A research team from the College of Public Health has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study risk factors related to respiratory disease in Appalachian Kentucky. The interdisciplinary team is led by Dr. Steven Browning, associate professor of epidemiology, and Dr. Nancy Schoenberg, Marion Pearsall Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine and associate dean for research in the College of Public Health. Other members include David Mannino, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health; Wayne Sanderson, interim dean of the College of Public Health and professor of epidemiology; Jay Christian, assistant professor of epidemiology; and Heather Bush, associate professor of biostatistics.
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Glen Mays, PhD, Scutchfield Endowed Professor in Health Services and Systems Research, has written a piece, which is featured on Health Affairs Blog. The piece weighs in on the controversy surrounding the Affordable Care Act and government spending on public health programs.
A research team from the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention (SCAHIP), which is housed within the College of Public Health, has been awarded top honors in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Evaluation Contest. The team was awarded the honor for its project, "The UK-CROPS Project - Cost-effective Roll-over Protective Structures," which examines more economical solutions for farmers in Appalachia who are using older model tractors not equipped with Rollover Protection Structures (ROPS).
Dr. Ty Borders, professor and chair of the department of health management and policy in the UK College of Public Health, has been invited to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services for a four-year term. The Committee, a part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is a 21-member panel of nationally recognized experts in the area of rural health. Dr. Borders’ term on the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services began this spring and will continue until April, 2019.
The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), based in the College of Public Health, has joined the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's (OSHA) National Safety Stand-Down initiative, running May 4-15. The public safety campaign calls for all construction site managers to suspend work for a short period to review safety standards and protective measures.
The College of Public Health was well-represented at this year's Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) annual conference, as a faculty member and students were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in the area of public health research. Dr. Richard Kryscio, chair of the department of biostatistics, was awarded the Grand Mentor prize, which honors a professor who has made a positive impact on the research efforts of students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty. Additionally, students John Flunker, Vera Pravosud, Aasha Hoogland, and Dessi Slavova received awards for their research presentations and posters.
The UK College of Public Health has selected April M. Young, PhD, as the 2015 recipient of an Outstanding Alumni Award. Dr. Young, an assistant professor in the Epidemiology Department, graduated with her master's degree in health behavior and epidemiology from the UK College of Public Health in 2010. A reception honoring Dr. Young will be held Friday, May 1, from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm at the Hilary J. Boone Center. The Outstanding Alumni Award program was established in 2013 to recognize extraordinary alumni who have made outstanding contributions in public health at the local, state, and national/international level.
Congratulations to these outstanding CPH faculty members who recently received promotions: Dr. Steve Fleming, promoted to Professor in the Department of Epidemiology; Dr. Svetla Slavova, promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics; Dr. Corrine Williams, promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior; and Dr. Robin Vanderpool, promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior. We are so proud to have such accomplished faculty in our College!
The National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research (PHSSR) and the Public Health Practice-Based Networks (PBRNs) have announced this year's recipients of the Dr. E. Richard "Rick" Brown Keeneland Conference scholarships. The scholarships support travel, attendance, and networking for researchers from racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups underrepresented in the health and social sciences. The Keeneland Conference will be held in Lexington April 21-22.
Substance abuse researcher and physician Joseph Barry, professor and chair of Popluation Health Medicine at Trinity College Dublin, delivered the inaugural Stephen W. Wyatt Lecture on Thursday, April 16th. The lecture, “Substance Use: Public Health Challenges in 21st Century Ireland,” addressed substance use and abuse in Ireland and its public health implications on a global scale. Access to a recording of the lecture is available at http://connect.uky.edu/p5274fo6sw9/ .