Vaccines are considered by more than a few scientific experts to be among the most significant developments in modern medicine. Now, it’s hard to know what to believe about vaccinations. The resurgence of measles, effectively eradicated in the U.S. 25 years ago, is one indication that in some pockets of our country, is one indication of doubt in vaccines’ effectiveness. Meanwhile, the federal government is pulling back on its recommendations about who should take the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Melissa Held, professor of pediatric infectious diseases and senior associate dean of medical student education at the UConn School of Medicine, and Dr. David Banach, associate professor of medicine, infectious diseases physician and UConn Health’s hospital epidemiologist, join us to help separate facts from myths.

(Dr. Melissa Held, Dr. David Banach, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, May 2025, studio and production support by Ethan Giorgetti and Ryan Bernat)

Dr. Melissa Held https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Held-Tobin-Melissa

Dr. David Banach https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Banach-David

UConn Health’s Infectious Diseases Division https://health.uconn.edu/infectious-diseases/

American Academy of Pediatrics https://www.aap.org/

Infectious Diseases Society of America https://www.idsociety.org/

Connecticut Department of Public Health https://portal.ct.gov/dph

When severe depression becomes treatment-resistant depression, an unconventional medication is proving to be effective. It’s a specific form of ketamine that is administered by nasal spray in a supervised clinical setting, approved by the FDA for this purpose. Dr. Caleb Battersby, director of interventional psychiatry at UConn Health, explains how esketamine works and why this treatment approach has been providing hope for those who otherwise may be out of answers.

(Dr. Caleb Battersby, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, April 2025, studio and technical support by Ethan Giorgetti and Ryan Bernat)

Dr. Caleb Battersby https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Battersby-Caleb

UConn Health Department of Psychiatry https://health.uconn.edu/psychiatry/

Find a treatment center https://www.spravato.com/find-treatment-center/

UConn Health Minute: Treating Severe Depression (December 2024) https://today.uconn.edu/2024/12/uconn-health-minute-treating-severe-depression/

Treatable but not curable, endometriosis affects one in 10 women and girls of reproductive age. But it's not all that well understood and recognized, and can go undetected, leading to years of avoidable suffering and causing time away from school, work, and other activities. UConn Health is part of a collaboration with The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine and the state of Connecticut called EndoRISE, which seeks to raise awareness and advance research of endometriosis. Dr. Danielle Luciano, director of minimally invasive gynecological surgery at UConn Health, and Jasmina Kuljancic, EndoRISE program manager from JAX, help lead this effort.

(Dr. Danielle Luciano, Jasmina Kuljancic, Chris DeFrancesco, March 2025, studio and technical support by Ethan Giorgetti and Ryan Bernat)

EndoRISE https://www.ctendorise.org/

Dr. Danielle Luciano https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Luciano-Danielle

Endometriosis care at UConn Health https://health.uconn.edu/women/gynecology/endometriosis/

UConn Today: 'EndoRISE Launch Marks New Era in Endometriosis Research and Support' https://today.uconn.edu/2024/06/endorise-launch-marks-new-era-in-endometriosis-research-and-support/

Many of us have been told for most of our lives that fluoride is greatly beneficial to our health. So how did we get from fluoride in the public water supply being one of history’s great public health achievements to it standing trial in the court of public opinion? We invite Drs. Bina Katechia and Aadarsh Gopalakrishna from the UConn School of Dental Medicine to deliberate and render a verdict.

(Dr. Bina Katechia, Dr. Aadarsh Gopalakrishna, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, February 2025, studio and technical support by Ethan Giorgetti)

Dr. Bina Katechia, interim chair, UConn School of Medicine Department of Pediatric Dentistry https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Katechia-Bina

Dr. Aadarsh Gopalakrishna, chair, UConn School of Medicine Division of General Dentistry https://facultydirectory.uchc.edu/profile?profileId=Gopalakrishna-Aadarsh

Pediatric dentistry at UConn Health https://health.uconn.edu/dental/patient-services/pediatric-dentistry/

General dentistry at UConn Health https://health.uconn.edu/dental/

UConn School of Dental Medicine https://dentalmedicine.uconn.edu/

The deadliest form of skin cancer is even deadlier when it spreads beyond the skin. When simply cutting out the cancerous skin is not enough, melanoma goes from a dermatology matter to an oncology matter. Dr. Margaret Callahan is a medical oncologist and Dr. Giao Phan is a surgical oncologist. Together they lead UConn Health's advanced melanoma program, which offers specialized care for when this cancer has spread.

(Dr. Margaret Callahan, Dr. Giao Phan, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, December 2024)

Dr. Margaret Callahan https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Callahan-Margaret

Dr. Giao Phan https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/PHAN-GIAO

"Advancing Specialty Care for Metastatic Melanoma at UConn Health," UConn Today, Sept. 23, 2024 https://today.uconn.edu/?p=219219

Drs. Phan and Callahan on Channel 3's "Great Day Connecticut," Dec. 18, 2024 https://youtu.be/OXqT8x79SZo

Skin Cancer care at UConn Health's Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center https://health.uconn.edu/cancer/patient-services/clinical-services/skin-cancer/

860-679-4600

Melanoma navigator 860-692-8455

An emerging approach to stroke recovery involves an outpatient neurosurgical procedure that implants a device capable of stimulating a nerve found to be central to the brain's ability to learn. Dr. Christopher Conner in UConn Health's Brain and Spine Institute is the first neurosurgeon in Connecticut to implant this device, which can make the brain more receptive to intensive occupational therapy. Dr. Conner explains vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and describes its early success.

(November 2024, Dr. Christopher Conner, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

Dr. Christopher Conner https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Conner-Christopher

Connecticut's 1st VNS device implant (UConn Today, May 2024) https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/first-in-connecticut-ischemic-stroke-survivors-have-renewed-hope-with-the-vagus-nurve-stimulation-device-now-available-at-uconn-health/

Treating movement disorders with deep brain stimulation (UConn Today, May 2024) https://today.uconn.edu/2024/05/deep-brain-stimulation-changing-the-quality-of-life-for-those-with-parkinsons-disease/

UConn Health Brain and Spine Institute https://health.uconn.edu/brain-and-spine-institute/

UConn Health Stroke Center https://health.uconn.edu/stroke-center/

UConn Health Neurology Deep Brain Stimulation Program https://health.uconn.edu/neurology/clinical-services/movement-disorders/parkinsons-disease/

UConn Health Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center https://health.uconn.edu/parkinsons/

It takes expertise across many specialties to earn a designation as a Center of Excellence from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. UConn Health has earned that designation. From UConn Health's Huntington’s Disease Program, Dr. Shakaib Khan, medical director, and nurse practitioner Robin Zingales-Browne describe what goes into providing care and support for those with Huntington’s Disease and their families. Plus, learn about Huntington’s Disease Education Day, taking place at UConn Health Oct. 26.

(Robin Zingales-Browne, Dr. Shakaib Khan, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, October 2024).

2024 Huntington’s Disease Education Day, Oct. 26, 2024 https://connecticut.hdsa.org/events/2024-huntington-s-disease-education-day-farmington-ct

Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence in Connecticut Designated at UConn Health https://today.uconn.edu/2024/03/huntingtons-disease-center-of-excellence-in-connecticut-designated-at-uconn-health/

Enroll-HD Study https://health.uconn.edu/psychiatry/research/research-studies/#fl-accordion-606dfb3f99d42-tab-4

Huntington’s Disease Program at UConn Health https://health.uconn.edu/psychiatry/areas-of-care/adult/huntingtons-disease-program/

Dr. Shakaib Khan http://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Khan-Shakaib

Robin Zingales-Browne http://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Browne-Robin

Whether it's cold or flu, COVID or RSV, get ready for what seems like a growing number of respiratory illnesses this fall and winter. How do we recognize them, how do we react to symptoms, how do we treat them, and how can we reduce their likelihood in the first place? We ask UConn Health infectious diseases experts Nancy Dupont and Dr. David Banach that and more.

(September 2024, Nancy Dupont, Dr. David Banach, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco)

UConn Health Infectious Diseases Division https://health.uconn.edu/infectious-diseases/

Proper hand-washing demonstration by Nancy Dupont, UConn Health nursing director of epidemiology and infection control https://youtu.be/UaPSP8rhmCw

Dr. David Banach, UConn Health hospital epidemiologist https://health.uconn.edu/find-a-provider/physician/Banach-David

CDC information for the 2024-2025 flu season https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2024-2025.htm

CDC information for COVID-19 https://www.cdc.gov/covid

CDC information for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/