News

UA Cancer Center, Banner – University Medicine to Observe Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month With Free Presentation, Screenings

The UA Cancer Center is enlisting dental professionals to incorporate head and neck cancer screenings into routine checkups.


Dr. Megha Padi Arrives from String Theory Background at Harvard to Expand Collaboration in Bioinformatics at UA Cancer Center Megha Padi, PhD, harnesses the computational power of bioinformatics to learn more about cancer and how best to treat it — and empowers other cancer researchers to do the same.

More Than a Thousand Employees Celebrate Milestones Up to 45 Years—30 from DOM

More than 1,000 University of Arizona employees were honored for reaching service milestones of up to 45 years at the annual Service Awards ceremony on April 19 at the UA Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom. Among them were about 30 faculty and staff from the Department of Medicine—including Drs. David Johnson and Andrew Weil with 40 years each. See who else was recognized…


‘Battling the Opioid Epidemic: UA Experts see the Light Through Groundbreaking Research’ Subject of UA Arthritis Center Lecture, May 2 Free and open to the public, the lecture by Drs. Mohab M. Ibrahim and Todd W. Vanderah—members of one of the largest groups in the world studying chronic pain and treatment alternatives—will explore their exciting research on medications and therapies designed to inhibit chronic pain without unwanted side effects, including addiction.

Dr. E. Steve Woodle
Reducing the Risk of Transplant Rejection Focus of Nephrology Guest Speaker, April 20

The University of Cincinnati transplantation director Dr. E. Steve Woodle will speak on “Innovative Approaches for Prevention and Treatment of Rejection: The Cincinnati Experience” in a special guest lecture hosted by the University of Arizona Division of Nephrology on Friday, April 20, 12-1 p.m., UAHS Room 8403. In addition, Dr. Rita R. Alloway, University of Cincinnati director of transplant clinical research, will give an industry-sponsored talk April 19, 6:30 p.m., at Tavalino's Restaurant on "A Unique Tacrolimus Treatment Option." RSVP now…


Flyer for May 10 DOM Research Seminar with Drs. Christina Laukaitis and Paul Langlais
Drs. Laukaitis, Langlais Headline Next DOM Research Seminar on Genetics, Proteomics

Two researchers with cross-disciplinary roots are lined up for an in-depth look at the genetics and proteomics of precision medicine solutions at the University of Arizona Health Sciences for the next UA Department of Medicine Research Seminar on May 10. Dr. Christina Laukaitis will discuss Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and joint hypermobility, and Dr. Paul Langlais will talk about microtubule-associated proteins and insulin…


Image collage for Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy story on sleep medicine studies
UA Sleep Medicine Studies Focus of PCORI Videos, Article and National Journalist Panel Talk

Dr. Sai Parthasarathy’s research on sleep disorders, a peer-buddy approach to mentoring and care coordination for better adherence is the subject of two videos posted to the Washington, DC-based Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) website and viewable at this past weekend’s Health Journalism 2018 conference and expo in Phoenix. PCORI also included the research in its annual magazine as a “Featured Project”…


Jim Meenaghan, a Valley fever survivor, interviewed by Cronkite News
Cronkite News Feature on Valley Fever Notes Doctor ‘Lack of Awareness’ Puts Sufferers at Risk

Doctors can misdiagnose Valley fever, a fungal disease that lurks behind such common symptoms as coughs, headaches and fatigue, because they’re not familiar with the respiratory disease. That could prolong patient suffering and even result in death, Cronkite News reports as a precursor to a panel discussion at the Association of Health Care Journalists national conference hosted April 12-15 in Phoenix. Among the panelists, Dr. John Galgiani, director of the UA Valley Fever Center for Excellence and a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases. See the video, read the article...


Dr. Michael D. Dake
UA Appoints Dr. Michael D. Dake as Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

In his new University of Arizona position, Dr. Dake will lead the integration of undergraduate and graduate education, research and clinical activities among the UA Health Sciences colleges and their clinical partners. Internationally recognized in the field of interventional radiology, he comes to the UA from Stanford University and will start on June 4…


Figure 3 of March 2018 article in NeuroImage: Clinical
Some Can Combat Dementia by Using Still-Healthy Parts of Brain

People with a rare dementia—primary progressive aphasia—that initially attacks the language center of the brain can recruit other areas of the brain to decipher sentences, according to new research led by a University of Arizona cognitive scientist. A paper on the subject was published in March 2018 in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical…


Arizona Inn
Honors Come Early for Those Recognized at 2018 DOM Annual Awards Assembly

Forty-one awards were presented at the University of Arizona Department of Medicine 2018 Annual Awards Assembly hosted at the Arizona Inn on Wednesday evening, April 11. Included among winners were several graduating medical students who will be joining internal medicine residency programs at Tucson and South Campus, graduating residents who’ll stay on as recently announced chief residents or incoming fellows. See who won and a photo gallery from the event as well…


Rosanna Mauro carries Costa Rican flag at IAEDP Symposium
Integrative Health Coaching Graduate Carries National Flag at IAEDP Symposium

UA Center for Integrative Medicine integrative health coaching graduate Rosanna Mauro carried the flag of Costa Rica—her home country—during opening ceremonies for the IAEDP 2018 Symposium. The event, which serves as the annual conference for the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, was held March 22-25 near Orlando, Fla. Learn more about the IH Coaching program here…


New internal chief residents for 2018-19 and 2019-20 at UA Department of Medicine
Chief Residents in UA Internal Medicine Named; See Who’ll Serve in 2018-19, 2019-20

Ten internal medicine resident physicians in training at the UA College Medicine – Tucson will serve as chief residents over the next two years—four each year at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and one each year at Banner – UMC South. Kudos to Drs. Kelly Barnett, Nathan Coffman, Joshua Cox, Kris Kumar, Danny Orta, Roberto Swazo, Jessica Vondrak, Anthony Witten, Ryan Wong and Ben Young…


Dr. Chithra Poongkunran
Most Recent Bressler-Alpert Travel Award Goes to Sleep Medicine Fellow

Dr. Chithra Poongkunran, a fellow with the UA Sleep Medicine Fellowship in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, has been presented with a Bressler-Alpert Society Travel Award to attend the American Thoracic Society International Meeting in May. She's the third internal medicine trainee in 2018 and the sixth this academic year (2017-18) to receive awards. Overall, 42 trainees have received awards since they were first presented six years ago…


Dr. Ranjith Shetty, patient Kathleen Rothwell and Dr. Kapil Lotun
UA Structural Heart Team Completes 300th TAVR Procedure in Little More than Five Years

Kathleen Rothwell, 73, of Silver City, N.M., became the 300th transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patient at at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson when she was referred to the University of Arizona cardiology team in early April after being diagnosed with stage 4 heart failure. Congratulations to Drs. Kapil Lotun, Ranjith Shetty, Toshinobu Kazui, Samata Paidy and the rest of the Structural Heart Disease Program staff…


Image of flyer for this event
South Campus’ Abrams Building to Host Behavioral Health Training April 6

Clinicians and others who want to learn more about elder care as it relates to Banner Health psychiatric and behavioral health services and the Crisis Response Center can earn 2 hours of continuing education units (CEUs) by attending a free workshop presented by the group SAFEE and hosted at the Abrams Building on the Banner – UMC South campus. It’s from 9-11 a.m., Friday, April 6. No registration required. Walk-ins welcome…


Dr. David Lederer with Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation banner - "just breathe"
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Free Webinar, April 11, to Focus on ‘Non-Genetic Causes of PF’

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation offers a free webinar Wednesday, April 11, of interest to specialists in pulmonary and critical care medicine. It begins at 10 a.m. Arizona/Pacific Daylight Time. The speaker, Dr. David J. Lederer, is a PFF senior medical advisor for Education and Awareness and a faculty physician with Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital…


I-Squared Awards Honor Inventors, Entrepreneurs at 5th Tech Launch Arizona Event

Dr. Louise Hecker, a respiratory scientist with the UA Department of Medicine, was among 16 individuals or business startups assisted by Tech Launch Arizona recognized March 19 at the I-Squared Expo & Awards hosted by TLA, the research and innovation commercialization arm of the University of Arizona. The fifth annual event honors those whose work impacts the quality of life for people in Tucson, Arizona and the world through research, collaboration and invention…


UA Shares its Expertise in Free Precision Medicine Conference for Public, Researchers and Physicians, April 13 To help the public, physicians and researchers better understand how growing discoveries on the molecular makeup of disease affect decisions on health care, UA researchers and their partners are presenting a free precision medicine conference on Friday, April 13.

Dr. Janardhanan to Serve on ASE Committee, Faculty of 1000 Section

Dr. Raj Janardhanan, of the University of Arizona Division of Cardiology and UA Sarver Heart Center, has accepted positions with the American Society of Echocardiography, as a continuing member-at-large on the Industry Relations Committee, and the United Kingdom-based Faculty of 1000 (F1000), as co-head of peer review for the Valvular Disease Section with Dr. Joe Alpert…


UA Sarver Heart Center and Banner – University Medical Center Welcome Cardiologist Dr. Joel B. Holland Nationally recognized cardiologist, Dr. Joel Holland, joins the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson faculty after a long career at Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Collage of photos with UA Arthritis Center's Dr. David W. Smith
Purdue University Honors UA Arthritis Center Disability Assessment Director David Smith

Disability Assessment Research Clinic (DARC) director at the University of Arizona Arthritis Center, David Wayne Smith, DEd, DABPS, DACFE—who’s been with the UA for 50 years and UA College of Medicine – Tucson for 32 years—has been named as one of two recipients of Purdue University's Health and Kinesiology Distinctive Service Award to be awarded in April. See other center news here, too…


Dr. Christian Bime
Dr. Bime Chosen for National ATS Committee on Health Equality and Diversity

Dr. Christian Bime, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, UA College of Medicine – Tucson, and Medical Intensive Care Unit medical director at Banner – University Medical Center – Tucson, has been appointed to the American Thoracic Society’s Health Equality and Diversity Committee as well as the International Health Committee…


Dr. Janardhanan Honored with Native American Cardiology Outstanding Service Award

The University of Arizona Division of Cardiology’s Dr. Raj Janardhanan was presented with the Outstanding Service Award by the UA Native American Cardiology and Medicine Program at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. In other honors, he’ll chair a session on multimodality imaging at the American Society of Echocardiography national conference in June and was part of the ASE team that just released new clinical guidelines for contrast echocardiography techniques…


UA Cancer Center, Banner – University Medicine to Observe Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month with Free Presentation, Screenings, April 28 April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month and the UA Cancer Center is enlisting dental professionals to incorporate head and neck cancer screenings into routine checkups.

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