The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department’s Board of Health has selected University of Kentucky Professor Sharon Walsh, Ph.D., as a 2022 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero.
Research from University of Kentucky faculty and students working to reduce the burden of substance use disorders in Kentucky and beyond was showcased at UK's Substance Use Research Event (SURE).
Opioid overdose death rates increased by 40% among non-Hispanic Black individuals between 2018 and 2019, according to study results published in the American Journal of Public Health this September.
UK’s HEALing Communities Study and Voices of Hope are teaming up for the free virtual June Learning Collaborative, “Come as You Are: Transformational Housing.”
“I’m looking forward to enhancing screening and management of substance use disorders in our primary care practice at the Polk-Dalton Clinic. This will increase access to treatment for many patients, and we will also be able to improve education for our medical students and residents who rotate through the clinic.”
The research team will recruit 800 Black American nonmedical prescription opioid users and interview them to develop an understanding of the characteristics associated with their drug use and treatment use.
Wasp dope is a crystalline substance created by electrifying pyrethroid-containing substances – such as wasp sprays – that may give users a methamphetamine-like “rush.” Recent reports have highlighted the emergence of this new drug as an issue of concern, research into the substance is so far lacking.
To curb overdose deaths, ease the financial burden on health care, and improve patient outcomes, the researchers worked with patients who need tools for recovery from opioid use disorder, such as mental health therapists, relapse-prevention services, and necessary medications.
Two University of Kentucky faculty will be featured in an upcoming episode of “Your Fantastic Mind,” an Emmy-nominated television series featuring compelling stories on brain-related health and wellness.
