Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine

February is Children's Dental Health Month. This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we welcome Dr Emily Winfrey from the UK College of Dentistry to talk about Kentucky's poor oral health ranking and the renewed effort by some politicians to pass legislation making water fluoridation optional in Kentucky communities.

February is American Heart Month, dedicated to raising awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for U.S. women. Dr. Greg talks with Nouran Sorour, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine in the UK College of Medicine and cardiologist at UK HealthCare's Gill Heart & Vascular Institute, about why heart disease is so often undiagnosed in women.

Antibiotics have long served as a foundation of modern veterinary medicine, especially in livestock animals. Yet a growing public health threat looms as bacteria evolve to evade these vital drugs. A new study from the University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment reveals that antibiotic resistance in cattle-associated bacteria could have far-reaching implications for human, animal and environmental health. Dr. Greg talks with Yosra Helmy, associate professor of One Health and Infectious Diseases in the Department of Veterinary Science and One Health Center researcher, who led the study.

Imagine being able to see the invisible—amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and metabolic changes in the living brain. This is no longer science fiction; it's reality at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Greg discusses this new cutting edge diagnostic tool with UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging researcher Dr. Gregory Jicha.

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Patricio Meneses, Academic Dean of Allied Health and Nursing at Bluegrass Community College and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Jordan Hatchett about the prevention of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine.

A potentially severe flu variant spreading globally has experts recommending that Kentuckians add influenza preparedness to their to-do lists. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Nicholas Van Sickles, medical director of UK HealthCare's Infection Prevention and Control.

This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we talk with Zachary DeVries who is leading a team of researchers at UK on a project to develop a complete and durable approach to cockroach control in affordable housing. The initiative is funded by a nearly $1 million cooperative agreement with HUD.

Every year, Poison Control Centers in the U.S. receive more than a million calls related to accidental poisonings in young children, and thousands are treated in emergency departments. A child is rushed to the ER roughly every nine minutes because they've accessed medication. During the holiday season, these incidents increase as families gather, routines shift and visitors bring purses, coats or travel bags into homes where young children are eager to explore. Dr. Greg talks with Kyle Bryan, Pharm.D., practice implementation pharmacist and adjunct assistant professor of pharmacy practice and science.

Despite knowing for decades that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective, the Centers for Disease Control advisors, many of them hand-picked by Secretary of Health and Human Services and noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Junior, recently voted to overturn decades long policy on this vaccine for infants. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Steven Stack; a board certified emergency physician and Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services about the controversial decision.

This week Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, about how important maintaining bone health is for all women. Dr. Wittstein recently conducted a coffee talk on this very subject for the Active Girls Healthy Women group at UK.

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.

Summer is nearly here, bringing with it hot, sunny days. And nowhere do you feel those hot temps more than in the car. A hot car is more than just uncomfortable — it can be deadly to small children. Dr. Greg talks with Sherri Hannan, Kentucky Children's Hospital nurse and coordinator for Save Kids Fayette County about things you can do to make sure this doesn't happen to you or your loved ones.

We recently observed World Hearing Month. The World Health Organization Office of Prevention of Blindness and Deafness would like to raise awareness of how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote hearing and ear health across the world. Dr. Greg talks all things hearing with local audiologist Karah Gottschalk.

This Saturday June 7 from 9am to 1pm, at Frederick Douglass High School, Truck-A-Palooza will bring folks up close and personal with the employees and trucks of our city that keep us operating smoothly on a daily basis. The first two hours of the event (9a - 11a) will be reserved for those with sensory issues. Dr. Greg talks about this increasingly popular trend with Angela Poe, senior program manager for the city of Lexington and for Environmental Quality and Public Works.

Neural connections rapidly develop in early childhood, but the brain continues to grow and refine these connections throughout our lives, even into older adulthood. That's why enriching experiences — such as traveling, socializing, education, and exercise — are particularly impactful for the brain and need to keep happening throughout our lives. Staying engaged is the topic of discussion this week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine. Elizabeth Rhodus, Ph.D., is an occupational therapist and assistant professor in UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.

Each semester, emergency medicine residents at UK HealthCare participate in Wilderness Medical Day. It's a day dedicated to learning and practicing skills that are needed in a wilderness emergency. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Blake Davidson, UK College of Medicine assistant program director, emergency medicine residency about the unique challenges emergency personnel face in remote locations where time is of the essence.

May is mental health awareness month in which we highlight the importance of mental well-being and help break the stigma around mental health issues. Dr. Greg has a frank discussion with Doctor Teresa Gevedon, a faculty member at the University of Kentucky and acting chair of the UK Department of Psychiatry.

The eyes of the world have been on Kentucky these last few weeks with the buildup to the Kentucky Derby. Much has been made of the million dollar four-legged athletes, but what about the other component of the duo; the rider? The University of Kentucky Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI) is specifically aiming to find what, where and who needs their targeted interventions that can be designed to help improve safety. Dr. Greg talks with Kimberly Tumlin, Ph.D., UK College of Health Sciences assistant professor and research director of the Equestrian Athlete Initiative.

Imagine a world where every individual plays an active role in preventing violence — where simple actions lead to a profound impact on creating a more safe and supportive community. This is the vision behind the “Green Dot” program — a nationwide strategy aimed at reducing interpersonal violence through everyday actions. Dr. Greg talks with Lenzi Dodgen, acting director of UK's Violence Intervention Prevention Center. Housed in the Office for Student Success, VIP is working, through the “Green Dot” program, to empower students, faculty and staff to recognize and intervene in situations that could lead to violence.

It's springtime in the Commonwealth, and one of the things many of us do is get outside into our garden, in the woods and on hikes. But as we all know we aren't doing these things alone, and according to UK extension entomologist Jonathan Larson, there's one type of insect in particular we all need to keep an eye out for.

April is National Dog Bite Prevention Awareness month and Dr. Greg's guest has seen his share of them. 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.

The UK College of Dentistry's 2023 Kentucky early learners oral health surveillance project found that dental decay rates for Kentucky children aged two to five are significantly higher than the national average. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Pamela Stein, professor in the division of public health dentistry in the UK College of Dentistry about what can be done to improve on the numbers.

It is estimated that more than 14,000 women in the United States suffer from cervical cancer each year. Kentucky has a higher cervical cancer burden than most states, with an incidence rate of 9.6 cases per 100,000 women. Many of those cases were preventable, according to this week's guest, Charles S. Dietrich III, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at the UK Markey Cancer Center.

We've heard a lot in recent weeks about proposed federal cuts to research in science and health. Dr. Greg's guest today talks about potential impacts to us all. Doctor Sudip Parikh is chief executive officer and executive publisher of the American Association for the Advancement of Science based in Arlington, Virginia. He also appeared recently on NPR's Science Friday.

This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we examine the increase in cases of measles across the country. More than two decades ago, measles — a highly contagious and potentially deadly childhood disease — was declared eliminated in the United States. So far in 2025, multiple measles outbreaks have been identified across the country, a child in Texas has died from the disease and in late February, Kentucky recorded its first measles case in two years. Dr. Greg talks with Nicholas Van Sickels, M.D., medical director for Infection Prevention and Control at UK HealthCare.

The department of behavioral science at the University of Kentucky has created a fellowship called the health disparities research training fellowship in order to enhance medical students' understanding of health and health care disparities experienced by disadvantaged and underserved populations. Doctor Raven Piercy, faculty member in the UK department of behavioral sciences in the College of Medicine, talks about it with our Dr. Greg.