Health Sciences In The Media

Dr. Shad Marvasti, associate professor and director of public health prevention and health promotion curriculum at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, discusses why he thinks it is a good idea to bring back mask mandates to combat the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Some experts suggested the CDC should follow the World Health Organization's lead on requiring face masks to reduce the spread of the highly contagious variant. “The CDC needs to act quickly, without waiting, to follow the WHO guidelines and ask everyone to put the masks back on so we can stay open, protect folks, and keep the economy going,” Shad Fani Marvasti, MD, a professor at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, told Yahoo Finance Live. This article has appeared in 38 newspapers throughout the U.S.

Evidence-based medicine in general can have a tendency to delay decisions and wait for more evidence despite no clear point at which the new evidence will be sufficient. There’s an idea that staying conservative is what preserves trust. But it’s not surprising to experts to see that idea backfire – it just shows that risk analysis is a thing that even scientists have a hard time coming to grips with. “People want public health, including the CDC, to tell them exactly what they can and cannot do, and that’s not possible,” said Saskia Popescu, an adjunct professor of public health at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

G. Marie Swanson, founding dean and professor emerita of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, writes a letter to the editor about Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and mask requirements at Arizona's public universities.

Quitting smoking is a challenge for many Americans, but according to Dr. Alicia Allen, women in postpartum may have it the hardest. "Even though half, or maybe even 60% of pregnant women, quit smoking, almost all of them relapse within a year of having a baby. That's what we're trying to prevent," said Allen, an assistant professor at the College of Medicine – Tucson. Allen is leading up what is called the PEACH Project.

"The study is impressive in its scope, presenting comprehensive genomic profiling of the longitudinal samples from multiple patients," said Suwon Kim, PhD, an associate professor of basic medical sciences at the College of Medicine – Phoenix. "The results are significant, revealing the emergence of the alternate specific pathways in single tumor cells as they become resistant to CDK inhibitors and endocrine therapy. The study findings offer opportunities for evidence-guided therapeutic intervention for therapy-resistant breast cancer." Kim was not involved in the research.

A new study finds that tai chi may reduce depression, anxiety and stress, as well as improve sleep, in people who have had a stroke. "Tai chi practice allows the individual to quiet the mind by dwelling in the present and setting aside unnecessary negative emotions, such as depression," said study co-author Ruth Taylor-Piliae, an associate professor at the College of Nursing.

Lynn B. Gerald, PhD., MSPH, Canyon Ranch endowed chair and professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, has been appointed to the American Lung Association Leadership Board.

The College of Medicine – Tucson earned its best ranking on the U.S. News & World Report diversity index – tied for No. 17 overall and tied for No. 13 among public universities.

As part of Walmart's Health and Wellness Giving Day, Walmart Neighborhood Markets across the country are committing to award more than $1 million to local organizations that support health and wellness in their communities. The largest grant of $20,000 is going to The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center Minority Outreach Program.