University of Kentucky Research

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UK on the ResearchChannel

University of Kentucky Research is now featured on the ResearchChannel, a nonprofit media and technology organization that will connect UK investigators with a global audience through cable and satellite distribution, in addition to live web streaming and a video-on-demand library that is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week at www.researchchannel.org.  The ResearchChannel is available to more than 22 million U.S. households.

How to watch the ResearchChannel on your TV:

Featured Programs

Internet2 logoInternet2: Distance Education
Suzanne Weaver Smith, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky, joins with Gregory Davis, mechanical systems lead technologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and other leaders in the field to introduce students to aerospace engineering through a distance education event. Find out why it is important for students to be immersed in aerospace engineering and how effective an interactive learning experience, which includes activities such as teleconferencing, can be.
tobaccoTobacco Policy Research
Ellen Hahn, professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Kentucky, and her team are conducting tobacco policy research that’s truly having an impact. Hahn’s efforts resulted in the passage of a smoke-free ordinance in all public buildings within Lexington, Kentucky, one of the first cities to do so. Learn about the importance of such policies and the effects they have on the community.
moleculeBiomedical Research - The Daunert Group
Sylvia Daunert, professor of analytical and biological chemistry at the University of Kentucky, discusses the innovative work of her group of researchers in the area of bioanalytical chemistry: the interface between analytical chemistry, molecular biology and bioengineering. Also, take a look into the design and fabrication of miniaturized implantable responsive drug delivery devices that integrate a smart drug delivery system with a biosensor.

scrollsReading the Unreadable
Brent Seales, professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky, reveals new research that may make it possible to read ancient scrolls and manuscripts that are rolled up and unable to be physically unrolled. By scanning the objects, we may be able to virtually unroll these delicate objects without harming them.

Todd HastingsScaling Down the Future: Nanoscale Technology
Nanoscale science and engineering now impact every aspect of technological innovation. Dr. Todd Hastings, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Kentucky, leads the Hastings' Research Group as they take an integrated research approach that emphasizes all of technology, from the fundamental physics to day-to-day applications.

Carvings on stoneDigitizing Petroglyphs in Puerto Rico
A technical team from the University of Kentucky records stone carvings in Puerto Rico using advanced 3D imaging techniques. The ancient petroglyphs are digitized for preservation and further study.
Students at the Center for ManufacturingCenter for Manufacturing
Get an inside view of the University of Kentucky’s Center for Manufacturing, which works to educate students, research solutions to industry issues and retain the state’s manufacturers.
video art projectArts & Media
An exploration of the intersection between fine arts and technology through the work of University of Kentucky art professors Doreen Maloney and Dmitry Strakovsky.
Kozo SaitoIR4TD: From PTC to Present
A University of Kentucky consortium, led by Kozo Saito, is developing a new generation of painting technology that is better for the environment and more energy-efficient than current commercial products.
Students with wing projectFlying on Air: The Science of Inflatable Wings
BIG BLUE is a comprehensive aerospace project experience to design, build and conduct a complex, high altitude experiment to verify the feasibility of inflatable-wing technology for Mars exploration. Two of the University of Kentucky professors overseeing the project, Suzanne Weaver Smith and Jamey Jacob, discuss the programs journey, which comes to an end in 2007 with the final flight of BIG BLUE V.
Students working on the Resonance House designThe Resonance House: Installation to Inhabitation
Students, under the guidance of Greg Luhan and experts in the college's Schools of Architecture and Interior Design and Department of Historic Preservation, have designed and digitally fabricated many components in the single-family house including the cabinets, flooring and storage pieces. The goal of this "art to part" approach was to develop a prototype house that boasts both low maintenance and high energy efficiency.
wireframe model of manREVEAL: Reconstruction, Enhancement, Visualization, and Ergonomic Assessment for Laparoscopy
The goal of this work is to develop and test new technologies that will break down the barriers that block more surgeons from attaining and continuing to practice (without injury or pain) high levels of skill in MIS. This project will develop new technology by concentrating on three major research thrusts: Smart Image, Configurable Display, and Ergonomic Assessment.
Terence TunbergLatin Immersion
Modern Latin curricula typically place vastly more emphasis on passive understanding of the language, i. e. reading only, than on inculcating facility in active use of the language as a means of communication in speaking and writing. It is well established that participation in a variety of learning modes, including writing, listening and speaking - not merely reading and translating - enhances the comprehension of any language and the appreciation of its nuances. The active use of Latin in speaking and writing, in addition to the reading of Latin texts, is one of the cornerstones of this sequence in Latin Studies.
Vijay VenkateshSurveillance Privacy Protection
Society’s need for greater surveillance at home and work is increasing, but without compromising the right to privacy. Computer scientist Samson Cheung of the University of Kentucky creates programs that can manipulate video surveillance all the way down to the pixel level. For example, an individual in a video can be erased, with that image then embedded into a secure watermark. If the complete video is needed for legal purposes, the stream can be recreated.
3D simulation3D Reconstruction
Take an in-depth look at the research of Ruigang Yang Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Kentucky. His project deals with a new approach to 3D Reconstruction in a visual display that he calls a "Light Portal". In general, the "Light Portal" will create a 3-demensional display from an array of projects that does not require the use of 3D glasses. In order to create multiple angles, Dr. Yang also has the challenge of 3D acquisition, which is the process of using an array of cameras to capture an object. From the acquisition phase, Dr. Yang and his team have developed their own pixel router that is a dedicated hardware that will be used as the transmission aspect of the project.

Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series

This series showcases the clinical and translational research conducted at the University of Kentucky. This cutting-edge work has clinical applications that spread beyond the campus to the commonwealth, and advances healthcare in the state of Kentucky.

Louis HershA Novel Therapeutic Approach for Treating Alzheimer's Disease
Louis B. Hersh's work has shown that peripheral expression of neprilysin leads to a decrease in amyloid burden in the brain.
Nancy BrownACE Inhibitors: How Snake Venom Saves Lives
Nancy J. Brown, M.D., discusses how ACE inhibitors reduce cardiovascular mortality.

Ed HallAcute Spinal Cord Injury: A Devastating but Treatable Disorder
UK's Edward Hall, M.D., outlines the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury and discusses promising single and multi-drug therapeutic approaches for improving neurological outcomes.
Richard GreenbergAdvances in Infectious Disease Vaccines
UK's Richard Greenberg, M.D., discusses advances in Shingles, HPV and smallpox vaccines.
Robert CareyAngiotensin AT2 Receptors
Robert M. Carey, M.D. (University of Virginia), discusses the actions of angiotensin receptors in blood vessels, the heart and kidneys.
photo of Charlotte PetersonChanges in Muscle Stem Cell Function With Age: Implications for Muscle Wasting, Adiposity and Fibrosis
Charlotte Peterson, Ph.D. (University of Kentucky) dicusses how stem cells function and impact muscles in adults, including the molecular mechanisms that are at work.
Judah FolkmanClinical Applications of Angiogenesis Research
Judah Folkman ( Harvard Medical School) talks about the new drugs developed to inhibit angiogenesis, a condition marked by the growth of new blood vessels that can also signify cancerous tumors.
SchoenbergCommunity-Based Research/Health Inequities
UK's Nancy E. Schoenberg, Ph.D., examines methods for promoting health and preventing disease in traditionally underserved rural regions.
Jeffrey MurrayDisorders of Newborn Infants, Bedside to Bench and Back
Jeffrey C. Murray, M.D. (University of Iowa), discusses the role of genes and environment in birth defects.
Marisa BartolomeiEpigenetic Regulation of Genomic Imprinting
Marisa Bartolomei, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), discusses how epigenetic errors can lead to disease.
Gary Van ZantGenetics and the Effect of Aging on Stem Cell Regulation
UK's Gary Van Zant, M.D., underscores that cancer cells are characterized by a variety of dysregulated genes that when properly regulated are important in normal cell function.
William BalkeHow to mend a broken heart: "The Promissory Note of Cardiac Cell Replacement Therapy."
UK's C. William Balke, M.D., talks about the current status of potentially available cardiac cell replacement therapies.
Craig RushIdentifying Medications for the Treatment of Stimulant Dependence
UK's Craig R. Rush, Ph.D., talks about the role of human behavioral pharmacology experiments in the development of pharmacotherapies
Jayakrishna AmbatiIs siRNA RISCy Business?
Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D., describes the unexpected in vivo effects of siRNA in angiogenesis and the impact of siRNA therapeutics through pharmacogenomic investigation.
slide from presentationMuscle Weakness and Fatigue: Redox Mechanisms and New Treatment Strategies
UK's Michael Reid, Ph.D., talks about how free radicals limit and antioxidants preserve muscle performance in humans.

Beth GarvyNeonatal Immunity to Pulmonary Pathogens
Beth A. Garvy distinguishes between neonatal and adult immune functions by aiming to understand the epidemiology of pulmonary infections in infants.
Dougals KerrNeurodegeneration and Regeneration in the Spinal Cord
Douglas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins), talks bout the molecular and cellular mechanisms of paralysis and the role of stem cells in restoring function to paralyzed.
GermanNutrition and Metabolomics: Bringing Personalized Diet and Health to Practice
J. Bruce German, (UC Davis), discusses the relationship between food and human beings, and just how important it is.
slide from presentationOral Disease in Nonhuman Primates
UK's Jeff Ebersole, Ph.D., discusses the role of nonhuman primates in studies of oral infections and chronic inflammatory disease.
Vivek RangnekarParadigm for Cancer Selective Apoptosis
Vivek Rangnekar and a team of researchers found the Par-4 gene kills cancer cells, but not normal cells.
LambParamyxovirus Membrane Fusion: A Nanomachine at Work
Robert A. Lamb, Ph.D., Sc.D. (Howard Hughes Medical Institute), reviews the general processes by which enveloped viruses enter cells.
Peter PaleseThe Pathogenicity of Pandemic Influenza Viruses
Peter Palese, M.D. (Mount Sinai School of Medicine), shares how reconstructing the extinct 1918 pandemic influenza virus can help us better understand molecular basis of virulence.
slide from presentationProgressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
UK's Joseph Berger, M.D., talks about PML, a rare viral disease that can affect people with weekend immune systems like AIDS patients.
photo of brain scansTranslational Approaches to Drug Abuse Prevention
Mike Bardo, Ph.D., Rick Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Tom Kelly, Ph.D. answer "Are drug abusers more vulnerable to novel or sensation-seeking activities? What does neurobehavioral research reveal about the most effective ways to intervene?" And show how this information can be applied to create targeted public service announcements.
James ClarkViolence Against Children
UK's James Clark, Ph.D., Ginny Sprang, Ph.D., Otto Kaak, M.D., and Allen Brenzel, M.D., discuss how children's early attachment experiences with caretakers influence brain anatomy and physiology.