University of Kentucky Research Media

For this “UK at the Half,” Lisa Cassis, vice president for research at the University of Kentucky, shares how leaders across campus came together to find a path forward for research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within the University of Kentucky's role as Kentucky's flagship, land-grant university, the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) unites clinicians, researchers and communities to accelerate the translation of basic science discoveries to tangible improvements in health. On this episode of "Behind the Blue," CCTS Director Philip A. Kern, M.D., talks about the vast amount of work the center supports. Since his recruitment to UK in 2009, Kern has been continuously funded for both his own NIH-funded research program as well as his leadership of the CCTS. He has also served as a mentor, colleague and collaborator on numerous other projects. In addition, he continues to provide clinical and educational services within the Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center and Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.

As summer camp season wraps up and a new school year begins, this “Research Made Possible” podcast shares how University of Kentucky researchers across campus are targeting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) program at UK is creating a unique pipeline to increase STEM literacy and promote STEM careers for traditionally underrepresented populations (people of color, individuals with disabilities, students from free or reduced lunch schools), first-generation college students, and girls and women in STEM.

The University of Kentucky's Isabel Escobar describes her KY NSF EPSCoR project to use green membranes with silver nanoparticles to make masks that inactivate the COVID-19 virus. She also talks about her mentor, Dibakar Bhattacharyya, known as "DB", and how UK is such a collaborative university.

When you look back at a 45-year career, there are a multitude of moments that stand out. For Allan Butterfield, Professor of Biological Chemistry in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences, his signature discovery grew from just such a Eureka moment on the sidewalk on campus. In this podcast, you’ll hear Butterfield’s take on why many amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs have failed — “They’ve forgotten their chemistry. They’re targeting the wrong point of the process.” — and why he’s now serving in an administrative role as Associate Vice President for Centers & Institutes and Research Priority Areas within UK Research.

Nathan Vanderford and Chris Prichard on ACTION, a cancer-focused student research program by Research Communications

Natalie Barker was a little shocked when she first learned that Kentucky ranks first in the country for cancer incidence and mortality. However, the Elliott County teen says she had a quick realization – the problem of cancer hits very close to home. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized I don’t know a person in our community who hasn’t been affected by cancer,” she said. Barker is one of 20 students from Appalachian Kentucky to be selected for the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program for high schoolers, a two-year program that just launched in March. While ACTION has existed for UK undergrads for three years, this was the first year that the program offered Kentucky high school students the opportunity to gain cancer research, clinical, outreach and educational experiences in an effort to enrich their interest in a cancer-focused career.

Jeff Worley Named Kentucky Poet Laureate by Research Communications

John Thelin Talks about His New Book: "Going to College in the Sixties" by Research Communications

After successfully launching an oncology training program for Appalachian undergrads in 2016, the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center is expanding the program to include high school students. The Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) Program – formerly known as CTOP – is funded through a nearly $2.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute.