Dr. Greg Davis On Medicine

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.

Bringing a baby into the world is often portrayed as one of life’s happiest moments. While this is true for many, it’s also normal to feel overwhelmed during the postpartum period. Mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth and affect 1 in 5 mothers/childbearing people (800,000 people) annually in the United States. This week Dr. Greg talks post partum mental health with Brittney Gray, Psy.D., assistant professor of pediatric psychology in the UK College of Medicine and psychologist with Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky are part of a groundbreaking clinical trial exploring the use of medical marijuana in managing symptoms of late-stage dementia. Greg Jicha, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist and director of clinical trials at UK’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging,talks with Dr. Greg about the National Institutes of Health-funded and Food and Drug Administration-approved LiBBY Study examining the potential benefits of cannabis-derived treatments for addressing agitation and discomfort in patients with advanced dementia, a population with limited palliative care options.

February is American Heart Health Month. There's no better time to revisit this interview with Allison Bailey; a cardiologist with UK's Gill Heart Institute.

Since opening its doors July 30, 2024, UK HealthCare’s Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing unit (EmPATH) at Eastern State Hospital, has already helped more than 1,800 people get the help they need. Dr. Greg talks with Lindsey Jasinski, Ph.D., chief administrative officer at ESH about the mission and goals of the facility.

Data shows that about 1 in 26 individuals will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime, and Kentucky has about 50,000 active cases of epilepsy. Dr. Greg's guest talks about a new program addressing the care of those individuals. Sukriti Kapoor is a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington and is the president of the student technology leadership program. She also founded a new program called Seizure Smart to equip not only teachers but students with the tools to handle epileptic-related emergencies.

The Kentucky Cancer Action Plan (KY CAP) is the state’s blueprint for cancer prevention and control by 2030. It was developed with the input of over 100 Kentucky Cancer Consortium (KCC) partners from across the Commonwealth. The KY CAP gives partners and communities a voice, provides evidence-based strategies, and can be used to inform policy change. It communicates the shared vision for all Kentuckians to have the ability to reduce their cancer risk, detect cancer early, access quality treatment and support for survivors and caregivers. Dr. Greg talks one-on-one with Elaine Russell, Coordinator of the Kentucky Cancer Consortium about the first update the program has seen for 10 years.

In this week's edition of Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine, Lindsay Ragsdale, M.D., chief medical officer for Kentucky Children’s Hospital, discusses the importance of bringing your child in for regular well-child visits and keeping them up to date with vaccinations.

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to handle stress better in 2025, we're revisiting this recent interview Dr. Greg did with Jackie Carroll – health coach for UK Health & Wellness about acute and chronic stress reduction.

The holiday season, while joyful, can sometimes be a time of stress, meltdowns and disappointments. As parents, it can sometimes feel like we are spinning in circles trying to create the best holiday experience for our kids, family and self. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Caitlin Allen, a licensed clinical psychologist who works with children and their families in Developmental Pediatrics at Kentucky Children’s Hospital Richmond Road Specialty Clinics. She addresses a few challenges that many kids and families face during the holidays, and shares some tips for how to help children cope with the holiday season.

Second helpings of sinful food, over-scheduling and the all-too-often awkward conversations with friends and family; these are but a few examples of holiday stressers and trigger points. Dr. Greg talks with Amy Rodquist-Kodet, a holistic health coach and wellness specialist for UK Health and wellness. She has several tips to help you get through situations that threaten to steal your holiday joy.

In this week's episode of Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine, Michaela Keener, Ph.D., discusses her work in developing an interactive digital health system designed to enhance access to care for equestrians. Keener is an assistant professor of athletic training and clinical nutrition in the UK College of Health Sciences. She has received research funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and University of Cincinnati.

The Our Healthy Kentucky Home campaign is a Team Kentucky initiative with the Kentucky Department for Public Health to engage and inspire Kentuckians on a personal journey of achievable health and wellness improvements through increased physical activity, improved nutritional health, and decreased social isolation through targeted interventions. Dr. Greg talks with Kentucky Health Commissioner Steven Stack on how you can get involved.

In the ever-evolving field of Alzheimer’s disease research, the development of disease-modifying therapies has sparked both excitement and debate. Two new publications from University of Kentucky researchers highlight critical advancements and their intersection with other fields that are considered more successful in advances to date. The collaborative papers were led by Greg Jicha, M.D., Ph.D., and Pete Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., both with UK’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. The work showcases the profound impact of partnerships across UK — in this case between the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the UK Markey Cancer Center. Dr. Greg talks with Nelson about this team approach to tackling this vexing disease.

Lawmakers in Frankfort are again floating the idea of ending the requirement for fluoridated drinking water in Kentucky communities with some opponents calling it 'forced medication.' Dr. Emily Winfrey, associate dean of academic and student affairs at UK Dentistry, says that conclusion is not based in science. She talks with Dr. Greg about the 70 plus years of evidence to the contrary.

A University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE) study researching Appalachian culture and its impact on food insecurity has won Health Education & Behavior’s “Paper of the Year” Award for 2023. The paper, titled “Exploring Food-Based Cultural Practices to Address Food Insecurity in Rural Appalachia,” emphasizes how significant culturally entrenched food practices are in enabling communities from Appalachia to fight food insecurity. The study was led by Lauren Batey and co-authored by Emily DeWitt, Dawn Brewer, Kathryn Cardarelli and Heather Norman-Burgdolf. Batey is the guest this week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine.

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center expert Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., recently contributed to a critical national discussion on sustaining and supporting the cancer workforce. As he explains in this week's Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine, Vanderford, an associate professor in the UK College of Medicine’s Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, director of Markey Cancer Center’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology Program and assistant director of Markey’s Pathway Programs and Student Success, addressed challenges faced by early-career researchers, issues of diversity in cancer research training and opportunities for supporting researchers’ career paths.

According to the US Census Bureau by the year 2034 more Americans will be over the age of 65 (numbering some 77-million people), than under the age of 18. That will be a first for our nation and it underscores the importance of communities enhancing the quality and volume of senior-oriented support services. Dr. Greg talks with Kristy Stambaugh - director of Aging and Disability Services for the city of Lexington. She tells us all about the programs on offer at the city's four senior centers (Life Lane, Bell Court, Charles Young and Black & Williams Cultural Center) and shares more details on a brand new one coming to Shillito Park in 2026.

The UK PREVENT Alliance aims to improve the health of the Commonwealth of Kentucky using a community-engaged, evidence-informed prevention approach. One of its collaborators on the #IChampion Health Initiative is Operation Making A Change, a non-profit organization focused on violence prevention and intervention. This week Dr. Greg speaks with #IChampionHealth program director Jakob Hester and OAC founder Gerald “GEO” Gibson.