Mark Harden News

10/21/2026

When it comes to recognition of excellence in health and medicine, the level of prestige doesn't get any higher than induction into the National Academy of Medicine, signifying the peak of professional achievement. This year, four of our esteemed faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine have been elected to the academy: Vik Bebarta, MD; Lilia Cervantes, MD; Lauren Hughes, MD, MPH, MsC, MHCDS, FAAFP; and Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH.
In the latest University of Colorado Anschutz health-science newsletter, Kara Mason introduces us to this stellar quartet.
And there's much more this week from my School of Medicine writer colleagues:
>> Tayler Shaw on research aimed at preserving vision in people with uveitis, a complex inflammatory eye condition.
>> Amber Carlson on the role AI plays in dementia care, and on how salmonella uses a special "key" to unlock the door to the gut and spread quickly.
>> Greg Glasgow on Pope Leo XIV's adenocarcinoma diagnosis; on finding other surgical options for portal vein thrombosis, a type of blood clot; and on why heart health matters during cancer therapy.
>> Me on the disparities of breast cancer research and treatment for women over 50, and on how CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine researchers are improving pediatrics by making screening for brain injuries safer and more effective.
>> And Megan Briggs Pintel on how Christina Finlayson, MD, the CU Anschutz Department of Surgery’s first female full professor, keeps giving back.
Plus our campus comms pals spotlight the impressive work of Christopher Lieu, MD, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center.
All this and much more in the latest CU Anschutz Today newsletter!
⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/CUAT102126

10/21/2026

Congratulations to our University of Colorado Anschutz faculty!

National Academy of Medicine nominations puts Anschutz on par with places like Harvard and Johns Hopkins — the recognition is considered among highest in the field.

10/20/2026

"We’re not satisfied, and we’re constantly pushing to improve what we do, how patients feel, and what their outcomes are."
Every year, about 790,000 knee replacements and 544,000 hip replacements are performed in the U.S., and those numbers are projected to keep rising as the population ages.
Much has changed about joint replacement surgery over the last few decades, with faster earlier recovery, shorter hospital stays, refinements in surgical technique, and improved implant materials and design.
Reconstructive specialist Craig Hogan, MD, of the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine talks about how joint replacement has evolved and what changes may lie ahead in my latest story from the University of Colorado Anschutz.

Advances have meant faster recovery and better outcomes for patients, says a CU Anschutz School of Medicine adult reconstructive specialist.

10/15/2026

Helping relieve patients’ pain is a key component of care in emergency departments, where opioid medications traditionally have been a mainstay of pain management. But opioids can pose risks and side effects, and amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, emergency providers have been looking for alternatives to help patients cope with pain.
Now, a CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine faculty member is lead author of a new journal article that offers a playbook for emergency clinicians on using a more targeted and potentially less perilous pain-management approach.
Learn more in my latest story for the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine at University of Colorado Anschutz.

A new paper from a CU Anschutz Emergency Medicine faculty member maps out targeted pain-control strategies, often guided by ultrasound.

10/14/2026

Finding new and better cures and treatments takes research, and research takes money. That's why we're celebrating the news that the University of Colorado Anschutz has received the largest federal research grant in its history -- up to $120 million -- to advance new treatments and diagnostics to improve care for patients with severe hemorrhage. Several key leaders of our CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine will play key roles in this crucial project. You'll learn more in Laura Kelley's story in this week's campus health-science newsletter.
My University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine communications colleagues have contributed several other stories to the newsletter:
>> I report on how nerve blocks can be an alternative to opioids in the emergency department.
>> Kara Mason writes on how orthobiologics can help injuries and chronic conditions heal faster.
>> Tayler Shaw covers research into whether the munchies give way to lower appetite with long-term cannabis use.
>> Greg Glasgow says a targeted approach for treating a variety of cancers is getting a new suite at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
>> And Amber Carlson writes on how high-intensity interval training could help improve cardiovascular health and fitness in veterans affected with respiratory disease.
All this and more in the latest CU Anschutz Today!
⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/CUAT101426

10/12/2026

“Sometimes we get the idea that breast cancer is a disease of young people. But the truth is that the face of breast cancer is the face of an older adult.”
New cases of breast cancer among women under 50 are on the rise – a troubling trend that has generated widespread media attention. But the fact remains that older people are far more likely to be impacted by breast cancer. Yet the needs of older patients aren’t always met, says Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis, MD, PhD, a leading University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center geriatric oncologist.
My latest story for the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine at University of Colorado Anschutz.

Breast cancer strikes far more often after age 50, yet the needs of older patients aren’t always met, says a CU Anschutz Cancer Center geriatric oncologist.

10/07/2026

Nothing plucks at the heartstrings quite like hearing about sick kids. That's why care and research here at University of Colorado Anschutz focused on helping children live their best lives is so crucial, and why several health-science stories from my University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine colleagues in the latest campus newsletter are so compelling. This week we offer:
>> Amber Carlson on helping kids recover from lung infections.
>> Kara Mason on helping students overcome academic challenges that come with asthma.
>> Greg Glasgow on improving quality of life for pediatric cancer patients.
>> And Makenzie Hardy on a patient finding relief from headaches after cerebrospinal fluid leak surgery.
And our campus communications colleagues tell you about a nurse-led clinic expanding dental care access to young patients with neurodevelopmental disorders.
There's much more in the new CU Anschutz Today newsletter! Check it out here.
⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/CUAT100726

10/01/2026

The leaf peeping across Colorado has been epic this year, and so are the colorful health-science stories from my University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine writer colleagues in this week's University of Colorado Anschutz newsletter. Take a peek!
>> I write about a CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine study of drones carrying freeze-dried plasma to wounded troops in Ukraine, and on evolving research into screening for prostate cancer.
>> Amber Carlson reports on researchers stockpiling viruses that only infect bacteria to aid in future drug-resistant battles, on the search for options for treatment-resistant thyroid cancer, on a study suggesting that cognition troubles strike frail men with kidney disease more often than women, and on industry partnerships elevating clinical trials and offering new hope.
>> And Greg Glasgow writes about a competitive athlete who says a mechanical heart valve turbocharged his step.
Plus our campus communicating-science authority Aimee Bernard PhD covers how your brain stays focused n what matters. And there's much more in the latest CU Anschutz Today!
⬇️
https://tinyurl.com/CUAT093026

09/25/2026

“Prostate cancer screening and detection have certainly changed over the years."
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, calling attention to a cancer that will impact one out of every eight men. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. men – and some groups of men are at greater risk than others. That’s why the question of when to get screened for prostate cancer depends a lot on who’s getting screened.
University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center experts Jan Lowery, PhD, and David Strauss, MD, share the latest evidence-based guidance on screening for prostate cancer in my latest story for the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine at University of Colorado Anschutz.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. men, and rates vary among different groups. When to get screened depends on who’s getting screened.

09/24/2026

"We have spent years making the case that military and civilian medicine are stronger when we work together. STAR puts that idea into action."
The University of Colorado Anschutz and UCHealth will be the inaugural site as the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Army Medical Command launch a comprehensive military-civilian medical partnership through the new U.S. Army STAR Program. The CU Anschutz Department of Emergency Medicine will play a key role.
Learn more in my latest story for the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

The STAR Program calls for collaboration on medical training, research, disaster preparedness and more.