One of the newest Health Sciences podcasts has a little something for everyone, from pharmacist to layman, and the aspiring PharmD in between.

The Health Sciences Innovation Building is twice recognized nationally as a top architectural project.

Elderberries come from a shrub or small tree known as Sambucus nigra that’s native to Europe, Africa and Asia. On its own, the tree is known to be highly toxic — which is why preparing and heating the right parts of the plant is essential, and often left to experts. The syrup isn't solely an extract all on its own, explains Lise Alschuler, ND, a clinical medicine professor at the University of Arizona's Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. “Traditionally, elderberry has been combined with other berries and consumed as a beverage, either tea, juice or wine,” Dr. Alschuler explains.

A $1.5 million FEMA grant is funding a study designed to understand the occupational risks unique to women in the fire service.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that while white people have the highest overall percentage of COVID-19 cases in the nation, racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by the disease and are dying at higher rates. Experts are looking to medical schools to identify strategies to improve care for people of color and eliminate disparities related to a patient's race or ethnicity. Erika Johnson, a 2020 graduate from the University of Arizona College of Nursing, has committed to mentoring Black students. "The experience of racism is not one of just an annoyance. Those things have real biological impacts," Johnson said.

In April, the University of Arizona worked to develop some of the state's first COVID-19 antibody tests. Now, with multiple forms of tests available at UArizona and across the state, Dr. Michael Dake, senior vice president of the UArizona Health Sciences, feels that the state has a good handle on testing. But Dake said he is still seeing the same unorganized pattern emerge with the current vaccination rollout where "the average citizen is left trying to fend for themselves." He is hopeful that the newly elected Biden administration will enact a more coordinated and streamlined vaccination effort.

More than 10 million people in the United States have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, but as more Americans receive the preventive measure every day, there is still a large percentage of the population that is reluctant to get the vaccine. Dr. Ricardo Correa, an AMA member and director for diversity at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said the Latino community should feel confident in the vaccine trial results.

Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said that despite encouraging recent COVID-19 data in Arizona, it's still too early to tell if the state's numbers are trending downward.

In his latest COVID-19 modeling report, Dr. Joe Gerald, a professor of public health policy at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, noted a "large, unexpected" decline in cases last week. He speculated the holiday closures of universities and K-12 schools might have played a role in the improving metrics, which he cautioned could be short-lived.