Indigenous communities in the U.S. experience a disproportionately higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy than most Americans. Studies cite higher poverty rates, challenging social conditions, mistrust in the delivery of health services and a history of exclusion from clinical research as factors that contribute to these disparities. At the University of Arizona Health Sciences, educators and researchers are working to change this legacy and decrease health disparities within Native American communities by introducing Native students to biomedical research.

Through a webinar organized by the National Hispanic Medical Association, a group of medical experts explained one by one the doubts and myths that many people expressed regarding vaccines against COVID-19. Ricardo Correa, MD, from the Phoenix Allies Community-Health Clinic and UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said that although the doses were emergency approved by the FDA, they can be trusted, as they have proven to be one of the best ways to avoid serious consequences of the virus and explained that the vaccine was not created as quickly as the general public believes.

Developed in the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center for Innovation in Brain Science, the therapy has been licensed to startup NeuTherapeutics Inc.

Diné College students learn how they can contribute to better health of Native people and communities with an eye toward creating lasting change.

A first-of-its-kind nanotherapeutic delivery system demonstrated remarkable efficacy against both early-stage and difficult-to-treat late-stage metastatic tumors.

“After a mild traumatic brain injury, there is usually a headache that occurs, and that is called a post traumatic headache,” said Frank Porreca, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology in at the College of Medicine – Tucson. “It can persist continuously or intermittently for up to three months, which is called acute post traumatic headache. If the headache persists for longer than three months, then it is called persistent post traumatic headache.”

University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers recently completed a study that has the potential to improve cancer treatment for colorectal cancer and melanoma by using nanotechnology to deliver chemotherapy in a way that makes it more effective against aggressive tumors. The findings were published today in Nature Nanotechnology.

Christina Bergin, MD, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, is urging the governor to require masks in schools after her child was exposed to COVID-19.

Are you more likely to get long-haul COVID-19 from the original strain of the coronavirus or from the delta variant? Janko Nikolich-Zugich, MD, PhD, Department Head of Immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, says that’s still something they are researching. Most of the long-haul cases that have been diagnosed so far come from the original strain or early variants like Alpha.