Lauren Woods


Author Archive

Nurse receiving the COVID-19 vaccination

Historic Turn in Pandemic with First Vaccinations at UConn Health

UConn Health received its first shipment of nearly 1,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer, just FDA-approved for emergency use authorization.

COVID-19 Vaccine on Its Way Soon Bringing Hope for the Holidays

UConn Health is one of four initial Connecticut health care institutions receiving the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1a. Initially, UConn Health will be responsible for vaccinating only health care workers including its own health care employees and other community health care workers working in the surrounding towns of Avon, Canton, and Farmington.

First COVID-19 Outpatients Receive Monoclonal Antibodies at UConn Health

The week of Dec. 7 marked a major milestone for UConn John Dempsey Hospital with its first COVID-19 outpatients successfully receiving monoclonal antibody therapies, recently authorized by the FDA for emergency use.

UConn Expert Chairs New National Asthma Guidelines Improving Patient Care

Asthma affects the airways of the lungs, causing them to narrow and interfere with breathing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 25 million people in the United States have the condition, including 5.5 million children. Without appropriate treatment, asthma can significantly limit activities and result in flare-ups that may lead to […]

Semeda Amegashie and her husband and daughter, Raymond Owusu Sotia and Michelle Owusu Sotia.

Mom-To-Be Extra Thankful After Worry-Free Heart Procedure at UConn Health

Mom-to-be Semeda Amegashie and her family are especially thankful this year, because of a minimally invasive heart procedure she had at UConn Health.

Thankful Heart Surgery Patient Knows the Power of a Checkup

This Thanksgiving Jeremy Wiseman shares his powerful personal story about how a simple checkup with his primary care doctor helped saved his life, along with successful heart surgery at UConn Health. As a result, he continues to live life to the fullest with his family, and is able to enjoy his love of exploring the great outdoors.

Skin Deep: New Psoriasis Center Set to Open Early 2021

This story appeared in the UConn Health Journal fall 2020 issue. There is no easy fix for psoriasis. For the more than 3 million people in the U.S. with the common autoimmune disorder, finding the right treatment can take a lot of trial and error. There are many different options to consider to treat the symptoms — […]

An older man sits alone at a kitchen table, not a soul in the world to so much as ask how his day went

For Some Older Adults, a Pandemic of Loneliness

Dr. David C. Steffens, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the UConn School of Medicine, offers insight and advice on older adults facing the prospect of a lonely, pandemic-marred holiday season.

Pediatric oncologist Ching Lau specializes in pediatric brain and bone tumor research. He holds a joint appointment with JAX. (Tiffany Laufer for JAX)

Pediatric Brain Cancer Research Reveals Potential for New Therapies

“We are all very excited about this finding,” says Dr. Ching Lau of UConn Health/JAX and Connecticut Children’s. “The take home message of these findings is that the fusion protein is altering the behavior of the tumor cells by dictating the genes that will be turned on and off. This gives us a better handle on which aberrantly expressed genes to target in developing novel therapeutics against supratentorial ependymoma.”

Montage depicting the stress and confusion of the 2020 Presidential election.

Double Down: Election Anxiety on Top of Pandemic Stress

UConn Health psychologist Karen Steinberg talks about the double dose of stress confronting many Americans during this time, and what they can do about it.