No matter what kind of writing project you may have this year, the University Writing Center can help you make your writing stronger. The University Writing Center’s Health Sciences Center campus office is now in K-Wing, Room 2028 and is open for appointments on Tuesdays from 10-4 and Thursdays from 9-1.

The University Writing Center works with all members of the UofL community – students, faculty, and staff – to improve their writing. Writing Center consultants provide one-on-one consultations that help writers address concerns about their drafts and provide strategies for improving writing skills. Consultants work with writers at any point in the writing process, from planning and organization to revision. At the HSC office, consultants work with writers on science and technical writing, including research articles, grant proposals and dissertation chapters and proposals, as well as IRB applications and other professional and scholarly work. Consultants can help writers with personal statements, job letters, CVs and other genres of writing. The Writing Center is not an editing service, but works with writers to offer responses to their drafts and suggestions for revision.

To make an appointment through the online scheduling system, log in to the University Writing Center website using your UofL user name and password, and click on “Appointments.” To make an appointment in our HSC location, select that schedule in the drop-down menu at the top of the schedule page. You also are welcome to make appointments at our Ekstrom Library location.

In addition to consultations, the University Writing Center offers workshops on writing through courses, campus organizations and online. You also will find handouts and videos about common student writing issues and answers to common writing questions.

If you have questions or want to know more, visit the website, email writing@louisville.edu, or call 852-2173.

Image by Pete O'Shea.

August 30, 2017

The director of the Diabetes & Obesity Center at the University of Louisville has been named one of just 28 “Research Exemplars” in the biomedical field by the P.I. Program through the Center for Clinical and Research Ethics at Washington University in St. Louis and in collaboration with St. Louis University.

Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., the Smith and Lucille Gibson Chair in Medicine, was cited for conducting high-quality, high-impact research and exemplifying professionalism and integrity in research. The Research Exemplars were selected for their leadership and management skills in successfully running research laboratories and mentoring junior faculty.

“Aruni Bhatnagar’s commitment to research and to the development of the next generation of researchers is well known within the University of Louisville community,” William Pierce, Ph.D., executive vice president for research and innovation, said. “For his efforts to be distinguished by the Exemplar Project solidifies his place as one of the standard-bearers of research quality and integrity.”

UofL’s director of research integrity concurred. “Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University have a position of national leadership in the area of research professionalism. This award recognizes decades of Aruni's work and affirms the critical role mentoring plays in the responsible and successful conduct of research,” Allison Ratterman, Ph.D., said.

About Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D.

Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., holds dual professorships in medicine and in biochemistry and molecular biology. He joined UofL in 1998. Bhatnagar is a Distinguished University Scholar, director of the UofL Diabetes and Obesity Center and a Fellow of the American Heart Association.

Bhatnagar is a leading environmental health scientist who led the creation of the field of environmental cardiology. Through multidisciplinary approaches, he has identified the influence of environmental factors that contribute to systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk. His work has extended from basic bench research to national and global policy.

With more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and $100 million in research support, colleagues hold him in the highest esteem an intellectual leader and as an exemplary mentor, teacher and public servant. He has been a member of more than 50 review panels of the National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Defense. He currently serves as the deputy editor of the journal, Circulation Research. Under his mentorship, more than 15 junior investigators have obtained independent funding.

Colleagues describe Bhatnagar as an innovative, productive scientist who is extraordinarily skilled at leading large research programs and who ensures the highest standards of scientific integrity.

“I am honored to join my peers from across the United States as a Research Exemplar,” Bhatnagar said. “This program focuses on the intersection of leading a research lab and conducting high-quality, high-impact research with integrity and professionalism.

“To be included among this group is extremely gratifying and reaffirms my commitment to the role of research scientist.”

The final numbers are in, and oh, baby, July was booming at the Center for Women & Infants at University of Louisville Hospital.

The center witnessed its highest number of deliveries for a single month in 10 years – 200 in the month of July alone.

CWI Director Libby Smith said the last time the center witnessed that level of deliveries was in July 2007, when 211 babies were delivered.

She attributes the high number of deliveries to the high quality care provided by the staff and to the number of birthing options offered by providers who deliver at the Center for Women & Infants.

“We offer expectant moms more choices than virtually any other birthing facility in our region,” Smith said. “Women can receive prenatal care and have their babies delivered by an obstetrician or a certified nurse midwife. They can experience labor in or out of water. They can receive traditional individual care or be part of our new centering groups in which expectant moms receive support from other expectant moms.

“And if a cesarean birth is medically called for, our family-centered cesarean delivery with the clear drape option allows moms and dads to see their little ones as they are born.”

The center also provides evidence-based care for high-risk pregnancies and deliveries. “We have exceptional maternal-fetal specialists – doctors who specialize in high-risk pregnancies – leading our multidisciplinary teams who are ready and able to handle virtually any situation,” Smith said. 

The center also practices Kangaroo Care, the placing of newborns skin-to-skin with moms and dads to comfort baby and foster bonding. The Center for Women & Infants has earned Baby-Friendly Designation by Baby-Friendly USA, for providing an optimal level of care for infant feeding and mother/baby bonding. Also, La Leche League of Louisville meets monthly at the center, giving new moms support in breastfeeding, and the center’s Beautiful Beginnings prenatal care classes help expectant moms and dads prepare for their new baby.

Even with July’s record number of births, the center is ready to accommodate even more expectant families and bring new lives into the world, Smith said. “Delivering babies and giving them the best possible start in life is what we are all about,” she said.

For details about the Center for Women & Infants at UofL Hospital, visit the center website or call 502-562-3325.

Health care providers with the University of Louisville will be featured at the Kentucky State Fair, Aug. 17-27. All services will be provided at the UofL booth in the Health Horizons Pavilion. Most services will be provided between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the days shown, but fair-goers should check the booth for exact scheduling. Some services require that participants meet certain criteria; staff in the booth can provide information.

THREE UofL PROGRAMS PROVIDE SERVICES DAILY AT THE KENTUCKY STATE FAIR

University of Louisville health care providers will be on-site in the Health Horizons Pavilion at the Kentucky State Fair, Aug. 17-27, at the Kentucky Expo Center, and three programs will be available each day of the fair:

• Mammogram screenings: Providers affiliated with the UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center and Kentucky Cancer Program will provide mammograms. All screenings will take place in the privacy of the Horses and Hope Cancer Screening Van. For more than 25 years, the Brown Cancer Center and Kentucky Cancer Program have brought the mobile van to the fair to remove barriers to screening, providing women a key service in early detection. Mammogram screenings will be billed to insurance, so participants should have their health insurance verification and photo identification handy. Yearly mammograms are covered by Medicare and most private insurance providers for women over 40. Special discounted rates are available to those without insurance.
• Vascular screenings, including carotid artery screen and ankle brachial index: Provided daily at the fair, Aug. 17-27. A carotid artery screen is ideal for anyone with dizziness, ringing in the ears or anyone with a family history of carotid artery disease. It also is indicated for smokers and people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes or is over the age of 50. The test is administered by a registered technologist and uses ultrasound technology. The ankle brachial index screening is ideal for anyone with leg pain while walking or resting or anyone with a family history of peripheral arterial disease. It also is indicated for smokers and people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or is over the age of 50. This test utilizes blood pressure cuffs to determine the amount of blood flow to your legs.
• Education, prevention and survivorship information from the Kentucky Cancer Program: The Kentucky Cancer Program is a statewide cancer prevention and control program, bringing together local organizations, providers and other partners in planning, implementing and evaluating cancer prevention and control efforts. The KCP staff and volunteers will be on-site providing information and giveaways to fair-goers with the goal of reducing cancer incidence and cancer death in Kentucky.

WOMEN’S HEALTH INFORMATION PROVIDED AT THE STATE FAIR

Staff from UofL Hospital’s Center for Women & Infants and UofL Physicians-Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health will be on hand at the fair to help women of all ages. The Center for Women & Infants specializes in both high-risk obstetrics and general maternity services and gives expectant families their choice of care from board-certified obstetricians and certified nurse midwives who practice with UofL Physicians-Ob/Gyn & Women’s Health.

At the fair, staff will be on hand to discuss urogynecology with providers  from the Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery practices, fertility specialists in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, the certified nurse midwifery program, family planning services, and our newest offering – Centering Prenatal Care. Women enter centering groups of 8-10 other expectant mothers and they receive both individualized care as well as the benefits of group discussion.

Women’s health services will be offered each day beginning Thursday, Aug. 17 through Saturday, Aug. 26.

EMERGENCY CARE INFORMATION, TRAINING PROVIDED BY UofL

The UofL Hospital Level I Trauma Center and the Burn Unit will both provide a variety of services at the fair.

The Trauma Center is the region’s only Level I trauma unit. Staff will train fair-goers to “Stop the Bleed” on Friday, Aug. 18. This innovative program uses a lifelike replica of the human thigh – complete with faux blood – to train participants in handling bleeds from wounds at the scene where they occur. On Tuesday, Aug. 22, the Trauma Center will participate in Senior Day at the Fair, and feature a walk-through demonstration to help older adults identify potential hazards, help prevent falls and improve balance. The Trauma Center staff will return on Saturday, Aug. 26, with more trauma prevention activities.

The UofL Burn Unit is the region’s only dedicated adult burn unit and will provide safety information and fun for the entire family. Fair-goers can spin a prize wheel to learn about fire safety and burn care. They also will be able to see the “smoking house” – an animated educational tool with tips on how to keep homes safe from fire. Burn Unit personnel will be at the fair on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

SENIOR DAY FEATURES PHARMACY, VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Senior Day at the Fair will feature two programs that will only be available to fair-goers on that date, Tuesday, Aug. 22:

• UofL Hospital Pharmacists will share information of interest to older adults, including diabetes, vaccinations, pharmacy services at UofL facilities and more. They also will be available to answer questions one-on-one with fair-goers about their medications and treatments.
• UofL Hospital Volunteers will be at the fair to provide information on how fair-goers can serve others as a hospital volunteer. Each year, volunteers gain pride in providing meaningful service through their collective thousands of hours of service, helping the staff provide high quality care to patients, their families and the community. A wide array of service opportunities are available, from greeting guests to clerical service and more.

Also on Senior Day, the UofL booth will provide mammogram screenings, vascular screenings, colon cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, stroke assessments, women’s health information and a walk-through demonstration for older adults to help them avoid falls.

SPECIALTY SCREENINGS, INFORMATION OFFERED BY UofL

Several specialty services will be provided by UofL staff at the fair:

• UofL Physicians-Pediatrics will be at the fair Saturday, Aug. 19, offering vision and blood pressure screenings and a child safety demonstration. UofL Pediatrics provides children and their families with doctors and other providers to see them through the milestones of childhood.
• UofL Physicians-Diabetes & Obesity Center will be at the fair Wednesday, Aug. 23, providing screenings for prediabetes and diabetes. The screening requires a finger stick and the participant does not have to be fasting.
• UofL Hospital Infection Control will be at the fair Thursday, Aug. 24, with information on the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of disease. The staff also will show fair-goers the benefits of getting annual flu vaccinations and provide information on when antibiotics should be used and when they should not.
• Carbon monoxide screening will be available during the final four days of the fair, Thursday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Aug 27. The carbon monoxide breath test shows the amount of carbon monoxide in the lungs and blood in an indirect, non-invasive manner. Breath carbon monoxide also is an indicator of the levels of approximately 7,000 toxic substances present in cigarette smoke, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Participants will blow into a small handheld device for several seconds.

GET CANCER SCREENINGS AND MORE AT THE FAIR

Staff with UofL’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, the Kentucky Cancer Program and the UofL School of Dentistry will be on hand to provide information, screenings and more:

• Education, prevention and survivorship information from the Kentucky Cancer Program: Provided daily at the fair. The Kentucky Cancer Program is a statewide cancer prevention and control program, bringing together local organizations, providers and other partners in planning, implementing and evaluating cancer prevention and control efforts. The KCP staff and volunteers will be on-site providing information and giveaways to fair-goers with the goal of reducing cancer incidence and cancer death in Kentucky.
• Mammogram screenings: Provided daily at the fair. Providers affiliated with the Brown Cancer Center and Kentucky Cancer Program will provide mammograms. All screenings will take place in the privacy of the Horses and Hope Cancer Screening Van. For more than 25 years, the Brown Cancer Center and Kentucky Cancer Program has brought the mobile van to the fair to remove barriers to screening, providing women a key service in early detection. Mammogram screenings will be billed to insurance, so participants should have their health insurance verification and photo identification handy. Yearly mammograms are covered by Medicare and most private insurance providers for women over 40. Special discounted rates are available to those without insurance.
• Head and neck cancer screenings: Provided Saturday, Aug. 19, Sunday, Aug. 20, Tuesday, Aug. 22, Saturday, Aug. 26 and Sunday, Aug. 27. The UofL School of Dentistry and the Kentucky Cancer Program are observing the 25^th anniversary of their collaboration in providing head and neck assessments at the fair. Dental students and faculty have conducted more than 3,800 screenings since the collaboration began. This oral head and neck exam is painless and quick, and open to everyone. Participants wearing dentures will be asked to remove them during the 10-minute exam.
• Prostate cancer screenings: Provided Saturday, Aug. 19-Sunday, Aug. 20. Prostate screenings are recommended for men with average risk starting at age 50. African-American men and anyone with a brother, father or son who had prostate cancer before age 65 should begin getting screened for prostate cancer at age 45. Testing will involve a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test that involves taking a small amount of blood. A digital rectal exam also will be performed in the privacy of the Horses and Hope Cancer Screening Van to feel for any lumps, bumps or other abnormalities. The results of the PSA will be mailed about two weeks after the fair ends. The entire testing process takes approximately 20 minutes.
• Colon cancer screenings: Provided Monday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 27. Colon cancer screenings with FIT kits are available to anyone over 50 who has not had a colonoscopy within the past 10 years or a stool test in the past year. A free take-home kit will be available for men and women 50 and older and to younger participants who are cancer survivors or have a history of cancer in close relatives. The participant will complete stool collection at home and then mail it to UofL Hospital in special packaging provided.
• Cancer resources and Reiki demonstration from the M. Krista Loyd Resource Center at the Brown Cancer Center: Provided Thursday, Aug. 24. The Krista Loyd Center provides a peaceful environment for patients with cancer to learn, relax and heal emotionally. A wealth of support services is available along with cancer education and information. One service provided is the Japanese technique of Reiki for stress reduction and healing promotion. Personnel from the Loyd Center will demonstrate the technique.

UofL STAFF HELP YOU GET HEART-HEALTHY AT THE FAIR

A variety of screenings and information will be provided to help fair-goers lessen their risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke:

• Vascular screenings, including carotid artery screen and ankle brachial index: Provided daily at the fair, Aug. 17-27. A carotid artery screen is ideal for anyone with dizziness, ringing in the ears or anyone with a family history of carotid artery disease. It also is indicated for smokers and people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes or is over the age of 50. The test is administered by a registered technologist and uses ultrasound technology. The ankle brachial index screening is ideal for anyone with leg pain while walking or resting or anyone with a family history of peripheral arterial disease. It also is indicated for smokers and people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or is over the age of 50. This test utilizes blood pressure cuffs to determine the amount of blood flow to your legs.
• Coronary artery disease screenings:Provided Thursday, Aug. 17. This simple blood test is ideal for individuals with a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, heartburn or high cholesterol. This test measures to see if you have blockages in your coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to your heart.
• Hands-only CPR: Provided Thursday, Aug. 17. This award-winning program trains fair-goers to be lifesavers in the event of cardiac arrest. UofL staff will train participants in hands-only cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) which is pushing fast and hard in the center of chest. For every minute’s delay in starting CPR, a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival decrease by 10 percent. Hands-only CPR helps beat those odds.
• Stroke risk assessments and blood pressure screening: Provided Tuesday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 26. The UofL Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center was the first certified stroke center in Kentucky. Staff will provide free stroke risk assessment and blood pressure checks to fair-goers.

A University of Louisville physician and researcher has helped raise the profile of a leading medical journal to an all-time high.

The journal Circulation Research, edited by UofL’s Roberto Bolli, M.D., has achieved its highest-ever “impact factor,” a measure of its importance in the medical field. Circulation Research is an official journal of the American Heart Association and is considered the world’s leading journal on basic and translational research in cardiovascular medicine. Its impact factor, calculated yearly and just announced for 2016, places it among the top 2 percent of medical journals.

Bolli, chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at the UofL School of Medicine and UofL Physicians, took over as editor of the journal in 2009, and has worked to raise the journal’s profile since. He also serves as director of UofL’s Institute of Molecular Cardiology and scientific director of the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute.

The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in other articles and medical literature in a particular year. The more cited a journal is, the more “impact” it has on the community. The impact factor for Circulation Research is 13.96. When Bolli took over as editor-in-chief, it was 9.4. From 2015 to 2016 alone, the impact factor jumped 2 points.

“Just as a major newspaper helps shape public opinion, the journal Circulation Research has an impact on what is considered important,” Bolli said. 

Impact factors are calculated by the Institute for Scientific Information and tracked by the Journal Citation Reports for more than 12,000 journals. Factors range from 0 to more than 10; only 2 percent of journal titles have a 2016 impact factor of 10 or higher.  Approximately two-thirds have a 2016 impact factor equal to or greater than 1. Those with very high impact factors include such notables as The New England Journal of Medicine and Science.

Since becoming editor-in-chief, Bolli and the Circulation Research editorial board have made dozens of changes at the journal to help increase its quality and impact factor.

“That’s a huge jump,” he said. “Four-point-five points in seven years is unprecedented. It’s very hard, as there are an increasing number of medical journals competing for articles.”

Bolli noted that the jump is even more meaningful given that Cardiovascular Research only publishes research into the cardiovascular system, where other journals publish multiple or all areas of medical research. “Our focus is much narrower, yet despite this the impact factor has gone up,” he said.

He said the impact factor of a journal is one of the main elements authors look at when deciding where to submit their best work. A journal’s ability to receive high-quality work for publication depends on how high its impact factor is, he said.

“It is a big deal to have a paper published in Circulation Research, and it is considered a significant achievement,” Bolli said.

The journal is widely read in the field, and its website receives more than 10 million hits per year. It receives approximately 2,000 submissions of articles per year, he said.

Bolli was selected as the journal’s editor-in-chief from more than 40 candidates, all leading scientists from top medical schools around the country. He called his selection an “incredible honor.”

He said that not only was it an honor for him personally, it was notable for the University of Louisville, as having the editor of a leading medical journal housed at the School of Medicine raises its profile internationally.

“I view it as my most important contribution to science, more than anything else I’ve done,” he said. “The journal helps steer the field of cardiovascular research.”

Membership on the journal’s editorial board is also very competitive, and is reserved for the top cardiovascular researchers in the world.  “It is an honor just to be included,” Bolli said.

One of the changes he and the board made was raising the bar for article acceptance. Only 7 percent of articles submitted are now accepted, compared with 16 percent before.

“If we select an article to be published, it is truly novel, methodologically immaculate, and likely to be important for others,” Bolli said.

Another change was an acceleration of the review process, making acceptance of articles more efficient. He said the journal now has the shortest turnaround time in the field. The journal also was opened up to clinical studies involving patients, and has launched more than 20 new article categories.

For Bolli, seeing the journal rise in prominence after years of hard work is meaningful not just for himself, but for the patients that ultimately benefit from research in the field.

Researchers at the University of Louisville have discovered a way to revitalize cone receptors that have deteriorated as a result of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Working with animal models, Henry J. Kaplan, M.D., and a group of researchers in the UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences discovered that replenishing glucose under the retina and transplanting healthy rod stem cells into the retina restore function of the cones.

The research, conducted by Kaplan, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Douglas Dean, Ph.D., and Wei Wang, Ph.D., and published in December in Cell Reports, could lead to therapies for preserving or recovering central vision in patients with RP. Kaplan will present the research findings at five conferences in the United States and abroad beginning this month.

Retinitis Pigmentosa is an inherited disease in which the photoreceptor cells in the retina – rods and cones – deteriorate over time. Photoreceptors absorb and convert light into electrical signals, which are sent through the optic nerve to the brain. Rods, located in the outer regions of the retina, allow peripheral and low-light vision. Cones, located mostly in the central part of the retina, allow perception of color and visual detail.

In RP, rods deteriorate first, causing the peripheral and low light vision loss typically associated with the disease. In later stages, the cones also deteriorate. Without cone function, RP patients lose the high-resolution daylight vision necessary for reading, facial recognition and driving. As a result, this stage of RP vision loss is more debilitating than the loss of nighttime or peripheral vision. RP affects 1 in 4,000 people globally.

Recent research has shown that as the rods deteriorate, the cones are no longer able to access glucose, which becomes trapped in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). As a result of glucose starvation, the cones go dormant and eventually die.

The UofL researchers found that the cones remain dormant for a period of time before they are completely lost, and if the glucose supply can be replenished during dormancy, the cones can be regenerated. The researchers were able to successfully restore cone access to glucose in either of two procedures. First, by transplanting rod-specific induced pluripotent stem cells beneath the retina, and second by injecting glucose directly into the subretinal space.

“Following rod stem cell transplant, we observed reassembly of the cone inner segments, regeneration of cone outer segments and increased electrophysiologic function within 1,000 microns from the transplant margin for at least three months after the transplantation in all directions,” Kaplan said. “However, the recognition that glucose starvation of cones occurred because of the trapping of glucose in the RPE provides multiple new possible treatments to restore lost central vision including drug therapy, gene editing and regenerative medicine.”

Kaplan will present these findings at the 6^th China Ocular Microcirculation Society Annual Meeting - International Ophthalmology Conference, Beijing, China, and the American Society of Retina Specialists, Boston, this month, at the Indiana Academy of Ophthalmology, Carmel, in September, the Retina Society, Boston, in October, and the5th World Integrative Medicine Congress, Guangzhou, China in December.

This research has the potential to lead to therapies that preserve or restore central vision for individuals with RP.

“If therapy can prevent or reverse the onset of cone degeneration within the macula, most patients would be immeasurably helped and able to live a normal life despite the loss of peripheral vision and decreased dark adaptation,” Kaplan said.

This research is supported by grants from the National Eye Institute (RO1 EY026158), Research to Prevent Blindness and KY Research Challenge Trust Fund.

August 15, 2017

A team of emergency nurses from University of Louisville Hospital took first place in a state competition of emergency medical skills.

UofL Hospital beat six other teams from hospitals in the region to take top honors in the “SIM WARS” emergency simulation competition. The competition took place this month at a continuing education conference held by the Kentucky State Council of the Emergency Nurses Association at The Campbell House in Lexington. 

Each team of four emergency nurses was presented with an emergency scenario in which they had to apply their skills to save a patient. The patient was a life-like mannequin programmed to talk and interact with the team, telling them what was wrong and where he was hurt. The mannequin had a heartbeat and was breathing as a person in distress would.

The team made an assessment and treated the mannequin in detail, just as they would a real patient that was brought in by EMS. The competition took place in front of a panel that was in the room, judging their skills and timing.

The team from UofL Hospital included Frankie Parra, Beth Sum, Nate Davison and Bridget Genardi, all BSN. “I have to say I am really proud of these guys,” said Patricia “Trish” Higgins, interim director of emergency services for UofL Hospital. “It meant a lot for them to win.”

The Emergency Nurses Association was formed for nurses in emergency health care to pool resources, set standards and improve emergency nursing, and currently has more than 40,000 members in more than 35 countries. Its mission is to advocate for patient safety and excellence in emergency nursing. The association has chapters in each state, and three chapters in Kentucky.

SIMS WARS was sponsored and judged by Air Evac Lifeteam, an air ambulance company.

Parra, who is the emergency nurse educator at UofL Hospital responsible for training new nurses, said he had attended the conference last year and wanted to return home this year with a win. Parra has been an emergency nurse for seven years, and at the hospital for nine. 

“It’s neat to put our name out there and what we do,” Parra said. “We focus our training on what it would be like in real life.”

He said it takes a special type of person to be an emergency nurse. “You have to be flexible, and handle whatever comes at you,” he said. “It can start as an easy day, but very quickly turn around. It’s all about being ready. You have to be prepared for the worst.”

While he trains new nurses, he said the rest of the team would have been just fine in the competition without him.

“They are very talented,” he said.

Higgins said Parra and the team are part of a younger, up-and-coming generation of emergency nurses.

“This is how we work every day,” said Higgins, who has worked in emergency medicine for 17 years. “There is a lot of teamwork in the emergency department. I’ve worked in a lot of other emergency departments, and I’ve really noticed the teamwork here. The ER nurses here are a special group.”

Sum has been an ER nurse for a year after graduating from college. Parra said that speaks to Sum’s talents. 

“To work at a Level 1 trauma center as a new graduate is quite a challenge and accomplishment,” Parra said. “Those like Beth who do really have what it takes, it’s an elite group of nurses.”

Sum said she loves her job.

“You never know what you are going to get. It’s a lot of variety, but you have to be able to handle the stress.

“It’s a great group of people to work with. Just when you think you’re flooded, there are three people behind you saying, ‘How can I help?’ That’s what makes us different.”

She and Parra said that in the end, it’s all about the patient. 

“We have to be prepared - for them,” Parra said. “They are the motivation for the good work we do here.”

Natalie Spiller, a fourth-year student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, believes patients with mental health disorders need a physician’s empathy, compassion and best medical attention. In her experience, they do not always receive it.

Spiller’s essay on the topic won the Physician-in-Training/Student category in the eighth annual Richard Spear, M.D., Memorial Essay Contest, sponsored by the Greater Louisville Medical Society. This year’s theme was:  “What Drives you Crazy in Health Care?”

In her essay, Spiller calls attention to discrimination shown by health-care professionals toward patients with mental health disorders. Spiller opens her piece by describing a situation in which a woman arrives alone in an emergency room with incoherent speech and disheveled appearance, along with a history of drug abuse and mental illness. While the physician-narrator assumes her symptoms were due to drugs or mental illness, it turns out the woman is suffering from a stroke. The patient dies.

“While our society is making its way to de-stigmatize the diagnosis of mental health disorders, we in the medical community have a long way to go in creating comprehensive medical care for those suffering from ‘invisible illness,’” Spiller wrote.

For the winning essay, published in the July issue of Louisville Medicine, Spiller received a plaque and $750 award at the 2017 GLMS Presidents’ Celebration in May.

The awards are named for Richard Spear, a respected Louisville general surgeon who also served on the faculty of the UofL School of Medicine. When he died in 2007, Spear left GLMS a bequest to fund the annual essay contest. Spear wished to support high quality writing about the practice of medicine.

Photo courtesy GLMS.

August 11, 2017

Benefactors of a fund to support patients at the University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center are sponsoring their fifth annual sand volleyball event to raise money for the fund.

The Mary Jane Gift Quality of Life Fund was established in 2013 by Alex and Tommy Gift in honor of their late mother, who passed away from breast cancer in 2010. The fund helps patients and their families enjoy life while facing a cancer diagnosis. For the past four years, the fund has provided Thanksgiving turkeys for patients at the cancer center.

To benefit the fund, the Gifts are sponsoring the Fifth Annual Spike it to Cancer Sand Volleyball Tournament at Baxter Jack’s sand volleyball complex, 427 Baxter Ave. on Saturday, Aug. 12. Player or spectator admission is $20 per person. The Open Pro division (co-ed quads) play starts at 8 a.m. (check in at 7:30 a.m.). The Fun division (co-ed sixes) play will start at about 2 p.m. (check in at 1:30 p.m.).  

To register a team, purchase admission or make a donation, go to the event’s online link. All registration fees go directly to the fund. Last year’s event raised $13,466 for the fund.

Additionally, Ward 426 on Baxter Ave., directly across the street from Baxter Jack’s, has once again agreed to donate a portion of all food and beverage sales throughout the day to the fund.

“Mary Jane taught us countless lessons throughout the course of her life. Stay Positive. Be thankful. Step away from it all,” Alex Gift said. “The fund can help do this by providing simple gifts to patients that could help improve their quality of life, even if it’s for a short period of time.”

The event has brought in more than $45,000 over five years.

For additional details, contact Lisa Ward at 502-852-2794.

With all the research and effort that has gone into it, why does it seem we still are so far from finding a cure for cancer?

Levi Beverly, Ph.D., a cancer researcher with the UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center, will attempt to answer that question at the next Beer with a Scientist, August 9.

Beverly will provide a brief history of cancer and cancer research and discuss recent breakthroughs in our understanding of cancer research. He also will answer the questions he is asked most frequently about cancer:  "What exactly is cancer?" "Is cancer a ‘new’ disease?" "Why can't we cure cancer?" "Do other animals get cancer?" "Is there a cure for cancer that the government doesn't want us to have?"  "Why do some cancers have such high death rates?"

Beverly, an associate professor at UofL in the Department of Medicine, studies lung cancer and leukemia. He talked on this topic at the first Beer with a Scientist event in 2014. This month’s edition will include a look at the progress cancer researchers have made in the past three years. The talk begins at 8 p.m. on  Wednesday, August 9, at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. in Louisville. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.

Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

In 2014, Beverly created the Beer with a Scientist program as a way to bring science to the public in an informal setting. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises:  beer and science. For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook or email Beverly.

Next Beer with a Scientist:  Sept. 13

August 3, 2017

It may be tempting to take a peek at the August 21 eclipse without eye protection. After all, we are told it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. However, a University of Louisville ophthalmologist says that peek could leave you with a not-so-pleasant, permanent reminder of the event.

“You may have heard that you can do a lot of damage to your eyes when viewing an eclipse, and it’s true,” said Mark Mugavin, M.D., M.P.H., of the UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “During an eclipse, our normal reflexes that protect us from sun damage, such as blinking and pupil constriction, are more relaxed because the sun’s light intensity is significantly reduced.”

During the August 21 total eclipse, the moon will directly block all or part of the sun for up to three hours and will be visible across the United States. The “Path of Totality,” in which the entire sun will be covered, cuts across the southwest corner of Kentucky, but does not include the Louisville area.

"At no point should solar filter glasses be removed when you are looking at the eclipse in Louisville,” said Patrick A. Scott O.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the UofL Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. “Although the sun may appear completely blocked, observers in Louisville will still be exposed to the sun's harmful rays, which can cause damage to the eyelids, ocular surface and internal structures of the eye."

Looking directly into the sun causes a condition known as “solar retinopathy.” The increased UV light exposure creates toxic free radicals that damage the photoreceptors and specialized pigment of the eye. This damage can leave a person with a mild to moderate reduction in vision, as well as central blind spots. Those most at risk for solar retinopathy are younger people, those with an intraocular lens implanted after cataract surgery and patients who are on photosensitive drugs such as tetracycline and amiodarone. Even though the Louisville area will see approximately 96 percent of the sun blocked, the remaining 4 percent can cause damage.

“The UofL Department of Ophthalmology sees approximately 10 cases a year of patients with solar retinopathy from high intensity laser pointers or high intensity sunlight exposure, such as viewing an eclipse,” Mugavin said, adding that he expects more cases this summer from people viewing the eclipse without proper eye protection.

There is no treatment available for solar retinopathy so the best strategy is to avoid it.

To safely view the eclipse, use glasses with special purpose solar filters. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) website reviews the various “eclipse glasses” that are available. Approved glasses should meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard and be manufactured by a U.S. manufacturer.

August 2, 2017

Shayna Hale set her sights on becoming a doctor at age 15, when her father passed away suddenly. However, life threw some obstacles in her path.

Working to support herself, the first-generation graduate didn’t start college until she was 20. Being a single mother to three children added challenges – but also motivation.

“I was uneducated in the resources available to me, and I underestimated my ability to manage studies and work simultaneously,” Hale said. “After succeeding for a year as a single mom working full time, I gained the confidence to pursue my goal once again. I realized that if I kept waiting for the right time, that time would never come. I decided the best thing for me to do for myself and my family was apply for medical school.”

Evan Meiman took a detour on his road to a career in medicine to spend time helping people in need. After graduating from college in 2015, he joined AmeriCorps VISTA, serving at the Rhode Island Free Clinic in Providence as a volunteer coordinator for a full service medical home for uninsured patients.

“When you work for a not-for-profit you wear many hats. I was in charge of the volunteer staff – doctors, interpreters, medical recorders, assistants, nurses,” Meiman said. “I coordinated medical recorders, Spanish interpreters and the medical assistants. It was close to 300 people.”

After a year with AmeriCorps, Meiman worked enrolling patients for clinical trials and research studies at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where he learned valuable lessons about working with people in stressful situations.

“Some would laugh at you and kick you out. Others would sit and talk with you all day long. It was great interacting with people seeing a different side of medicine,” he said. “The two years I was out in the communities with sick and healthy people confirmed it’s exactly what I want to do. It showed me that people aren’t just cells that process sugars, they are human beings that have stories and lives.”

This Sunday, Meiman, Hale and 159 other students will be welcomed as first-year students in the University of Louisville School of Medicine at the school’s White Coat Ceremony.

UofL School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony
Sunday, July 30, 3-5 p.m.
Crowne Plaza
830 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209

In the ceremony, members of the class of 2021 receive a white coat, a gift of the Greater Louisville Medical Society, and a stethoscope, provided by an alumnus of the school through Stethoscopes for Students. The future physicians then recite the Declaration of Geneva, promising to serve humanity and honor the traditions of the medical profession.

“It’s one thing to say you want to go to medical school, but to be given the tools to do it, I am honored. And it is exciting to be on the brink of it,” Meiman said.

Becoming a physician is a long process. Four years of medical school are followed by three or more years of residency training in a medical specialty. Meiman and Hale both have experience in planning for the long run. In his spare time, Meiman is a marathon runner.

“What I like about marathons is it’s so much more about what you put into it before the race. And it’s a great meditation and stress reliever.”

Hale hopes to have a positive impact on as many lives as possible.

“While we all hope to change the world, I will be fulfilled in the ability to change individual lives for the better, giving families more time together and providing a better quality of life.”

The internet has had a significant impact on medical research and practice, allowing researchers to collect data on a much larger scale and conveniently provide certain types of health care. This week, audiologists, specialists in hearing disorders, from around the world will meet in Louisville to discuss benefits and pitfalls of using the internet for research and hearing health care (telehealth) for individuals with hearing impairment.

Jill Preminger, Ph.D., director of the Program in Audiology at UofL, is co-chair of the Third International Meeting on Internet & Audiology, July 27-28 on UofL’s Health Sciences Center campus. It will be the first such meeting outside Europe.

The first two meetings were organized by Swedish researchers, Gerhard Andersson, Ph.D., and Thomas Lunner, Ph.D., in 2014 at Linköping University in Sweden and in 2015 in Denmark. Preminger presented talks at both conferences and was asked to co-chair the first one to be held in the United States. Ariane Laplante-Lévesque, Ph.D., of Eriksholm Research Centre in Denmark and Linköping University in Sweden also is an event co-chair.

“I attended the first meeting because I was beginning to conduct research in which I hoped to develop an internet-based rehabilitation program for adults with hearing loss,” Preminger said. “At the second meeting, Dr. Lunner asked if I would be interested in hosting the next meeting.  They wanted to bring the meeting to the United States in order to open it up to a new audience.”

Research audiologists and engineers, as well as clinical audiologists and student researchers are expected at this year’s event from the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia. Consistent with the event’s focus, five presentations and more than half of the 84 attendees will participate from remote locations via internet connections.

Conference sessions will address four themes:  Barriers and facilitators to telepractice, ethical issues related to internet-based research and services, big data, and methods for research and service delivery.

Elizabeth Buchanan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Ethics at the University of Wisconsin - Stout, will give a keynote address on “Ethical Issues related to internet-based research and service delivery.” Internet-based programs to collect data and to provide clinical service can reach many more individuals, but new programs must consider the ethical issues that may arise. Buchanan will discuss whether it truly is possible to get informed consent for internet-based research or clinical service, and how to protect the privacy of participants and patients in online discussions.

Harvey Dillon, Ph.D., director of the National Acoustics Laboratory in Australia, will deliver a keynote via remote broadcast on the “Potential of Large Scale Data in Hearing Rehabilitation.” With the internet it now is possible to collect “Big Data,” from participants across a country or around the world. Dillon will address concerns about ethical and legal issues related to collecting data across countries as well as exciting possibilities for very large datasets that will allow for better decisions about the effectiveness of treatments across diverse populations.

The conference is sponsored by the Oticon Foundation and through a NIH (NIDCD) Conference Grant. Oticon, Inc. creates hearing aids, cochlear implants, other implantable hearing devices and diagnostic equipment related to audiology.

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About the Audiology program at the University of Louisville

The University of Louisville developed and implemented one of the first Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree programs in the nation. The program has received national attention because of its early inception as well as the medical and business model used as the basis for instruction. Clinically, the program continues to set the community standard in the provision of hearing and balance care services, particularly in the areas of new technologies and pediatric services. The inclusion of the doctoral students in the clinical environment is an integral part of the program. Faculty members continue to be leaders on a national level in the development of the effective classroom and clinical teaching models through involvement in national committees and programs.

Sen. John McCain’s glioblastoma diagnosis is bleak, but not hopeless, said Eyas Hattab, M.D., chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the A.J. Miller Endowed Chair in Pathology at the University of Louisville, because of a recent development known as personalized medicine.

Hattab – who also is the current chair of the College of American Pathologists’ Neuropathology Committee – said  personalized medicine holds the key to the tests that pathologists will be conducting this week and beyond. While glioblastoma tumors appear identical under the microscope, genetics determine a patient’s course of treatment. 

“Personalized medicine today allows for the classification of glioblastomas into two main categories based on their genetic makeup,” Hattab said. “About 90 percent of glioblastomas are ‘bad actors,’ usually with survival periods under one year while the remainder of patients may live for about five years or longer.

Glioblastoma is a tumor that starts in the brain. It affects glial cells, which are glue-like cells that surround neurons. Glioblastoma tumors are especially hard to treat because they aren't contained in a defined mass with clear borders. Instead, the tumor includes thread-like tendrils that extend into nearby areas of the brain, rendering the task of complete surgical resection virtually impossible. Chemo- and radiation therapies present the patient with additional treatment options. 

That is why personalized medicine, with its emphasis on the patient’s tumor genetic makeup and practiced by a pathologist, is important in treating glioblastoma tumors, Hattab said.

“In addition to rendering the diagnosis of glioblastoma, the role of the pathologist is to determine to which genetic group a patient belongs,” he said. “While these tumors appear identical under the microscope, a tumor’s response to therapy and subsequently its clinical behavior differs from one patient to another depending on certain molecular characteristics.

“Through molecular testing, the laboratory is able to predict which tumors will respond better to certain chemotherapeutic and radiation therapies.”

The first cohort of the University of Louisville Health and Social Justice Scholars (HSJS) is ready to begin implementing strategies to improve health equity in the Louisville community.

The four Health Sciences Center students, who began the program last summer, presented project plans to a group of faculty members, program directors and future scholars that include research and action aimed at improving the health of Louisvillians. Each of the students worked with a faculty or community mentor to develop a plan for a project to be completed over the next two years. Their projects focus on improvements in access to fresh food, community trust in health-care providers, dental care for HIV patients and diversity in the health-care work force.

“The diversity of the projects speaks volumes. Although they receive guidance from mentors, this is truly their work, based on their vision for a more equitable Louisville. I can only imagine where these initiatives will lead,” said Katie Leslie, Ph.D., program director in the UofL HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion and director of the Health and Social Justice Scholars program.

The HSJS cohort includes one doctoral student from each of the four schools on the UofL HSC campus:  School of Dentistry, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Public Health and Information Sciences. The students are selected based on their commitment to social justice and health equity to engage in a three-year program designed to help them learn techniques for working interprofessionally and with community members to improve the overall health of local residents. Their projects are to include community-based research conducted along with a faculty mentor and a report prepared for scholarly publication. In addition, they participate in community service projects and attend monthly discussions.

Ashton Green – School of Dentistry                               

Mentor:  Karen Krigger, M.D.

“Improving Access to Dental Care and Resources for Individuals Living with HIV”

Oral signs are often the first indication of larger health problems, and related oral conditions occur in 30 to 80 percent of HIV-infected individuals. Green hopes to improve dental care compliance in this population by developing and testing educational materials that will reinforce the importance of oral health and encourage them to seek and continue dental health care.

Diana Kuo – School of Public Health and Information Sciences

Mentor:  Brandy Kelly Pryor, Ph.D.

“Examining and Addressing the Effects of Food Systems on Health Outcomes in Louisville”

Neighborhoods with limited access to healthy food, known as food deserts, are associated with reduced health among residents. A number of areas in central Louisville have been identified as food deserts. Kuo plans to evaluate whether neighborhood international markets are good sources of fresh food for the community.

Jade Montanez – School of Nursing

Mentor:  Vicki Hines-Martin, Ph.D.

“Confronting Health Disparities Through Post-Secondary Health Sciences Degree Attainment”

Montanez hopes to support an increase in the number of underrepresented minorities in nursing by strengthening a program that prepares junior high and high school students for post-secondary education. She anticipates that a more diverse health-care workforce will benefit not only the students themselves, but also the community through reduced health disparities.

Mallika Sabharwal – School of Medicine

Mentor:  Theo Edmonds, J.D., M.H.A., M.F.A.

“Understanding Medical Mistrust in Smoketown”

Mistrust of the medical community can prevent individuals from receiving care and cloud interactions with health-care providers. Sabharwal plans to survey residents of Smoketown and UofL students and providers to assess mistrust of health professionals. She then will develop tools to improve cultural competency among providers and improve communication between providers and Smoketown residents. She hopes to include a focus group for creative expression by Smoketown residents, providers and students, possibly resulting in a creative project.

In developing the HSJS program, V. Faye Jones, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.P.H., associate vice president for health affairs – diversity initiatives at UofL, hoped to tap into the students’ interests and aptitudes while instructing them in techniques for addressing community issues.

“Our original vision for the program was to educate our students of the complexity of the problems facing our communities,” Jones said. “Each one has found a unique avenue for integrating their passion into a community project to address health disparities. Although each project has a connecting theme of social justice and health equity, the diversity in the approaches ignites excitement for the program.”

New scholars announced

The second cohort of Health and Social Justice Scholars has been selected and will begin matching with mentors and developing their projects this summer.

• Morgan Pearson – School of Dentistry
• Devin McBride – School of Medicine
• Charles (John) Luttrell – School of Nursing
• Tasha Golden – School of Public Health and Information Sciences

Take adorable, furry creatures involved in revolutionary scientific research, add soviet-era politics and intrigue, set them in the often brutal -35° winters of Siberia and you have the makings of an incredible story.

Lyudmila Trut has spent nearly 60 years domesticating silver foxes at her research location in Siberia where she and Dmitri Belyaev set out to recreate the evolution of wolves into dogs in real time. Starting with essentially wild foxes, they selectively bred the animals, which developed dog-like physical characteristics and gentle temperaments in only a decade.

Lee Dugatkin, Ph.D., professor of biology at the University of Louisville, spent time with Trut and the foxes in the dead of winter in 2012 and 2014, gathering information for his new book with Trut, “How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog).” He will tell their story at the next Beer with a Scientist event July 12. A science historian in addition to biologist, Dugatkin will describe how Trut and her mentor risked not just their careers, but to an extent their lives, to achieve scientific history, developing a loving bond with their animal subjects along the way.

“It's one of the most important experiments ever undertaken, and layer on to that the political intrigue and human-animal love stories and how could I not fall in love with this project?” Dugatkin said.

Dugatkin’s talk begins at 8 p.m. onWednesday, July 12, at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. in Louisville. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

Although Dugatkin does not have one of Trut’s domesticated foxes on hand, he will have plenty of photos and intriguing details.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.

Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D., created the Beer with a Scientist program in 2014 as a way to bring science to the public in an informal setting. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises:  beer and science. For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook.

Upcoming Beer with a Scientist dates: 

• Aug. 9
• Sept. 13

Don’t let July 4^th celebrations end in eye injury

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fireworks can be a fun way to celebrate Independence Day, but too often celebrations end with injuries or a trip to the emergency room. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that nearly 12,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in the United States in 2015, and about 2,000 of those were eye injuries. Fireworks can cause eye damage through chemical or thermal burns and injuries to the eyeball, resulting in permanent vision loss.

Sidharth Puri, M.D., a resident physician with the University of Louisville Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, was alarmed by the number of fireworks-related injuries he witnessed during his first weekend in the emergency room. He hopes to prevent injuries this year by making Louisville residents aware of the dangers posed by fireworks.

“These are not benign, safe, colorful toys. They are miniaturized explosions and they have to be treated with care. These injuries are preventable,” Puri said. “If we can reach one child or one family member and prevent a firework from going off too near their face and blinding them, that is our goal – to save at least one person’s vision.”

Puri offers the following safety tips:

• Do NOT let young children play with fireworks of any type, even sparklers.
• Always wear protective eyewear when handling fireworks and ensure that all bystanders are also wearing eye protection.
• Leave the lighting of professional-grade fireworks to trained pyrotechnicians

If an eye injury from fireworks occurs:

• Seek medical attention immediately!
• Do not rub your eyes
• Do not rinse your eyes
• Do not apply pressure
• Do not remove any objects that are stuck in the eye
• Do not apply ointments or take any blood-thinning pain medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen

Download a printable PDF file of the eye safety guide here.

June 15, 2017

Nearly one-fourth of people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the United States are women, with 86 percent of these diagnoses attributable to heterosexual activity. For transgender women in the South, 43 percent received a diagnosis of HIV from 2009-2014.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), safer sex, protective devices and preventive treatments can reduce the spread of HIV. PrEP involves a daily pill, Truvada, which, when combined with safer sex techniques, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission up to 92 percent.

The University of Louisville and Project Compassion are hosting the free Women’s PrEP Summit, June 27, 2017, 5:15 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The goal of the event is to educate women about their risk of HIV and empower them with the knowledge to prevent infection.

“Even one woman contracting HIV in our community is one too many,” said Karen Krigger, M.D., director of health equity in the UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Those at the event will receive information on PrEP, including how to get it and how to pay for it, as well as safer sex instructions and tips for using both female and male condoms. HIV testing and treatment information also will be available. June 27 is designated National HIV Testing Day.

Also available will be education about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and information on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can help prevent infection up to 72 hours after HIV exposure through sexual contact. IV drug users and their partners can obtain information about needle exchange and reducing risks from sharing needles.

Individuals at risk of getting HIV include:

• Anyone who does not know if their partner has HIV or is being faithful
• Anyone who has a partner with HIV
• Anyone who uses IV drugs or their partner uses IV drugs
• Anyone with multiple sexual partners

Women’s PrEP Summit:

June 27, 2017, 5:15 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3640 River Park Dr., Louisville, KY 40211

The FREE event includes dinner and childcare with registration. Transportation may be available with early registration. All participants will be eligible for door prizes and giveaways.

Space is limited. Register at UofL.me/womenprep or call 502-852-7181.

This event is sponsored by Project Compassion, Redeemer Lutheran Church, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion, UofL HSC students, Volunteers of America, Kentucky AIDS Alliance, Louisville Metro Department of Health and Wellness, UofL LGBT Center, UofL School of Nursing and School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and other supporters. 

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More about HIV prevention

The United States is making headway in the fight against HIV infection and AIDS. The number of annual diagnoses declined 19 percent from 2005-2014, but more than 1.2 million people in the nation are living with HIV. Individuals should be aware of steps they can take to protect themselves and others from infection.

• Get tested for HIV as recommended by the U.S. Preventative Task Force.
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) involves a daily pill, Truvada, which, when combined with “safer sex” techniques, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission up to 92 percent.
• Condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV when used consistently and correctly.
• Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may be an option within 72 hours of exposure to HIV during sex.
• Antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces the likelihood that a person infected with HIV will transmit it to someone else.

Wouldn’t life be great if we could just play all the time?

Of course, few of us can simply abandon our work, but there are ways to take the drudgery out of day-to-day life and bring our focus on the brighter side. At this month’s Beer with a Scientist, Jacquelyn Graven, Psy.D., of Graven and Assoc., along with two of her colleagues, Aaron Levinsky, Psy.D., and David Charles, Ph.D., will offer research-based tips for keeping life under control, reducing stress and allowing for a more relaxed day.

Graven and Associates is a private group practice that provides psychological and neuropsychological testing, therapy and treatment of psychological issues for people of all ages. The trio of licensed psychologists say it is possible to keep the play in your life through time management, prioritizing, balance and self care.

“A lot of people today work so darn much and they don’t take breaks. They don’t stop and manage their time very well,” Graven said. “That leads to burnout, depression and anxiety. Our talk is about managing your schedule and learning what to let go of. Research shows that reducing stress leads to greater efficiency, productivity, overall health and life happiness.”

Graven says one way to start is by controlling stress in your morning.

“Don’t just hit the floor and start running or your whole day will be pressure, pressure, pressure,” she said. “Give yourself time, whether you go to the gym or read a book or sit on your deck with a cup of coffee. Setting that pace in the morning will determine how you handle your day.”

Graven, Levinsky and Charles will elaborate on these and other ways to turn work into play beginning at 8 p.m. onWednesday, June 14, at Against the Grain Brewery, 401 E. Main St. in Louisville. A 30-minute presentation will be followed by an informal Q&A session.

Admission is free. Purchase of beer, other beverages or menu items is not required but is encouraged.

Organizers add that they also encourage Beer with a Scientist patrons to drink responsibly.

UofL cancer researcher Levi Beverly, Ph.D., created the Beer with a Scientist program in 2014 as a way to bring science to the public in an informal setting. Once a month, the public is invited to enjoy exactly what the title promises:  beer and science. For more information and to suggest future Beer with a Scientist topics, follow Louisville Underground Science on Facebook. Upcoming dates: 

• July 12 – Lee Dugatkin of UofL – How to tame a fox and build a dog

Jason Chesney, M.D., Ph.D., acting director of the University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center, was study investigator on the Phase 2 ‘264 study that demonstrated Imlygic^® (talimogene laherparepvec) in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor Yervoy^® (ipilimumab) more than doubled objective response rate, defined as the proportion of patients with tumor size reduction, compared to Yervoy alone in patients with unresectable stage IIIB-IV melanoma. The results were presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 3.

The analysis showed that 38.8 percent of patients treated with Imlygic plus Yervoy achieved an objective response versus 18 percent of patients treated with Yervoy alone. Patients in the combination arm also experienced nearly double the complete response rate compared to Yervoy alone (13.3 percent versus 7 percent).  It was the first randomized study to evaluate the combination of Imlygic, an oncolytic viral therapy, with a checkpoint inhibitor.

“The results from this study demonstrate the potential of combining the complementary mechanisms of action of an oncolytic viral immunotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor to enhance anti-tumor effect in patients with advanced melanoma,” one of the most difficult-to-treat types of cancer, said Chesney, who also serves as chief of the Division of Medical Oncology in UofL’s Department of Medicine.

Responses in the study were not limited to injected lesions. Among patients with visceral disease treated with IMLYGIC plus YERVOY, 35 percent had a reduction in size of visceral lesions by at least 50 percent. The rate was 14 percent in patients in the YERVOY arm.

The ‘264 study is a Phase 1b/2, multicenter, open-label trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of IMLYGIC in combination with YERVOY compared to YERVOY alone in patients with unresectable stage IIIB-IV melanoma. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2 portion of study is ORR. Secondary endpoints include duration of response, disease control rate, PFS, OS and safety. The study randomized 198 patients, 98 in the IMLYGIC plus YERVOY arm and 100 in the YERVOY arm.

Patients in the IMLYGIC plus YERVOY arm experienced a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 8.2 months (median follow-up at 68 weeks) versus 6.4 months in the YERVOY arm. While the effect was not statistically significant, the PFS analysis was not event-driven and is still ongoing, with only approximately 50 percent of PFS events reported at this time.

IMLYGIC is designed to rupture cancer cells causing the release of tumor-derived antigens, which along with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), may help to initiate an anti-tumor immune response. However, the exact mechanism of action is unknown. This may be complementary to YERVOY’s mechanism of action, as the blockade of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 has been shown to augment activation and proliferation of tumor infiltrating T-effector cells.

For more details, including safety information,  visit the Imlygic website.