News Releases

AZ HEROES Research Study Awarded $15M to Continue, Expand Evaluation of COVID-19 Immunity, Vaccine Effectiveness

July 21, 2021

A research study that started by analyzing COVID-19 immunity and vaccine effectiveness in frontline workers is broadening to include children.

Karen Lutrick, PhD, and Shawn Bietel visited the laboratory where production of the AZ HEROES kits that are mailed to study participants each week takes place. The study was recently funded for a second year through a $15 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

College of Medicine – Tucson Medical Students to Receive White Coats

July 19, 2021

Medical students, 120 each in the Class of 2025 and Class of 2024, will receive the frocks of their future profession at Centennial Hall events.

Study Shows Cannabis Terpenes Provide Pain Relief, Contribute to ‘Entourage Effect’

July 14, 2021

Researchers in the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center have found that terpenes mimic cannabinoids and produce similar pain-relieving effects.

Terpenes are found in many plants, and new research has demonstrated a terpene/cannabinoid interaction that showed positive results in controlling pain.

Bacteria Are Key to Vaginal Health, UArizona Health Sciences Researchers Say

July 13, 2021

A recent study by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix defines a mechanistic role for an understudied bacteria family in gynecologic disease.

A new study examined how specific bacteria alter the vaginal microenvironment and ultimately influence the balance between health and disease.

Researchers Take a Step Toward Advancing Precision Hormone Therapies to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk

July 9, 2021

When it comes to post-menopausal hormone therapy, the type, route and duration all play a role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Women on hormone therapy were less likely to develop neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, according to a University of Arizona Health Sciences study. The findings could lead to the development of a precision medicine approach to preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

‘Helpers Stay Quit’ Study Seeks to Keep Newly Quit Smokers from Relapsing

July 7, 2021

A UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson study aims to reduce relapse rates of recently quit smokers by training them to help others quit smoking.

Helpers Stay Quit is the first study to examine the effects of the helper-therapy principle – the idea that receiving help from people who are also in recovery results in lower relapse rates and is beneficial for maintaining abstinence – on smokers and former smokers.

UArizona Center for Rural Health Receives $4.4M Federal Grant to Continue Health Services to Rural Arizona

July 1, 2021

The support of the Arizona Center for Rural Health assures Arizona’s rural populations will continue to benefit from health programs and services.

Many rural communities in Arizona are isolated from human services and health care providers, which are concentrated in the urban areas around Phoenix and Tucson.

New Undergraduate Degree Will Focus on Wellness and Health Promotion

June 30, 2021

A new Bachelor of Arts in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice prepares students to work in emerging roles such as health educators and wellness coaches.

The Bachelor of Arts in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice will prepare students for a variety of careers such as as community health workers, health educators or health coaches.

COVID-19 Vaccine Reduces Severity, Length, Viral Load for Those Who Still Get Infected

June 30, 2021

Real-world data from the AZ HEROES study show COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections, and when breakthrough infections do occur, the level of infection and impact of the disease are significantly reduced.

Among 3,975 study participants, SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified in five participants who were fully vaccinated and 11 who were partially vaccinated, as well as in 156 unvaccinated participants. Approximately half of the participants were from Arizona study sites.

Study Finds Breast Cancer’s Response to Tumor Stiffness May Predict Bone Metastasis

June 30, 2021

A score that quantifies the changes that make breast cancer cells more aggressive could help identify patients at risk for bone metastasis.