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Non-smokers aged 18-40 are sought for a research trial at the University of Louisville examining how flavors added to tobacco may lead to harmful outcomes.
The “Flavor and Addiction to e-Cigarette and Tobacco Toxicity” trial — or FACTT — is carried out by the American Heart Association Tobacco Research and Addiction Center at UofL. Principal investigator for the trial is Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D., who also currently has ongoing toxicological studies of tobacco and nicotine to identify which chemicals are harmful and can be regulated.
The center was established in 2013 with a $10.7 million grant from the NIH and FDA. Under the leadership of director Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., the center conducts multidisciplinary research to help shape the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as they are regulated by the FDA.
UofL is building a body of research in the potential hazards of electronic cigarettes. In 2014, Bhatnagar chaired the 10-member panel of national experts that developed the American Heart Association’s first-ever policy statement on e-cigarettes, citing the paucity of research that has been conducted on the effects of e-cigarettes on health.
Another researcher with the UofL center, Daniel Conklin, Ph.D., is currently researching links between e-cigarette ingredients and cardiovascular conditions; Earlier this year, Conklin was invited to present his first findings showing the link between e-cigarette ingredients and atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for its Annual Meeting.
To be eligible for the FACTT trial, participants must not only be non-smokers, they also must be unmedicated and otherwise healthy. The trial requires a one-time visit for a blood draw at the center in the Delia Baxter Building at 580 S. Preston St. on the UofL Health Sciences Center campus.
Qualified participants will receive a $30 prepaid spending card. For more details and to sign up for the trial, contact the center at ATRAC@louisville.edu or 502-852-4236.
Acting University of Louisville President Neville Pinto has selected veteran faculty member and current Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Enrollment Management Dale Billingsley to serve as acting executive vice president and university provost. Billingsley’s appointment is effective Aug. 15.
A 38-year member of the UofL faculty, Billingsley currently serves as professor of English in addition to his vice provost duties. He is a former Faculty Senate chair and a 21-year member of the provost’s senior staff.
“Dr. Billingsley is intimately familiar with the workings of the university and the provost’s office,” Pinto said. “He is respected and admired by the entire university community, having served in various roles in his department, his unit and university-wide.”
Pinto said Billingsley will oversee the continued implementation of the 21st Century University Initiative, a plan to position UofL for excellence for decades to come.
He noted that Billingsley previously had announced his intention to step down from his role as vice provost and return to the classroom in 2017. “When the new appointment ends, he plans to return to the classroom to teach until his retirement,” Pinto said.
Billingsley received his B.A. magna cum laude in English and history from Texas Christian University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was a Rotary International Fellow at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and returned to the United States for graduate study in Renaissance literature at Yale University, where he earned master of arts, master of philosophy and doctorate degrees.
Billingsley received the 1998 Trustees’ Award for his contributions to the student experience at the university. In 2007 he received Distinguished Service Awards from the College of Arts and Sciences and the university. In 2009 he received the Harold Adams Award from the university’s Office of Student Affairs “for his unwavering support for both students and the university.”
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced 10 new appointments to the University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees.
“Today marks the dawning of a new day for the University of Louisville,” said Gov. Bevin. “With gratitude for those who have served in the past, we now look eagerly to the future. These newly appointed board members embody the professional experience, leadership skills and core values needed to more efficiently and effectively oversee, govern and manage the affairs of the University. This diverse group of individuals would be qualified to sit on any post-secondary board in America, and I am thankful for their willingness to serve the University of Louisville. I am confident that they will build upon the University’s many successes by governing with the utmost integrity and transparency.”
The University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees is responsible for providing governance and oversight for the University’s administration and is accountable for the health, reputation and integrity of the University community in all aspects.
The new permanent Board consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor, plus a member of the teaching faculty, a permanent staff member and a student member serving as president of the student body, for a total of 13 members.
Below is a list of the appointments made to the University of Louisville Board of Trustees:
- J. David Grissom, of Louisville, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2022.
- John H. Schnatter, of Louisville, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2021.
- Sandra Frazier, of Louisville, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2020.
- Nitin Sahney, of Prospect, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2020.
- Bonita K. Black, of Crestwood, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2019.
- Douglas Cobb, of Prospect, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2019.
- Ulysses Lee Bridgeman Jr., of Louisville, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2018.
- Ronald L. Wright, MD, of Prospect, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2018.
- Dale J. Boden, of Louisville, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2017.
- Diane B. Medley, of Ekron, Ky., for a term expiring June 29, 2017.
A research team from the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville has received a $5 million grant to fund the “4 Your Child Project”. The project is hoping to connect fathers, who do not have custody of their children, with resources to enable them to be an active part of their children’s lives.
The program is working with the Kentucky Office of Child Support Enforcement to help fathers. The program hopes to help about 1500 families. The program features group-based parent education and individual case management that will help these fathers become financially independent and develop parents skills to become responsible fathers.
More information about the project can be found on the 4 Your Child’s website.
Governor Matt Bevin, after months of talking with University of Louisville President James Ramsey, issued an executive order that dismissed the UofL Board of Trustees that were appointed. The members that were elected by students and faculty will remain. Governor Bevin will appoint a three-member team to serve for two weeks until the new board can be appointed.
The new board will consist of 13 members; 10 of which will be appointed by the Governor. Along with the dismantling of the board, President Ramsey also submitted a letter of resignation to the Governor, which will take effect as soon as the new board is appointed.
The order comes after multiple scandals at the university: the basketball-escort scandal, the dean at the school of education being indicted for defrauding the university, an FBI probe into misuse of federal grant money and a state audit into the relationship between the UofL Foundation and the Board of Trustees.
UofL is first medical school with two awardees in the same year
Betty Coffman
UofL News
MAY 24, 2016
Photo: UofL News
Jessica Eaton and Mackenzie Flynn, students in the University of Louisville School of Medicine, will delay their fourth year of medical school to spend nine months conducting medical research in Malawi and Kenya. Thanks to Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health for 2016-2017, Eaton plans to research the causes and assess the outcomes of brain and spinal cord injuries in Lilongwe, Malawi, and Flynn will work with pregnant HIV-positive women in Nairobi, Kenya to determine whether text messaging can increase compliance with treatments to prevent HIV transmission to their infants.
Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships are offered for students enrolled in medical school or a graduate program in public health through a partnership between the U.S. government’s Fulbright international study program and the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health. This is the first time two students in the same medical school have received Fulbright-Fogarty fellowships in a single year.
Eaton and Flynn have cultivated their interest in global health through participation in the Distinction in Global Health track (DIGH) at UofL, a supplemental curriculum for students in the school of medicine that introduces students to aspects of global health through clinical, social, political and epidemiological study.
“The Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship is a great opportunity to participate in real-world experience in global health research,” said Bethany Hodge, M.D., M.P.H., director of the DIGH track and the UofL School of Medicine’s Global Education Office. “These experiences will take their academic skills to a higher level and prepare them for careers in global health.”
As part of her research, Eaton will conduct a retrospective review of trauma records to determine the causes of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries (TBI/SCI) as well as their treatment outcomes. In addition, she will conduct research to identify the best predictors of surgical outcomes in TBI/SCI patients using the patient’s signs and symptoms to determine a surgical plan since the hospital lacks advanced imaging facilities such as CT or MRI. Eaton will conduct her research at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, Malawi under the guidance of Anthony Charles, M.D., M.P.H., and other faculty with the UNC Malawi Surgical Initiative. She will use the surgical initiative’s trauma and surgical registry, one of the largest such registries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“As a medical student planning to pursue neurosurgery and dreaming of practicing overseas in the places where I am most needed, I couldn’t have crafted a better learning opportunity for myself,” Eaton said. Continue reading
Christmas Baskets to be delivered on Saturday, December 19th
Councilwoman Mary C. Woolridge will join members of the Louisville (KY) Alumni and Alpha Omicron (Undergraduate Members at the University of Louisville) Chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Louisville Kappa League for a very special task on Saturday, December 19th.
Their holiday mission is to deliver Christmas Meal Baskets to needy families throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
“The holiday season is a time of giving from those of us who can help to those in need. There are many families in our community who would not have a good holiday if it were not for the generosity of others,” says Woolridge. “Kappa Alpha Psi is a dedicated organization of caring individuals in our city who understand this need and I am honored to work with them.”
Kappa Alpha Psi began this annual initiative after deciding those in need should not go without food on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Joining Councilwoman Woolridge and the Fraternity in this effort are First Choice Food Market, which is located in District 3, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, and the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS).
“We are thankful for Councilwoman Woolridge – for all the support that she gives to Kappa and the compassion that she shows to the residents of our city,” says Noah L. Lucas, President of the Louisville (KY) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. “Compassion, community service, and giving are all ingredients to a healthy and blessed holiday spirit. Our fraternity has a rich tradition of community service, especially at this time of year. The Councilwoman continues her tradition of being a supporting partner year after year. We are delighted to continue this collaboration with the Councilwoman, First Choice Food Market, Big Brother Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, and the National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS).”
Kappa Alpha Psi has already identified the families in need and on Saturday, will deliver Christmas baskets with food to cook a full course meal that will feed at least four people. Since 1984, over 1,150 baskets have been delivered during the holidays. This equates to over 39,500 pounds of food.
“Kappa Alpha Psi provides a great benefit to the community and they are also using this program as a teaching moment. I commend the members for showing younger members the positive benefits of community service,” says Woolridge. “While this is a special time of year, we must always remember those who are less fortunate who need a helping hand.”
The Louisville (KY) Alumni and Alpha Omicron chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi will purchase food items to create the boxes to be packaged and delivered from First Choice Food Market. Each box will represent one of the 10 founders of the 104 year old fraternity. Kappa will also deliver baskets to widows of the fraternity’s members who have passed away. Members of Kappa Alpha Psi’s youth mentoring program – Louisville Kappa League will also play a big role in preparation and delivery of the baskets.
“Achievement is one of the mottos that we live by and build upon, and that’s what we are doing with the young men that we mentor – we are training them to achieve in all human endeavors – with compassion and selflessness at the forefront. We are training them to achieve common goals as a team and cohesive unit, or what we like to call – as a family. We instill in them that, achievement through community service and giving back is at the core of a true leader,” says Noah L. Lucas.
Here is the schedule for the Kappa Christmas Meal Giveaway on Saturday, December 19, 2015:
9:00 AM Meet at First Choice Food Market for set up
10:00 AM-12:00 PM Delivery of Baskets to Families
