In a darkened operating room at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, something extraordinary happens. As John F. Lazar, MD, peers into a surgical console, the lung tissue on his 3D monitor begins to glow. What was once invisible to the human eye — tiny, early-stage cancer cells — is now illuminated in vivid fluorescent… Read More
A spring break trip to the Kennedy Space Center 20 years ago set University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine alumnus Eiman Jahangir, MD, on a trajectory that eventually launched him into space. “I always had two passions,” says Dr. Jahangir, 45, now a professor of medicine and radiology and the director of… Read More
As millions of Americans prepare for the holidays, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center says the conversation about heart health needs to shift from cholesterol to include a less visible but more dangerous threat: inflammation. Jimmy Kerrigan, MD, FSCAI, FACC, is an assistant professor of medicine at the College… Read More
“It is good to be here and partner with you,” Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dunn, DVM, PhD, said during a visit to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Memphis campus Thursday, Dec. 11. Commissioner Dunn and members of his leadership team came to Memphis to officially present three rural health grants to… Read More
“Legacy gifts aren’t about the past; they’re about the future,” said Cindy Russell, PhD, vice chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs at the University Tennessee Health Science Center. “They are about believing in what UT Health Science Center will become and who it will help.” Dr. Russell spoke to more than 100 guests who… Read More
At its final meeting of 2025, the Staff Senate at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center celebrated its achievements, honored university leadership, and welcomed its new president for 2026. Among the Staff Senate’s accomplishments in its second year were approving bylaws and operational procedures and securing a budget to help it recognize and build… Read More
When Karen Derefinko, PhD, talks about her work, there is a theme that comes up again and again: people working together can solve almost anything. This principle is what first drew her into clinical psychology, what motivates her research today, and what shapes her goals as president of the Faculty Senate at the University of… Read More
Matt McDaniel, MPH, MPA, has been named the director of the Tennessee Rural Health Care Center of Excellence. McDaniel brings strong experience in public health and public service to his leadership role in the new, statewide initiative housed at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He joined the Center of Excellence as director on… Read More
