Dr. Greg Davis On Medicine

In the ever-evolving field of Alzheimer’s disease research, the development of disease-modifying therapies has sparked both excitement and debate. Two new publications from University of Kentucky researchers highlight critical advancements and their intersection with other fields that are considered more successful in advances to date. The collaborative papers were led by Greg Jicha, M.D., Ph.D., and Pete Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., both with UK’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. The work showcases the profound impact of partnerships across UK — in this case between the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the UK Markey Cancer Center. Dr. Greg talks with Nelson about this team approach to tackling this vexing disease.

Lawmakers in Frankfort are again floating the idea of ending the requirement for fluoridated drinking water in Kentucky communities with some opponents calling it 'forced medication.' Dr. Emily Winfrey, associate dean of academic and student affairs at UK Dentistry, says that conclusion is not based in science. She talks with Dr. Greg about the 70 plus years of evidence to the contrary.

A University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) study researching Appalachian culture and its impact on food insecurity has won Health Education & Behavior’s “Paper of the Year” Award for 2023. The paper, titled “Exploring Food-Based Cultural Practices to Address Food Insecurity in Rural Appalachia,” emphasizes how significant culturally entrenched food practices are in enabling communities from Appalachia to fight food insecurity. The study was led by Lauren Batey and co-authored by Emily DeWitt, Dawn Brewer, Kathryn Cardarelli and Heather Norman-Burgdolf. Batey is the guest this week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine.

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center expert Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., recently contributed to a critical national discussion on sustaining and supporting the cancer workforce. As he explains in this week's Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine, Vanderford, an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, director of Markey Cancer Center’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology Program and assistant director of Markey’s Pathway Programs and Student Success, addressed challenges faced by early-career researchers, issues of diversity in cancer research training and opportunities for supporting researchers’ career paths.

According to the US Census Bureau by the year 2034 more Americans will be over the age of 65 (numbering some 77-million people), than under the age of 18. That will be a first for our nation and it underscores the importance of communities enhancing the quality and volume of senior-oriented support services. Dr. Greg talks with Kristy Stambaugh - director of Aging and Disability Services for the city of Lexington. She tells us all about the programs on offer at the city's four senior centers (Life Lane, Bell Court, Charles Young and Black & Williams Cultural Center) and shares more details on a brand new one coming to Shillito Park in 2026.

The UK PREVENT Alliance aims to improve the health of the Commonwealth of Kentucky using a community-engaged, evidence-informed prevention approach. One of its collaborators on the #IChampion Health Initiative is Operation Making A Change, a non-profit organization focused on violence prevention and intervention. This week Dr. Greg speaks with #IChampionHealth program director Jakob Hester and OAC founder Gerald “GEO” Gibson.

What’s it like to navigate Lexington without a car? How do you get to work, do your shopping, get the kids to soccer practice? The Week Without Driving campaign September 30 – October 6, 2024 aims to encourage those who drive regularly to consider the barriers and challenges that non-drivers (up to a third of each community!) face on a daily basis and encourage people to try different modes of transportation during the week. Dr. Greg talks with local bike and pedestrian advocates Alice Hilton and Linda Froehlich about the campaign and how you can sign up to participate.

September is Prostate Health Awareness month and Dr. Greg talks with local urologist Patrick Hensley about for some, is an uncomfortable subject. He says it's time to have a candid and frank conversation in an effort to save more lives from prostate cancer.

Healthy brain aging is a concern for all of us. It’s normal to struggle with small things such as recalling names — and we all experience some slowing of the thought processes with advanced age — but everyone hopes to avoid serious cognitive impairment. Dr. Greg Jicha with the Sanders - Brown Center on Aging shares tips with Dr. Greg on how to maintain good brain health.

This week Dr. Greg talks with Theresa Brown, RN; the New York Times best-selling author of Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient and The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives. She recently penned an article for Cancer Nursing Today asking the question – Who Broke American Health Care?

As an undergraduate student and English major at UK during the 1990s, Roger Brown spent his summer breaks working as a counselor at the Life Adventure Camp. The center was founded by a small group of UK graduate students, two of whom are Brown’s parents. It provided five-day wilderness living experiences to low-income and special needs youth at a forested property in Estill County. Fast forward to today where the now UK alum and current faculty member uses his close ties to LAC to help foster resilience in individuals affected by trauma. He talks about it in this week’s Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine.

Dr. Greg talks with Emily L. Weis, MD, MS, with the University of Rochester, who recently was featured in an article in Healio about how physicians are dealing with a rise in difficult patient encounters and what may be behind the uptick.

This week, as a new school year gets under way, Dr. Greg talks with Griffin Nemeth, a student at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and coordinator for the #iCANendthetrend Youth Advisory Board; a group of 10 high school advocates from across Kentucky, fostering a generation of changemakers dedicated to educating peers, community members and policymakers about the negative health outcomes of vaping and tobacco use. A key element of Nemeth's work is the comprehensive yearlong training program he helps coordinate for younger Kentuckians. Every summer, new members of the Youth Advisory Board gather at UK for an in-person training session, followed by bimonthly virtual meetings throughout the year. This training includes online modules, skill-building opportunities and sessions led by near peers who are part of #iCANendthetrend.

"Low vision" is a term that commonly means partial sight, or sight that isn't fully correctable with glasses, contact lenses, surgery or medications. Low vision can affect people of all ages, but the risk increases as you get older. This week Dr. Greg talks with Christian Meyer, O.D., ophthalmology and visual sciences on low vision and how to prevent it.

This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we talk to a researcher who tirelessly works to understand the human sleep cycle. Lauren Whitehurst, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences and assistant director of the UNITE Research Priority Area, studies how sleep is affected by our genetics and living environments. Whitehurst’s current research is looking at precipitating factors that could be creating a sleep disparity in Black Americans. She is also the principal investigator on a five-year $2.4 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) exploring how sex and sex hormones influence the effects of alcohol on sleep quality.

Dr. Greg Davis brings us another cancer-journey update from friend and WUKY colleague Karyn Czar who received a bone marrow transplant as part of her treatment for multiple myeloma eight months ago. In this particular conversation, Karyn details some of the ongoing mental and emotional challenges of her recovery.

When John “JB” Bradley was a young boy growing up in Beattyville, Kentucky, he dreamed of being a doctor. Inspired by his small town’s family physician, he imagined taking care of families just like his own one day. After retiring from Kentucky State Police he is realizing that dream. He talks about his journey with Dr. Greg.

Prior to his retirement as UK's Chef in Residence Bob Perry chatted with Dr. Greg about lessons he's learned and passed down regarding local ingredients, the culinary arts, and feeding astronauts in space.

This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine Dr. Pete Nelson with UK's Sanders Brown Center on Aging talks about this rare form of dementia

Whether you’re planning a beach vacation, gardening, or watching your kids’ baseball games, make sure you take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from skin cancer. We again offer this very important conversation with John D'Orazio, M.D., chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UK Department of Pediatrics.