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Blogs

Education Community Students Match Day

CU Medical Students Discover Their Residency Locations at Match Day Ceremony

The lives of more than 150 fourth-year students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine changed in an instant on a snowy Friday morning. They joined thousands of medical students across the U.S. in opening envelopes to find out where they will go for the next step in their medical training.

Community    Students

Coco Wham Honored With National Outstanding Medical Student Award From American College of Emergency Physicians and Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association

While many of the seniors in her high school class were thinking about graduation and final exams and what they were going to do during the summer before they went to college, Coco Wham was finishing her certification to become an EMT.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 18, 2024
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Education    Community    Students    Match Day

CU Medical Students Discover Their Residency Locations at Match Day Ceremony

The lives of more than 150 fourth-year students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine changed in an instant on a snowy Friday morning. They joined thousands of medical students across the U.S. in opening envelopes to find out where they will go for the next step in their medical training.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 15, 2024
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Research    Patient Care    Neuroscience   

Lab Probes Aphasia, a Language Disorder That Struck Bruce Willis, Wendy Williams

A language disorder with an unusual name – aphasia – entered the popular lexicon two years ago after actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with a type of the disease that gradually robs a person’s ability to communicate. The illness popped into the headlines again when Wendy Williams, host of the talk show “Wendy,” was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date March 15, 2024
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Research    Education    Community    Health Sciences

Young Researchers Serve Up Science on STEM Poster Day at the Colorado Capitol

Nearly 50 young scientists gathered in the resplendent halls of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on March 13, standing next to colorful posters illustrating their research work, chatting with curious passersby.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date March 14, 2024
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

New Findings Indicate Metabolic Dysfunction as a Driver of Immune Cell Attack to Brain Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are part of an international team that has discovered a molecular signature that plays a pivotal role in sustaining the activation of immune cells in chronic neurological diseases, including progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date March 14, 2024
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Patient Care    Diabetes    Cooking and Nutrition

The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not So Simple

Sugar is the new fat, and according to Bonnie Jortberg, PhD, RD, CDCES, it’s widely misunderstood. As a top expert in diabetes lifestyle management, Jortberg is baffled by the number of times a newly diagnosed patient tells her emphatically: But I don’t even eat sugar.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date March 12, 2024
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Research    Patient Care    Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

At the Forefront: Driving Breakthroughs in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, affects several million people worldwide, with Colorado claiming one of the highest rates in the country. About one in 360 people in our state has MS, and women with the disease outnumber men by about three to one. Most often diagnosed between the ages 20 to 40, MS generally strikes patients during the prime of life.


Author Staff | Publish Date March 11, 2024
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Neuroscience   

Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Collaborative Community (iBCI-CC) to Drive Innovation in Neurotechnology

Mass General Brigham is establishing the Implantable Brain-Computer Interface Collaborative Community (iBCI-CC). This is the first Collaborative Community in the clinical neurosciences that has participation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is proud to join this novel collaborative community and is represented by Cristin Welle, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the School of Medicine and a member of the Reeve Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date March 11, 2024
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Education    Community    Students

CU School of Medicine Match Day 2024

Match Day is the culmination of many years of commitment, hard work, and sacrifice for medical students as they learn where they will go for their residency after graduation. This day marks a significant phase of their journey to becoming future physicians.


Author School of Medicine | Publish Date March 11, 2024
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Education    Community    Students

Becoming the Best Surgeon for Soldiers and Their Families

Compared to his classmates, Match Day holds little stress for fourth-year medical student and Navy Ensign Anthony Smyth.

Smyth has been able to “ski guilt free” since December, when he participated in Military Match and learned he matched for his residency in orthopedics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his first-choice program.


Author Evanne Montoya Seelig | Publish Date March 08, 2024
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Community    Climate Health

CU Climate & Health Program Hosts Symposium

Speakers at the CU Climate & Health Program’s symposium called for stronger local partnerships to address adverse health impacts.


Author Mark Couch | Publish Date March 07, 2024
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Education    Community    Students

A Student’s Promise to Support Diversity in Health Care

Folake Adegboye didn’t always dream of becoming a doctor. Even after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kennesaw State University in 2014, it took several years before she decided to pursue medical school. It was after she volunteered for a year at a children’s hospital and worked as a scribe in an emergency department in Atlanta that she began picturing a future in a white coat.


Author Rachael Fischer | Publish Date March 06, 2024
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Research    Awards   

Research Awards Ceremony Celebrates Scientific Contributions

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus hosted its third annual Research Awards ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of the campus research community. More than 100 people gathered on Feb. 27 to cheer on their colleagues, who were recognized in 10 award categories.  


Author Megan Lane | Publish Date March 05, 2024
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Education    Community    Students

Service Is a Lifelong Mission For a Military-Member Med Student

Austin Almand’s life experience has been much different from that of many of his University of Colorado School of Medicine classmates: Nine years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force, including special-operations deployments to combat zones across the globe. A master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Working at a remote clinic in India. Helping NASA assess the medical challenges of deep-space travel. Teaching battlefield-trauma skills to Ukrainian forces.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date March 04, 2024
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Education    Community

At the Intersection of Research and Advocacy

For Thy Nguyen, becoming a doctor wasn’t initially part of the plan. However, experience after experience kept nudging her toward the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a life dedicated to helping others through health care.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date March 01, 2024
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Research    Patient Care    Neuroscience   

Acting Out Dreams Can Signal a Serious Disorder

Dreams are excursions of our central nervous system, unfolding when the body is at rest, but our brains are in thrall to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. For people with a rare condition, their whole body acts out the dream, sometimes to the point where they leave their bed or even their room.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date February 29, 2024
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Community    Alumni    Publications    Cooking and Nutrition   

CU School of Medicine Faculty Member Oversees New Nutrition Article Series

Nancy Krebs, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has worked for decades to emphasize the importance of nutrition to overall health and to medical practice, including incorporating nutrition into the curriculum for CU medical students and residents.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 28, 2024
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Community    Neuroscience

A Look Inside Brain-Computer Interfaces and the Potential of Neuralink

Elon Musk is a known figure in the world of electric cars, space exploration, and most recently, social media. Now, the entrepreneur is pushing boundaries in a new way with brain-computer interfaces (BCI). His company, Neuralink, recently announced the completion of their first brain chip implant in a human patient. Questions of risks, opportunities, and ethics have grown around this newest endeavor.


Author Mara Kalinoski | Publish Date February 26, 2024
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Heart    Transplant Center    Transplant Surgery    Cardiology    Heart Transplant

‘I Am Their Top Priority’: A High-Quality Heart-Transplant Team Sets a New Record

Tim Daly doesn’t mince words when he talks about the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus team that gave him a new heart: “I’m pretty fortunate that I ended up here with these people. They made me a winner.”


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 26, 2024
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Patient Care    Community    Pediatrics   

Addressing Health Inequities in the Black Community

In the Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado School of MedicineKamal Henderson, MD, is working to understand why marginalized communities shoulder a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 21, 2024
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Research    Clinical Research    Cardiology

CU Anschutz Set to Launch Gene Therapy Trials for Heart Disorder

It started in the early 1990s as a registry of patients with a heart condition. Today, data from more than 2,000 families with dilated cardiomyopathy is informing the next generation of therapies for this serious disease.

Together, cardiologist Luisa Mestroni, MD, and geneticist Matthew Taylor, MD, PhD, both professors in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, have helped thousands of patients in the clinic. They’ve also studied many of the over 50 genes associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In the following Q&A, they explain their research and the gene therapy clinical trials that will be launching on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus during the first half of 2024.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date February 20, 2024
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Research    Orthopedics    Pediatrics

More Intense Exercise Reduces Post-Concussion Anxiety in Teens, Study Finds

Returning to moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) after a concussion may play a vital role in helping teens feel less anxious while recovering from the injury, according to a new study from researchers in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date February 20, 2024
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Medicine    Climate Science    Veteran and Military Health    COMBAT

CU Emergency Medicine Researchers Work Toward Arctic Medicine Solutions

The constant change in climate and increasing need for medical personnel on military battlefields across the globe opens opportunity for new research on medical care in extreme temperatures. Research collaborators working with the University of Colorado Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research are helping to improve the future of combat care with revolutionary research on arctic medicine.


Author Mara Kalinoski | Publish Date February 16, 2024
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Research    Drug Development    Quantum

Quantum Leap: CU Anschutz Set to Pioneer Advancements in Medicine

Although a search for “quantum” in the popular media turns up mostly references to a revived TV series (“Quantum Leap”) and a recent superhero film (“Quantumania”), in the science world, the actual technology is creating quite the buzz.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date February 15, 2024
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Mental Health   

How Six Hours a Week Can Build a Healthy, Loving Relationship

Mandy Doria, MS, LPC, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says therapy is not just for ironing out the bad wrinkles in relationships.


Author Kelsea Pieters | Publish Date February 13, 2024
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Honors    Quality and Clinical Effectiveness    Clinical

Champions For Their Patients: 21 Inducted Into CU Department of Medicine’s New Clinical Excellence Society

One by one, amid smiles and applause from peers and families, 21 members of the University of Colorado Department of Medicine’s clinical faculty took to the stage, donned crisp white lab coats adorned with special insignia, hoisted trophies, and heard words of praise from grateful patients and admiring colleagues. 


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 09, 2024
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Research   

CU Department of Medicine Doctor Trials Health App for Postpartum Women at Increased Cardiometabolic Risk

Recently published research by Jacinda Nicklas, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, may provide a new way to help women lose weight after pregnancy by using a lifestyle intervention app.


Author Rachael Fischer | Publish Date February 08, 2024
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Mental Health   

Online Dating: How to Make a Search for Love Work for You

Swipe right and you might find the love of your life. At least that’s what dating apps would have you believe. However, as many have discovered, online dating is far more complicated than a simple swipe, and its impacts on our mental health can outnumber all those fish in the sea.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date February 08, 2024
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Research    Community    Hospital Medicine    Homelessness

Homelessness Widespread Among Hospital Patients, Says Study by CU School of Medicine Faculty Members

Three out of 10 hospitalized patients surveyed at two major Colorado hospitals said they were experiencing homelessness or some other form of housing insecurity. The rate of homelessness among hospital patients was found to be more than 20 times higher than that of the general metro Denver population, according to a new study by a University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty member and her colleagues.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 08, 2024
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Research    Cancer    Clinical Trials

‘We’re All In This Together’: CU Cancer Center Leaders Share Insights With Colorado Legislators

A dozen Colorado state senators and representatives gathered on February 6 for a briefing by leaders of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, who gave the lawmakers an overview of the threat posed by cancer, the center’s successes, and the importance of clinical trials in cancer treatment.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date February 07, 2024
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Press Releases    Education    Community   

Geoffrey Connors, MD, Named Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education

Geoffrey Connors, MD, has been named associate dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Designated Institutional Official at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, effective May 15.


Author Mark Couch | Publish Date February 07, 2024
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Toby Keith Dies After Stomach Cancer Battle—These Are the Symptoms to Know

We lost several beloved celebrities in 2023—and while we're barely two months into 2024, this year is shaping up to be another heartbreaker. 


Author Best Life | Publish Date February 06, 2024
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Vaccinations    Advocacy    Pediatrics   

Researchers Say Media Focus on Vaccine Hesitancy Distorts Reality

Media stories focusing on vaccine hesitancy can distort reality and drive a false narrative that a large percentage of parents are refusing to get their children vaccinated, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine by two pediatricians from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.


Author David Kelly | Publish Date February 06, 2024
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Patient Care    Awareness    Diabetic retinopathy

Ocular Health: A Window Into the Heart

What’s good for the heart is generally good for ocular health.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date February 06, 2024
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Community    Mental Health   

Sports Betting: How to Know If You've Crossed the Line

You don’t have to be a passionate sports fan or a fanatic gambler to know that sports betting is booming.

This year’s Super Bowl, second in viewership only to FIFA World Cup soccer, is estimated to generate $1.3 billion in bets in the U.S. alone, breaking its previous record for money wagered on a single live sporting event in the United States. More than 50 million people placed bets on last year’s Super Bowl, another record expected to be shattered by bettors on the Taylor Swift-ified clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.


Author Kristen O'Neill | Publish Date February 05, 2024
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Research    Alzheimer's   

Alzheimer’s Study Finds Potential Immune System Link, Mostly in Women

When immune systems go awry, they can wreak havoc, triggering everything from diabetes to – scientists now believe – Alzheimer’s disease (AD). But immune systems are supposed to protect, not injure, the body. So what if scientists could pinpoint a window before things go amiss and harness the defense system in a way that curbs or prevents AD from taking hold?


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date February 05, 2024
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Mental Health   

From Serial Killers to Cult Profiles: Why Do We Love True Crime?

Each week, millions of Americans close their blinds, pour a beverage and snuggle under their favorite blankie to binge the latest true crime docuseries and podcasts.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date February 02, 2024
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Press Releases   

Voting for U.S. News & World Report Hospitals Ranking

The University of Colorado School of Medicine is proud of our faculty's work that contributes to UCHealth's annual rankings on the U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals. These rankings are important as many students, residents, faculty, and patients consider these rankings when deciding where to train, practice and receive care.


Author School of Medicine | Publish Date February 01, 2024
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Press Releases    Blood

CU Anschutz Researchers Identify New Biomarker in Quality of Blood Donations

A collaborative cohort of researchers, led by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Professor Angelo D’Alessandro, PhD, has identified kynurenine as a critical new biomarker in the quality of stored red blood cells (RBCs), a crucial step in the development of more personalized transfusions. Study results were published today in the journal Blood


Author Kelsea Pieters | Publish Date January 31, 2024
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Research    Patient Care    Gynecologic Cancer    Ovarian Cancer   

CRISPR Study Lays Groundwork for Overcoming Ovarian Cancer

A team of researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has gained attention for its work on rethinking ovarian cancer disease progression and treatment. Equipped with highly advanced technology, they are making inroads in rendering the most lethal cancer of the female reproductive system less deadly.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date January 29, 2024
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Fitness and Well-Being

From Pickleball to Smart Watches: Easy Tips to Move More

Even though it comes with such coveted benefits as better sleep, sharper minds and stronger bodies, convincing people to move has been the bane of public health workers for decades. Things like desk jobs, drive-throughs, long commutes and remote-controlled everything sabotage their efforts, as Americans continue to fall short of exercise guidelines.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date January 26, 2024
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Research    Neuroscience   

CU Anschutz Lab Works to Restore Paralyzed Patients’ Senses

Connecting a machine to the human brain to help a person move and feel sounds like science fiction. But the work of Daniel Kramer, MD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is in fact helping paralyzed people restore motor and sensory function.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date January 23, 2024
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Press Releases   

Can Menopause Be Delayed Indefinitely?

At birth, ovaries in girls can contain about a million tiny structures called primordial follicles, each of which contains an egg cell. As girls grow and experience adulthood, most of these follicles will die while only one follicle will survive each month to ovulate a mature egg. When the loss of primordial follicles is nearly complete, and only hundreds remain, women reach menopause, a time when menstrual cycles have ceased for 12 months.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date January 23, 2024
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Research

CU School of Medicine Researcher Sniffs Out Olfactory Differences in Autism

Recently published research by Nathan Schoppa, PhD, a professor of physiology and biophysics in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, may point the way to new treatments for autism spectrum disorders. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 23, 2024
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Community   

Can the ‘Dopamine Detox’ Trend Break a Digital Addiction?

No podcasts, videos or Netflix. No junk food, gambling or porn. Video gaming? No way. Instagram? Forget it. Music? Nope. Lock up your phone and hide your earbuds. It’s dopamine detox time, and it’s going to change your life.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date January 20, 2024
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Research    Community    Pediatric surgery    Cervical Cancer   

CU Doctor Works to Increase HPV Vaccine Uptake to Prevent Cervical Cancer 

A vaccine that prevents all cancer may still be decades away from becoming a reality, but for cervical cancer and several other types of cancer, a vaccine already exists that drastically reduces the risk of getting the disease. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 17, 2024
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Research    Community    Mental Health    Cannabis

Studying the Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Psychosis in Young Adults 

As director of the Program for Early Assessment, Care, and Study (PEACS), a University of Colorado Department of Psychiatry clinic that focuses on young people at risk of psychotic disorders, Michelle West, PhD, has seen the effects — good and bad — that cannabis can have on teens and adolescents who are showing signs of psychosis, a condition defined as “a cluster of symptoms that involve difficulties knowing what is real and what is not real.” 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 15, 2024
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Research    Innovation   

Anschutz Acceleration Initiative Awardees Announced

Nine projects chosen for their promise to deliver life-changing advancements in medicine within the next three to five years were announced as the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI) winners on Jan. 10, marking the end of a selection process that began with 165 letters of intent and 56 full proposals.


Author Staff | Publish Date January 15, 2024
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Patient Care    Mental Health   

What to Do If Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution Becomes an Addiction

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions involves starting or getting back into an exercise program. The usual marketing and social media focus on “getting fit in the new year” can also have unintended negative impacts on those who already struggle with an often-ignored mental health issue called compulsive exercise (sometimes referred to as exercise addiction).


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date January 12, 2024
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Patient Care    Community    Mental Health    Pediatrics    Firearm Injury Prevention    Gun Violence Prevention

CU Psychiatry Researchers Develop Framework to Aid Pediatricians Addressing Trauma from Mass Shootings

Most pediatricians don’t provide direct care for a physical injury following a mass shooting, but they often see the effects of those traumatic events land in their office.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date January 12, 2024
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Research    Mental Health    Clinical Research   

Can Sperm Carry Stress Signals to the Next Generation?

At the fall Block Party, when the center of campus erupted into a mass of people, booths and food trucks, some partygoers might have noticed an unusual guest milling around. An oversized sperm, waving and weaving through the lines of people, turned more than a few heads at the annual event.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date January 10, 2024
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Research    Patient Care    Education    Community   

‘No Longer the Best-Kept Secret’: CU School of Medicine Dean Talks of Growth, Progress, Challenges

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD, dean of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, offered an upbeat overview of the school’s achievements through the last year in his annual State of the School address on January 10. He charted a promising path toward future progress, while also detailing challenges ahead.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date January 10, 2024
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Patient Care    Community    Awareness

How to Prioritize Preventative Health Care This Year

The beginning of the year often elevates health-focused resolutions, but one of the most beneficial goals may be one that keeps eluding your calendar: an annual check-up.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date January 04, 2024
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Research    Addiction    alcohol

Take the ‘Dry January’ Challenge. Here’s How and Why

The “Dry January” trend started more than decade ago, encouraging people who may have indulged in too many libations over the holiday season to kick off the new year by taking a break from alcohol – or at least cutting back. The number of pledgers has steadily risen since the challenge began in 2013, spreading to other countries and inspiring drinkers from around the world to rethink the social habit for at least one month.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date January 04, 2024
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Research    Public Health   

Rep. Crow Impressed by ‘Breadth and Depth’ of Global Health Work at CU Anschutz

At a roundtable discussion on global health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus faculty briefed U.S. Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) on the many ways CU Anschutz is transforming trauma care in austere settings and training the next generation of healthcare providers in developing nations worldwide.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date December 21, 2023
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Research    Community    Public Health   

2023 State of Research Address Highlights Growth, Innovation, Partnerships

Record funding, a growing workforce and new collaborations were among the highlights of the Dec. 12 annual State of Research address. Presented live over Zoom, Vice Chancellor for Research Thomas Flaig, MD, shared the 2023 research landscape and the many ways his office is partnering with investigators to advance scientific discovery.


Author Staff | Publish Date December 19, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Public Health   

CU Anschutz Top Stories of 2023

In 2023, top health scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus produced life-changing discoveries that buoyed understanding of some of the most complex questions in medicine today.

From what drives obesity and cognitive decline with aging, to how homeless and methamphetamine policies affect public health, campus researchers spend their lives seeking the answers to the questions that matter.


Author Staff | Publish Date December 18, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Education    Community    Students

CU School of Medicine Top Stories of 2023

The University of Colorado School of Medicine had another newsworthy year! Our communications team shared more than 110 stories that highlighted our incredible faculty, researchers, staff, trainees, and students.


Author School of Medicine | Publish Date December 15, 2023
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Patient Care    Community   

March of Dimes Gives Colorado a ‘C’ Grade on Preterm Birth Rate

A new “report card” on maternal and infant health from the March of Dimes gives Colorado a “C” grade for its rate of preterm births. And while that’s a slightly higher mark than the “D+” grade the national nonprofit group gives to the nation as a whole, the Colorado report is studded with concerning data points about the state.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 14, 2023
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Patient Care    Sarcoma    Cancer

Trusting the Patient: A CU Department of Medicine Leader’s Transformational Encounter

It was a quarter-century ago, but Mark Earnest, MD, PhD, still vividly recalls an “odd request” from a patient.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 14, 2023
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Community   

‘We Are All Artists’ Exhibit Features Work By CU Anschutz Campus Artists 

The hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties of health care workers across Colorado, including the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, are now on display in the lobby of Children’s Hospital Colorado


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 13, 2023
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Research    Education    Community   

Science Communicators Strategize How to Demystify Science

Scientists are notorious for using big words and heavy jargon when speaking about their research, a habit that can alienate people or lead to misunderstanding. By simplifying their words and enhancing their storytelling, researchers can play a big role in reducing the spread of disinformation and feeding a growing hunger for science.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date December 11, 2023
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Research    COVID-19    Vaccine

Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Change Parents’ Attitudes About Vaccines? 

COVID-19 vaccines for children received a good deal of scrutiny when they first became available in 2021. Chatter online and elsewhere indicated that parents were becoming less likely to vaccinate their children due to growing misinformation around the COVID-19 vaccines. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 06, 2023
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Patient Care    COVID-19    Clinical Research   

Paxlovid to the Rescue? What to Know About the COVID-19 Drug

As the holiday and peak respiratory seasons collide, and COVID-19 cases continue a steady, weeks-long climb, doctors want high-risk people to remember: Should COVID catch them in the coming days, one call to the doctor could save Christmas – or more.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date December 05, 2023
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Patient Care    Cardiology

Top 10 Ways to Keep High Blood Pressure at Bay

Like your home’s plumbing system, if a “pipe” clogs or corrodes and bursts within your vascular system, it can create a destructive mess, even leading to an all-systems failure if not addressed. Constant, high-pressure flow weakens arteries, and can knock corrosive plaque loose, creating a dangerous barrier. The best way to prevent a blowout? Take care of your house.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date December 04, 2023
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Research    Autoimmune disease   

Why Jack Frost May Spoil Winter Plans for Some With Autoimmune Diseases

Most Coloradans look at winter as a time of excitement when the high country turns into our own winter wonderland with the opportunity to create lifelong memories. But for many who live with autoimmune diseases, the colder months may mean more pain, fatigue and unexpected disease flares that hamper the excitement of the snow and the holiday season.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date December 04, 2023
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Patient Care    Brain and Spinal Cancer    Oncology    Radiation

Brain Cancer Patient Recruits the CU Cancer Center for the Fight of His Life

Alex Cooper relishes a challenge. Armed with a New Yorker’s moxie, an entrepreneur’s savvy, and an athlete’s determination, he has launched startups, has competed in Ironman triathlons, and offers motivational messages in blogs, videos, and social media posts as the “Iron CEO.”


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date December 04, 2023
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COVID-19    CCTSI

Lieutenant Governor Visit Puts Long COVID in the Spotlight

Everyone might be tired of hearing about COVID-19, but the fact is that Colorado’s long COVID clinics can’t meet the demand. Up to 500,000 Coloradans continue to experience long-term symptoms after COVID, or so-called long COVID. To address this issue, a group of health care providers, researchers and patient advocates came together for a roundtable discussion on long COVID care on Nov. 29 with Colorado’s Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera.


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date December 01, 2023
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Community

Embrace Giving This Holiday Season 

Between an uptick in social obligations, dealing with family tensions, and the pressure to have a Hallmark-worthy season of joy, the holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 01, 2023
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Education    Community    Cancer    Student and Alumni

CU Medical Student Honors ‘1999’ Skier Robb Gaffney on Skis and in Medicine

In 1995, Robb Gaffney left behind the life of a full-time dirtbag skier to attend the University of Colorado School of Medicine — or that’s how his brother Scott Gaffney puts it in “1999,” a ski film turned cult classic that Scott recorded on 16mm film as a tribute to one of the best winters in ski history. 


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date November 29, 2023
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Patient Care    Diabetes    Clinical Research   

Call for Type 1 Diabetes Screening Gains Momentum

With the largest universal screening programs in the country, researchers at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC) have known for years that testing all children for type 1 diabetes (T1D) could prevent the heartbreak and life-threatening complications that late-stage diagnosis can cause. Yet, until recently, they have often felt alone in their educational efforts.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date November 22, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Education    Community   

State of the Campus 2023: At the Forefront

Chancellor Don Elliman delivered his annual State of the Campus Address on Nov. 16 to nearly 750 community members online and in-person, highlighting the campus’s strong stance at the forefront of innovation in health and medicine.


Author Staff | Publish Date November 17, 2023
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Clinical Research    Autoimmune disease   

Study Finds Incidence of Celiac Disease Higher Than Experts Thought

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine when gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, is ingested. According to a recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, the worldwide incidence rate among children is “extremely high,” but varies by region.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date November 17, 2023
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Research    Plastic Surgery    Retina

What’s the Future of Eye Transplantation?

Doctors in New York this month announced the world’s first successful whole-eye and partial face transplant, a feat Kia Washington, MD, professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, says sets the stage for further advancement in the field and shows promise that patients may one day regain vision after an eye transplant.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date November 16, 2023
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Skin Cancer    Dermatology    skin damage

Have Fun in the Snow, But Remember: You’ve Got Skin in the Game

Colorado is a winter playground, whether your passion is skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or just throwing snowballs. But the bright sun that helps make winter sports in the Rockies so delightful also poses a threat to your skin.


Author Mark Harden | Publish Date November 16, 2023
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Research   

Down Syndrome Associated With Serious Respiratory Complications

People with Down syndrome are more likely than the general population to develop serious respiratory infections. Often, symptoms are so severe that patients require hospitalization. As respiratory season moves in, researchers on campus are working to understand what unique genetic factors may contribute to this problem.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date November 09, 2023
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Clearing the Minds of Champions: This Nuggets’ ‘Coach’ Keeps Team Focused

Supporting professional teams from the outside, fans fixate on the black-and-white peaks and valleys they watch from the sofa or the stands – the big wins and triumphant seasons along with the painful losses and agonizing rebuilds. Sometimes, as in the case of last year’s Denver Nuggets and the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche, their team delivers pure ecstasy – a long-awaited championship.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date November 06, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Lung Cancer    Clinical Trials

After Lung Cancer Clinical Trial, Betty and Bill Moren Give Back as Patient Advocates for Thoracic Oncology Research Group

A clinical trial for lung cancer at the University of Colorado Cancer Center saved Betty Moren’s life. Now Betty and her husband, Bill, are giving back, sharing their cancer journey and clinical trial experiences as patient advocates at the cancer center’s Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative (TORI), which brings together investigators from multiple departments and centers across the CU Anschutz Medical Campus to advance lung cancer research. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 02, 2023
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Community    Transplant Surgery

Surgery Fellow’s Book Series Helps Children Understand Their Care 

Maria Baimas-George, MD, MPH, first noticed it early in her residency — doctors, and surgeons in particular, aren’t always the best at explaining complex medical issues to young patients. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 30, 2023
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Heading to the High Country This Winter? Take a Breather and Read This First

Altitude sickness can quickly turn adventures in Colorado’s high country into misadventures, especially for out-of-staters who flock to the state each year to ski. Last year, Colorado Ski Country reported a record number of 14.8 million visits to the state’s 27 lift-served ski areas, and that doesn’t include the backcountry. Those numbers are expected to grow even more this season.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date October 23, 2023
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Neuroscience

Research Shows New Documentation Tool Could Help Optimize Seizure Treatments in Patients with Epilepsy

New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studies a new tool that will help medical providers identify patients who are failing epilepsy treatments earlier in order to change treatment to rapidly optimize positive outcomes.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date October 20, 2023
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Research    Patient Care   

Bioengineer Advances Lab-Grown Tissue as Way to Repair Heart

While the incubator was silent on Oct. 8 – no thin layer of cardiomyocytes contracted in a steady beat – national journalists still got a feel for the innovative pulse running through Jeffrey Jacot’s bioengineering lab.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date October 12, 2023
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Patient Care    Education   

‘Can We Call a Real Doctor?’ Tour Gets Intense for Science Writers

Science Writers 2023 attendees were treated to a hands-on experience during a tour of the Center for Advancing Professional Excellence (CAPE) at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.


Author Kristen O'Neill | Publish Date October 12, 2023
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Research    Community    Cancer    Firearm Injury Prevention   

Science Writers Treated to a Smorgasbord of Inventive Research

The menu featured innovation and knowledge on Sunday as about 200 Science Writers 2023 participants attended a variety of talks during Lunch With a Scientist sessions. In small breakout groups, CU Anschutz researchers shared their expertise on a host of subjects, from psychedelics in medicine to AI in healthcare.


Author Staff | Publish Date October 10, 2023
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Firearm Injury Prevention

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, Elected as New Member of the National Academy of Medicine

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, has been elected as a new member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Betz, director of the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor of emergency medicine in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is the sixth faculty member from the CU School of Medicine to receive the honor from NAM. Becoming a NAM member is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.


Author Colleen Miracle | Publish Date October 09, 2023
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Education    Anesthesiology   

Horse or Human? Course Gives Medical Residents View of Another Kind

As a cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellow, Rizwan Nazarali, MD, keeps people safely asleep through major, open-chest surgeries. He monitors cardiopulmonary bypass when surgery patients’ hearts or lungs are outside of their bodies, and he manages patients on ECMO, a machine that keeps them alive while they wait for heart or lung transplants.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date October 02, 2023
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Community   

Speaker Recounts Fight to Keep Migrant Families Together

It all started with the asylum-seeking mother who escaped violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018, arriving barefoot and hungry at the border. By the time Lee Gelernt, JD, arrived in San Diego to represent the woman placed in a makeshift detention center, her 6-year-old daughter had been taken from her, shipped off to Chicago four months earlier.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date September 29, 2023
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Women's Health    COMBAT   

Military Standout Brings Strength to Women in Medicine

She was only 22 when Kathleen Flarity began attracting attention. As one of nine women in a U.S. Army airborne class of 500 men, Flarity and her fellow female service members were being pushed hard in an environment not yet welcoming of their gender.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date September 25, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Leukemia   

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Climber Tristan Chen Treated for Leukemia at CU Cancer Center

When your life is about being outdoors — about making your way up and around complex rock formations, looking for that flow you get into as every foothold and ledge reveals itself — the last place you want to be is stuck in a hospital bed, enduring the side effects of chemotherapy.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 22, 2023
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Patient Care    Magazine    Ovarian Cancer

CU Cancer Center Care Team Provides a Foundation for Healing for BRCA1-positive Patient

Amy Bibbey has two distinct lives. There’s the life she led before ovarian cancer, and there’s everything after diagnosis.


Author Carie Behounek | Publish Date September 21, 2023
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Patient Care    Community   

Football Season Means It’s ‘Prime Time’ for Ear Plugs

Fresh off CU’s victory in the Rocky Mountain Showdown this weekend, both college and NFL fans are ready to gear up and head to the stadium for more action-packed games this season.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date September 19, 2023
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Research    Press Releases    Funding    CCTSI

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Receives $54 Million From NIH

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $54 million over a seven-year period to the CCTSI at CU Anschutz. The grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) will fuel biomedical research and training across the state. This is the fourth consecutive time the NIH has funded the CCTSI since 2008 through its Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) program.


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date September 18, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Cardiology

When the Beat Goes Wrong: Cardiologist Explains Arrhythmias

Lohit Garg, MBBS, grew curious about the workings of the heart from a young age. His interest was tinged with personal heartache as he watched several family members battle cardiac disease, especially his grandfather.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date September 14, 2023
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Research    Cancer   

From Childhood Fascination With Red Blood Cells to Life-Changing Research

When he was 4 years old, Angelo D’Alessandro clearly recalls a cartoon book about the peripatetic nature of red blood cells. Their adventures traveling through the body, visiting the brain, kidneys, lungs, liver, et al., mesmerized D’Alessandro in his native Italy.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date September 11, 2023
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How Reliable Is Technology at Tracking Health and Fitness?

Trekking up the final leg of Fern Canyon Trail to Bear Peak, my quads were on fire, my heart was pounding, and oxygen was at a premium. Climbing to one of Boulder’s highest peaks has always tested my mental and physical stamina. But this time, I came armed with a new tool that would tell me more about the 1,700-foot vertical ascent and my health. 


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date September 11, 2023
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Skin Cancer    Dermatology

What to Know About Merkel Cell Carcinoma, Jimmy Buffett’s Rare Skin Cancer

After battling skin cancer for four years before his death, "Margaritaville" singer Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at age 76, from Merkel cell carcinoma, according to his website.


Author Jessica Cordova | Publish Date September 07, 2023
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Addiction    Community and Practice    CCTSI

'BEAT Meth' Provides Hope for Patients With Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Scott Simpson, MD, MPH, is an emergency psychiatrist at Denver Health Medical Center and an associate professor of psychiatry in the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Several years ago, he and his colleagues were working with the Denver Police Department to expand the use of suboxone treatment for individuals with opioid use disorder. 


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date September 01, 2023
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Community    Transplant Surgery    Liver Transplant

CU Surgeons Perform Department’s First Robotic Living Liver Donation

Aiming to increase the number of living liver donors by making liver donation surgery easier and quicker to recover from, the University of Colorado Department of Surgery recently performed its first robotic hepatectomy (surgery to remove a portion of the liver) from a living donor. Using a surgical robot to perform the procedure results in a smaller incision, less scarring, less pain, and a faster recovery for the donor. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 30, 2023
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Research    Education    Community    Blood Cancer

Elijah Johnson Came to the CU Cancer Center to Research the Mutation That Makes Him More Likely to Develop Cancer 

Growing up in Windsor, Colorado, Elijah Johnson thought he would grow up to be a professional musician. He never considered a career as a biomedical researcher. But that all changed when his mother was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare genetic mutation that increases the risk of cancer.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 30, 2023
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Patient Care   

CPAP: A First-Line Sleep Apnea Therapy Fit for a President

President Joe Biden recently joined the likes of basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, “Saturday Night Live” star Amy Poehler and Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia – he went public with his sleep apnea disorder.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date August 28, 2023
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Patient Care    Clinical surgery   

What Is Inspire for Sleep Apnea and Will It Work for Me?

So far, nothing rivals the CPAP machine for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder that causes lapses in breathing throughout the night and robs people of oxygen and sleep. But for some of the estimated 30 million sufferers, the apparatus required – which includes headgear, face mask and a protruding tube anchored to a bedside machine – can be intolerable.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date August 28, 2023
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Patient Care    COVID-19   

New Variants? New Shots? What’s in the Forecast for COVID-19?

COVID-19 cases have continued a steady uptick that began over the summer in Colorado and across the nation, already contributing to school closures in some harder-hit Southern states. Meanwhile, with respiratory season fast approaching and a brand-new, highly mutated variant raising eyebrows, doctors are fielding questions about a yet-to-be released booster shot.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date August 25, 2023
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Research    Data analysis

CU Data Researchers Connect Diet to Changes in the Microbiome

“Should I be taking a probiotic?” is a question that Maggie Stanislawski, PhD, assistant professor in the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), gets asked often.  


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date August 17, 2023
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Research    Patient Care   

Groundbreaking Stroke Study Seeks Ways to Keep Brain Cells Alive

In partnership with the UCHealth Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers are measuring blood samples of patients within minutes of stroke onset and discovering data that could change the way many stroke patients are treated.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date August 16, 2023
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Mental Health    Climate Science   

Aftermath of Maui Wildfires May Have a Heavy Mental Health Toll

As first responders across the nation headed to the fire-ravaged small Hawaiian island of Maui focused on halting the devastation, psychological experts were bracing for an aftermath of another kind.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date August 10, 2023
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Neuroscience   

What Is Prosopagnosia? An Odd Condition That Can Steal Your Face

In “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” the “man,” identified as Mr. P., visits neurologist and author of the book, Oliver Sacks, MD, for a vision problem that has been perplexing his other doctors. On his way out, Mr. P. grabs his wife’s head, thinking it’s his hat, ultimately and unknowingly introducing the lay world to face blindness.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date August 07, 2023
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Patient Care    Awareness    Pediatric Cancer    Retina

From Beating Retinoblastoma to Batting with Big Leaguers

This summer, six-year-old Coleman Tawresey will go more than 12 consecutive weeks without a doctor’s appointment – something he hasn’t been able to do since being diagnosed with retinoblastoma when he was two.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date August 07, 2023
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Innovation    Patient Care   

Ready to Roll: Team Effort Bucks Sedation Trend

With her favorite Taylor Swift songs playing in the background and her team of healthcare providers cheering her on, Chenille James stood up from her hospital bed. Her destination was just outside the door, her task a short walk down the hallway. But the feat would be celebrated for months to come.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date July 31, 2023
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Research    Ovarian Cancer    Multiple Myeloma

Guidelines for Preventing Blood Clots in People With Cancer 

Many of the side effects of cancer treatment are well-known, including nausea, fatigue, and weight loss. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 28, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Orthopedics   

World Cup Shines Light on ACL Injury Bias Toward Women

When Rachel Frank, MD, associate professor of orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, performs surgery on a patient with a knee injury, it’s more than professional. It’s personal.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date July 25, 2023
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Patient Care    Lung Cancer

New Treatment Paradigm Helps Lung Cancer Patient Thrive at CU Cancer Center 

There’s no such thing as perfect timing when it comes to lung cancer, but Kathy Ballard got pretty close. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 20, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Community   

Doctors of Old ‘Fitz’ Reunite for First Time Since Army Base Closure

As Nicholas DiBella, MD, walked through the bright halls of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, heading toward the first-ever reunion of physicians who served at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center (FAMC), memories came flooding back.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date July 13, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    COVID-19   

Long COVID Patients Tell Top Officials That CU Anschutz Saved Them

While long COVID remains shrouded in mystery, the ravages of the disease were on clear and painful display when Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, U.S. assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, visited the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on July 11 to learn about the campus’s research and clinical care, and hear directly from patients.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date July 13, 2023
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COVID-19    COVID-19 Podcasts    Clinical Research   

Studying How to Treat, Identify Long COVID: CU Anschutz Takes the Lead

Between leading-edge research and the region’s first clinic to specialize in treating patients with long COVID symptoms, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is at the forefront of providing care while seeking to understand this still-mysterious disease. 


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date July 11, 2023
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Research    Advancement    Genetics

A Taste of the Future: CU Researcher Links Genetics with Dietary Intake

For geneticist Joanne Cole, PhD, food is life. Her love goes beyond trying a new recipe and seeking out new restaurants it’s also in her work in the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), identifying the connection between genetics and nutrition.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date July 09, 2023
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lungs    pregnancy

CU Anschutz Study Shows Vaping Nicotine While Pregnant May Impact Fetal Development

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that vaping nicotine during pregnancy may be no safer for a developing fetus than smoking cigarettes. The study suggests that vaping nicotine interferes with fetal bone and lung development.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date July 05, 2023
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Research   

Benzodiazepine Use Associated With Brain Injury, Job Loss and Suicide

Benzodiazepine use and discontinuation is associated with nervous system injury and negative life effects that continue after discontinuation, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date July 05, 2023
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Colorectal Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic    Clinical   

Expanding the Umbrella of Care

In the earliest days of specialized cancer care, two things often happened: either individual oncologists were burdened with the expectation to know everything, or patients were sent on treatment journeys that could involve multiple visits with multiple clinicians in multiple locations.

As the field of cancer care has grown and evolved, buoyed by tremendous strides in research and therapeutics, patients could increasingly and reasonably hope to live many years, rather than many weeks or months, after a diagnosis. A significant contributor to this hope has been the move toward multidisciplinary care.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date July 05, 2023
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Diabetes    Obesity    pregnancy

Can We Solve the Childhood Obesity Epidemic During Pregnancy?

Obesity is an epidemic. It’s projected that by 2030, one in two adults and one in four children ages 5-9 in the United States will be obese.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date June 30, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Pancreatic Cancer    Multidisciplinary Clinic   

Individualized Care Provides Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patient with Stage 4 Diagnosis

Barb Spanjer lay on the floor of her office. She had never been so tired. Her stomach and left side ached, and the pain under her left shoulder blade was relentless. She had seen her doctor a couple of times that autumn of 2017, but the medicine for the ulcer he suspected she had wasn’t working. She had been too tired and too busy running the construction company she and her husband, Steve, owned to follow up with the doctor. But it was getting harder to ignore the symptoms. Something just wasn’t right.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 26, 2023
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Community    Health equity    CCTSI

iHeard Colorado Will Collaborate With Communities to Provide Accurate Health Information

Have you heard about a horse tranquilizer that rots flesh? A fungus that spreads between people? How do you know what is true? Should you be concerned or take any action?


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date June 20, 2023
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Community    Mental Health    COMBAT   

Fireworks and PTSD: Keeping the Warzone Out of the Fourth

For one of Ian Stanley’s former patients, an unexpected firework blast sent him hurling across the room, pouncing on his children and shielding their bodies from the fallout of the “bomb attack” that left him trembling in fear.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date June 20, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Mental Health    COMBAT   

Post-Traumatic Growth: How to Flourish After a PTSD Diagnosis

No caring person would wish post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – or the likely terrifying event that led to it – on anyone. But for those people who develop the mental health condition and find treatment, the skills and lessons they learn can improve their lives in unexpected ways.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date June 09, 2023
Full Story

Press Releases    COVID-19   

Study Shows Commonly used Diabetes Drug Reduces Risk of Long COVID

A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases this week has found that metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, reduces the risk of long COVID.


Author David Kelly | Publish Date June 09, 2023
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Research    Innovation    Patient Care   

CU Anschutz Receives $50 Million From The Anschutz Foundation to Accelerate Breakthroughs in Medicine

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus this week announced the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative, a program to advance cutting-edge healthcare innovations that are poised to reach patients within the next three to five years.


Author Julia Milzer | Publish Date June 07, 2023
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Community    Prostate Cancer    Bladder Cancer    Kidney Cancer    Testicular cancer

CU Cancer Center Member Helps Develop Genitourinary Cancer Guidelines in Sub-Saharan Africa 

It’s one thing to develop cancer treatment guidelines in the U.S., where even the smallest health centers have access to the same basic technology for treatment and testing. But what about creating guidelines for oncologists in Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to medical resources can be limited and the disease can present differently?  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 07, 2023
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Research   

Advancing Research Collaboration: AB Nexus Awardees Announced

The AB Nexus program has announced its sixth round of grant awards to researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Colorado Boulder. From advancing new Alzheimer’s treatments to developing predictive computer models to help youth in crisis, the awarded teams are advancing a wide range of collaborative research projects aimed at improving human health and well-being.


Author Megan Lane | Publish Date June 06, 2023
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Research   

Three CU Anschutz Researchers Named to the 2023 Class of Boettcher Investigators

The Boettcher Foundation has selected eight researchers, including three from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, to receive funding through the Boettcher Foundation’s Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program. 


Author Staff | Publish Date May 31, 2023
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Patient Care    Mental Health   

Can Magnets Help Heal Depression?

A treatment offered by the University of Colorado School of Medicine Community Practice is giving hope to people with depression who haven’t found relief with other treatment options.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date May 30, 2023
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Research   

Do Direct-Access IV Infusions Offer Health and Wellness Benefits?

Fighting off a nasty headache after your cousin’s wedding? Stomach virus have you feeling fatigued? Gearing up for tomorrow’s half-marathon? Many of us might be tempted to pop into an “IV bar” to seek relief from minor ailments or to prep for an upcoming event.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date May 25, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Cardiology

Stroke Drug Offers Neuroprotection Without Long-Term Impact on Memory and Learning

A promising new stroke drug that temporarily inhibits a key protein in the brain without causing lasting harm may significantly change the future treatment of cerebral and global ischemia, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. 


Author David Kelly | Publish Date May 23, 2023
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Research    Education   

Surgery Residents Share Research at Annual Symposium 

From analyzing the effects of social vulnerability and health disparities on postoperative outcomes to mitigating the effects of trauma to evaluating new treatment modalities for pancreatic cancer, the research presented at the annual University of Colorado Department of Surgery Research Symposium on May 22 posed a plethora of new possibilities for patient care.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 23, 2023
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Breast Cancer    Public Health    cancer screening

Why Does the United States Preventive Services Task Force Want to Lower the Recommended Age for Mammograms? 

Driven in part by an increase in breast cancer diagnoses in younger women — particularly in Black women — the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — has proposed lowering the recommended age for beginning regular mammograms from 50 to 40. The USPSTF recommends that women at average risk for breast cancer get screening mammograms every other year. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 18, 2023
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Faculty    Leadership   

Center for Bioengineering Announces New Director

Kristyn S. Masters, PhD, has been appointed chair of the University of Colorado Denver Department of Bioengineering and the director of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Center for Bioengineering, following an extensive national search. These coupled roles provide the leadership to the unique cross-campus bioengineering program.  For the past seven years, Masters has served as professor and vice chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Author Staff | Publish Date May 18, 2023
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Community    Obesity    GITES    Bariatric surgery

Bariatric Surgery Journey Takes Man from Knee Pain to the Lightness of Flying

Danny Naranjo was still several years from his 40th birthday, but he was increasingly aware of that milestone on the horizon.

His body mass index (BMI) was about 80. He had back pain and struggled with lymphedema. His knees hurt when he had to walk even short distances for his job at Elitch Gardens, and he did it only with a steady stream of Tylenol, ibuprofen, and sometimes tramadol. As 40 approached, he knew these concerns might only get more acute, with new ones possibly joining them. He wanted to change what was beginning to feel like an inevitable future.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 16, 2023
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Patient Care    Community    Kidney Cancer    Urology

Kidney Cancer Journey Emphasizes Importance of Asking a Doctor when Things Don’t Feel Right

 

To start with, there was his usual schedule of national travel for his job as a Wall Street journeyman – he was always flying somewhere. Add to that moving to Castle Rock from San Francisco, plus a love for concerts and baseball games and whatever else life offers, and it’s no wonder that Lincoln Yersin was feeling run down.

But this run down? This exhausted? He went to see his primary care provider in San Francisco a few times, had a few tests, and the diagnosis was stress.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 16, 2023
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Research    Neuroscience   

Michael J. Fox Legacy: ‘Time Travel’ or Parkinson’s Cure?

Exactly one month before the public release of a documentary on Michael J. Fox and his life with Parkinson’s disease (PD), the actor’s research foundation announced a landmark discovery – a novel test that can biologically diagnose the disease in live patients, even before symptoms emerge.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date May 15, 2023
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Research    Cancer    CU Anschutz 360 Podcast   

Podcast: CU Anschutz Powers Up for Regenerative Medicine Frontier

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a leader in bench-to-bedside research, and the Gates Institute and Gates Biomanufacturing Facility (GBF) are at the forefront of some of the campus’s most cutting-edge innovations in cell and gene therapy.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date May 09, 2023
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Research    Cancer    Diabetes   

Platform Promises Improvement in Athlete Performance, Early Insight Into Disease Risk

With each study into world-class cyclists being pushed to the physiological limit, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus researchers get deeper insight into high-performance metabolism. They are also gaining clues about how to head off serious diseases in the general population through early detection and personalized interventions.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date May 08, 2023
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Research    Community    Regenerative Medicine   

CU Anschutz Takes the Reins in CAR T Cancer Therapy Research

One of the initially scheduled speakers at this spring’s “Transforming Healthcare” series on May 2 bowed out for a more spontaneous event: his own wedding. With his high-school diploma newly in hand and his little-known CAR T-cell therapy giving him time, the young man decided to embrace the future – now.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date May 08, 2023
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Community    Lung Cancer    Hope

Lung Cancer Survivorship Celebration Emphasizes Living with Hope and Optimism

Paul Herzegh’s lung cancer story began six years ago on a beautiful April morning, roadtripping back home to Boulder from visiting friends in Virginia. He was 68, in otherwise good health, and felt some small kinks in his chest.

Hardly any time later, he had a diagnosis: stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that originated in the cells lining the outside of his lungs. At that point, he didn’t know much beyond “the conventional wisdom that 'lung cancer is a killer,’” he explained Saturday evening, emphasizing the air quotes because, well, the conventional wisdom was wrong.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 05, 2023
Full Story

Research   

The Under-Discussed Consequence of Alcohol Use Disorder: ‘Wet Brain’

Liver disease, heart disease and high blood pressure are among the conditions commonly associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD), but one condition that’s rarely discussed, and often overlooked, is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, better known as “wet brain,” and can be the most challenging to identify and treat.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date May 04, 2023
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Research    Women's Health   

Scientists Pursue Personalized Approach to Treating Pelvic Organ Prolapse

At least one in four women suffer with pelvic floor disorder symptoms that can range from urine leakage to organs falling out of place, sometimes protruding outside the vagina. Many women remain silent, embarrassed to share their issues even with their doctors.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date May 02, 2023
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Research    Patient Care   

Study: Multiple Sclerosis Blood Antibodies Found to be Toxic to Neurons

A University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus research team has discovered that the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in the plasma of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are toxic to neurons, a finding the lead investigator said could transform the field of study.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date April 25, 2023
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Patient Care    Clinical Research

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Survivor Set to Attend CU School of Medicine After Receiving Pioneering Treatment

While some of his grade school classmates looked up to famous athletes or television characters, Will Osier’s childhood superhero was his ophthalmologist. Now, more than 15 years later, Osier is set to attend the University of Colorado School of Medicine where his doctor pioneered a treatment that saved his vision.


Author Kara Mason | Publish Date April 25, 2023
Full Story

Firearm Injury Prevention    COMBAT

CU School of Medicine Launches Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative

The University of Colorado School of Medicine has officially launched the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, bringing CU Anschutz experts together to serve as a trusted community and national resource for firearms-related research and solutions.


Author Colleen Miracle | Publish Date April 24, 2023
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Innovation    Patient Care    Pediatrics   

Anesthesia-Free Procedure Widens Scope of Patients Eligible for Diagnostic Tool

When Joel Friedlander, DO, MA, bioethics, travels to Vienna this month, he will check another box on a journey that’s been a series of peaks, and a few valleys, on the way to a breakthrough medical device that hit the healthcare trifecta: it opens access, improves care and lowers costs.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date April 19, 2023
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Community    Urology    Awards

Kerri Thurmon, MD, Selected as American Urological Association’s Young Urologist of the Year 

The American Urological Association (AUA) recently named Kerri Thurmon, MD, associate professor of urology in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery, as one of the recipients of its 2023 Young Urologist of the Year Award. The award is presented annually to recognize early-career association members for their efforts and commitment to advancing the development of fellow young urologists. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 17, 2023
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Diabetes    Clinical Trials   

New Therapy First to Target Type 1 Diabetes Disease Process

Not long after recovering from a frightening episode that culminated in their daughter’s type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis at age 7, Doug and Laura Aeling turned their attention to their son.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date April 17, 2023
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Community   

Does Oxygen in a Can Deliver on Its Altitude and Energy Claims?

In a three-year span, canned oxygen has become almost as available as the real thing. Buoyed by COVID-19, a “Shark Tank” deal, and a scene on “The Simpsons,” increased demand has resulted in a burst of the small aluminum cans on store shelves, from pharmacies to gas stations.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date April 17, 2023
Full Story

COMBAT

Challenges of Medical Care in Space

On Monday, the Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research welcomed NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, MD, to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he presented at a distinguished leader seminar on “The Challenges of Medical Care in Space: A Perspective From Low Earth Orbit and the Future of Human Spaceflight."


Author Colleen Miracle | Publish Date April 12, 2023
Full Story

Innovation   

Women Leaders Share What It Takes to Innovate in Healthcare

Taking what’s learned in the lab and creating a viable commercial product to improve patient health is a journey many academics aspire to take yet few accomplish. At “Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Stories of Women-Led Innovation on April 10, women scientists shared how focus, intention and a great team can assist in finding success.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date April 12, 2023
Full Story

Research    Press Releases    Pediatrics    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz    pregnancy    ColoradoSPH at CSU   

Study Reveals Prenatal Supplements Don’t Offer Adequate Nutrition for Women and Babies

A new study from researchers in the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity (LEAD) Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus shows that 90% of pregnant women do not receive adequate nutrients during pregnancy from food alone and must look to supplements to fill that deficit. However, they also discovered that 99% of the affordable dietary supplements on the market do not contain appropriate doses of key micronutrients that are urgently needed to make up for the nutritional imbalance.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date April 04, 2023
Full Story

Research    Press Releases   

Study Finds Schizophrenia Patients May Be Candidates for Deep Brain Stimulation

A study published in Frontiers in Surgery finds that people with schizophrenia (SZ) and schizoaffective disorder (SAD) have overall lower surgical risk than people with Parkinson’s disease, which is reassuring when considering potential surgical interventions such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of SZ and SAD.


Author Kelsea Pieters | Publish Date April 03, 2023
Full Story

Patient Care    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology    Multidisciplinary Clinic   

Enjoying the Gift of Time After a Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis

Before receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis eight years ago – a diagnosis that resulted from persistent self-advocacy – Carolyn Degrafinried spent one awful weekend wondering if she was losing her mind.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 23, 2023
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Rheumatoid Arthritis   

Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Be Delayed or Prevented?

Many stages occur on the path to getting rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the body, especially the joints. If providers could spot the predictive biomarkers and intervene early enough, there is a strong likelihood they could delay, or even prevent, RA from developing.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date March 22, 2023
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Research    Blood Cancer    Clinical Trials    lymphoma   

Clinical Trials Show Promise for ‘Jurassic Park’ Actor Sam Neill’s Rare Lymphoma

In a forthcoming memoir, actor Sam Neill of “Jurassic Park” fame reveals that he’s been battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, also known as AITL.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date March 22, 2023
Full Story

Cancer    Clinical Trials    cancer screening   

Can One Blood Test Transform Cancer Screening?

Because early detection offers the best chance of surviving cancer, screening tests that involve one quick blood draw are generating excitement. If approved, rather than scheduling downtime and facing intimidating procedures, patients could undergo screening for multiple cancers at once, just by rolling up their sleeves during routine doctor exams.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date March 20, 2023
Full Story

Community    Colorectal Cancer    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz   

Two CU Cancer Center Members Attend Biden’s Moonshot Event on Colorectal Cancer 

Earlier this month, medical professionals, patient advocates, industry innovators, federal policymakers, and public health officials, including two members of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, gathered at the White House for the Cancer Moonshot Colorectal Cancer Forum.  


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 16, 2023
Full Story

Research    CCTSI

Type 2 Youth Diabetes Study Changes Standard of Care Worldwide

A 15-year, multicenter study has changed the course of care for youth with type 2 diabetes, enhancing treatments for this growing population and illustrating the scope of the work conducted on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Called Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents & Youth (TODAY), the massive clinical trial included 699 participants and was led nationally by Phil Zeitler, MD, professor, pediatrics-endocrinology, University of Colorado School of Medicine.


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date March 14, 2023
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    CU Anschutz 360 Podcast   

Podcast: At CU Anschutz, the Future of AI Is Here

Whether it’s accelerating research in the lab or augmenting physician decision-making in the clinic, artificial intelligence (AI) has seemingly limitless potential to transform healthcare.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date March 13, 2023
Full Story

Research    Head and Neck Cancer    Clinical Trials

Innovative Technology Shows Great Promise Against Certain Head and Neck Cancers

Over the past decade, human papillomavirus (HPV) has increasingly been identified as a significant cause of certain head and neck cancers – for example, evidence suggests it causes 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the United States.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 03, 2023
Full Story

Research    Patient Care   

Genome Study Targets Rare Immune Disorders in Children

A multi-institutional research project led by immunology researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will focus on underlying disease mechanisms of inborn errors of immunity (IEI), which could ultimately help uncover therapies for these high-risk patients.


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date March 02, 2023
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Research    Diversity    Health equity    Equity Diversity and Inclusion   

How Can the Healthcare System Achieve Health Equity?

It’s a fact. Health disparities exist across all levels of the healthcare system. Kamal Henderson, MD, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology, takes a pragmatic approach to his work in the clinic and his research. He’s guided by a single question:


Author Guest Contributor | Publish Date February 27, 2023
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Patient Care    Mental Health   

Can ChatGPT and TikTok Fads Hurt People Struggling with Eating Disorders?

Many professions, including the mental health field, are greeting new AI technology like ChatGPT with excitement and fear, celebrating the possibilities while predicting the dark sides. For eating disorder experts, where everything from chatbot misdiagnoses to AI-generated body images can have devasting consequences for their patients, the concerns are high.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date February 24, 2023
Full Story

Research    Bone Cancer

V Foundation Funds CU Cancer Center Research on Pediatric Osteosarcoma That Spreads to the Lungs 

University of Colorado Cancer Center members Michael Leibowitz, MD, PhD, and Dan Regan, DVM, PhD, have received an $800,000 grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, co-founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano, to study a new potential treatment for pediatric osteosarcoma that spreads to the lungs. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 23, 2023
Full Story

Research    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI-Assisted Authoring Tool Offers Timesaving and Transparency

As the world explores the new possibilities and uses of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, researchers at the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) are integrating similar models into academic authoring.


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date February 22, 2023
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Research    Health equity   

Near-Death Experience Boosts Work to Save Black Mothers and Babies

Brooke Dorsey Holliman never thought she’d be a statistic for her own research.


Author Debra Melani | Publish Date February 21, 2023
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Research    Patient Care    Diabetes   

Study Examines Power of Group Sessions in Managing Diabetes

Ramona Koren remembers “falling apart” when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a decade ago. Her life turned upside down, and she had “no clue” what to do next.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date February 15, 2023
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Community    CU Anschutz 360 Podcast    COMBAT   

Podcast: COMBAT Strives to Solve Military’s Toughest Clinical Challenges

Today’s world is riven by Russia’s war in Ukraine, dangers from biological and chemical weapons, increasing rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and growing challenges for first responders and medics dealing with high-stress situations.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date February 14, 2023
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Equity Diversity and Inclusion   

Study: Implicit Bias, Late Diagnosis Create Critical ALS Healthcare Gap

It was only his first visit to a hospital’s ALS clinic, but already the Black patient’s amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) had progressed beyond a point for an effective intervention. This memory sticks with Zach Cox, DO, who at the time was a resident at the multidisciplinary ALS clinic in Richmond, Va.


Author Chris Casey | Publish Date February 13, 2023
Full Story

Research   

What Makes a Couple Successful? Tips From a Relationship Therapist

Love is in the air, which must mean it’s Valentine’s Day. People around the world contemplate the grandest gestures of affection possible to show their significant other they care or write off the 14th as just a day invented by Hallmark. Polarizing as it may be, Valentine’s Day is a time to reflect on the root of love itself. What happens to us when we fall in love? What makes a couple successful? How can we ensure our relationships last?


Author Kelsea Pieters | Publish Date February 10, 2023
Full Story

Community    Mental Health

How to Cope When Valentine’s Day Triggers Sadness

While many people celebrate love and romance on Valentine’s Day, for some people, it can be a day shadowed by pain and loss. Mental health issues from depression, grief and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can all trigger harmful negative emotions.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date February 07, 2023
Full Story

Awareness    Glaucoma    Diabetic retinopathy    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

Improved Prevention and Screening is Vital for Diseases that Disproportionately Affect Black Americans

Although Black Americans are the second-largest minority population in the United States, they remain underrepresented in vision health research. They also carry the highest burden of eye disease ranging from general visual impairment to glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and blindness.


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date February 06, 2023
Full Story

Innovation    Patient Care   

Center for Surgical Innovation Hosts Renowned Skull Base Course

The Center for Surgical Innovation (CSI) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is one of the few facilities in the world equipped for 3D anatomic lectures and allows trainees to practice what they’ve learned in the cadaveric laboratory.


Author Ryan Wuller and Chris Casey | Publish Date January 31, 2023
Full Story

Research    Faculty    Lung Cancer   

Balancing Science and Medicine to Benefit Lung Cancer Patient Care

When his mom fell off a ladder on New Year’s Eve a number of years ago, after deciding that was as good a night as any to clean the leaves from her gutters, one of the first things Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, did after she got home from the hospital was take her pulse.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 12, 2023
Full Story

Community    Cardiothoracic Surgery    Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac Arrest During NFL Game Brings Awareness to Importance of High-Quality Intervention

Editor’s Note: Since this story first published, Damar Hamlin was discharged from a Buffalo, New York, hospital January 11 and on January 28 released a video updating his fans and community on his recovery.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, remained in critical condition Wednesday after collapsing on the football field six minutes into the first quarter of Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 04, 2023
Full Story

Research    Genetics    CCTSI    rare disease

Researchers Shed Light on a Rare Genetic Disease in Children

You probably learned about cilia in high school biology class. The tiny hairlike structures line our nasal passages, ears and airways. Children born with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare inherited disease, have problems with the cilia that prevent them from moving mucus and inhaled particles and germs out of their airways, causing mucus to build up, leading to ear, sinus and lung infections.


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date December 07, 2022
Full Story

Community    Cancer    Magazine    Equity Diversity and Inclusion    ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz    Leadership   

Women Are Gaining Increasing Seats at the Table in Cancer Leadership

Two important numbers to keep in mind are that 50.5% of the U.S. population is female, and that cancer will account for more than 606,000 deaths in the United States this year, making it the second-leading cause of death.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 28, 2022
Full Story

Research    Community    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

CU Professor Draws on Indigenous Roots in Approach to Research and Mentoring

From the University of Colorado Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) offices on the top floor of the Anschutz Health Sciences Building, one sees sweeping views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains. DBMI Assistant Professor Katrina Claw, PhD, sees the lands that Native American tribes have called their home.


Author Toni Lapp | Publish Date November 21, 2022
Full Story

Head and Neck Cancer    Cancer    Oncology    Immunotherapy

Selective Nodal Radiation May Be a More Effective Approach in Cancer Treatment

A promising new study released by the University of Colorado Cancer Center suggests that recurrence of certain cancers can be significantly decreased by irradiating only a select set of lymph nodes near a tumor rather than all of them.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date November 16, 2022
Full Story

Research    Education    Community    Equity Diversity and Inclusion

PIKE-PREP Supports Scholars from Underrepresented Backgrounds in Pursuing Top-Tier Education

Xander Bradeen began his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder planning to major in neuroscience as a pre-med student, the first in his family to pursue a college education. Then he learned about prairie voles.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 14, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Awareness    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology

Pancreatic Cancer Survivor is Eternally Grateful for her Surgery With Schulick

Laura Foote is now three years out from her pancreatic cancer diagnosis, thanks to a surgery performed by Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center and chair of the Department of Surgery


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date November 08, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Breast Cancer    Plastic Surgery

Multi-Faceted Treatment Helps Young Breast Cancer Patient Through Her Cancer Journey

Amanda Vegter did not have time for whatever it was that she felt on the side of her left breast.

She was six weeks into her fourth year of veterinary school, she had backpacking trips to go on with her boyfriend, walks to go on with her two dogs, plus plans for a summer externship in South Africa. She was busy and happy and it was probably nothing.

But that firm spot she first felt on her breast in January 2021 while working out at her boyfriend’s house didn’t just go away. Now she can look back and shake her head – of course it was breast cancer.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 21, 2022
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Education    Community    Public Health

Decades-Long Public Health Partnerships in Nepal Supported by University of Colorado Colleagues

It wasn’t his first stroll through a teeming Kathmandu market, his first taste of momos, or even his first view of the Himalayas that weaved a piece of his heart into the fabric of a country 12,000 miles from his Denver home.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 05, 2022
Full Story

Research    Pediatric Cancer    Brain and Spinal Cancer

CU Cancer Center Is Home to One of the Largest Groups of Pediatric Brain Tumor Researchers in the Country

Initially, the big picture looks severe: Pediatric brain tumors are now the number one cause of death for children diagnosed with cancer.

Though leukemia is four times more common in pediatric patients than brain tumors, about 90% of children diagnosed with leukemia will experience a cure “because we’ve done such a good job of researching leukemia, and treatments have come so far that cure rates have improved significantly,” says Rajeev Vibhakar, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor of pediatric hematology and oncology in the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “We need to see that same level of support and advancement in finding cures for pediatric brain tumors.”


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 01, 2022
Full Story

Research    Breast Cancer   

Study Could Lead to Better Education and Treatment of Sexual Health for Breast Cancer Patients

A new study released by the University of Colorado Cancer Center shows that more than 70 percent of breast cancer patients have reported changes that affect their sexual health during and beyond treatment.


Author Laura Kelley | Publish Date August 02, 2022
Full Story

COVID-19   

Data scientists in the spotlight

Melissa Haendel, PhD, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and her team of data scientists have been working at a lightning-fast pace for two years, unlocking some of the mysteries of long COVID. Not only have they been instrumental in the development of the largest national, publicly available HIPAA-limited dataset in U.S. history – the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) – but their research using the data is making headlines and getting the attention of the White House.


Author Wendy Meyer | Publish Date July 20, 2022
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Research    Press Releases    Education    Clinical Research    CU Medicine Today   

Department of Biomedical Informatics Launches to Advance Patient Care Using Data-Driven Discovery

Connecting basic science and medicine with clinical and translational scientists, the University of Colorado School of Medicine is introducing the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) to enhance clinical care through integrated computational technology, laboratory investigations, and artificial intelligence (AI).


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date July 06, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Awareness    Colorectal Cancer

Couple Both Battling Stage IV Colon Cancer Focused on Enjoying Each Moment as a Family

As they both deal with a stage IV colon cancer diagnosis, Kacie Peters and Erik Stanley are focused on living a normal, happy life with their son.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 20, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Awareness    Transplant Center    CU Medicine Today

“One in a Billion Odds”

It happened so fast, and it was so unexpected.

In August 2020, Mario Carrasco got what he suspected was COVID-19 and took Tylenol to combat his high fever. When that didn’t work, he took an antibiotic he had received from Mexico and eventually felt better. For several months afterward, he felt fine. He felt like he always does.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date June 15, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Mental Health

Low Testosterone: Separating Fact From Fiction

Men looking for information on their physical and sexual health often turn to the internet, where low testosterone is a commonly searched — and commonly misunderstood — topic.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 10, 2022
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Research    Community    Magazine    Clinical Trials

Growing Evidence Shows Increasing Overlaps Between Human and Companion Animal Cancer Research

Molly the golden retriever was a fan of cookies. Whenever there was a plate of them nearby, she kept her eye on it, waiting for her chance to sneak one or five. She was a fan of water, too, even after she had surgery to remove her left front leg following an osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, diagnosis in April 2017.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date May 19, 2022
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Patient Care    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Melanoma    Immunotherapy   

Acknowledging the Fears of Cancer by Giving Them a Face and a Name

To understand why Beau Gill built a mental cupboard for Jeff and Spike, first you must travel back with him to the small town of Catemaco in Mexico’s state of Veracruz.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 20, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Awareness    Transplant Center

Living Organ Donation Journey Inspires Doctor to Normalize the Experience for Others

At first, she was reluctant to talk about it – a little sheepish, even. The obvious question was, “Why are you doing this?” And though she had answers, none of them were quick or easy.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date April 06, 2022
Full Story

Community   

National Cancer Institute Renews CU Cancer Center’s ‘Comprehensive’ Designation

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has once again recognized the University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center as one of the best cancer centers in the country. On March 31, the NCI officially renewed the CU Cancer Center’s “comprehensive” designation with a strong rating, the best ever received at the CU Cancer Center. The award recognizes the center’s strengths in basic, translational, clinical, and population science research, as well as leadership and resources devoted to community outreach and engagement and cancer research, training, and education.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 31, 2022
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Education    Community    Faculty    Vascular Surgery    Cardiothoracic Surgery

Nurturing a Passion for Medicine that Was Born in the Midst of War

Almost a decade into his medical career, amid the daily traumas of war, Mohammed Al-Musawi, MD, began to love his job.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 22, 2022
Full Story

Research    Awareness    Pediatric Cancer    Brain and Spinal Cancer

Youngest Brain Tumor Patients Have Significantly Poorer Outcomes than Older Pediatric Patients

A University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center researcher has found, through extensive data analysis, that the youngest patients with brain tumors – those ages birth to 3 months – have about half the five-year survival rate as children ages 1 to 19.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date March 18, 2022
Full Story

Innovation    Press Releases    Health Sciences   

Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, PhD, Named Chief of Artificial Medical Intelligence in Ophthalmology

Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, PhD, has been named chief of the new Division of Artificial Medical Intelligence in Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine. In her new role, Kalpathy-Cramer will translate novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods into effective patient care practices at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center.


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date March 17, 2022
Full Story

Community    Awareness    Cancer

6 Years After Bile Duct Cancer Diagnosis, Focus Shifts to Not Wasting Time

There were a lot of things Jim White thought he’d never do: stay in one place long enough to feel roots grow beneath his feet, meet the love of his life, have a child whose daily joy in discovering the world reignites White’s own joy.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 22, 2022
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Community    Awareness    Trauma and Fractures    GITES

Bob Saget’s Death from Accidental Head Trauma Brings Awareness of Signs to Look for Following Head Injury

Comedian Bob Saget’s death on January 9 was a shock to fans who loved him as Danny Tanner on “Full House” or for his stand-up comedy, and to those who admired and respected him as a colleague.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date February 10, 2022
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Research    Community   

CU Cancer Center Research Highlights Objectives of Biden's Moonshot Initiative

On this World Cancer Day, the University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center looks back to earlier this week when President Biden reignited his Cancer Moonshot initiative, setting ambitious goals to “reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer — and by doing this and more, end cancer as we know it today.” 


Author Shelly Lange | Publish Date February 04, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Awareness    Low Vision Rehabilitation

Driving Dreams Come True at Age 52

By the time Karre Wakefield’s friends and classmates turned 16 and got behind the wheel, she had accepted riding as only a passenger. Wakefield was born with hydrocephalus, or excess fluid in her brain, which damaged her optic nerve and rendered her ineligible for a driver’s license in the state of Colorado.


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date February 04, 2022
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Plastic Surgery

New Cosmetic Cream Created at CU Leaves Skin 'Silky' Smooth

From Silly Putty to the microwave oven, there is a long history of consumer products “accidentally” discovered during the scientific discovery process. 


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 03, 2022
Full Story

Research    Faculty    Magazine    Oncology

Wells Messersmith, MD, Named CMO of Oncology Services at UCHealth

University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center leader Wells Messersmith, MD, has been named chief medical officer of oncology services at UCHealth. In this new role, Messersmith will oversee cancer care at all UCHealth locations with a focus on expanding advanced treatments and the clinical trials UCHealth offers in partnership with the CU Cancer Center.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date January 27, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Surgical Oncology

Research Finds Patients and Providers Differ in Opinions About Immediate Access to Medical Records

While both patients and clinicians prioritize information transparency, a 21st Century Cures Act requirement for the immediate release of test and lab results is proving more controversial, according to recently published survey results of clinicians and patients.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date January 21, 2022
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Research    Patient Care    Awareness

Telemedicine Strengthens Glaucoma Diagnosis and Management

For more than a decade, Tom Poindexter managed his glaucoma with drops as routinely as brushing his teeth. Catching it early, he was diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma, the most common form, in his 50s.


Author Rachel Wittel | Publish Date January 14, 2022
Full Story

Research    Education    Students   

Medical Student Receives Grant to Help With Cannabis Study

Emma Lamping, a second-year student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received a $5,000 “Emerging Scientist Award” from the Institute of Cannabis Research in Pueblo, Colorado, for her work on a research study comparing postoperative pain medication requirements and surgical outcomes after major abdominal surgery for the treatment of cancer between daily cannabis users and nonusers of cannabis.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date January 06, 2022
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Cardiothoracic Surgery   

Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at CU School of Medicine Celebrates a ‘Herstoric’ Moment

With two female cardiothoracic surgeons in its ranks, the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine is ahead of the curve when it comes to gender representation in the field. By one recent estimate, just 8% of cardiothoracic surgeons in the country are female.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 17, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery   

Gender Affirmation Surgery Helps Patient Feel Whole for the First Time in 71 Years

The victory lap came 50 years after high school, in a female restroom at Denver’s East High School.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 15, 2021
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Sarcoma

“You Are Cancer-Free”

The cancer diagnosis came at a time when it seemed as though everything was happening – he was only 37 and soon to become president of the Denver City Council; his three children were ages 4, 6, and 9; he had just run the BOLDERBoulder 10K.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date November 03, 2021
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Press Releases   

Fluid Dynamics

The U.S. Department of Defense is funding a study by Arek Wiktor, MD, associate professor of GI, trauma, and endocrine surgery and interim medical director of the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center – Anschutz Medical Campus, to aid in treatment of military and civilian burn patients.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 19, 2021
Full Story

Community    Blood Cancer

Colin Powell’s Death Highlights the Challenges Multiple Myeloma Patients Face With COVID-19

In a grim reminder of the toll COVID-19 can take even among those who are vaccinated against it, former Secretary of State Colin Powell died Monday of complications from the virus. His family said Powell, who was 84, was fully vaccinated against the disease.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date October 18, 2021
Full Story

Patient Care    Community    Breast Cancer    Advocacy

Genetic Counseling Helps Young Woman Take Control After Testing Positive for BRCA2

The first time Caley Kurchinski had to think about a double mastectomy, she was only 16. Her mother had died at age 36 from breast cancer, when Caley was 6. When she became a teenager, Caley’s family physician began telling her she needed to get genetic testing.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 15, 2021
Full Story

Patient Care    Awareness    Breast Cancer    Surgical Oncology    Plastic Surgery

Young Mom’s Breast Cancer Journey Highlights Importance of Breast Cancer Screening in Younger Women

Kirsten Stewart was just putting on lotion, like she does every morning after her shower. That particular morning, though, she noticed something different: a lump that hadn’t been there before and that definitely wasn’t normal. She was only 30 years old.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date October 07, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Child & Adolescent    GITES

CU Surgeon Looking to Extend Bariatric Surgery Services to Adolescent Patients

Over the past five decades, childhood overweight and obesity has transitioned from public health concern to public health crisis. In 1971, 5.2% of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 were experiencing obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a number that increased to 19.3% by 2018.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 30, 2021
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Community    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology

“Sex and the City” Actor’s Death Raises Awareness of Pancreatic Cancer

Actor Willie Garson was probably best known for his role as Stanford Blatch on “Sex and the City,” playing one of Carrie Bradshaw’s New York-savvy best friends.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 27, 2021
Full Story

Blood Cancer    Leukemia

Norm MacDonald’s Death Puts Spotlight on Acute Leukemia

Comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Norm MacDonald died Tuesday, after what his brother, Neil MacDonald, described as a nine-year battle with acute leukemia. Norm MacDonald, known for his intelligence and sarcastic wit, was 61.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date September 16, 2021
Full Story

Research    Patient Care    Community    COVID-19    Quality and Clinical Effectiveness   

Multidisciplinary Team Designs Novel Mask in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Ideas and innovation don’t always co-exist with convenience. On the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, the road to a novel mask design to address the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic took some unexpected twists and turns.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date September 08, 2021
Full Story

Research    Community    COVID-19   

Harnessing community voices to bolster COVID-19 vaccinations

We are more likely to trust a familiar voice.

The New York Times published a dialect quiz that, by offering users a series of multiple-choice options of everyday life phrases and names, could pinpoint the exact U.S. region a quiz taker was from. Each of us comes from a community with its own dialect—how we talk is unique to not just our state, but our region, county, city, and even neighborhood.


Author Laura Veith - ACCORDS Writer | Publish Date September 06, 2021
Full Story

Patient Care    Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Patient Hopes His Story Encourages Early Detection for Others

The diagnosis came as a shock. Although, looking back, Bill Mordecai says it shouldn’t have been. 


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date September 01, 2021
Full Story

Patient Care    Lung Cancer    Clinical Trials

Traveling to CU Cancer Center for a Lung Cancer Clinical Trial

David Kooyman transferred his care to University of Colorado Cancer Center member and associate professor of thoracic oncology, Tejas Patil, MD, to be part of a clinical trial to help with his rare lung cancer gene fusion.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date August 19, 2021
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Patient Care    Pancreatic Cancer    Surgical Oncology

The Pancreatic Cancer Battle That Bonded a Patient and His Physician

Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, becomes close with all of his patients, but he has a special bond with Gerry Turner, one of Schulick’s surgical patients for pancreatic cancer.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 18, 2021
Full Story

COVID-19    Vaccinations

Why COVID-19 Vaccines Don’t Work As Well In Immunocompromised Cancer Patients

Despite the growing threat of the Delta variant, many Americans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are living life much as they did pre-pandemic — traveling, shopping, going out to eat, and forgoing masks in many situations.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date August 13, 2021
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Faculty    Cardiothoracic Surgery

“Is There a Physician Onboard?”: Emergency over the Atlantic Reaffirms Surgeon’s Commitment to Helping

You know how it is trying to leave for vacation – there’s always one last thing to do, one last note to write, one last end to tie up before committing to the rest and relaxation.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date August 13, 2021
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Research    Education    Students

Second Annual Medical Student Summer Research Program Offers Mentorship and Hands-On Research Experience

Of all the lessons she learned during the eight-week Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSRP), Rose Castle, a rising second year at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who is interested in pursuing general surgery, drew her main takeaway outside the operating room.


Author Rachel Sauer | Publish Date August 10, 2021
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Research    Education    Magazine

Educational Pipelines Ensure Future Interest in Cancer Research

When you ask a classroom full of middle schoolers what they want to be when they grow up, you’re likely to get a range of answers, from “pro athletes” and “astronauts” to “musicians” and “movie stars.”


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date July 26, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery

Young Craniofacial Patient Battles Multiple Surgeries With Positive Outlook

“Basketball, playing with sheep, playing with goats, playing with dogs, horse camp, friends ...”

Nine-year-old Danner Plumhoff is rattling off a list of her summer plans. Many of these activities wouldn’t have been possible for her last summer, when she was fresh off an intensive craniofacial surgery. It was her biggest surgery to date, but as a child with a rare variant of Crouzon syndrome, it was hardly her first.


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date July 20, 2021
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Research   

Helping Working Cancer Caregivers Manage Stress

It’s difficult enough when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, but employed spouses of those who receive the diagnosis also are confronted with an array of practical problems. It’s now up to them to untangle issues around medical leave, health insurance, caregiving benefits, and more.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 14, 2021
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Education    Community   

Viral Tweet Puts Surgery Resident in the Spotlight

Matthew Bartley, MD, MS, has gone viral (as in trending in the world of social media).


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date July 01, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    Community   

Patients Now Have Immediate Access to Their Medical Records. How Can Providers Help Them Make Sense of the Data?

Patients’ rights advocates scored a major victory in April, when a provision went into effect that allows patients immediate access to all information in their medical records, including physician notes and test results. The change is part of the 21st Century Cures Act, which was passed by Congress in 2016 and continues to be updated.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 14, 2021
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Research    Honors    Head and Neck Cancer    Magazine    Funding

CU Cancer Center Receives Highly Competitive SPORE Grant for Head and Neck Cancer

Research and treatment of head and neck cancers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center reached a new level this month with a highly competitive Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The SPORE was approved by NCI Scientific Program leadership for FY2021 funding; the projected starting date is July 1.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date June 07, 2021
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Innovation    Education    Community   

Medical Students Help Create Surgical Training Tool to Meet Local and Global Needs

On May 19, 2021, more than 20 medical students from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, along with a handful of residents, fellows, and faculty members from the Department of Surgery, gathered in the home of Yihan Lin, MD, MPH, a cardiothoracic surgery fellow.


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date May 27, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Lung Cancer

From Debilitating Chemo to One Pill a Day for Lung Cancer

One of the most difficult nights of Hank Baskett Sr.’s life was the night he told his wife he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 24, 2021
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Research    COVID-19   

Are the COVID-19 Vaccines Good News for Cancer Care?

Long before RNA and mRNA became important parts of the COVID-19 vaccine conversation, researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were studying how RNA biology can improve diagnostics and therapeutics for a range of diseases.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date May 18, 2021
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Patient Care    Blood Cancer    Leukemia    Magazine    Clinical Trials

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Won’t Slow World Champion Triathlete Down

Siri Lindley couldn’t swim. She had never learned how and the idea of competing in a triathlon seemed completely out of the question.


Author Jessica Cordova | Publish Date May 16, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Patient’s Advice: Take It One Treatment at a Time

It feels odd to use the phrase “perfect timing” when talking about a cancer diagnosis, but that’s exactly how Tonya Quinn describes her experience being diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.  


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date May 12, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    GITES

Bariatric Surgery Public Health Initiative Improves Lives for Patients with Obesity

Fredric Pieracci, MD, MPH/MSPH, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Surgery, is the senior author on a new paper published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases that details the results of a public health initiative to provide affordable bariatric surgery to uninsured Denver County residents.  


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date April 28, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Cardiothoracic Surgery

University of Colorado Surgeon Performs State’s First COVID-19 Lung Transplant

Bryan Raymond was very nearly just another grim entry on the ever-growing list of COVID-19 fatalities. But thanks to efforts by faculty members in the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Department of Surgery, Raymond is a COVID statistic of a different sort — the first person in Colorado to receive a lung transplant related to the virus.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 26, 2021
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Patient Care    Pediatric Cancer    Magazine

CU Cancer Center Technology Gives Kids a Welcome Distraction During Radiation Treatment

Thirty days of radiation treatments — five days a week, with Saturdays and Sundays off — are difficult for even the toughest of adults. But for a child, they’re even harder to bear. They involve fasting, waking up early, and lying in a dark room alone, without even your parents there for support.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 21, 2021
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Patient Care    Community    Awareness    Health equity    Transplant Center

Two Transplant Doctors Explain the Basics of Organ Donation and What’s New in Transplants

April is National Donate Life Month — an awareness month that encourages Americans to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors and that honors those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date April 09, 2021
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Research    Patient Care   

Following Patients’ Progress After Surgery 

For the past nine years, the Surgical Outcomes and Applied Research (SOAR) group at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has been conducting research on health services within the Department of Surgery. A large part of that research has to do with clinical outcomes for surgery patients and how patients fare — in the short term and the long term — after an operation.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date April 07, 2021
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Education    Community    COVID-19   

Navigating Through the Pandemic

As they look back on one of the most challenging years in their medical careers, members of the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine remember the low points — the crowded emergency rooms, the delayed surgeries, the deaths from the disease — but they remember some high points as well.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date March 24, 2021
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Patient Care    Philanthropy    Prostate Cancer    Magazine

An Engineer Tackles the Problem of Prostate Cancer as a Patient and Financial Donor

Ashton Villars has always been a problem solver. As a competitive athlete in basketball, waterskiing, and tennis and an actual rocket scientist, Villars has tackled every challenge in life head on — including his prostate cancer diagnosis. Now, he’s bringing that same problem-solving spirit to supporting cancer research. 


Author Valerie Gleaton | Publish Date March 05, 2021
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Education    Community   

Johns Hopkins Director of Surgery Speaks at CU Surgery Department’s First DEI Lecture

“Diversity and inclusion in medicine can save lives.” That was the message from Robert Higgins, MD, MSHA, director of the Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date February 25, 2021
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Education    Community   

Resident Recounts Her Son’s NICU Battle in Essay for New England Journal of Medicine

As a resident in the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Heather Carmichael, MD, was accustomed to the emotional remove doctors have from their patients. The distance that allows surgeons to cut into someone without hesitation or to deliver bad news without falling apart.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date February 19, 2021
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Research    Education   

Medical Student Presents Research at Academic Surgical Congress

Eighteen physicians, residents, and medical students from the University of Colorado School of Medicine presented on their research this week at the Academic Surgical Congress, an annual convention hosted by the Society of University Surgeons.


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date February 05, 2021
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Education    Awareness

CU Cancer Center Celebrates World Cancer Day

For the past 20 years, the Union for International Cancer Control has designated February 4 as World Cancer Day — a day to raise awareness, improve education, and catalyze personal, collective, and government action around the deadly disease. The organization hopes to reduce the number of premature deaths from cancer and noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date February 02, 2021
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Research    Quality and Clinical Effectiveness

Practicing Fire Safety in the Operating Room

Edward Jones, MD, MS, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is a nationally recognized expert on preventing operating room (OR) fires.


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date January 13, 2021
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Research    Patient Care    Quality and Clinical Effectiveness

Safety and Quality Are a Primary Focus for the CU Department of Surgery

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new attention to the safety of patients during surgery. But long before the concerns brought on by coronavirus, the CU Department of Surgery was working to make patient safety a priority.


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date January 06, 2021
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Research    Vascular Surgery

The Pandemic’s Impact on Vascular Surgery

In a normal year, vascular surgeons would never postpone surgeries for patients with aortic or carotid disease or other conditions.


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date December 30, 2020
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Magazine

Increase in Cancer Deaths Predicted Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 is the most-talked-about health concern in 2020, but for many, it is not the deadliest disease. University of Colorado (CU) Cancer Center leadership is bringing attention to the fact that more people will die from cancer than COVID this year.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date December 22, 2020
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Education    Community    Plastic Surgery

Department of Surgery Makes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion a Priority

The racial reckoning occurring in America in a year that saw the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others touches nearly every aspect of society. From corporate boardrooms and HR departments to police forces and universities, assumptions are being questioned and priorities reexamined as we are reminded of the inequities that still exist for people of color.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 14, 2020
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Research    Cancer    Surgical Oncology

Untangling Medical Cannabis

Medical cannabis was legalized in Colorado in 2000, but 20 years later, Camille Stewart, MD, isn’t able to prescribe it to her patients. Nor is she able to dictate the dosage or frequency with which patients take the drug.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date December 07, 2020
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Community    Publications

Changes Needed to Address Financial Hardship from Cancer

Until you or a loved one are facing treatment for a cancer diagnosis, you may not realize the cost associated with treatment and doctor visits. Unfortunately, the cost is continuing to rise as new treatments are discovered and patients are responsible for more of those costs, even if they have health insurance coverage.


Author Cancer Center | Publish Date November 24, 2020
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Awareness    Pancreatic Cancer    Magazine    Surgical Oncology

Alex Trebek’s Death Raising Awareness and Questions About Pancreatic Cancer

Longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek announced it to the world on March 6, 2019: Like 50,000 other Americans each year, he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 11, 2020
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Sarcoma    Cancer

New Disney+ Movie Raising Awareness of Rare Cancer

A new movie streaming on Disney+ is shining a spotlight on a rare type of bone cancer that occurs most often in children and young adults.


Author Greg Glasgow | Publish Date November 02, 2020
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Patient Care    Plastic Surgery

Improving Confidence with Reconstructive Surgery After a Double Mastectomy

Knowing your family health history is one of the first steps to finding out if you may have a higher risk of cancer and might need early screenings. Ela Carta is no stranger to the struggles of having a family history of cancer. At the age of 30, Carta’s aunt, Audie, began urging Carta to get a mammogram. With a long family history of breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease, Carta knew she had to be proactive with her health.


Author Chanthy Na | Publish Date October 21, 2020
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Research    Patient Care    Community    Prostate Cancer    Cancer    Urology

Former Broncos Punter Wants Men to Share Their Experience With Prostate Cancer

Growing up, Douglas “Bucky” Dilts was all too familiar with the dangers of cancer. “My mother ran a cancer tumor registry at St Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia for over 25 years. She was always telling us about different types of cancer, so cancer was always at the forefront.”  


Author Department of Surgery | Publish Date September 23, 2020
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Patient Care    Community    Plastic Surgery

Cleft Lip Reconstruction Transforms Jennifer's Outlook Making Her Brave Enough to Teach

As a young child, Jennifer Falomir-Lopez just wanted to look “normal” like all the other kids. She knew she was different but couldn’t explain to her friends why she looked different. Jennifer was born with a cleft lip and cleft alveolus.


Author Chanthy Na | Publish Date July 28, 2020
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School of Medicine In the News

Medscape

Systemic Viral Testing in Emergency Departments Has Limited Benefit for General Population

news outletMedscape
Publish DateMarch 14, 2024

“Acute respiratory tract illnesses represent one of the most common reasons for being evaluated in an acute care setting, especially in pediatrics, and these visits have traditionally resulted in excessive antibiotic prescribing, despite the etiology of the infection mostly being viral,” said Suchitra Rao, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and associate medical director of infection prevention and control at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.

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Science Daily

Should doctors screen all kids for type 1 diabetes?

news outletScience Daily
Publish DateMarch 13, 2024

Millions worldwide live with type 1 diabetes, and for most the diagnosis came as a shock, following mysterious symptoms such as thirst and weight loss.

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Nature

Why are so many young people getting cancer? What the data say

news outletNature
Publish DateMarch 13, 2024

Of the many young people whom Cathy Eng has treated for cancer, the person who stood out the most was a young woman with a 65-year-old’s disease. 

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MedPage Today

Three Trials Examine Dupilumab in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma

news outletMedPage Today
Publish DateMarch 12, 2024

In this first of four exclusive episodes, MedPage Today brought together three expert leaders in the field -- moderator Michael Wechsler of National Jewish Health in Denver [and professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], is joined by Flavia Hoyte, also of National Jewish Health [and associate professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], and Leonard Bacharie of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee -- for a virtual roundtable discussion on the encouraging new data from these dupilumab studies.

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