Andrew Jea, M.D., MBA, MHA, FACS, FAAP, has been named chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and clinical service chief at OU Health. Jea has served as vice chair of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine; as the residency program director; and has served as interim chair of the department since March 1 after former chair Ian F. Dunn, M.D., FACS, FAANS, assumed the role of executive dean at the OU College of Medicine.

While the overall rate of cigarette smoking has decreased in the United States, the use of menthol cigarettes has risen among young adult smokers. A University of Oklahoma researcher published a study today showing that the addition of menthol flavoring to cigarettes makes them more appealing than non-menthol cigarettes, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ population, who have high rates of menthol cigarette use.

A $5.3 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences will support advanced cancer research in Oklahoma. The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant is designed to build research capacity and help early-career researchers establish independently funded laboratories.

University of Oklahoma researchers recently published a study showing that several measurements of the brain, including blood flow and the brain’s ability to compensate for the lack of it, are better predictors of mild cognitive impairment than risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol.

The chemotherapy drug cisplatin is a lifesaver for many adults and children diagnosed with cancer, but it often causes hearing loss, a side effect that can diminish quality of life following treatment. To prevent hearing damage during cancer treatment, a University of Oklahoma researcher created a novel drug delivery system that transports medications to the inner ear; her studies about the promising innovation are published in the Journal of Controlled Release and the Journal of Nanobiotechnology.