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.