News

University of Arizona Leads Asthma Study with Tucson Unified School District and American Lung Association

Approximately 120,000 Arizona children have asthma.  Asthma attacks lead to 3,000 hospitalizations each year, costing Arizonans approximately $24 million in direct medical costs. 

Overall, the medical costs of children with asthma are double those of children without asthma.  The greatest burden of asthma disproportionally falls upon low-income and minority children. One of the most important causes of poor asthma control is limited access to, and inconsistent use of, daily medications such as inhaled corticosteroids.

To address this public health issue, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona has partnered with the American Lung Association in Arizona and the Tucson Unified School District to implement a school-based asthma program in selected elementary schools.

Lead researcher Lynn B. Gerald, PhD, MSPH, associate dean for research at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health and a scientist in the Arizona Respiratory Center, has assembled an interdisciplinary team of researchers, doctors and community partners...

UA Sarver Heart Center Presents ‘How Clinical Research has Revolutionized Care of Women and Men with Cardiovascular Disorders’

WHAT:  Green Valley Lecture Series with cardiovascular specialist from the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center
In cooperation with Green Valley Recreation, Inc.

WHEN:   Thursday, March 20, 2014, at 10 a.m.

WHERE:  Canoa Hills Social Center, 3660 S. Camino del Sol, Green Valley

TOPIC:  How Clinical Research has Revolutionized Care of Women and Men with Cardiovascular Disorders
 Despite decades of progress, cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States – for both women and men. Dr. Sweitzer will discuss the role clinical trials have played in establishing best practices for diagnosis and treatment of heart conditions. She also will lead a discussion about the future of heart disease research and ways to improve patient participation in heart disease research. Bring your ideas and questions!

SPEAKER:
 
 Nancy K. Sweitzer, MD, PhD, director of the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the UA College of...

Check, Call, Compress! Teaching the Community Lifesaving CPR

A committed group of University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson students make up the mighty team, under the leadership of Daniel Beskind, MD, MPH, FACEP, that last year taught 3,004 people compression-only CPR.

The students are part of the UA Sarver Heart Center Resuscitation Research Group, which has an overall goal of improving survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest. The REACT Group conducts free training in lifesaving skills such as chest-compression-only (CCO)-CPR to members of the general public using resuscitation mannequins.

On Tuesday, March 11, the REACT Group will provide chest-compression-only CPR training for the employees of the Jim Click Automotive team. The training will provide the team with the necessary skills to save a life in an emergency situation. The REACT Group also will conduct training at the Tucson Festival of Books March, 15-16, and at Catalina Foothills High School on April 10-11.

“It is critical to integrate help from multiple people when...

UA Study of HIV-Related Lung Diseases to Help Understanding of Pulmonary Immunity and Vaccine Responses

People infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—the virus that causes AIDS—commonly develop lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).

Kenneth S. Knox, MD, and his research team at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson are studying the role of pulmonary inflammation in the development of HIV-related lung diseases, funded by a collaborative U01 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

“In HIV infection, despite improvement with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the lung immune system remains imbalanced,” said Dr. Knox, who serves as a principal investigator on the multiple-PI study, which involves researchers at the UA, Indiana University and the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. “The study’s main hypothesis is that the presence of low-level HIV infection produces chronic inflammation in the lung which drives the late pulmonary complications associated with HIV.”

“The study also will examine other pulmonary viral...

People on the Move at the University of Arizona Health Network

Sarah Frost, hospital administrator of the University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus, has been named chief operating officer of the Hospital Division of the University of Arizona Health Network (UAHN).

UAHN’s Hospital Division encompasses both UAMC – South Campus and UAMC – University Campus. Frost will focus on integrating clinical and administrative operations across the two hospitals and their outpatient clinics, ensuring consistent, high-quality care for the more than 100,000 patient visits they provide each year.

Frost has worked at The University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus since 2004, serving as the hospital’s top administrator for the past three years.  During that time she was responsible for directing several new construction projects and programs, including a new emergency department, gastroenterology lab, outpatient clinics and the Behavioral Health Pavilion, which offers comprehensive behavioral health-care services in Pima County.

In another UA Health Network promotion, Michelle Ziemba, RN, has been appointed associate vice...

Dr. Scott Lick to Join UA Department of Surgery in April as Director of Heart and Lung Transplant Surgery

Scott D. Lick, MD, has been appointed professor of surgery and director of Heart and Lung Transplant Surgery at the University of Arizona Department of Surgery and The University of Arizona Medical Center starting April 1.

Dr. Lick is coming to the UA from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he was professor of surgery and the director of Thoracic Organ Transplantation.
Dr. Lick has 20 years experience in all aspects of cardiac surgery and heart and lung transplantation. He is an active researcher, studying artificial lung development. He has more than 90 peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts and is committed to the innovation and discovery necessary for the next decade of advances in cardiac surgery, as well as heart and lung transplantation.

Dr. Lick received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1987 and completed his internship and general surgery residency and cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Arizona. As a resident, Dr. Lick worked with Jack Copeland, MD, former...

UA’s Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books a Celebration of STEM Learning and Literacy

Powered by the University of Arizona’s (UA) College of Science and the BIO5 Institute, Science City at the Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB) is a major highlight of the two-day, community-based celebration of literacy and learning held on the UA campus.

Scheduled for March 15-16, it is estimated that 120,000 – 140,000 Festival visitors from across the U.S. will generate a $4 million economic impact to the Tucson community. TFOB Is considered one of the largest book festivals in the country, and Science City is the single largest STEM themed event in the state of Arizona.
This year, Science City has a larger footprint to accommodate a new, visitor-friendly layout that will include neighborhood "themes" like the Science of Everyday Life, the Science of Tomorrow, the Science of You, and the Science of Natural World. Across these neighborhoods, 80 participant groups will feature hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations where science-lovers of all ages can learn about innovations in...

VETS Center Expands Services to Arizona Health Sciences Center - GRAND OPENING

Creating convenient access to resources, a sense of belonging and community for military veterans interested in pursuing health sciences degrees has led to the creation of a Veterans Education and Transition Services (VETS) Center on the Arizona Health Science Center (AHSC) Campus – the first VETS Center in the nation to be opened within a health sciences center campus. 

The AHSC VETS Center will host a grand opening, open to the public, at its new location in the Arizona Health Sciences Library on Thursday, April 10, 4 to 5 p.m.

“The University of Arizona and the health-based educational programs at the Arizona Health Sciences Center recognize and greatly appreciate the service and sacrifice of our veterans,” said Todd D. Camenisch, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology. “This new VETS Center is one small way for us to dedicate ourselves to ensuring their success in pursuing their dreams, for which they have nobly served.”

The UA’s Veterans Education and Transition Services (VETS) Center, including on- and off-campus partners, has become...

Leading nutrition conference to assemble world experts in Texas in May

The University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (AzCIM), the worldwide leader in integrative medicine education, has opened registration for the 2014 Nutrition & Health Conference happening May 5-7, 2014. This year, the conference will take place in Addison, Tex., just north of Dallas, and it promises to bring together internationally-recognized researchers, clinicians, educators, and chefs to explore good nutrition and health.

This year’s faculty include Robert Chapkin, PhD, of Texas A&M; John Foreyt, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine; Frank Hu, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School; Tieraona Low Dog, MD, of the University of Arizona; Belleruth Naparstek, MS, LISW, psychotherapist, author and guided imagery authority; and, Andrew Weil, MD, director of AzCIM and integrative medicine pioneer.

“We know that simple, low-cost, and low-tech lifestyle changes such as improved diet are proven to be extremely effective for both prevention and treatment of many conditions,” said Weil, who recently co-authored the cookbook, True Food: Seasonal Sustainable, Simple, Pure, and will be lecturing and leading a...

UA Steele Center Discovery Leads to New Understanding of Proteins’ Role in IBD-related Bone Mineral Density Loss

Two proteins play a key role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)-related inflammation and subsequent bone mineral loss, according to new research at the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center.

Each year, more than 30,000 children are diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a painful gastrointestinal disorder. IBD is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract that causes fatigue, diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss.
The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. They usually strike children and young adults between the ages of 10-19.
A common complication of IBD is loss of bone mineral density. Consequently, individuals with IBD have been estimated to have a 40 percent higher risk than the general population of developing osteopenia (a condition in which bone mineral density is lower than normal) or osteoporosis later in life.

The research was led by Fayez K. Ghishan, MD, professor, head of the UA Department of Pediatrics and director of the UA Steele Center, Pawel Kiela, DVM, PhD, associate professor, and Vijayababu “Vijay” Marati Radhakrishnan, PhD, assistant scientist.

Their...