Henk Granzier’s research group uses an atomic force microscope sensitive enough to hold onto a single titin protein molecule and measure the tiny forces that occur during stretching and contracting under various conditions. (Photo: Katie Maass/Sarver Heart Center)
$6M Grant Boosts Molecular Heart Research Combining the resources and expertise of seven institutions in North America and Europe, a research program will offer new insights into the molecular workings of heart muscle cells and how genetic mutations affect their function. Henk Granzier, a UA professor of physiology, is one of two principal investigators leading the prestigious and highly competitive project.
UA Boosts HIV Early Intervention Services The UA's Petersen Clinics are working to promote early detection of HIV while connecting newly infected patients with care and services as soon as possible. More than 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and nearly one in five are unaware of their infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early detection and intervention can go a long way in improving patient outcomes and preventing the spread of the virus.
Young Doctor Defies Odds, Plans to Practice in Tucson Michael Lokale overcame a rough childhood to excel in family medicine. He is finishing a residency at the UA and, in July, plans to join a practice in Tucson. To Lokale, being a family doctor means being "a complete doctor. You get to see people when they are born. You deliver them, and you follow them throughout their lives. You form relationships with them. You know their stories. I think that's very cool."
UA Research Determines Feasibility of Newborn Screening in Tucson Research by UA medical student Lucy Han finds that implementing recommended pulse oximetry screening guidelines is feasible at Tucson's elevation. A recent simple pulse oximetry test revealed a potentially life-threatening critical congenital heart defect in a newborn that was surgically repaired at The University of Arizona Medical Center-University Campus.
ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for movement. The disease causes a loss of muscle function, including the muscles used for speech, swallowing and breathing, and paralysis that eventually leads to death. The mind and senses mostly remain unaffected. Some patients may have cognitive changes, including depression and problems with decision-making and memory.
Seed Funding Leads to Major UA Grants When Tucson judge Jim Himelic died in 2000, his family and friends established a foundation in his honor to raise funds to support ALS research at the UA and elsewhere. UA researchers studying ALS have greatly benefited from the seed money, in some cases subsequently gaining larger grants, and the foundation's major fundraiser this month intends to ensure that such opportunities continue.
Henk Granzier’s research group uses an atomic force microscope sensitive enough to hold onto a single titin protein molecule and measure the tiny forces that occur during stretching and contracting under various conditions. (Photo: Katie Maass/Sarver Heart Center)
ALS affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for movement. The disease causes a loss of muscle function, including the muscles used for speech, swallowing and breathing, and paralysis that eventually leads to death. The mind and senses mostly remain unaffected. Some patients may have cognitive changes, including depression and problems with decision-making and memory.

UA Researcher Awarded Grant for Islet Cell Transplant Work

  • UANews
  • March 8, 2013
The UA's Dr. Klearchos Papas is researching ways to improve the effectiveness of an implantable device containing insulin-producing islet cells for diabetics in need. His work has the potential to make islet cell transplantation available to a larger number of patients with Type 1 diabetes, and also make it safer for children.

UA Research Ties Insurance-Based Wellness Programs to Reduced Hospitalizations

  • UANews
  • March 6, 2013
Workplace wellness incentive programs may decrease hospitalizations, but not overall health claim costs, according to a new paper by professor of economics Gautam Gowrisankaran of the UA Eller College of Management, out now in Health Affairs. The paper's findings constitute the first rigorous evaluation of a comprehensive, insurance-based wellness program with financial incentives for participation.

New App Lets Med Students Study Real Human Heart on iPad

  • UANews
  • March 6, 2013
A new app allows UA medical students to interact with a real human heart on their iPads. The Heart Anatomy Explorer I app, developed at the University, uses images of a real human heart to teach students about the organ's structures. College of Medicine faculty members plan to expand the app to include more organs in the future.

First Responders Train in Remote Location

  • KVOA-TV
  • March 6, 2013
First responders are preparing for worst-case scenarios by taking part in a desert training exercise. Several Southern Arizona agencies trained with The University of Arizona Medical Center, the Elephant Head fire department, Border Patrol and LifeNet Arizona/Air Methods. The group wants to make sure that when someone is injured in a remote area, he or she will be transported as quickly as possible to a hospital.

Genetics Nothing Sans Consciousness

  • Arizona Public Media
  • March 5, 2013
The study of genetics is leaving out a significant part of the equation of how life works, says Dr. Stuart Hameroff, director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the UA. He says that "consciousness," or awareness, is an added dimension of how life is structured: "Consciousness has a unity, a oneness, a quantum binding in the brain" that allows the body to perform complex functions.

Human Y Chromosome Much Older Than Previously Thought

  • UANews
  • March 1, 2013
The discovery and UA analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome pushes back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils.

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