U of A Health Sciences comes alive through lens of a staff photographer
A research technician pauses from her work at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center of Excellence in Addiction Studies in the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction, where scientists are working to unravel the overlapping biology of chronic pain and addiction. Hanning said she chose this photo because it captured science in action and she was drawn to the focus of the researcher.
Photo by Kris Hanning, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
With every story or news release published by the University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Communications, photographs help to enhance the stories about faculty, staff and students. Health Sciences Connect asked its talented photographers to select some of their favorite images from the previous academic year so we could highlight their work. Some of these images were taken to accompany stories or used on webpages or galleries. Many, however, have not been previously published.
The work of Kris Hanning, senior manager for multimedia journalism and a veteran photographer who has been with the U of A Health Sciences for 10 years, comprises our first spotlight gallery.
“I love working with the U of A Health Sciences faculty and staff and learning about the wonderful work they are doing at our colleges and centers,” said Hanning. “It makes me happy when I go to take a photo and my subjects are nervous about being photographed, but then they open up and relax when they start talking about their research, their roles in Health Sciences or their work with students. Their passion makes the photo.”
Here are stories that used some of the images in this gallery:
Sheila Soto, DrPH, MPH, an assistant research professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, talks with a farmworker in San Luis, Arizona, about prostate cancer screenings. Hanning said she chose this image because of the Zuckerman College of Public Health signage that leads your eye to the subjects and the bright green field.
Paul Gordon, MD, MPH, co-director of the Bachelor of Science in Medicine Program and a professor of pharmacology and family and community medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson, says the program was started to better prepare students seeking to go into any health profession. The joy Gordon has for teaching is evident in this image, which is why Hanning chose it.
Juanita Merchant, MD, PhD, the interim director of the U of A Cancer Center, a Regents Professor and chief of the division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, said that whenever she travels she tries to take a cooking class. Hanning was drawn to this photo because it focuses on the amazing food, combined with the colors and a soft depth of field to pull the eye back toward Merchant.
Frederic Zenhausern, PhD, MBA, a professor and director of the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine, and Ashlee Harris, PhD, a translational research project manager in the Zenhausern Lab at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix, are researching plant-based scaffolds as a new biomaterial. Hanning liked how the depth of field makes the foreground blurry and the lab equipment frames the subjects while they are working with smiles on their faces.
Emergency room residents from four hospitals treat a “patient” during the SimWars competition at the U of A Health Sciences Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center. Hanning liked the energy and intensity of the photo that’s visible from the foreground into the background.
Students in the Center for Integrative Brain Science T32 Predoctoral Training Program take part in a discussion group. Hanning picked this photo because of the unusual angle she used to capture the students discussing their research.
Charles Kendrick, 92, the first Black, in-state graduate of the University of Arizona’s R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, worked at the Pima County Hospital for 42 years. Hanning said she loved the lighting, texture and personality that came across in this portrait.
Assistant clinical professor Sarah Torabi, DNP, CRNA, prepares Doctor of Nursing Practice students for a simulation exercise in the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center. Hanning chose this image because it brings together the instruction happening in the background while a student practices the procedure in the foreground.
Robson Vizin, PhD, a research scientist at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center of Excellence in Addiction Studies in the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction, works on a team trying to unravel the overlapping biology of chronic pain and addiction by exploring novel mechanisms that can provide effective pain relief while minimizing addiction. Hanning said she liked the dramatic lighting and intensity on the researcher’s face.
A researcher holds a decellularized leaf on a glass slide in the Zenhausern Lab at the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine. Hanning liked the detail and delicacy of the image and how the light showed the delicate nature of life.
(From left) Avnish Bhattai and Helena Flores, graduate students in the Brinton Lab at the U of A Health Sciences Center for Innovation in Brain Science, work on a protein analysis. Hanning picked this photo because of the student interaction and work in the foreground while others in the lab were busy in the background.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice student practices placing an IUD during a clinical immersion session at the U of A Health Sciences Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center. Hanning chose this photo because of the depth of field along with the intense concentration and focus of the student.
Paul Victor, a PhD candidate in the Schnellmann Lab at the U of A R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, analyzes the oxygen consumption rate in renal proximal tubule cells as part of his research into kidney disease. Hanning selected this image because of its angles, edges and action.
Eddie Vargas, a third-year student at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson, takes a break from his rotations to enjoy a Sonoran hot dog, his favorite food growing up in Tucson. When Hanning heard how much Vargas loved this restaurant, she wanted to capture his moment of pleasure as he dug into the hot dog.