Joe Gerald, an associate professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and a member of the University of Arizona's COVID-19 modeling team, is interviewed about what current trends indicate about the severity of the coronavirus crisis.

Continuing coverage: Women who use tanning beds or who sunbathe are at increased risk for endometriosis, according to new research. Leslie V. Farland, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is the lead author of the study.

Umbilical cord blood is full of stem cells, so it can be transplanted into patients to treat certain types of cancers, diseases and blood disorders. Umbilical cord blood works as an alternative for many patients who can’t find bone marrow transplants. But the odds that someone will develop a disease like cancer that would require an umbilical cord blood transplant are slim, about one in 1,000 or one in 2,000, according to University of Arizona umbilical cord blood stem cell researcher David Harris in the Department of Immunobiology at the College of Medicine - Tucson.

Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, a public health expert, physician and associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, said sporting events need to be banned statewide until the spread of COVID-19 is under control. "At this point, it's way too widespread not only in Arizona but also in neighboring states and nationwide."

Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said that news of a vaccine is cause for optimism – but he cautions that much of 2021 will still require social distancing and mask wearing. "Hopefully if we do that, if we can be strong in this resolve, then we can get back to some kind of normal life post-vaccination, later I would say in 2021," Marvasti said. "Realistically, the majority of people aren't going to have access to this vaccine until late spring or early summer."

For 15 years, the Student Aid for Field Epidemiology Response (SAFER) program at the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, has trained students to investigate public health crises. Team members used to track local outbreaks of foodborne illnesses and monitor flu cases. Now they’re tackling a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people across the globe. Epidemiologist Erika Austhof and program coordinators Kylie Boyd and Alexandra Shilen are interviewed.

Young women who regularly visit tanning salons may have an increased risk of developing endometriosis, a new study suggests. The lead author Leslie Farland, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, said their curiosity was based on two past findings: Women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of melanoma skin cancer than other women do. And endometriosis seems to be more common among women with "sun-sensitive" skin, which burns easily and tends to freckle.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson has named Dr. Monica Kraft the new contact principal investigator for the University of Arizona-Banner Health All of Us Research Program. Kraft will be responsible for leading the program’s efforts to ensure diverse populations are well represented in the national All of Us database.

A discussion about current trends with Dr. Joe Gerald, a member of the University of Arizona COVID-19 modeling team and an associate professor of public health policy and management at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.