On the cusp of a new role to reduce statewide COVID-19 disparities, Dr. Mona Arora discusses public health preparedness, climate change and the pandemic.

The Dance for Parkinson’s community event was held on Thursday at the Health Sciences Innovation Building in Tucson. Dance for PD was born from the idea that people with Parkinson’s disease could benefit from the insight and specific techniques and methods used by dancers to guide their own bodies and minds.

Researchers at the University of Arizona are studying why women experience pain and addiction differently than men. Clinical trials have historically favored males, despite females being at a higher risk for both. Hormones could be central to new treatments and recovery methods. Tally Largent-Milnes, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and Alicia Allen, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of family and community medicine from the College of Medicine – Tucson, discuss their research.

Data from an ongoing research study at the University of Arizona Health Sciences show that first responders – including firefighters, law enforcement, correctional officers and emergency medical service providers – are at elevated risk of COVID-19 infection compared with other essential workers and frontline health care personnel.

Evidence that the Moderna vaccine produces a higher level of antibodies than the Pfizer vaccine might give it an edge as a booster, some scientists say. Yet some people experience more side effects with Moderna, albeit mostly moderate ones, such as fatigue, muscle aches and chills. And the antibody difference between Pfizer and Moderna isn’t huge. “From the data we’ve got, Moderna is doing a touch bit better,” says Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, a professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson. “We’re not talking orders of magnitude.”

Proceeds from the event will support melanoma research, community outreach, education and patient care in Arizona.

Telemundo Arizona: David Garcia, PhD, associate professor of health promotion sciences and Edgar Villavicencio, a research specialist from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, discuss the consequences of obesity and the connection to culture, habits and lifestyle.

Many factors weaken the aging immune system. But vaccines—and booster doses—do offer protection from hospitalization and death. Experts say they still don’t have an adequate explanation for why older people were more susceptible to COVID-19 even before vaccines were available. “It’s just one of the great mysteries of the virus,” says Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson.