Health Sciences In The Media

Most public health experts agree that herd immunity is not really a wise approach to defeat COVID-19. “We don't have anywhere near the percentage of the population exposed, infected and recovered or somehow immunized to COVID-19 yet. We're not going to get to herd immunity until much more people are exposed to the virus or if we have a vaccine which will enable people to get immunity,” said Dr. Shad Marvasti, a public health expert with the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix.

Ben Conner, a third-year MD/PhD student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, is studying a robotic walking therapy for children with cerebral palsy.

University of Arizona College of Nursing Assistant Professor Jessica Rainbow and Chloe Littzen, a nursing PhD candidate, are seeking ways to mitigate nurse burnout which has intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. They are conducting research that will describe the experiences of frontline nurses prior to, and during, the COVID-19 pandemic.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time to share resources and stories that shed light on a stigmatized topic. In Gila County alone, veterans are nearly twice as likely than the general population to die by suicide. In an effort to prevent suicide and support veterans, their families and the community at large, the University of Arizona’s Center for Rural Health partnered with the Arizona Coalition for Military Families to expand the Be Connected veteran support program in rural southern Arizona counties, including Gila.

Black in Microbiology Week is the latest in a series of virtual events highlighting Black scientists in a variety of disciplines. “This is really a chance to welcome new voices and amplify those that have not been heard,” said Michael D. L. Johnson, a microbiologist and immunologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, who will take part in Friday’s Black in Bacteriology panel.

In an article published in Nature Genetics, researchers confirm that about 14% of all cases of cerebral palsy may be linked to a patient’s genes and suggest that many of those genes control how brain circuits become wired during early development. This conclusion is based on the largest genetic study of cerebral palsy ever conducted. Michael Kruer, M.D., a neurogeneticist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix is a senior author of the article.

Researchers from the University of Arizona are studying front-line workers who have been infected with COVID-19 and those workers who are at increased risk of getting infected with the coronavirus. The goal is to understand immunity after exposure. Dr. Jeff Burgess, Associate Dean of Research at the UA College of Public Health discusses the Arizona HEROES project.

Dr. Shad Marvasti, Director of Public Health at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix says Labor Day weekend did not lead to a big case spike and numbers appear to show safety protocols and restrictions are working.

“Arizona has been hit particularly hard for adults,” said Joe Gerald, an associate professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health who creates COVID-19 forecast models. “It’s not surprising that children have also been hit hard.” That higher infection rate, combined with the state’s relatively young population, means more young people are getting the virus, Gerald said. About a quarter of Arizonans are 19 or younger – about 59% of them Hispanic.

Researchers at the University of Arizona are preparing to make history. Dr. Meredith Hay is leading a team at the UA College of Medicine preparing the first potential drug to treat vascular dementia the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's.