Unique public-private collaboration will bring theranostics research and treatments to Kansas City
The University of Kansas Medical Center, The University of Kansas Health System, Children’s Mercy and BAMF (Bold, Advanced Medical Future) Health announced their intentions to establish one of the nation’s first fully integrated theranostics platforms for both adult and pediatric patients — bringing advanced research, diagnostics and targeted treatments together in one place. Theranostics is a precision medicine approach to care that employs the same targeting system to both find disease in the body and treat it using radiopharmaceuticals. By delivering radiation directly to diseased cells, it treats disease more precisely, minimizes damage to healthy tissue and results in fewer side effects. Currently, The University of Kansas Cancer Center offers theranostic treatments for certain types of metastatic prostate cancer and neuroendocrine cancer. This unique public-private collaboration will allow all four organizations to bring both theranostics research and treatments to adults and children in Kansas City and beyond.
KU Cancer Center begins construction on new complex that promises to transform both care and research in the region
The University of Kansas Cancer Center has begun construction on a modern new complex that will bring research and patient care into one location for the first time in KU Cancer Center’s history. The new building realizes a long-time vision of the KU Cancer Center’s leadership to bring together the entire cancer community — from physician-scientists to researchers to physicians and clinical staff — side by side in one facility. The new building, which will be located on the 39th and Rainbow campus in Kansas City, is expected to be completed in late 2027. The complex will give patients access to groundbreaking clinical trials and therapies developed on site — and physicians and researchers will be able to collaborate in real time on personalized treatment options and make them available to patients more quickly. In 2022, The University of Kansas Cancer Center was designated as a “Comprehensive” cancer center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This is the highest level of recognition awarded by the NCI and is the gold standard for cancer centers. In addition to significant institutional investments by both the University of Kansas and The University of Kansas Health System, philanthropic support has been essential to fund the project. The campaign started with a generous $100 million lead gift from The Sunderland Foundation and $69 million in congressionally directed spending, secured by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. These generous investments in the project set the fundraising effort in motion, leading to significant philanthropy.
KU School of Medicine embraces teaching trauma-informed approaches to patient care
Most people experience trauma at some point in their lives. The University of Kansas School of Medicine has begun to integrate a more trauma-informed care approach to training. And a big part of that effort has been initiated by first-year medical students, aided by faculty advisors. The two-year road to this achievement began in the JayDoc Free Clinic, which provides clinical training for students as well as health care for underserved populations in the Greater Kansas City area. With faculty guidance, the students combed through the previously approved course materials and sought ways to incorporate trauma-informed language into existing lessons on patient care. The learning objectives include understanding the principles of trauma-informed care and how practicing this kind of care leads to better patient communication; recognizing the signs of trauma and how it may influence the patient’s values and care preference; understanding the relationship between social determinants of health and trauma; understanding how a personal history of trauma can impact the patient’s ultimate care goals; and approach to care and integrating community resources and assistance from other professionals to comprehensively address the full needs of the patient.
KU School of Nursing faculty inducted into International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame
Kristine Williams, Ph.D., FAAN, a nurse gerontologist and professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, was among 15 world-renowned nurse researchers inducted into the 2025 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. The award, now in its 16th year, recognizes nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession of nursing and the people it serves. The 2025 inductees join more than 300 previously inducted nurse researchers from around the world. Williams is a prolific researcher whose work focuses on the care of older adults, particularly in the area of improving nurse-patient communication and supporting caregivers of people with dementia. Her research on “elderspeak,” a form of communication similar to baby talk sometimes used by nurses and other providers to address older adults, has demonstrated how it can negatively affect patient outcomes and behavior. The training program she developed, a program — known as CHAT (Changing Talk) — teaches staff at nursing homes and other health care settings how to use person-centered communication instead.
Melatonin use on the rise in young children, despite lack of long-term outcomes research
Melatonin use in children 6 years old and younger is rising globally, but there is little data on its effectiveness or long-term health effects in kids with typical neurological development, according to a literature review led by Chelsea Kracht, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at KU Medical Center, and published in JAMA Network Open. Melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle, has become a popular sleep aid around the world, for children as well as adults. Sold over the counter in the United States as a dietary supplement, melatonin has also become the leading cause of unsupervised ingestion of medication and overdose for children under the age of 5 who are treated in U.S. emergency rooms. Yet studies about melatonin usage and health effects on younger children are limited. Kracht and her colleagues conducted a systematic review of 19 melatonin studies which showed that the use of melatonin as a sleep aid for children younger than age 6 has increased around the world over the last 20 years, and especially over the last decade. Possible culprits for the increase include increased treatment at home during the COVID-19 pandemic due to large amounts of screen time, which delays the onset of sleep; increases in child-friendly gummy products; and potentially higher use of melatonin by parents, whose supplements might be consumed by their children.
Study shows AI-powered wristband improves daily function for people with essential tremor
The most common movement disorder in the world, essential tremor affects 7 million Americans — seven times more than have Parkinson’s disease. Tremor affecting the hands can interfere with many daily activities, such as drinking, eating and writing, which impairs patients’ quality of life and may lead to disability and social isolation. Traditional treatments fall short for many: medications may not work well or can cause side effects, while surgical procedures such as deep brain stimulation are invasive and not suitable for everyone. A clinical trial published in JAMA Neurology tested a noninvasive, drug-free alternative: the Felix NeuroAI™ wristband. The study showed that the wristband, which uses nerve stimulation and employs artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously adjust stimulation settings, significantly improved daily function for people living with essential tremor. Rajesh Pahwa, M.D., principal investigator for the multicenter trial and professor of neurology at KU School of Medicine, said the study found clinically meaningful improvements in patients’ ability to perform everyday activities. Patients also reported improvement in their quality of life. The randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluated 125 adults with essential tremor across 12 neurology centers in the United States and China.
KU Cancer Center launches new research program on obesity and cancer
The University of Kansas Cancer Center has launched a new research program focused on understanding the connection between obesity and cancer and on developing interventions to improve metabolic health. It is the first such research program at any National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the United States. Members of KU Cancer Center’s Obesity, Metabolic Health and Cancer research program will come from a variety of disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, exercise and physical activity science, physiology, nutrition and population health. Obesity is one of the most significant and preventable risk factors for cancer, and it is projected to overtake tobacco as the leading cause of malignancies. More than 41% of U.S. adults have obesity, and nearly 70% of people living in KU Cancer Center’s catchment area have obesity or are overweight. The new research program will bring together scientists and clinicians to work on improving metabolic health and break the cancer-obesity link by developing exercise, nutrition and pharmacological interventions.
KU School of Health Professions enrollment on the rise
KU School of Health Professions is home for the programs leading to those careers in a wide range of fields, from physical therapy and occupational therapy to speech pathology, clinical laboratory science and more. KU School of Health Professions currently has 27 degree programs, with several highly ranked among public universities nationwide. Enrollment in KU School of Health Professions has grown steadily for the past decade and is poised to continue its upward momentum. Demand is increasing for workers in many areas of health care, and the school is creating programs and stepping up recruitment to help meet it. The school’s total enrollment has grown more than 26% over the past decade. Currently 828 students are enrolled in KU School of Health Professions: 658 in graduate programs, 153 in undergraduate programs and 17 in certificate programs. The school has also created 12 new degree programs since 2016. The school is on track to exceed its goal of enrolling 1,000 students by 2028. Higher enrollment should translate to more health professionals graduating to serve Kansas communities and beyond.
KU Chancellor begins term as AAU chair
University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod, M.D., assumed his position as chair of the board of directors of the Association of American Universities in October 2025. Girod, a surgeon who was executive vice chancellor for KU Medical Center until 2017, also serves as chair of the Big 12 Conference’s board of directors and as a member of both the NCAA Division I board of directors and the NCAA board of governors. In his new leadership role at the Association of American Universities, an organization of 71 leading U.S. research universities, he will help guide the association’s work, particularly on federal policy issues affecting such universities. Before joining KU Medical Center, Girod was vice chairman and research director in the otolaryngology department at the Naval Medical Center in Oakland, California. In 2002, less than 10 years after coming to KU, he became chair of KU’s otolaryngology department. In 2013, he became interim executive dean of the medical school and executive vice chancellor for KU Medical Center. In 2017, he became the 18th chancellor of the University of Kansas. Girod is leading the board of the Association of American Universities at a critical time for American higher education. He also represents the association in discussions with lawmakers to help develop national policy positions.
KU Medical Center selected as one of 12 Nutrition Obesity Research Centers in the country
The University of Kansas Medical Center is now the 12th institution in the prestigious Nutrition Obesity Research Centers Consortium, thanks to a $3 million, five-year grant awarded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Nutrition Obesity Research Centers are university-based interdisciplinary centers that investigate the development, treatment and prevention of obesity and support research that gives us a better understanding of the relationship between health and nutrition. With this award, KU Medical Center has also become the first Research Resource Center for the consortium. More than 2 in 5 adults and 1 in 5 children in the U.S. have obesity, costing the U.S. health care system nearly $173 billion per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The project will also provide ongoing enrichment, including webinars and a potential podcast. In addition, KU Medical Center’s role includes creating research opportunities for early-stage scientists at institutions that are not part of the consortium and who might not have the opportunity to experience mentorship or a high level of research training.
Book focuses on the lives of women in medical school at KU during the ’50s, ‘60s and ’70s
In her new book, author Anne Walling, M.B., Ch.B., professor emerita of family and community medicine at KU School of Medicine-Wichita, examines life for women in medical school between 1948 to 1975. “Women in Medicine: Stories from the Girls in White” reveals how it was in those early days — sometimes frustrating, always difficult and ultimately rewarding. Originally meant to be an oral history project, Walling turned the project into a book based on interviews of 37 women who were graduates of KU’s medical school between 1948 and 1975. All became successful physicians. At the time she interviewed them during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, about a third of them were still practicing. Walling based the title of her book on a textbook that students at various medical schools were required to read over the years titled, “The Boys in White: Student Culture in Medical School.” That text was based on interviews at KU School of Medicine conducted in 1957-58 by a team of social scientists from Chicago. While the older text set out to describe the medical school experience at the time, Walling said the women had their own tales that didn’t necessarily match the story being told in that book. Those Walling interviewed noted that many people in their lives tried to warn them not to enroll in medical school — that it would be too difficult. The women were told it was a waste of money to train them to become physicians because they would likely drop out or leave the profession to get married. They were often not afforded access to the same equipment or opportunities as the male students. And there were few female role models in medicine. In 1972, Title IX legislation became law, prohibiting the exclusion of women from schools receiving federal funding. Enrollment of women at KU’s medical school had been as low as 2%, but in 1975 that jumped to 20%. Now, around 54.6 % of American medical students are women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
KU Cancer Center evaluating progestin use to treat endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus, is the most common type of gynecologic malignancy. It is also one of the few cancers in the United States with both increasing incidence rates and decreasing survival rates over the last 20 years, according to the American Cancer Society. The prevalence of obesity, one of the biggest risk factors for endometrial cancer, has driven much of the rise in diagnoses. Meanwhile, treatment options have remained largely stagnant, and the disease is widely recognized to be underfunded and understudied. Christy Hagan, Ph.D., a member of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s cancer biology program and an associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at KU School of Medicine, is a project leader on a recently awarded five-year project program grant (P01) from the National Cancer Institute to study hormone therapy for endometrial cancer. P01 grants are long-term, complex grants that support multiple research projects across institutions that come together to answer a scientific question. The University of Utah, the University of New Mexico and the University of Iowa are the other institutions on the P01. The researchers will focus on the use of progestins, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, to combat endometrial cancer. Progestins are most often used in birth control pills. They are also the only FDA-approved drugs to treat early-stage endometrial cancer, but their use is limited largely to women who cannot have surgery to remove the uterus and to younger women who want to preserve their fertility. The study will evaluate progestins both to treat existing disease and to prevent atypical endometrial hyperplasia (a precancerous condition in the uterus) from progressing to full-blown endometrial cancer.
KU School of Nursing’s undergraduate program among top in country, according to U.S. News & World Report
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (BSN) at the KU School of Nursing received high marks from the latest “Best Colleges” rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The program placed 25th among such programs at public schools, while claiming the 40th spot among the 686 accredited BSN programs in the country included in the rankings. The rankings are based on peer assessments completed by representatives from schools of nursing across the country rating each institution’s nursing undergraduate program. U.S. News then determines the rankings using the average rating each institution received. In recent years, KU School of Nursing has ramped up efforts to combat the nursing shortage in the state and the country. In 2023, it created the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, which recently released its second report on the state of nursing in Kansas. This report is an analysis of a wide variety of nursing data, and it is being used to inform decision-making on programs and policies affecting nursing in the state. KU School of Nursing, which has campuses in Kansas City and Salina and partners with eight community colleges across the state to produce BSN-prepared graduates, has continued to find ways to expand its own enrollment. U.S. News publishes its “Best Colleges” rankings each fall. These rankings are different from the annual graduate school rankings published each spring.
New designation acknowledges efforts in research and care of those with rare diseases
The University of Kansas Medical Center, Children’s Mercy and The University of Kansas Health System have collectively been designated a NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). The designation recognizes the organizations’ leadership in providing expert, multidisciplinary care and advancing research for the more than 30 million Americans living with rare diseases. The NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence Network now includes 46 institutions across 28 states and Washington, D.C., all working together to shorten diagnostic journeys, expand access to care, train the next generation of rare disease experts and accelerate groundbreaking research. Through a coordinated national network, Children’s Mercy, The University of Kansas Health System and KU Medical Center are partnering with NORD and all NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence to scale the model of rare disease care and research, bridging clinical and specialty expertise gaps across institutions and state lines to deliver better outcomes for patients and their families.
KU School of Nursing to launch region’s only master’s degree direct-entry program
Students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields may now more easily transition into nursing with a new degree program to be launched at the University of Kansas School of Nursing. Known as a master’s degree direct-entry program, this change is part of an ongoing effort at KU to keep up with national trends in nursing curricula. The Kansas Board of Nursing approved the new program, along with numerous curriculum changes proposed by the KU School of Nursing faculty and leadership. That change is part of a curriculum trend nationwide, and it helps more students — who previously may not have realized the many opportunities nursing provides — transition into the field. The new master’s degree direct-entry program will launch in fall 2027, with new classes of students accepted into the program every fall. Another significant change involves reworking the undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, to provide for a more holistic approach. The revised curriculum combines what were previously separate lab, simulation and clinical experiences into applied practice courses, giving students a continuous approach to practice within a single course structure.