News Archive: 2018
April 23, 2018
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.
April 20, 2018
UA researchers Drs. Bhaskar Banerjee, a gastroenterologist, and Rongguang “Ron” Liang, in optical sciences, have invented a dual-view probe for medical endoscopy demonstrated to increase polyp detection rates 58 percent to 98 percent. Their startup, Omniscient, is working to bring the technology to the marketplace to aid patients who may suffer from colon cancer. Other uses are being explored…
April 20, 2018
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…
April 20, 2018
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.
April 17, 2018
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…
April 16, 2018
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…
April 16, 2018
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”…
April 13, 2018
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...
April 13, 2018
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…
April 13, 2018
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…
April 12, 2018
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…
April 12, 2018
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…
April 10, 2018
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…
April 10, 2018
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…
April 9, 2018
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…
April 5, 2018
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…
April 5, 2018
Cancer patients' immune systems are receiving a boost from checkpoint inhibitors and other lab-made antibodies that train T cells to attack cancer. This expanded understanding of cancer, genetics and immunobiology could revolutionize treatment. Researchers at the UA Cancer Center and Division of Hematology and Oncology are at the forefront of this new frontier. See what Drs. Julie Bauman, Daruka Mahadevan, Clara Curiel and Hani Babiker have to say about it…
April 4, 2018
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…
April 3, 2018
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…
March 29, 2018
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.