News
Two UA Med Students Headed to Harvard, Johns Hopkins This Summer for Geriatrics Studies
Two University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson students—Anthony Maltagliati and John Lee—have been awarded Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program scholarships from the American Federation for Aging Research sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. Maltagliati heads to Harvard and Lee to Johns Hopkins for the summer for research projects in geriatric medicine…
Start to Finish, April Loaded with Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Outreach at UA
The University of Arizona Division of Hematology & Oncology and UA Cancer Center opened and closed April, which is National Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, appropriately with a focus on improved head and neck cancer awareness. This included a Healthy Dose Blog post with Dr. Julie Bauman, a free Public Throat Cancer Screening Event and, in between, a special seminar on HPV-related cancers hosted by the UA College of Public Health…
UA Sleep Medicine Director Talks Remedies for Restlessness in Desert Leaf’s ‘Tired in Tucson’
Sleep medicine at the University of Arizona got its fourth splash in the spotlight this month with release of “Tired in Tucson,” an article posted in the May issue of The Desert Leaf, a free monthly publication founded in 1987 and distributed by mail to the Catalina Foothills and Tanque Verde valley communities of Tucson, Ariz. Dr. Sai Parthasarathy, director of the UA Health Sciences Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences, is quoted extensively throughout…
Dr. Tammy Ojo Gets Nod as Banner Ambulatory Care Medical Director in Tucson
Banner – University Medical Group Tucson, the physician practice plan for Banner – University Medicine doctors affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, has named the UA Department of Medicine’s Dr. Tammy Clark Ojo as its executive medical director for ambulatory care in Tucson. In other news, Drs. Tejo Vemulapalli and Sireesha Koppula have been named to the shared post as department associate chair for quality and safety—him for inpatient and her for outpatient operations…
2018 University of Arizona Arthritis Center Bear Down Luncheon Teams Up With UA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, May 9
Dave Heeke, UA vice president for athletics, will be the guest speaker at the event that benefits research to identify the causes and improve the diagnosis and treatment of the more than 100 forms of arthritis.
Fred DuVal to Keynote College of Medicine – Tucson Convocation, May 10
Fred DuVal, son of the founding dean of the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, will keynote the 2018 Doctor of Medicine convocation ceremony. The event in UA Centennial Hall, 7 p.m., Thursday, May 10, will be livestreamed via the college’s Facebook webpage…
Drs. Vanderpool, Knox Among 14 to Win ABRC Grant Awards Worth Total of Over $5.92 Million
The UA Department of Medicine’s Dr. Rebecca Vanderpool, research investigator, Division of Translational and Regenerative Medicine, and Dr. Ken Knox, former pulmonary chief, were recently awarded three-year grants from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission—among 14 given to the University of Arizona. Her study involves a molecular link in development of right ventricular heart failure in pulmonary hypertension patients. His involves “tissue bioengineering” of a spinach leaf to serve as a model to study lung inflammation. See their co-investigators and funded research list…
Dr. Parthasarathy Gives You Reasons to Sleep in Via U.S. News & World Report Article
In an article posted to its website Monday, April 23, U.S. News & World Report quotes University of Arizona professor of medicine, Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, on the practicalities of proper sleep for your health and how today’s hyper-connected globe works against that, affecting your wellbeing in more ways than just sleep…
UA/Banner Dermatology Consolidating Clinics at New Pima Canyon Location by Mid-June
The UA Division of Dermatology outpatient offices at Casas Adobes Plaza are moving in six weeks to coincide with consolidated clinical and administrative operations for the division within Banner – University Medical Group at a new location at 7165 N. Pima Canyon Drive. The new site will open to patients in June. Look for details on a grand opening soon…
UA Internal Medicine Student Association to Host ACP Journal Club Event on Hep C, April 24
The University of Arizona Internal Medicine Student Association is hosting the regional American College of Physicians Journal Club on Tuesday, April 24, 6-8 p.m., in a participatory telecast to be viewable in the UA College of Medicine – Tucson (Room 3230) and Phoenix (B 402). A light meal will be served…
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.
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…
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…
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”…
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...
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…