Dr. Greg Davis On Medicine

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s ACTION program has published the latest edition of its book, “Cancer in Appalachia: A Collection of Youth-told Stories, Volume Two.” The collection features fictional short stories and poems by high school and undergraduate students from Appalachian Kentucky who participate in Markey’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program. Dr. Greg talks with Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., director of the ACTION program and the book’s co-editor.

Dr. Annie Koempel is an anthropologist on the research team of the Lexington-based American Board of Family Medicine. She and a colleague recently conducted a study showing that despite all our progress, women in medicine are still not fairly compensated and recognized for their leadership and mentoring. The downstream effect is that this lack can result in poorer health care.

We have known for decades that smoking tobacco is bad for your health. Quitting smoking is probably the single best change a person can make not only for prevention of heart disease, but for their overall health. So why don't more people do it? Dr. Greg seeks answers from Peter Haigh, M.D., a noninvasive cardiologist at UK HealthCare’s Gill Heart & Vascular Institute.

Pete Nelson, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UK Sanders-Brown tells us about this year's two-day symposium, Friday October 31 and Saturday November 1, which features a daylong scientific meeting with poster session followed by a half-day community session to which the public is invited free of charge. An “Ask the Experts” panel is a popular component of the community session.

The mission of the One Health Center Initiative is to increase awareness of One Health by conducting multidisciplinary research — recognizing the health of people, animals and the environment are intricately linked and interdependent. One example of that might be looking at the rise of Alpha Gal syndrome which is transmitted through tick bites. Through these vital connections, the initiative focuses on solving complex health challenges, ranging from zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance to environmental exposures. Dr. Greg talks with S. Reddy Palli, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Entomology at Martin-Gatton CAFE, Bill Gatton Foundation Distinguished Professor and the state entomologist.

Molecular epidemiologist Krystle Kuhs, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in the College of Public Health, leads three large clinical studies evaluating biomarker-based screening for early detection of HPV-driven throat cancer, a rapidly increasing cancer that disproportionately affects Kentuckians, especially in Appalachia, and for which no screening methods exist. She talks about the effort on this week's edition of Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine.

A fall can happen to anyone, at any age, place or time. For adults age 65 and older, falling can be frightening and a serious health matter — not only for the physical repercussions of falling, but the emotional trauma which often occurs afterwards. Dr. Greg talks with Amie Peel, a registered nurse and UK Trauma’s outreach and education coordinator, about a new Falls Prevention collaboration with the Lexington Senior Center.

Last month new federal guidance from Health and Human Services Cabinet Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. regarding acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, sent shockwaves throughout the medical community. Dr. Greg speaks one-on-one with Kentucky Cabinet for Health Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack about what patients, particularly pregnant women, should do in the wake of the new recommendations.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and we're rolling out this new episode with Julie Cerel, Ph.D., professor in the College of Social Work (CoSW) at the University of Kentucky, who recently was honored with the Norman Farberow Award for Bereavement and Lived Experience by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The award recognizes her transformative research, which expands understanding of the impact of suicide on families, friends and entire communities.

Perhaps you've heard lately in the news about something called alpha gal red meat allergy. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Heather Norman Bergdorf, associate extension professor in the UK College of Culture, Food, and Environment about Alpha-gal syndrome.

Kentucky has a high prevalence of persons with hearing loss that ranks us third per capita nationally. Kentucky also has a shortage of audiologists, particularly in rural areas - Two pressing reasons why the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences is adding a new audiology doctoral degree program beginning in Summer of 2026. Dr. Greg talks with Anne Olson, Ph.D., CSD department chair in the College of Health Sciences and Jennifer Shinn, Ph.D., chief of audiology in the College of Medicine.

The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC), part of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, has launched the Kentucky Injury-Free Academy (KIFA), a new initiative designed to support local teams in developing and strengthening community-based violence prevention strategies. Dr. Greg talks with program manager Catherine Hines.

Kentuckians continue to face many health challenges. And in the current political climate in Washington, those challenges have been increased. This week Doctor Greg talks with Steven Stack; secretary of the cabinet for health and family services for the Commonwealth of Kentucky about some of those new challenges.

As we age it becomes more and more important to do some sort of regular strength training in order to maintain balance, agility, and independence. Dr. Greg's guest, exercise physiologist Sheila Kalas talks about just that.

Forty years ago, the National Institute on Aging launched its Alzheimer disease research center grants program, and the UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging was among the prestigious first class of just 10 awardees. Dr. Greg talks about that designation, the mission of Sanders Brown, and its future with Doctor Linda Van Eldik, director of the UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging.

Period poverty is a global community health dilemma that has long been overlooked. A condition described as having insufficient access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation facilities. This week Dr. Greg talks with Skylar Davis, who has taken it upon herself to address period poverty through her nonprofit, Period Y'all.

A CDC study shows that 1 in 10 Americans gets a tick bite every year on average. This year, the CDC reported that Emergency room visits from Tick bites are at the highest levels since 2019. The CDC has recorded just under 450 Emergency Department visits in the US so far this year, with 250 of those in the Southeast. With that new info as a backdrop we’re revisiting this interview Dr. Greg did earlier this year with UK extension entomologist Jonathan Larson.

This week on Dr. Greg we continue to take an in-depth look at what and how today's medical students are learning. We usually expect our physicians to know just about everything about us and to give us advice on just about every topic. One area that has traditionally been lacking in medical education is nutritional aspects of patient care. A new gift account has been established in the UK College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences to expand nutrition education for health care professionals in training across the College of Medicine. The initiative, led by Sara Police, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and nutritional sciences, aims to integrate more comprehensive, evidence-based nutrition content into medical education to better equip future physicians with the tools to address nutrition-related aspects of patient care. Sara talks about the project with Dr. Greg.

Summer is a time when emergency rooms often fill up due to injuries involving children. Doctor Roger Humphries is chair of the department of emergency medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He says most dog attacks are preventable if people, especially kids, heed the warning signs.

Designed as a four-week capstone, the University of Kentucky's Transition to Residency course begins after Match Day and concludes before graduation. It offers students hands-on training in patient communication, emergency scenarios and simulations tailored to their future specialties. Dr. Greg talks with Kristen Fletcher, M.D., co-course director and an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine.