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.

By creating policies to ensure the safety of research faculty, staff, students and study participants, and by creating the CURE Alliance focused on providing seed support to innovative COVID research projects, Cassis led UK’s research enterprise in one of the most challenging chapters of its existence. In FY 2021, UK investigators received a record $468 million in grants and contracts for their research and scholarship. This funding continues to support critical community-based work in Kentucky — like the HEALing Communities Study targeting opioid use disorder.

“UK at the Half” airs during halftime of each UK football and basketball game broadcast on the radio and is hosted by UK Public Relations and Marketing. To hear the “UK at the Half” interview, click the play button above.