Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine

Each year, a group of students and employees at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and campus and community partners work together to show Lexington that science is all around us, not just in the research labs. Everything is Science is held at different locations throughout the city, with events happening Monday through Friday. The festival features presentations, demonstrations, and conversations in laid-back spaces, like local restaurants, pubs, and breweries. Speakers aim to bring an uncomplicated approach to topics that we may not initially consider science-related. Dr. Greg gets a preview from coordinating committee member Dr. Lou Hirsch.

University of Kentucky College of Public Health (CPH) researchers, in collaboration with investigators from the UK College of Medicine, the UK College of Communication and Information and the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH), are leading a five-year, $3.7 million project to study COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Eastern Kentucky. Dr. Greg talks with co-principal investigator Marc T. Kiviniemi, Ph.D.

As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the three year mark, University of Kentucky clinical microbiologist Dr. Vaneet Arora says both the virus - and the efforts to combat it - continue to evolve. Dr. Arora joins Greg for an update.

The quick action of athletic trainers is credited with saving the life of Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin. This week on Dr. Greg Davis we take a deep dive into how athletic trainers are trained to respond to even the most unimaginable sports-related emergency situations. He goes one on one with Dr. Johanna Hoch, Program Director of the Professional Masters in Athletic Training at the University of Kentucky.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky are taking an innovative approach to help a high-risk population by using easily accessible technology: an app on a smartphone. Carolyn Lauckner, Ph.D., an assistant professor in behavioral sciences in the College of Medicine, is leading a study to better understand the link between HIV and alcohol use in young adult sexual minority men and transgender (SMMT) individuals aged 18-34, with the goal to reduce HIV risk behaviors. She recently talked about the study in depth with Dr. Greg.

She’s been bringing you the news for what seems like forever and now her own health could be the biggest story she ever covers. This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine Karyn Czar talks in depth, in the hope of helping others, about her recent diagnosis of a rare form of cancer and her treatment journey.

Could the game of bingo — with a twist — be part of healthier aging? A $1.1 million grant will help University of Kentucky College of Education researchers measure the impacts of increased exercise and social interaction for nursing home residents through a program called Bingocize®. Dr. Greg recently spoke with Dr. Melinda Ickes, who will lead the three year study.

What do you do when you witness someone struggling with suicidal thoughts or when someone tells you they intend to harm themselves? The University of Kentucky offers an online program called QPR to equip you with the right answers and actions. Think of it as a CPR program for mental health crises. Dr. Greg talks with Marc Woods, Chief Nursing Officer for Behavioral Medicine at UK HealthCare and Eastern State Hospital about QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade and Refer.

Bereaved children struggling with unsupported grief may have difficulties in school, have trouble regulating emotions and relationships, and exhibit a higher incidence of depression and anxiety. Without experiences that can help normalize grief and process its accompanying feelings, these children may continue to struggle—sometimes for decades. Dr. Greg talks with Leila Salisbury, executive director of the new Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families about their mission and the programs currently on offer.

For many of us the holidays can quickly go from Seasons Greetings to Seasons Eatings! But never you fear, UK Health and Wellness registered dieticians Dr. Karen Bryla McNees and Vanessa Oliver have strategies to help you survive the holidays without busting your buttons, or becoming too much of the life of the party.