anniversary.

Klenke-Borgmann's doctoral research examined how clinical judgment could be taught and measured in undergraduate nursing programs. Her work at the health system is showing how simulation education can make a difference for nurses in practice.

Merlin G. Butler, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center, is part a research team that recently published a paper in JAMA Network Open about a new, inexpensive genetic testing method for rare genetic disorders that will allow newborns to screened earlier than ever before.

Axicabtagene ciloleucel, known by the brand name Yescarta, is significantly more effective than the current standard of care in treating people with large B-cell lymphoma who relapse after the first line of treatment.

The pandemic continues, but so does research and education.

Along with leaders from Frontiers, Children’s Mercy Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical Center, the group discussed how to adapt or “translate” medical research into useful treatments for patients.

A symposium, held virtually Oct. 27-28, allowed scientists to learn about, and share, the latest research in PKD.

Barney Graham, the architect of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine, is honored in a Washington, D.C. celebration.

Want to preserve your memory as you age? Reach for an avocado.

For people who are overweight, obese or excessively obese, the threat of COVID-19 looms large. So, University of Kansas Medical Center researchers are testing obesity as a variable in a clinical trial and continuing research on obesity in general.

U.S. News and World Report has ranked the University of Kansas School of Nursing in its top-25 best undergraduate nursing programs in the nation.

The program connects high school teachers at Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Hays school districts with local health systems and university faculty.

Renewal of five-year grant will provide funding for the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center through 2026.

Trikafta can provide additional benefit for CF patients who have genetic mutations that made them eligible for previously approved CFTR modulators.

These guidelines will help physicians make informed decisions with patients by understanding their individual risks and outlining a plan for their care.

The study evaluated a one-time infusion of Yescarta compared with standard of care in patients who had relapsed or had refractory LBCL after frontline treatment.

The KU ADC looks to increase diversity across all its numerous studies with a goal of making African Americans and Latinos at least 20 percent of the trial's participants across all sites.

The work of Sarah Finocchario Kessler, Ph.D., MPH, supports the progressive efforts of Wyandotte County Health Department to address social needs of Covid-positive residents.

Research looks to understand the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine in individuals receiving immunosuppressive and cytotoxic treatments.

The campaign spotlights stories in seven languages to address health disparities highlighted by the pandemic and opportunities to close the gap.

The FSHD CTRN, an international network of academic research centers, uses the expertise and infrastructure of its members to streamline clinical trial research.

New position combines formative memories and personal research on mobility issues to benefit students and faculty within the School of Health Professions.

Talk show-like format allows researchers and clinicians to explain their work while engaging with the community.

After the cancellation of multiple commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021, recognition festivities were moved online.

The Gold Foundation recognized Dr. Garold Minns, Stephanie Jernigan and Carrie Summers who provided an integral role in the success of the medical center's pandemic response.

The multi-center, double-blind, randomized, superiority trial recruited participants at three large academic medical centers in the United States.

The program offered participants a retrospective look at the initiative and discussed the current state of cancer research, treatment and prevention.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center is calling for public attention to this issue to prevent cancer deaths.

Solar panels allow Kansas City campus to make an important contribution to the environment through the use of this renewable energy resource.

New master's degree will offer many opportunities for synergies between physical therapy and athletic training students.

Leading the multi-site clinical trial, Carol Fabian, M.D. and her team plan to enroll 120 women ages 45 to 60 who are at increased risk for breast cancer.

Ila Armsbury Herman, a 1937 graduate of the nursing program at the University of Kansas, shared with her niece the details of her time at KU and as an army nurse in World War II. The result was the book 'Ila's War.'

As the only medical school in the state, KU offers excellent residency programs in family medicine and other specialties within primary care.

Medical students at the KU School of Medicine learned where they will be working after medical school in a yearly event called Match Day. The COVID-19 pandemic led to different ways to celebrate in 2021.

A new mobile application created by The University of Kansas Cancer Center allows anyone to identify potential clinical trials right here at KU and quickly communicate with the clinical trials team.

Three new outpatient treatments will be tested at the University of Kansas Medical Center in efforts to broaden options for COVID-19 patients. These new treatments may make it easier to receive COVID-19 treatment outside a hospital, as they include an oral pill, an injection and a medication that can be inhaled through a home nebulizer.

Kimberly J. Templeton, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center, led efforts to help women medical students maintain equity in the residency selection process.

A Grand Affair on Jan. 15 recognized teaching excellence in the University of Kansas School of Medicine through a virtual ceremony.

Two new monoclonal antibody treatments for outpatients with COVID-19 are being tested at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Known as BRII 196 and 198 and produced by Brii Biosciences, these investigational treatments are both monoclonal antibodies designed to block the ACE receptor.

The Office of Graduate Medical Education at the University of Kansas School of Medicine has launched an innovative program to support residents who are breastfeeding.

The mystery virus that had closed China made its way to the United States, and “business as usual” halted. By the end of 2020, the year would forever be synonymous with COVID-19, and KU Medical Center had adopted a new normal that stressed resilience and roll-up-your-sleeves science to combat the pandemic.

Colonel Lee A. Norman, M.D., MHS, MBA, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), has been appointed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to the Masonic Cancer Alliance Partners Advisory Board.

Catherine F. Siengsukon, Ph.D., lab director of the SleepWell Lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said the pandemic has upended sleep patterns.

Adam Rouse, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor and director of basic research in the Department of Neurosurgery, sees basic science emerging as a key player in the fight against the pandemic

Researchers from The University of Kansas Cancer Center are involved in the presentation of nearly 50 research studies at the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.

Female physicians are more likely to pursue careers in academic medicine than their male counterparts but are less likely to be promoted to senior faculty and leadership positions, and that gender gap is no narrower than it was 20 years ago, according to a study published by researchers at KU Medical Center in the NEJM.

Men with cancer and COVID-19 may be at significantly higher risk for severe symptoms and even death as compared to females fighting both, a University of Kansas Cancer Center research team has found after reviewing multiple studies.

The physician-scientist training program at the University of Kansas Medical Center, which enables students to earn both a medical degree and a doctoral degree in a biomedical science, is now recognized as one of the most prestigious such programs in the country.

The American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGR) recognized Joseph S. Tash, emeritus professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, with its prestigious Founder’s Award.

The University of Kansas Medical Center has been chosen as a training center in Kansas for a nationwide interactive virtual initiative that will share best practices to improve COVID-19 infection control, safety and preparedness in skilled-nursing facilities.

The Airways Clinical Research Centers Network (ACRC), the research arm of the American Lung Association, named the University of Kansas Medical Center a consortium hub. The change will give KU Medical Center the responsibility to mentor and lead other universities in its group in lung-health research, including COVID-19 research.

The annual Jessie M. Ball Lecture and DPT pinning ceremony on Oct. 4 embraced physical distancing but still invited the 59 DPT students of the Class of 2023 to the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Kansas City campus.

The University of Kansas Medical Center has been chosen to receive a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the RADx-UP program to support projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing strategies in populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

The application will shine a light on the extraordinary work done by KU scientists and physicians in researching, treating and preventing the disease. What will remain largely hidden is the mammoth effort that goes into the application itself.

Alumni Reunion Weekend at the University of Kansas Medical Center looks a bit different in 2020, with events occurring virtually.

The University of Kansas Medical Center will be participating in a unique nationwide clinical trial that will allow for the testing of multiple agents to fight COVID-19. Known as ACTIV-2 (Adapt Out COVID), this trial is part of the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines effort announced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) this spring.

Learn about the new athletic training program at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Classes in the Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) begin in the summer of 2021.

Faculty at the University of Kansas School of Nursing are taking a unique look at the value of nursing by combining electronic health records, human resource records and other data to measure the effects of nursing on pain management.

A special photo contest sponsored by Rural Health Education and Services at the University of Kansas Medical Center, celebrates its 15th anniversary. Enter your photo.

The 2020 Nightingale Ceremony at the University of Kansas School of Nursing welcomed the incoming students of the Class of 2022 seeking their bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Elements of the traditional ceremony fused with new precautions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These awards provide our investigators with opportunities to move quickly toward developing research programs aimed at COVID-19 mitigation and treatment." --Peter Smith, Ph.D., senior associate vice chancellor for research, KU School of Medicine

Physician-scientists Gregory Gan and Deepika Polineni, who research cancer and cystic fibrosis, have teamed up to test a new drug with the potential to keep COVID-19 patients from needing a ventilator.

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed the face-to-face Jaystart Clinic, students of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology turned to telehealth.

Pioneering geneticist Merlin G. Butler, M.D., Ph.D., keeps pushing the boundaries of science

Incoming medical students symbolically joined the medical profession via a WHite Coat Ceremony shown through videoconferencing software. The pandemic-era ceremony made history by packaging the same traditions in a new format.

The University of Kansas Medical Center and Children's Mercy Kansas City announced that they will be leading the regional efforts of a nationwide clinical trial brought through the COVID-19 Prevention Network to test the COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222, developed by Oxford University and purchased by AstraZeneca.

Christopher Crenner, MD, Ph.D., chair of the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, has been selected for a prestigious award to support historical research in medicine.

Nayeli Bustillos, a registered nurse and KU School of Nursing student, spent four weeks in New Rochelle, New York, caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.

KU Medical Center helps expand use of telehealth during pandemic and beyond

Jessica Kalender-Rich, M.D., FACP, associate professor of Geriatric Medicine at KU Medical Center and practicing physician, has been named to the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. U.S. President Donald Trump called for the formation of the commission in an announcement April 30, 2020, and asked the commission to assess the immediate and future implications of the pandemic on nursing homes.

A private laboratory operating on the campus of the University of Kansas Medical Center conducts COVID-19 tests. Its founder says it's a service to his community.

KU School of Medicine graduates received their medical degrees early so they could provide care in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the weeks between early graduation and their residencies, some helped tired doctors and nurses in Liberal, Kansas, any way they could.

Frontiers: University of Kansas Clinical and Translational Science Institute has awarded three pilot grants to scientists studying COVID-19.

For many medical researchers, studying disease means going to work in exam rooms, offices and laboratories. For Megha Ramaswamy, Ph.D., MPH, it means going to jails and hitting the streets.

Christopher Neal, Ph.D., research associate at the University of Kansas Medical Center, donated around 100 headbands for face shields to PPE for KC. Neal used the 3D printer at work.

Cancer patients undergoing treatment at The University of Kansas Cancer Center don’t have to worry about getting a test for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The research arm of the KU Cancer Center stepped up to allow patients to opt-in to a study that provided the test in recent weeks and also covered its cost. It is just one of the many ways the KU Cancer Center is working to fight the pandemic.

Students in the respiratory therapy program in the University of Kansas School of Health Professions have chosen to graduate early to help fend off a shortage of RTs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The JUNTOS Center for Advancing Latino Health at KU Medical Center, whose mission is to eliminate health disparities in under-served Latino communities in Kansas, is working to deliver COVID-19 information to these communities in their native language.

Five undergraduate and five graduate students from the University of Kansas Medical Center showcased their research at the Kansas Capitol during two separate events in spring 2020. Students discussed the posters illustrating their research with lawmakers and the general public.

The Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes of Hydroxychloroquine (HERO HCQ) trial is accompanied by a registry that will create a community of health care workers who have expressed interest in contributing to the scientific community's understanding of the impact of COVID-19.

COVID-19 caused shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the globe.Here's how researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center helped out.

As part of the Kansas Pandemic Volunteer Health Care Workforce, the students will serve in areas of critical need across the state.

SHARPhub was established in 2018 to help researchers move biomedical discoveries and technologies out of the laboratory and into the commercial market, where they can be used to improve human health.

The University of Kansas Cancer Center will receive an additional $5 million from the state budget for the KU Cancer Center Research Fund, approved by the Kansas legislature and signed by Governor Laura Kelly. These funds will be crucial to the KU Cancer Center’s competitive application for National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer center designation.

To stem the spread of COVID-19, ceremonies at the three KU School of Medicine campuses were canceled. Instead, they celebrated one of the most important milestones in their professional lives creatively.

Cloud County Community College joined the Community College Nursing Partnership at the KU School of Nursing, the eighth community college in the state to sign on.

Professors at the University of Kansas School of Medicine can apply for a grant from the Medical Alumni Innovative Teaching Fund (MAITF). A history and analysis of the program was recently published in the academic journal “Medical Science Educator: The Journal of the International Association of Medical Science Educators.”

Women with a high risk for breast cancer can be prescribed drugs to help reduce their risk of cancer, but many don’t take the drugs because of their problematic side effects.Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center have identified a drug that may keep the preventive punch but lessen the strong side effects.

Dennis Owens, MD, PhD, leading psychiatry department’s new clinical trial research

A special town hall meeting sponsored by The University of Kansas Cancer Center analyzed the vaping trend and aired on Fox 4 WDAF.

Chris Melgares, a doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) student from the University of Kansas Medical Center, finished in the top 20 percent of the field of 175 male runners at the U.S. Olympic marathon team trials.

Individuals who have an inherited condition that gives them high cholesterol regardless of diet or other lifestyle issues might one day benefit from the new drug APO(a)-I, which was tested at the University of Kansas Medical Center by Patrick M. Moriarty, M.D. Results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2020.

Mobility Impaired Get Healthy Together (MIGHTY) will explore and compare different methods to help those will mobility issues lose weight.

Students and faculty from the University of Kansas School of Medicine honored excellence and celebrated their years together during the annual awards gala A Grand Affair Jan. 18 at the Kansas City Convention Center. During the event, faculty members were honored for outstanding teaching and mentoring. A Grand Affair is presented by the Medical Student Assembly and the Office of Student Affairs.

Dr. Prachee Avasthi, assistant professor of cell biology, and her team have published four scholarly articles on actin protein and how it affects cell cilia. This basic science may help with disease research in the future.

Want to lose weight, battle depression or manage chronic pain? Your doctor’s “prescription” may include a newly reimagined program at the Kirmayer Fitness Center called Exercise is Medicine (EIM).

A new research unit that will greatly expand the capacity for scientists to conduct clinical trials opened at the University of Kansas Medical Center on Jan. 13. It is the first clinical and translational science unit (CTSU) on the main KU Medical Center campus in Kansas City, Kansas.

Arthur Dick, M.D., retiring after 50 years, helped build neurology field and establish department at KU

Check out the memorable news stories of 2019 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Our year in review gives you a look back at the best of 2019.

The University of Kansas Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management conducts nationally funded studies based on weight loss and activity and also has an award-winning fee-for-service weight loss clinic.

When the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education renewed the University of Kansas physical therapy program’s accreditation on Nov. 27, it marked the 75th anniversary of the program and nearly three-quarters of a century of continuous accreditation.

Advance practice nurses (APRNs) can gain additional training in rural and underserved areas with support from a nearly $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Attention to students helped Steve Jernigan secure the 2019 Stata Norton Distinguished Teaching Award. The award recognizes excellence in teaching.

Dana Bostic, clinical assistant professor, clinical laboratory sciences, won the 2019 Member Excellence in Education Award from American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

KU Medical Center was one of the sites of a phase 3 trial that led to the approval of the drug, known by its brand name, Trikafta, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on October 21.

In 1944, Hildegard Knopp and Jan Granger were the first students to graduate from the department’s dietetic internship program. The department had been founded a year earlier with the approval of the American Dietetic Association, now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Attracting and retaining medical staff is a major challenge in rural areas, second only to financial solvency for struggling community hospitals, according to panelists who are experts in rural health

The All of Us Research Program visited the University of Kansas Medical Center as part of its quest to collect biomedical data from 1 million individuals across the United States in the next 10 years.

KU ADC's RDAD-KC program provides one-on-one, in-home support to Alz caregivers in Kansas

McGee will work to enhance the successful recruitment, professional development and retention of students, faculty and staff from diverse and under-represented population groups.

The Department of Occupational Therapy Education at the University of Kansas Medical Center has developed a national reputation of excellence for educating its students to become therapists who provide essential assessment and support skills that empower their patients with physical or mental disabilities to engage in everyday life activities.