Headlines
IN THE NEWS
Academics
- May 10, 2024 | KTXS
TTUHSC HOSTING SUMMER PHARMACY CAMP FOR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is calling all high school students who have an interest in science or the medical field. The Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy is bringing back its 'Rx Summer Camp,' a STEM-drive college prep-experience for high schoolers.MORE - December 08, 2023 | KCBD
TTUHSC HOSTING SUMMER PHARMACY CAMP FOR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The United States is currently experiencing a shortage of nurses. However, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing has not been impacted by the lack of people entering the profession. Administrators say they are working to combat the nursing shortage every year.MORE - September 25, 2023 | Everything Lubbock
TTUHSC RECEIVES FIRST VEERA HONOR
Texas Tech University Health Science Center received a Veterans Education Excellence Recognition Award from the Texas Veterans Commission for the first time on Monday, said a press release.MORE - April 04, 2023 | Daily Toreador
TTUHSC HOSTS LUBBOCK CITY LIGHTS GALA
The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center hosted the first Lubbock City Lights Gala this past weekend since 2019 at the Overton Hotel Conference Center. The event highlights and fundraises for local community charities. TTUHSC students, faculty, staff and city of Lubbock officials were among many who attended in support of the local nonprofits represented.MORE - March 15, 2023 | NewsWest9
TTUHSC TELEHEALTH PROGRAM LOOKING TO IMPROVE FURTHER BEHIND NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
John Gachago will lead the telehealth department at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, with his sights set on bettering service to West Texans.MORE - January 30, 2023 | Lubbock Online
TEXAS TECH SURGERY CHAIR ELECTED AS AMERICAN BURN ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
Texas Tech University department chair and doctor has been elected as president of the American Burn Association. Sharmila Dissanaike, M.D., Health Sciences Center Department of Surgery Chair, will be the association's interim president for 2023-2024, then serve as president in 2025. She, along with other officers, will begin their terms on May 19, 2023.MORE - December 04, 2022 | Mansfield Record
TEXAS TECH GRADUATES FIRST NURSES FROM MANSFIELD CAMPUS
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing marked its first class of nursing graduates with their BSN to the Mansfield community with a lamp lighting ceremony Dec. 3.MORE - October 25, 2022 | Everything Lubbock
DOCTOR, TTUHSC GRADUATE WHO GAVE HIS LIFE SAVING OTHERS HONORED FOR HEROISM
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center posthumously honored Dr. John Cheng on October 21 for tackling a shooter that opened fire in the Geneva Presbyterian Church in California in May. Cheng was the only person killed in the attack, while five others were injured.MORE - June 25, 2022 | Everything Lubbock
TTUHSC SCHOOL OF NURSING’S ASHCRAFT NAMED FELLOW FOR THE GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the driving force behind advancing innovation in aging awarded fellow status to Alyce S. Ashcraft, Ph.D., RN, professor and associate dean for research and scholarship at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences (TTUHSC) School of Nursing. Ashcraft was recognized for her outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology.MORE - May 24, 2022 | KGNC
TTUHSC ANNOUNCES THE JULIA JONES MATTHEWS SCHOOL OF POPULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
The school, which is the sixth at the university, aims to train future health care leaders in population and public health, a sector of health care that has been elevated in public awareness and prominence by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health officially will reside on the TTUHSC Abilene, Texas, campus, and will offer students and researchers a collaborative educational experience, emphasizing research and use of large data sets to understand needs in health care delivery.MORE - March 19, 2022 | Lubbock Online
MATCH MADNESS: TTUHSC MEDICAL STUDENTS LEARN RESIDENCY ASSIGNMENTS ON MATCH DAY
After years of tireless study in Lubbock, fourth-year medical students at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine learned in dramatic fashion where they will be spending the next three to seven years of their life at a Match Day event Friday.MORE - January 21, 2022 | Yahoo
TEXAS TECH’S INAUGURAL NURSING PROGRAM KICKS OFF WITH 20 STUDENTS IN AMARILLO
On Wednesday morning, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center held a welcome event to honor its inaugural class of 20 students to the bachelor of science in nursing program at the Amarillo campus.MORE - July 06, 2021 | Yahoo
TTUHSC PRESIDENT MARKS FIRST YEAR
Although she had a seamless transition to her job as president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center from being the interim, Lori Rice-Spearman faced tough times with COVID-19. Rice-Spearman was interim president of the health sciences system for six months, which has five campuses spread across a large region.MORE - April 08, 2021 | Texas Medicine
GME MOMENTUM: PRESERVING TEXAS' STEADY PROGRESS IN BUILDING RESIDENCY POSITIONS
Timothy Benton, MD, was elated when in January 2020 a consortium of West Texas oil companies offered $5.9 million to kickstart 21 new residency positions at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. MORE - April 07, 2021 | Fort Worth Business Press
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER COLLABORATES WITH MANSFIELD, METHODIST HEALTH SYSTEM TO ADDRESS NURSING SHORTAGE
The Mansfield community will be home to a satellite campus for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing. TTUHSC will expand its traditional BSN program to the area, providing a resource for new nurses critical to the operation of hospitals and clinics. MORE - March 01, 2021 | Daily Toreador
TEXAS TECH’S SCHOOL OF NURSING WORKS TO ENSURE HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTION DURING PANDEMIC
In March of 2020, Texas Tech’s School of Nursing went from a face-to-face program to an online program within 48 hours, Amanda Veesart, associate dean and department chair for the School of Nursing, said. MORE - February 04, 2021 | USA Today
MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS SURGE AS COVID-19 INSPIRES BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS TO BECOME DOCTORS
Modest tuition cost was critical to realizing the dream of Marcus Gonzalez, 24, a second-year med student at Texas Tech and president of the student government association. He said there’s been an uptick in the number of students asking him about medical school, particularly those from underrepresented communities. MORE - September 25, 2020 | KWES
TTU HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY FELLOW PROGRAM
Back in July of 2018, MDC started funding an 8 year grant that supports the Texas Tech University Health Science Center's psychiatry fellowship program, starting with just one fellow. But now, with 3 fellows and because of the program's establishment, it's director said it's attracting patients from outside West Texas for treatment. MORE - August 24, 2020 | KCBD
FACING MENTAL HEALTH WITH A PLAN
The West Texas Mental Health Collaborative was established to strengthen mental health efforts from TTMHI along with the City of Lubbock, Lubbock County, University Medical Health System, Covenant Health System and StarCare Specialty Health System, the local mental health authority. MORE - March 8, 2020 | KTRB
TEXAS TECH STUDENTS HOST FREE HEALTH FAIR AT MALL OF ABILENE
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center nursing and pharmacy students held a health fair at the mall Saturday. They offered CPR lessons and blood pressure screenings. “It’s just more of an education base is what we’re doing today.” Shantell Thomas is a second-year pharmacy student at Texas Tech. “We’re doing a presentation on how to stay healthy, eating from the different food groups and staying active.” MORE - January 31, 2020 | Lubbock Online
LUBBOCK STUDENTS GET TASTE OF MEDICINE IN ANNUAL TEXAS TECH HSC EVENT
Fifth graders from Lubbock’s Wolffarth Elementary School became doctors for a day Friday. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Student National Medical Association hosted its annual Doctors for a Day Mini Camp at the TTUHSC Academic Classroom Building. MORE
Health
- May 02, 2024 | NPR
THE U.S. MAY BE MISSING HUMAN CASES OF BIRD FLU, SCIENTISTS SAY
Officially, there is only one documented case of bird flu spilling over from cows into humans during the current U.S. outbreak. But epidemiologist Gregory Gray suspects the true number is higher, based on what he heard from veterinarians, farm owners and the workers themselves as the virus hit their herds in his state.MORE - November 15, 2023 | Everything Lubbock
‘HAVE YOUR INHALER:’ LUBBOCK ALLERGIST EXPLAINS COLD WEATHER’S IMPACT ON ASTHMATICS
Temperatures are starting to drop in the South Plains, and as a result, people with asthma may feel a little more wheezy than usual. Dr. James Tarbox, Allergist for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, explained to EverythingLubbock.com on Wednesday that asthma attacks are triggered when an asthmatic breathes in cold air, which causes the airway to experience inflammation.MORE - August 31, 2023 | AP News
THE SOBERING REALITY OF BINGE DRINKING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently reported 18- 22 year-old college students have higher binge-drinking rates than their non-college peers.MORE - April 20, 2023 | KERA
MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS DON’T END AFTER GIVING BIRTH. HOW NORTH TEXAS ADVOCATES SUPPORT NEW PARENTS
Mental health issues were the second leading cause of death among pregnant people in Texas in 2019, according to a report by the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee. Stress, anxiety and depression can worsen health outcomes for parents and babies, even a year after giving birth. Maternal health advocates are on a mission to change that, through support programs and better access to care.MORE - March 16, 2023 | The Texas Tribune
WHY HEALTH CARE IS STILL HARD TO ACCESS IN RURAL TOWNS NEAR TEXAS’ BIGGER CITIES
Bigger cities like Lubbock can unintentionally suck health care resources and professionals from smaller towns, creating what one local expert calls the “doughnut effect.”MORE - January 04, 2023 | KCBD
LUBBOCK DOCTOR’S PERSPECTIVE ON HAMLIN INJURY
The football world is still reeling over the collapse of a Buffalo Bills player in Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was postponed after medics rushed to the field to give Damar Hamlin CPR. So what happened to make him fall after he got up from the tackle? A Lubbock man is keeping a watchful eye on this because he is connected to the incident, personally and professionally.MORE - July 18, 2022 | KCBD
DAY OF THE DEAD A TIME FOR CELEBRATION, REMEMBERING LOST LOVED ONES
It is often said everyone has a different view of death. Considering a multitude of ethnic backgrounds, it is no surprise many cultures celebrate those lost in death. Originating in Mexico, Dia De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a celebration to remember family and friends who have passed.MORE - July 18, 2022 | KFDA
PANHANDLE EXPERT: CHILDREN HAVE HIGHER RISK OF DEHYDRATION DURING EXTREME TEMPERATURES
As temperatures rise to the triple digits so does the risk of dehydration for many in the Panhandle including children, who need more water than adults during these times. Doctor Anders Leverton, physicians pediatrician at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, says children require more water per pound compared to adults.MORE - June 04, 2022 | NPR
TEXAS RANKS LAST IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE AMONG U.S. STATES
Scott Simon speaks with Dr. Sarah Wakefield, the chair of psychiatry at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, about the state's mental health programs for youth.MORE - March 30, 2022 | KRLD
ASK THE EXPERT: WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
The Academy Awards brought a lot of attention to a medical condition, thanks to a slap in the face from Will Smith to Chris Rock after Rock had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair. On today's Ask The Expert, Dr. Michelle Tarbox joined us. She's a dermatologist and an Associate Professor at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Lubbock.MORE - January 20, 2022 | Texas Tribune
TEXAS’ “MATERNITY DESERTS” GROW AS STAFF SHORTAGES CLOSE RURAL LABOR AND DELIVERY UNITS
Only 40% of Texas’ rural hospitals offer labor and delivery services, forcing some patients to drive hundreds of miles to give birth. With nurses in short supply, more hospitals are considering cutting those services entirely. MORE - November 28, 2021 | KAMR
TTUHSC OFFICIALS SPEAK ON POTENTIAL OF HOLIDAY ACCIDENTS, INJURIES
As the holiday season continues, officials with the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center (HSC) are warning of potential situations that could cause accidents and injuries during the holiday season. According to a news release from the TTUHSC, these incidents could occur in places like the kitchen, preparing for various holiday meals, or even while putting holiday decorations up at the home. MORE - October 19, 2021 | NBCDFW
FDA EXPECTED TO AUTHORIZE MIX-AND-MATCH COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOTS
Federal regulators are expected to authorize the mixing and matching of COVID-19 booster shots this week, but it may create even more confusion about who should get a third shot and when.MORE - September 17, 2021 | Yahoo News
AS PREGNANT WOMEN LAG ON VACCINATIONS, ALARM IN TEXAS ABOUT SURGE OF INFECTIONS
Lauren Lewis originally mistook the dry cough for allergies. In early November 2020, she attended an outdoor concert with her mother and younger daughter in Dallas, a couple of days after begrudgingly attending a mandatory in-person meeting at work.MORE - August 18, 2021 | Texas Monthly
“A RECIPE FOR DISASTER”: TWO VIRUSES SURGE AS TEXAS CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL
A highly unusual summer outbreak of RSV and an increase in COVID-19 cases among kids have overrun hospitals.MORE - July 19, 2021 | KXAN
‘A CUSTOMIZED PANDEMIC FOR THE UNVACCINATED:’ DOCTORS URGE MORE TEXANS TO GET VACCINATED AS DELTA VARIANT SPREADS
Over the weekend, five fully-vaccinated Texas representatives who fled to Washington, D.C. last week tested positive for COVID-19. At the same time, Texas hit a positivity rate above 10% for the first time since February.MORE - July 01, 2021 | KFVS
THE HIDDEN COST OF FLIP FLOPS
We’ve talked a lot about what high heels can do to your bones, especially if you stumble. But this time of year, the danger is not just how high up you are but how much your foot is exposed. Dr. Jerry Grimes is an Orthopaedic Surgeon. He says, “As we age, your feet become weaker. And especially people whose arches are falling or have become diabetic, flip flops can be a very bad thing for our feet.”MORE - June 08, 2021 | KCBD
IS YOUR CAR SAFE IN THE BACK SEAT?
Nationally, every year about 40 children die in hot cars. That’s why health experts are asking drivers to remember what they are leaving in the back seat. The National Traffic Safety Administration reports that 53% of car deaths happen because someone left a vehicle with a child still inside.MORE - April 08, 2021 | KCBD
UNITED VACCINATES 1,200 PEOPLE AT FIRST CLINIC ON TECH CAMPUS
United Supermarkets hosted its first vaccine clinic on Texas Tech’s campus, inoculating about 1,200 people with the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Tim Purser, the director of pharmacy for United, says the appointments for the clinic filled up in a matter of days. Student Moises Castro says the convenience of the clinic played a part in his decision to get the shot.MORE - March 02, 2021 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
FULLY REOPENING TEXAS ‘DEFINITELY RISKIER’ NOW THAN SUMMER OR FALL, HEALTH EXPERTS SAY
Starting March 10, Texans will no longer have to wear masks in public. All businesses, from bars to bowling alleys and beyond, can open to their maximum occupancy. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. - February 18, 2021 | Lone Star Health News
LONE STARS ON THE MEDICAL FRONTIER: PSYCHIATRIST SARAH WAKEFIELD FINDS HEARTACHE AND HOPE IN PANDEMIC’S TOLL ON YOUNG PEOPLE
Dr. Sarah Wakefield, head of psychiatry at Texas Tech University's Health Science Center in Lubbock, is intimately familiar with the struggles of young people during the pandemic and is studying access to mental health care and the effectiveness of the treatments for youth in Texas. She has deep concerns, but she also has hope. - February 05, 2021 | Yahoo Sports
‘FAST AND THICK’ DUST STORM THAT SWEPT OVER TEXAS WAS VISIBLE FROM SPACE.
A dust storm that blew across Texas last week could be seen from space, while on the Earth’s surface it hampered traffic and worsened air quality. The storm stirred a massive expanse of dust from Lubbock across the northern part of the state and through the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Jan. 30.MORE - January 15, 2021 | CBS News
POST-COVID LUNGS WORSE THAN THE WORST SMOKERS' LUNGS, SURGEON SAYS
A Texas trauma surgeon says it's rare that X-rays from any of her COVID-19 patients come back without dense scarring. Dr. Brittany Bankhead-Kendall tweeted, "Post-COVID lungs look worse than any type of terrible smoker's lung we've ever seen. And they collapse. And they clot off. And the shortness of breath lingers on... & on... & on."MORE - January 7, 2021 | KAMR
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW VARIANT OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS
At this time, everyone is still learning new information about the COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.7. Dr. Scott Milton, Texas Tech Physicians Infectious Disease Physician, shared “I think what we know about the new variants is that they seem to be more contagious.” In addition to B.1.1.7, the UK COVID-19 variant, Dr. Milton shared that he believes there is also an additional variant in South Africa that may not be as easily treated.MORE - December 5, 2020 | KHOU
SMALLER HOSPITALS IN RURAL TEXAS STRUGGLE TO FIND BEDS FOR CRITICAL COVID-19 PATIENTS
As bigger facilities are filling up, doctors, nurses and hospitals in the Texas Panhandle are saying it’s difficult to find beds for patients who need them.MORE - November 19, 2020 | Austin American Statesman
NO SHUTDOWNS: ABBOTT BANKS ON MEDICINE, VIGILANCE TO COUNTER PANDEMIC
With Texas setting a single-day record for new coronavirus infections Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott traveled to Lubbock, a pandemic hot spot, to promote the state’s distribution of a new antibody therapy designed to limit the strain on hospitals.MORE - November 17, 2020 | Wall Street Journal
DOCTORS APPLY COVID-19 LESSONS LEARNED AS U.S. CASES SURGE
When a man in his 40s with Covid-19 and low oxygen saturation arrived at the Boston hospital where Brittany Bankhead-Kendall treated patients in April, he was quickly put on a ventilator, a standard first response at many American hospitals at the time.MORE - October 16, 2020 | KWES
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER OFFERING HELP FOR CHILDREN WITH DEPRESSION
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in Midland is offering children with depression screenings. Medical professionals say it is very important to recognize when children have depression, in order to diagnose and treat it early.MORE - September 07, 2020 | Amarillo Globe
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS STRESS IMPORTANCE OF INFLUENZA VACCINE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
During a recent COVID-19 news conference, hosted by the city of Amarillo, Brian Weis, the chief medical officer at the Northwest Texas Health Care System, warned the community that if an individual contracts COVID-19 and influenza at the same time, it could be a “bad one-two punch.” MORE - September 03, 2020 | KAMR
AREA MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS SPEAK OUT ON PEDIATRIC HEADACHE AWARENESS
It is a debilitating condition that can impact kids: Chronic headaches. As the school year returns, local medical professionals want parents and teachers to be aware of chronic headaches and how to treat them. MORE - September 02, 2020 | Daily Toreador
COVID-19 IMPACTS YOUNGER POPULATIONS; MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS RISKS
Age is one factor medical professionals consider to determine how risky COVID-19 can be for a person. Despite certain assumptions about being young and more vigorous, people of any age may be at risk. As the fall semester continues, college students' risk of presenting major COVID-19 symptoms is a topic discussed as institutions implement health protocols. MORE - August 21, 2020 | KXAN
TEXAS DOCTORS EXPLAIN EXTRA BENEFITS OF WORKING FROM HOME FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS
Texas doctors say there are extra benefits to working from home for expectant mothers during the pandemic. Robin Averhoff is pregnant with her third child. She was due Aug. 18, and is set to be induced Friday. “I’ve not been induced yet,” she said. One of the only major differences during this pregnancy was the pandemic. MORE - July 28, 2020 | KTTZ
DAUGHTER DOCUMENTING TALKS WITH MOTHER IN NURSING HOME
Jerry Montgomery reads from the journal she keeps to note conversations with her 91-year-old mother Carol, who lives in a nursing home two hours away and has Alzheimer’s. Jerry has been recording their conversations since January - before COVID-19 hit the area - as a way to document the disease’s progression. MORE - July 24, 2020 | KCBD
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN GIVING BIRTH DURING A PANDEMIC
The classic guide, “What to expect when your expecting” could not have prepared Taylor Nelson for giving birth to triplets during a pandemic. Giving birth during the pandemic can feel lonely, Nelson said. Only one person and a Doula is allowed in the delivery room. MORE - June 17, 2020 | News West 9
LOCAL DOCTOR SHARES INSIGHT ABOUT COVID-19 RECOVERY AND AFTER-EFFECTS
Dr. Benton of the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center said to be considered recovered from COVID-19 you have to have 2 negative tests 24 hours apart after having had the virus for at least 10 days. You also have to be rid of all the symptoms. MORE - June 02, 2020 | The Sun
EVEN A MILD CASE OF CORONAVIRUS COULD LEAVE YOU WITH LONG-TERM ORGAN DAMAGE
Scientists are warning coronavirus survivors that they may be left with long-term organ damage. They say that while the patients' lungs are hit the hardest by the lethal disease - other vital organs and bodily systems are also hugely impacted. MORE - June 01, 2020 | Fox 34
HEALTH EXPERTS CONCERNED PROTESTS COULD SPREAD CORONAVIRUS
Health experts across the country are warning of a potential second wave of COVID-19 caused by protests. - May 30, 2020 | WIVB
TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH; SETTING BOUNDARIES AMID COVID-19
Many Americans are returning to offices and resuming “normal” as states continue to open up in phases. But for some, the uncertainty of going back may bring on anxieties and feelings of depression. MORE - April 30, 2020 | The Texas Tribune
IN WEST TEXAS, VOLUNTEERS MANUFACTURE MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND AMATEUR PILOTS DELIVER TO REMOTE HOSPITALS
A volunteer air force of more than 1,000 amateur aviators has come together to transport essential medical supplies in a part of the state where the cities are far-flung and the roads are notoriously dangerous from oil-related traffic. MORE - April 29, 2020 | KXAN
TEXAS DOCTORS WARN SURGERIES COULD BE DELAYED MONTHS AS HEALTHCARE FACILITIES TRY TO CATCH UP
Governor Greg Abbott has recently reduced restrictions for healthcare facilities and surgeries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but that does not mean things will immediately return to normal. MORE - April 27, 2020 | New York Times
CORONAVIRUS AS A REMINDER OF THE URGENCY OF GETTING YOUR VACCINES
While the new coronavirus, against which there is currently no vaccine, causes global economic chaos, illness and death, there are other serious infections that are too often ignored or dismissed. MORE - April 17, 2020 | KAMR
‘HERD IMMUNITY’ CONCEPT AND HOW IT APPLIES TO COVID-19 SPREAD IN AMARILLO
Dr. Todd Bell, Associate Professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo, explains the concept of “herd immunity." “You have to have enough immune people in the community that your chance of having a non-immune person coming into contact with someone who’s actively transmitting the disease is low enough that it can’t continue to propagate,” said Dr. Bell. MORE - March 19, 2020 | Austin American-Statesman
TEXAS PRISONS RAMP UP CORONAVIRUS PROTECTION MEASURES
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced this week that in addition to taking the temperatures of correctional officers, it will do so for incoming offenders arriving at its 24 intake facilities. Prison hospitals will limit the number of medical students who see patients to prevent transmission possibilities. Prisons will also provide soap to inmates at no charge and extend their phone time. - March 5, 2020 | KCBD
DON'T LET HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE KILL YOUR KIDNEYS
We hear a lot about high blood pressure or hypertension and we know that's not good for the heart. But did you know that high blood pressure can also quietly shut down your kidneys? Dr. Meryem Tuncel is a nephrologist and hypertension specialist at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. She says, “Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a very important risk factor for developing kidney failure in the future." MORE - February 13, 2020 | Everything Lubbock
THE FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 CONFIRMED IN TEXAS, LUBBOCK OFFICIALS PREPARE
The first case of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, was confirmed in Texas. The patient returned on a charter flight from China on February 7 and is currently under quarantine. MORE
Research
- May 10, 2024 | Everything Lubbock
TTU, TTUHSC NAME DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE FOR ONE HEALTH INNOVATION
Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center announced Naïma Moustaïd-Moussa as the inaugural executive director for the Institute for One Health Innovation beginning July 1. The position will be to better facilitate collaborations between the Lubbock-based institutes and other members of the Texas Tech University system.MORE - December 19, 2023 | AP News
DRONES BRING EARLY HOLIDAY GIFTS BY FLYING NEEDED MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO RURAL PRESIDIO, TEXAS
Drive across West Texas and one might think the roads go on forever. Eventually, after cutting through breathtaking views of desert mountains and canyons and taking several turns, the road ends at one of the oldest communities in the United States, Presidio, Texas. The community also is one of the most remote places in the country, which is perfect for peace and quiet and stargazing, but challenging in the best of circumstances for accessing health care services, which can be devastating in the case of a medical emergency.MORE - September 22, 2023 | KFDA
AMARILLO TTUHSC RESEARCHERS RECEIVE $1.47 MILLION GRANT TO ADDRESS PREECLAMPSIA RATES
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center researchers in Amarillo have received a grant to address preeclampsia rates in the Panhandle. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health awarded a two-year, $1.47 million grant to a local research coalition led by Dr. Christine Garner, assistant vice president for research and an assistant professor for the Department of Pediatrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the InfantRisk Center.MORE - April 14, 2023 | Bioengineer
COMPANY OWNED BY TTUHSC RESEARCHERS NAMED TO REGIONAL INCUBATOR PROGRAM
In an important step toward commercialization, a company co-owned by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) researchers Ted Reid, Ph.D., vice chairman for the School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Phat Tran, Ph.D., a research instructor in the same department, has been accepted into the 2023 REACH (Regional Energy Accelerator for Commercializing Hard-Tech) incubator program.MORE - March 14, 2023 | OA Online
STUDY SHOWS LINK IN AUTISM, CARDIOMETABOLIC DISEASES
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017 determined that approximately 1 in 44 children ages 3-17 are diagnosed with some form of autism spectrum disorder.MORE - January 31, 2023 | KGNC
TTU DOCTOR RECEIVES MONEY TO HELP ADDRESS COMMUNICATION-RELATED MEDICAL ERRORS
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has announced one of its doctors has received a grant to help with medical errors. Dr. Tetyana L. Vasylyeva was awarded $438,756 for her 5-year project titled “Comparing Three Approaches to Communication with Hospitalized Children and Families with Limited English Proficiency”.MORE - September 27, 2022 | Science Magazine
TTUHSC RECEIVES CPRIT GRANT TO BEGIN NEW OUTREACH EFFORT
In an effort to bolster access to colorectal cancer screening among underserved and uninsured Texans, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) recently awarded a $1 million prevention grant to Rakhshanda Rahman, M.D., Rebeccah Baucom, M.D., and John Kidwell, M.D., from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. - June 16, 2022 | PCI Wellness
HUMANITARIAN EFFORT TO ERADICATE SCHISTOSOMIASIS ENTERS IMPORTANT STAGE
As the needle delivered the first-ever dose of SchistoShield® vaccine into the waiting arm of a human being, its developer, Afzal A. Siddiqui, Ph.D., director of the Center for Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease and chair of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Medicine, was simultaneously filled with joy and fear and other feelings that were new to him. - May 11, 2022 | Fox34
TTUHSC RESEARCH RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS STATUS AS CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION®
The Carnegie Classification® of Institutions of Higher Education has designated Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) as a Special Focus Four-Year Research Institution (Very High Research Activity University). This distinguished classification places TTUHSC among 22 elite four-year special focus research universities nationwide that have curriculum with a focus in health care and medicine, research and other specialized fields.MORE - March 23, 2022 | Science Magazine
TTUHSC RESEARCHER RECEIVES NIH GRANT TO STUDY VULNERABILITIES IN SPECIFIC CANCER TYPES
The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, recently awarded a five-year, $ $1.9 million grant to C. Patrick Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., director for the School of Medicine Cancer Center at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. - January 21, 2022 | Mirage News
SCIENTIST SEEKING SOLUTION TO DRUG RESISTANCE
A team of researchers led by Hongjun (Henry) Liang, Ph.D., from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Department of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, recently investigated whether or not a series of novel nanoparticles can kill some of the pathogens that lead to human infection without affecting healthy cells.MORE - June 02, 2020 | Everyday Health
TAI CHI MIGHT HELP REDUCE BELLY FAT IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS
A randomized controlled trial found that tai chi worked as well as or better than conventional exercise at helping people over 50 trim their waist circumference.MORE - October 12, 2020 | MSN
AMARILLO ONE OF LEADING LOCATIONS IN GATHERING DATA ON HOW TO TREAT COVID-19
Physicians and patients in the Panhandle involved with the Regeneron monoclonal antibody study have made Amarillo one of the top location sites worldwide in evaluating different treatment options for COVID-19. MORE - August 21, 2020 | MSN New Zealand
HEALTHY HEART IS LINKED WITH LOW RISK OF EYE DISEASE IN NEW STUDY
Age-old advice on how to look after your heart also applies to staving off eye disease and sight loss, a new study claims. US researchers have linked good cardiovascular health from a healthy diet, regular exercise and not smoking with lower odds for ocular diseases. - June 22nd, 2020 | US News
YOUR GENES MAY AFFECT HOW YOU'LL HEAL IF WOUNDED
Your genes may have a big impact on bacteria in your wounds and how quickly you heal, new research shows. - April 23, 2020 | KAMR
SEVERAL AREA HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS JOIN MAYO CLINIC STUDY ON CONVALESCENT PLASMA TO TREAT COVID-19
Coffee Memorial Blood Center, BSA, Northwest Texas Health Systems, Texas Tech Health Systems, and the City of Amarillo Department of Public Health are all now working together as part of a study by the Mayo Clinic to see the effectiveness of the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19.MORE - April 16, 2020 | KCBD
STERILIZING AND REUSING MEDICAL MASKS
With the shortage of personal protective equipment on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Tech medical students and others at the Health Sciences Center are working hard to extend the life of N95 medical masks and face shields. That means longer protection for those who use them. The effort is called Team Decon, short for decontamination. MORE - March 8, 2020 | Lubbock Online
CPRIT AWARDS RESEARCH GRANT TO TEXAS TECH HSC’S REYNOLDS
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently announced a $1,196,214 grant to Dr. C. Patrick Reynolds, director for the School of Medicine Cancer Center at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. MORE - February 4, 2020 | Phys.org
STUDY IDENTIFIES INTERACTION SITE FOR SEROTONIN TYPE 3A AND RIC-3 CHAPERONE
To address the receptor dysfunction associated with several serious neurological diseases, Michaela Jansen, Pharm.D., Ph.D., from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine recently completed a study that provides novel insights into a protein-protein interaction that may one day lead to more effective treatments for these disorders. MORE