News and Stories

This spring, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus returns to primetime.  

Matthew Hastings | March 13, 2023

Lia Gore, MD, is a pediatric oncologist who specializes in blood cancers. She has led clinical trials on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus resulting in FDA approval of five cancer drugs that have saved and continue to save children’s lives.

Kristen O'Neill | March 11, 2023

Wells Messersmith, MD, specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, or cancers of the gut. As the division head of the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Division of Medical Oncology, Messersmith is pushing the frontiers of anticancer treatments from the intersection of precision medicine and immunotherapy.

Kristen O'Neill | March 11, 2023

Nicholas Jacobson, MDes, is a CU Anschutz research faculty member and a translational clinical designer at Inworks, where he collaborates with surgeons and physicians across campus using innovative 3D printing technology to improve patient outcomes.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

The Gates Grubstake Fund invokes the memory of Gold Rush prospectors who received seed money, “grubstakes,” for food and supplies so they could search for treasure. The funding supports the work of modern-day prospectors – translational researchers affiliated with Gates Institute – whose work developing cell- and gene-based therapies could make a difference in human lives. In 2022, four awardees received $350,000 each to support their work.

Toni Lapp | March 10, 2023

Abigail Lara, MD, is a pulmonologist and critical care medicine specialist with a subspecialty in scarring lung diseases. As an associate professor, physician and administrator on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Lara deftly shifts focus between the “pure adrenaline” of caring for patients in the ICU and the serene tenacity she brings to her leadership roles in the classroom and administration.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

Computational biology. Functional genomics. Biomedical informatics. For some, merely wrapping our minds around these concepts is a challenge. For Casey Greene, PhD, it’s all in a day’s work. 

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

As professor and division chief of the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Division of Academic Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leslie Appiah, MD specializes in preserving fertility in cancer patients. But her fierce focus and commitment don’t end there. She brings expertise and innovation to myriad facets of cancer survivorship, helping to restore function, well-being and quality of life through gynecology and urology care coordination.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

Researcher and scientist Qiong Zhou, MS, finds herself, quite literally, at the center of drug discovery and innovation.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

As professor and founding director of the Center for Drug Discovery (CDD) at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, is leading the forefront of drug innovation.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

Optimism. Intelligent risk-taking. Relentless incrementalism. These are but a few hallmarks of the leadership of Vineet Chopra, MMBS, MD, MSc. Chopra’s specialty is hospital medicine, with a research focus on patient safety and preventing hospital-acquired complications. 

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

Julia Promisel Cooper, PhD, is a scientist and researcher focused on the molecular biology of chromosomes. Specifically, she and her team study telomeres, the structures made from DNA sequences and proteins that form and protect the ends of chromosomes. (Think of telomeres like the caps at the ends of a shoelace, which keep the ends from fraying, sticking to other ends or being degraded.)

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

Valeria Canto-Soler, PhD, has an innovative vision for saving and restoring sight in patients with blinding diseases. An associate professor in the CU School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology, Canto-Soler is the director of CellSight, an innovative ocular stem cell and regeneration research program.

Kristen O'Neill | March 10, 2023

A seven-story boutique hotel will soon open its doors just north of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, adding a versatile and needed amenity to the growing campus community.

Chris Casey | March 08, 2023

Franchises such as StretchLab and Stretch Zone are popping up across the country, adding another self-care outlet for fitness-focused consumers.

Kiley Carroll | March 06, 2023

Patients with disabilities often face medical providers who make inaccurate assumptions about their quality of life that can lead to paternalism and substandard care, according to an essay published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). 

David Kelly | January 04, 2023

Gifts of significance don’t always have to be large monetary contributions. Sometimes, the most impactful gifts don’t involve money at all.

Kiley Carroll | November 07, 2022

Concussions are a common risk in all sports, but especially with football and most notably in the NFL. Unfortunately, the latest player to sustain a concussion is Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After a nasty hit that left him stumbling in the third game of the season, Tagovailoa re-entered the game and continued to play. Just five days later, he suffered another head-to-the-ground hit that forced him to leave the field on a stretcher.

Kiley Carroll | October 04, 2022

More than three-quarters of students, faculty and staff responding to a campus Police Department survey feel “very safe” or “somewhat safe” on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Guest Contributor | September 30, 2022

Meet Krinkle, a professional therapy dog who works at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center. He and his handler, Samantha McBride, PsyD, senior instructor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, were certified as a therapy dog team in 2015 through Freedom Service Dogs (FSD).

Kiley Carroll | August 23, 2022

Joseph Gal, PhD, was trained in chemistry, is fluent in French, and spent most of his career in medical science research. More recently, he focused his activities on the history of science and more specifically on the renowned French scientist Louis Pasteur.

Laura Veith | August 22, 2022

Forever chemicals, or phthalates, are ever-present in our lives, from plastic packaging to household products to personal-care commodities. We can’t avoid them entirely, but we can minimize their influence on our health.

Kiley Carroll | August 16, 2022

In November 2021, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus was designated a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). CU Anschutz experts are highlighted in the latest edition of Denver magazine 5280 for their work in research and treating rare diseases.

Kiley Carroll | August 08, 2022

Is melatonin safe for children? Can you take it in addition to other medications? Luke E. Orth, PharmD, BCPPS, an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a clinical pharmacy specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, addresses the factors to consider when taking melatonin to help you fall asleep.

Kiley Carroll | July 25, 2022

It takes a certain tenacity to ride a bike across the country. That's even more true when a person is suffering from a rare disease. But Glenn Frommer is doing just that, and inspiring others along the way. Frommer is riding over 5,300 miles from San Francisco to Boston to raise funding and awareness for polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Kiley Carroll | June 21, 2022

The Boettcher Foundation has selected eight researchers, including four from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, to receive funding through the Boettcher Foundation’s Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards Program.

Staff | June 06, 2022

Starting the process of finding a therapist can be overwhelming. Emily Hemendinger, MPH, LCSW, assistant professor of psychiatry in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, walks through the questions you should ask yourself before starting therapy, the different types of therapy and what to expect at your first session.

Kiley Carroll | May 24, 2022

The term burnout has been tossed around frequently the past two years.

Most people know the feeling, but what can you actually do about it? Tyra Fainstad, MD, visiting associate professor of internal medicine, and Adrienne Mann, MD, assistant professor of hospital medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine decided they wanted to do something to address the root of the problem, so they created and implemented Better Together, a physician coaching program for trainees. The duo answers common questions and addresses misconceptions about burnout.

Editor’s note: This interview was edited for clarity and brevity. 

Kiley Carroll | May 16, 2022

Michelle Barron, MD, presented for the Women in Leadership Speaker Series on April 27, a perfect choice by organizers seeking a woman leader during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barron, a professor of medicine in the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a top infectious diseases expert in the state, was front and center of the public health crisis during the past two and a half years.

Kiley Carroll | May 09, 2022

For years, Richard Johnson, MD, professor of renal medicine in the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has investigated the impact of sugar, especially fructose, on the human body and how we process it. He recently published “Nature Wants Us to be Fat,” a book outlining why evolution has programmed us to overeat on the promise that we will lose the weight during lean times. 

Kiley Carroll | April 28, 2022

Each year we honor one of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’s greatest assets – our remarkable faculty – with the faculty awards. These accolades recognize superior accomplishments in teaching and leadership.  

The awards are special not only because they acknowledge outstanding performance in our core areas as a university, but also because they are recognition by colleagues and students of this exemplary work.

Staff | April 25, 2022

Careers in public health are both critically important and noble. They address systemic inequities, educate the public, increase access to information and care, and develop ways to improve the lives of entire populations.

Guest Contributor | April 18, 2022

In 1986, Jill Norris had a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in hand and pondered what to do next. She decided to pursue a doctorate in epidemiology and applied to a few schools. An invitation from a renowned figure in the field not only cemented her decision but also set her on a lifelong professional path to an elite position among her peers and now, international recognition.

Guest Contributor | April 18, 2022

It’s your first day back in the office in almost two years. You’re anxious. Some thoughts run through your mind: How am I going to work for eight hours straight at my desk? What am I going to do for lunch? How am I going to cope with so much personal interaction? How did I commute to the office five days a week before the pandemic?

Kiley Carroll | April 15, 2022

Faculty members Gee Mei Tan, MD, and Erin Stewart, MD, MS, from the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine developed, practiced and delivered the first MOCA Simulation Course in the new Center for Advancing Professional Excellence (CAPE) at the new Anschutz Health Sciences Building on March 26. 

Staff | April 11, 2022

After a loved one dies, mourners are left to process a range of emotions – depression, guilt, anger, anxiety, numbness, regret. In some cases, even peace or relief can arise as conflicting feelings. Often, a combination of feelings can strike at once. 

Kiley Carroll | March 11, 2022

While practicing medicine at Denver Health, Lilia Cervantes, MD, researcher and associate professor of hospital medicine and director of immigrant health at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, treated socially marginalized patients with kidney failure who had no access to standard dialysis care. These patients could only receive dialysis at the emergency room when their health was in critical condition. 

Kiley Carroll | March 09, 2022

Whether it’s dangerous side effects with Ambien or poorer heart health with type 2 diabetes, women often react to drugs and disease differently than men. Yet studies behind these sex and gender differences in medical science are still relatively scant.

Kiley Carroll | March 07, 2022

For many of us, the unrest in Ukraine may be the first time we are seeing images and videos from a war across the world on our phone screens minutes after an explosion. We now have a front-row seat to war on top of remaining on edge from the pandemic, economic uncertainty, climate change, a global refugee crisis, polarized politics and other psychological tumult.

Kiley Carroll | March 04, 2022

While oral healthcare has dramatically improved over the past 20 years, especially in digital technology and restorative dentistry, access to routine and preventative care remains a significant problem in the United States.

Chris Casey | February 22, 2022

In celebration of Black History Month, CU Anschutz is launching the “Get to Know” series to highlight Black excellence on campus year-round – leaders, innovators and change makers who are accomplishing the extraordinary in their fields every day. The “Get to Know” series will expand throughout the year as an inclusive platform for voices on our campus.  

Kiley Carroll | February 15, 2022

For the newly minted director of faculty ventures position, CU Innovations needed a jack – and master – of all trades with proven successes in academia and industry. V. Michael Holers, MD, has excelled in every role of his career so far: researcher, clinician, professor, and co-founder, among others. In other words, the perfect fit for director of faculty ventures, a role which he originated in November 2021 and where he can utilize his full range of expertise.

Guest Contributor | February 14, 2022

When I interview an expert for an article, I typically jump right into my questions. But meeting with Amos Bailey, MD, FACP, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the director of the Master of Science in Palliative Care and Interprofessional Palliative Care Certificate Programs, was different. Before I could ask my first question, he asked his.

Kiley Carroll | February 14, 2022

In celebration of Black History Month, CU Anschutz is launching the “Get To Know” series to highlight Black excellence on campus year-round – leaders, innovators and change makers who are accomplishing the extraordinary in their fields every day. The “Get To Know” series will expand throughout the year as an inclusive platform for voices on our campus. 

Kiley Carroll | February 09, 2022

Next month marks the start of the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Is the end in sight? Is COVID becoming endemic? When do we reach herd immunity?  

Kiley Carroll | February 04, 2022

From the photos of passengers stranded on snowy highways to the Boulder County fire evacuation notices, it’s now more important than ever to have a plan in case of an emergency, including creating an emergency preparedness kit.

Kiley Carroll | January 19, 2022

The Office of Information Technology has provided the entire student body with free access to Adobe Creative Cloud to get a head start on CU Anschutz's 2021-2026 Strategic Initiatives. This enforces the Enhance the Student Experience initiative, to support learners to be the best in the healthcare workforce with an eye toward diversity, equity and inclusion.   

Staff | January 03, 2022

Every day seems to bring news of another climate disaster.

Kiley Carroll | December 20, 2021

On an undeniably STEM-oriented campus, the AMC Orchestra offers a unique opportunity for artistic release. The group is part of the ‘Music and Medicine Initiative’ in the University of Colorado Center for Bioethics and Humanities and, as of fall semester, has a new director, Jeremy D. Cuebas.

Blair Ilsley | October 11, 2021

Spero M. Manson, PhD, (Pembina Chippewa) is a distinguished professor of public health and psychiatry, directs the Centers for American Indian & Alaska Native Health, and occupies the Colorado Trust Chair in American Indian Health within the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Kiley Carroll | October 08, 2021

Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.

Kiley Carroll | September 28, 2021

Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.

Kiley Carroll | September 20, 2021

Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.

Kiley Carroll | September 14, 2021

Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.

Kiley Carroll | September 08, 2021

Celebrating exceptional women on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus? No problem.

Kiley Carroll | August 31, 2021

Over 100 attendees from across the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus virtually gathered on July 29 to learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement efforts.

Blair Ilsley | August 03, 2021

We’ve all missed out on more than a year of concerts and live shows. As venues start to open and artists go back on tour, Cory Portnuff, AuD, PhD, clinical audiologist and assistant clinical professor of otolaryngology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, discusses how to protect your hearing at loud events.

Kiley Carroll | July 26, 2021

It isn’t even the peak of summer and the whole country has already experienced record-breaking heat waves. Martin Musi, MD, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine–Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, and environmental fellowship director at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, answers your burning questions about handling the rising temperatures.

Kiley Carroll | July 20, 2021

“One of the reasons studying the brain is so fascinating is we do have more to learn, and it is complex,” says Neill Epperson, MD, Robert Freedman endowed professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, “But let’s face it: this is the organ that is at the seat of who we are. Don’t we hope that it’s complex?” 

Kiley Carroll | March 16, 2021

One of world’s earliest examples of art, the enigmatic ‘Venus’ figurines carved some 30,000 years ago, have intrigued and puzzled scientists for nearly two centuries. Now a researcher from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus believes he’s gathered enough evidence to solve the mystery behind these curious totems. 

David Kelly | December 01, 2020

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you might be worried about overindulging on turkey and pumpkin pie. Elizabeth Thomas, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology in the University of Colorado School of Medicine and CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, discusses how time-restricted eating can help you manage during the holidays.

Kiley Carroll | November 17, 2020

What you need to know: Indigenous research and worldviews have long been marginalized by Western science. CU Anschutz geneticist Katrina Claw, PhD, explains how integrating Indigenous approaches with Western perspectives can benefit humanity's understanding of myriad health science challenges, from combating climate change to reducing bias.

Katrina Claw, PhD, a Diné (Navajo) geneticist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, is a leader in the field of genomics and a champion for the advancement of Indigenous science. As we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2020, we sat down with Claw to learn how furthering Indigenous approaches can benefit humanity on myriad levels – deepening our understanding of our health and environment, decreasing bias in science, and encouraging present and future generations to value “traditional” knowledge. 

Kristen O'Neill | October 12, 2020

• What you need to know: Some of our CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center experts take the stage in a film on holistic health this week. Watch the trailer.

The CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center (AHWC) is featured in the upcoming national documentary The Art of Aging Well, airing on Rocky Mountain PBS on Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. The film highlights the importance of holistic wellness as we age and showcases John Peters, chief of strategy and innovation at AHWC, center members and the BfitBwell Cancer Exercise Program. Check out the trailer below and tune into Thursday's premier on Rocky Mountain PBS.

Guest Contributor | September 21, 2020

The past six months have affected everyone, but particularly the people working the front lines in healthcare. By doing their jobs of providing care to others during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also at a high risk of feeling stressed and anxious, among many other emotions. It is critical that healthcare workers know where to go if they need help when feeling this way and have support at no charge to get them through this difficult time. 

Kiley Carroll | September 15, 2020

Today, the University of Colorado announced the launch of AB Nexus, an initiative to expand research collaborations between the CU Anschutz and CU Boulder campuses.

Guest Contributor | July 28, 2020

In the early days of the pandemic, when many people worried about where to find toilet paper, Sarah Rowan, MD, had deeper concerns. Rowan appreciated the sudden spotlight on frontline medical providers ­– they graced magazine covers and even large murals – but she noticed something was missing.

Chris Casey | July 21, 2020

A new CU Anschutz Medical Campus student portal design soft launched on June 12. While the new portal has been in beta mode for students over the past few months, beginning this month, staff and faculty may see the elements of the new design, depending on their roles.

Guest Contributor | June 12, 2020

By its definition, science is the systematic knowledge gained through repeated observations of the world around us. And, as history indicates, the first pioneers of scientists were Indigenous people, whose contributions in modern science must not be overlooked.

Guest Contributor | June 03, 2020