News

Through a collaboration with local agritourism company Black Soil, a group of students from the UK College of Nursing have taken up the mantle to deliver health education to Lexington’s communities of color. 

The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) program at UK is creating a unique pipeline to promote careers for underrepresented populations, first-generation college students, and girls and women in STEM. START is funded by a five-year, $1.3 million Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

March 20 is National Kick Butts Day, a time to raise awareness of the health effects of cigarettes and nicotine products and take action to lower one’s risk. Researchers in the University of Kentucky College of Nursing are creating a series of comic books focusing on treatment and cessation.

The curriculum includes information on cancer data and risk factors in the region, follows national and state science and health education standards, and is tailored to cultural aspects of Appalachian Kentucky.

The equity and access initiative was announced last week by Gov. Andy Beshear. It is in response to obstacles that have prevented individuals with access and equity issues from receiving the vaccine.

Based on the study findings, the researchers suggest standardizing assessment and treatment approaches based on existing quality reporting measures, integrating telephone quit-line services, and offering cessation counseling and medication to all tobacco users as a standard of care.

Prediabetes and diabetes are big problems in Kentucky. According to the 2019 Kentucky Diabetes Report, one in 10 Kentucky adults have been told by a medical professional that they have prediabetes. An additional 12% have diabetes, and Kentucky has the fourth highest mortality rate due to diabetes in the nation.

Two programs fostered by the University of Kentucky Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC) have been awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Science and Technology Council for creating “a more inclusive research and development innovation ecosystem for the future.”

SPARK, which was launched last year by UK’s Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) and Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), is a year-long community-engaged program for undergraduates focused on research related to health equity.

On-farm research helps scientists and producers gain new knowledge that improves and advances agriculture. These valuable relationships between Kentucky farmers and UK researchers work toward the goal of more efficient and profitable Kentucky farms.