Ethan Hill, PhD, MS Assistant Professor, Orthopaedics Physical Therapy SOM - Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation is using 3D printed object in his classroom. During the summer Ethan Hill completed the 3D Printing Training available at the Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center and proceeded to print out several copies of the “Spinal cord pathways model”, created by NeuroHacks on Printables website.
Varina Kosovich
These last few weeks of preparing for finals can be stressful! Here are some tips to carve out space for well-being in between study sessions and exams.
Be kind to yourself: Ditch the self-criticism and focus on what you do well. Write a list of things you're good at or are grateful for. Plan to do something nice for yourself like grab a sweet treat, enjoy a favorite meal, or listen to a feel-good or hype song for a quick reset.
Take a snack break: Snacks will be available in the kitchen from December 1st-4th during the library's Fuel for Finals event.
Make an oasis: Step away from studying and screens and find a comfortable place to take a break. It can be one of the benches in front of the library or at the patio outside of Fitz Hall. The Wellness Room has a comfy couch and blankets (perfect for a 10-minute blanket burrito break), a constellation light, and soothing sound machines to help you unwind. Find whatever space works best.
Start small: If you getting overwhelmed, start with small tasks first and work your way up. Tiny accomplishments can build momentum!
Take a power nap: The library's two nap pods on the second floor offer 20 minute nap cycles with calming music. Close the privacy visor and sleep some of that stress away.
Get Moving: Take a short walk on the library's treadmills on the third floor, or if the weather is nice head to the UNM Golf Course trail for fresh air and bonus birdwatching.
The library is her for you, whether it's for wellness options or last minute resources available through our website. Best of luck during your finals!
Varina Kosovich
Finals season is here—but so is Fuel for Finals! From December 1st- 4th, enjoy all the snacks, coffee, and brain-boosting breaks you need to power through those study sessions.
Snacks are available in the kitchenette on the main floor. Coloring and puzzle stations will be located around the main floor open study area.
Also, don't forget about the library's Wellness Room, Wellness Corner, and Nap Pods if you need a longer break. The Wellness Room has soft lighting, sound machines, a constellation lamp, fidget toys, stretching tools, and a comfy couch. If the Wellness Room is in use, visit the Wellness Corner for fidget toys, coloring materials, origami, blankets, and puzzles. The Nap Pods are a great option to refresh, nap, and listen to calming music.
Best of luck with your finals!
Isaac Garcia, Leigh D. James and Dr. Pavan Muttil are listed in Exploring the Capabilities of 3D Printing Microneedles and Microneedle Molds for Vaccine Delivery. Below is an image of the poster presented.
Isaac Garcia and Leigh D. James both completed the required 3D Printing training for the Health Sciences Library printer. Throughout the summer these individuals would schedule time and 3D print for the poster symposium.
Varina Kosovich
Books bring people together by sparking conversation, sharing stories, and building a stronger, more connected community.
Join us on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in front of the Happy Heart Bistro for a free book fair filled with cozy winter vibes! Browse fiction, fantasy, children’s books, nonfiction, Spanish-language titles, and more—all while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. Don’t forget to grab an exclusive winter-themed bookmark before they’re gone!
Sponsored by the UNM HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Health Sciences Library, and HSC Wellness.
Growing up in an Asian immigrant household in the United States, health was never something we talked about openly. My parents, like many others in our community, came to this country with limited English proficiency and even less familiarity with the American healthcare system. Navigating doctor visits, insurance forms, and medical jargon often fell to my siblings and me. We became translators, advocates, and sometimes even decision-makers—roles that shaped how I view health and wellness today.
The Silent Stories in Our DNA
In many Asian cultures, health is often approached holistically and quietly. We rely on traditional remedies, family wisdom, and a strong sense of resilience. But what’s often missing is documentation - written records of our family’s health history. I didn’t know until recently that my grandfather had Parkinson's, or that heart disease ran on my mother’s side. These are critical pieces of information that could help me and future generations make informed health decisions.
For immigrant families, documenting health history is not just a matter of filling out forms - it’s a cultural and linguistic challenge. Medical terms don’t always translate easily, and asking elders about their health can feel intrusive or disrespectful. There’s also a generational gap in understanding the importance of keeping records. Many of our parents didn’t grow up with annual checkups or electronic health records. Their health stories live in memory, not on paper.
That’s why I deeply appreciate the resources offered by the Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center (HSLIC) at the University of New Mexico. They provide tools, guidance, and culturally sensitive support to help families like mine document their health history. Whether it's through workshops, bilingual materials, or access to digital platforms, HSLIC empowers individuals to take control of their health narratives.
For someone like me, an accountant by profession but a health advocate by necessity, these resources are invaluable. They bridge the gap between generations, languages, and systems. They help us preserve our family’s health legacy, not just for medical reasons, but as a way of honoring our past and protecting our future.
Moving Forward
Understanding and documenting family health history isn’t just about preventing disease. It’s about connection. It’s about recognizing the patterns that shape our lives and using that knowledge to build healthier communities. For Asian American families and other immigrant groups, it’s also about reclaiming agency in a system that often feels overwhelming.
I encourage everyone, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, to start the conversation. Ask questions. Write things down. Use the resources available. Your family’s health story matters, and it deserves to be heard.
Laura Hall
Laura Hall
Melissa Rethlefsen
HSLIC is delighted to announce the inaugural winner of the Patricia V. Bradley Native American Health Research Award, Taylor Russell. Taylor is a 3rd year medical student at UNM with a passion for researching traditional medicines used by Navajo Nation elders. She is Tachii’nii (Red Running into the Water Clan), born for Bit’ahnii (Folded Arms Clan) and grew up in the Nenahnezad chapter community.
Taylor became interested in traditional medicines and their current usefulness after seeing for herself the positive effects of pinon sap on psoriasis. She immediately began researching the anti-inflammatory properties of pinon sap (“jeeh”) using online resources, but found even more inspiration from talking with her grandmother, who confirmed that it was a traditional remedy for lesions and cuts. This set Taylor down a path of investigating her family’s legacy of herbalism, the ability to use local plants as remedies.
Taylor is collecting information on plants and traditional remedies used on the Navajo Nation by photographing and documenting each traditionally-used plant she learns about. She also details how the plants were prepared for use and for which illnesses or injuries. Though she continues to learn about traditional remedies from her grandmother, she has also begun to see other resources, such as books and resources written by Native authors that might also discuss Navajo herbal remedies. She is already speaking about her work at local chapter houses across the Navajo Nation, as well as at herbal medicine conferences and medical seminars. With this award, Taylor plans to continue to build an archive of information on local herbal remedies, with a planned educational pamphlet to provide additional information to practitioners and patients.
Taylor’s research fits the aims of the Patricia V. Bradley Native American Health Research Award perfectly, by stimulating and support research on Native American health or well-being. It is an honor to bestow this award to Taylor in recognition of HSLIC’s former faculty member, Pat Bradley, also a proud member of the Navajo Nation. Pat was born into the Bit’ahnii (Folded Arms People Clan), born for Kinyaa’áanii (Towering House Clan). Pat's career in medical librarianship spanned more than 40 years in places that included the Navajo Health Authority in Shiprock and the Gallup Indian Medical Center (Indian Health Service). As the Native and Distance Services Librarian, Pat was our colleague at the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center for 15 years. Pat passed away in 2019 after a brief illness.
“Mi hijito, you need to eat some protein to balance out your blood sugar.” Words that I recall hearing often from my abuela. Phrases that I often associated with eating something good. Something sweet. My abuela passed from renal failure, after multiple years on dialysis. My mother is diabetic. I am “insulin resistant” with a strong maternal history of… you guessed it. I remember hearing about blood sugar at such a young age that it was normal to me. Awareness was intentionally introduced to me, I can only assume because of a long existing tendency in my ancestors. How aware were they that we were different from others?
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, while November 14 is World Diabetes Day. My awareness about diabetes has grown with age. I’ve engaged in multiple conversations with my clinician about strategies for living well and managing my risk. I feel lucky to have started with this information about myself. Diabetes feels visible now, common enough that most people think they know what it is. But do we? Or are we repeating shorthand and assumptions?
This month, I wanted to explore what diabetes actually is, a bit of the history behind treatment, and how New Mexico - yes, New Mexico - helped push the field forward. Spoiler: an insulin pump milestone happened here.
Diabetes, in plain language (and without blame)
Diabetes isn’t one thing. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition that stops the pancreas from making insulin. Type 2 involves insulin resistance and, over time, decreased insulin production. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. Genetics, environment, and social conditions (like access to healthy food, safe places to move, and stress) all shape risk. Two myths to retire:
Naming this clearly matters. Stigma gets in the way of screening, treatment, and support. People don’t “fail” their way into diabetes; our systems often fail to support people living with or at risk for it.
A very short history of a big breakthrough
In 1921–22, Frederick Banting and colleagues isolated insulin, transforming diabetes from a fatal diagnosis into a condition people could live with. That’s why World Diabetes Day falls on November 14: Banting’s birthday. Since then, we’ve seen waves of advances: glucose meters, the A1c test, insulin analogs, and insulin delivery tech that keeps getting smarter.
New Mexico’s imprint: the insulin pump story
Here’s the part many New Mexicans don’t know. In March 1981, researchers at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine publicly demonstrated an implantable insulin pump in a patient, a remarkable proof-of-concept moment in diabetes technology. The UPI report named UNM’s Dr. R. Philip Eaton among the leaders of the effort. Today, HSLIC’s digital exhibit “The Story of the New Mexico Insulin Pump” preserves that history and the people behind it.
For national context: in the 1970s, Dean Kamen developed the AutoSyringe - one of the first portable ambulatory infusion pumps - helping pioneer wearable drug delivery (including for insulin). That broader innovation arc set the stage for what many people now know as “insulin pumps,” leading eventually to today’s hybrid closed-loop systems. New Mexico’s 1981 implantable-pump milestone sits inside that bigger, ongoing story of engineering and care.
If you want to see more, HSLIC’s Traveling Exhibits project has a pop-up display on the New Mexico Insulin Pump, connecting local history with lived experience. It’s a great conversation starter for classrooms and community events.
Why awareness still matters (especially here)
Diabetes is common in New Mexico and touches nearly every family we know. The ADA’s 2025 state brief estimates about 15,000 New Mexico adults are diagnosed each year, with serious complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and vision loss. State surveillance shows diagnosed prevalence hovering in the low double digits over the past decade. These aren’t just numbers. They represent our neighbors, colleagues, and loved ones.
And equity matters. Nationally, American Indian/Alaska Native adults have the highest prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, with Hispanic/Latino and Black adults also experiencing higher rates than white adults. That pattern reflects the deep impact of colonization, structural racism, food and housing insecurity, stress, and unequal access to preventive and specialty care - not individual failings. Our work in libraries, clinics, and communities is to close those gaps.
Living well with risk or diagnosis: what helps
If you grew up like I did, you’ve probably heard some version of “add protein” or “go for a walk after dinner.” Those simple moves still matter, and so do systems that make them possible.
At the individual level:
At the community/system level:
If you’re looking for local programs or data, the New Mexico Department of Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program is a solid starting point for classes, prevention, and management resources.
World Diabetes Day 2025: what you can do this month
This year’s World Diabetes Day theme highlights diabetes and well-being, with a specific focus on diabetes in the workplace. WHO is also lifting up a life-course approach, meeting people’s needs from childhood through older age. That combination might sound abstract, but it points to practical steps employers and institutions can take right now. World Diabetes Day+2International Diabetes Federation+2
Three tangible actions for November (and beyond):
Full circle
When I think back to my abuela’s advice, I hear the love and the science in it. Balance the plate. Learn your rhythms. Ask questions. And crucially, make sure the systems around you make it possible to live well. New Mexico’s role in the insulin-pump story reminds me that innovation can come from anywhere, including right here at home. Our responsibility now is to turn awareness into access, and access into thriving - across our families, our workplaces, and every corner of the state.