What’s happening at Augusta University? Week of Sept. 6-12

Story ideas this week at Augusta University include the annual Tunnel to Towers 5K, new opportunities for cybersecurity students and a continued push for COVID-19 vaccinations.

School of Computer and Cyber Sciences awarded $495,000 grant 

Faculty members Dr. Gagan Agrawal and Dr. Gokila Dorai have been awarded a grant for $495,000 managed by the National Security Agency. “This new award from NSA shows our increasing momentum in cybersecurity and privacy,” said Dr. Alex Schwarzmann, dean of the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences. Through this grant, Dorai and Agrawal will provide optimized techniques to mitigate threats in the Internet of Things landscape as more cases of compromised devices and cybersecurity issues are being reported.

COVID-19 numbers climb, doctors advise vaccination

COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the area with most of those cases being among the unvaccinated. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for AU Health Dr. Phillip Coule said, “The one thing we definitely know is, if you’re vaccinated, there’s a much less chance that you’ll get sick. If you’re vaccinated, there’s less than 1% chance that you will be on a ventilator or that you will die from this virus. So, I encourage everyone to get vaccinated. It could save your life.”

New therapy can help immune system attack cancer cells

While other cancer treatments are available, a new technique may offer the most effective way to battle cancer cells. “The reason I’m so excited is that using CAR-T is designed to help patients who have failed other forms of treatment and have compromised immune systems,” said Dr. Vamsi Kota, director of Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Program at AU Health and the Georgia Cancer Center. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the therapy for some blood cancers, including some forms of leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Augusta University hosts Tunnel to Towers 5K run and walk

The fifth annual Greater Augusta Tunnel to Towers 5K run and walk will take place at 8:46 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 11 on and around the Augusta University Summerville Campus. Spearheaded by John Ryan, Critical Event Preparedness and Response coordinator, the run/walk is in memory of first responders who reported to the World Trade Center attack. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation builds mortgage-free smart homes for injured first responders and veterans.

Interview opportunities are available for these story ideas. Call 706-522-3023 to schedule an interview. Check out the Augusta University Expert Center to view our list of experts who can help with story ideas.