Christopher DeFrancesco '95 (CLAS)

Chris DeFrancesco has been writing for UConn Health since 2007. He is a proud graduate of UConn’s journalism program. As an undergraduate in Storrs he was one of the play-by-play voices of UConn men’s and women’s basketball on WHUS-FM, a writer for the Daily Campus, and a campus shuttle bus driver. He’s been a freelance writer, editor of two weekly newspapers (Bloomfield Journal and Windsor Locks Journal), and most notably a reporter and anchor on WTIC NewsTalk 1080. He is a four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters Association Walt Dibble Award for Personal Excellence in Radio. Chris also is an elected officer in his union (UHP Local 3837) and serves on the board of the Newington Children’s Theatre Company, Connecticut’s longest-running youth theatre program. He lives in Newington with his wife, Caroline, daughter, Audrey, and their dogs, Spot and Alex.


Author Archive

Health Center March Programs, Events

Following is a rundown of UConn Health Center events in March: Nutrition for a Healthy Heart Wednesday, March 2, 2 to 4 p.m., UConn Health Center, Dowling North Building The UConn Health Center’s Healthy Nutrition program invites you on a journey to a lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol and healthier weight. This group meets on […]

Researchers Closing in on Link Between Genetics, Alcoholism

One of the risk factors for alcohol dependence may be genetic variations in certain enzymes that impact the production of neuroactive steroids, according to UConn Health Center researchers. Dr. Jonathan Covault, associate professor and director of Adult Psychiatry Residency Training Program in the UConn School of Medicine Department of Psychology, is the lead author of […]

New Bladder Cancer Support Group to Meet Saturday

Recognizing that bladder cancer can be a lonely journey for patients and families, the UConn Health Center is organizing a bladder cancer support group. The Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center invites patients, family members and caregivers to attend what will be a series of regular meetings starting Saturday, February 26, at 3 p.m. […]

Can C-sections Influence Evolution?

A UConn Health Center obstetrician-gynecologist suggests there are human evolutionary implications to the advent of cesarean section as a reasonably safe delivery method and the subsequent rise in the rate of C-section births. Specifically, Dr. Joseph Walsh believes the rise in C-sections may be both a cause and effect of the trend toward higher birthweight […]

Cardiologist Discusses Heart Rhythm Irregularities

Heart arrhythmias can come in different forms and be signs of problems ranging from a nuisance one can live with to a cardiac emergency. Dr. Christopher Pickett, co-director of the Heart Rhythm Program at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, says an arrhythmia can affect people of almost any age, often without regard to genetics. […]

Advanced Technology for Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center Patients

An advanced cancer treatment is now available to UConn Health Center patients, thanks to the generosity of philanthropists and longtime university supporters Carole and Ray Neag. High-dose rate brachytherapy temporarily delivers a high radiation source, or radioactive seed, to a tumor site. The speed and precision of this robotic therapy enables treatment on an outpatient […]

February Events at the UConn Health Center

Following is a rundown of UConn Health Center events in February: Free Hospital Maternity Tours Saturday, February 5, 3:30 p.m., UConn Health Center, Main Lobby A representative will guide you through labor and delivery, postpartum, and the nursery at John Dempsey Hospital. Children and grandparents are welcome. The free tours are held every other Saturday. […]

New Basic Science Researchers Join Health Center Faculty

Three highly accomplished scientists have recently joined the Health Center. “Their credentials are impressive and diverse – and we look forward to their contributions in many areas throughout the Health Center,” says Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. Irina Bezsonova, M.S., Ph.D., is an assistant […]

Lieberman Receives Prestigious Urist Award

The Orthopaedic Research Society has presented Dr. Jay Lieberman, director of the New England Musculoskeletal Institute, with the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research. Lieberman, professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and a nationally renowned total joint replacement surgeon, accepted the award January 15 at the ORS annual […]

Cardiac Imaging Study Shows PROMISE

The Pat and Jim Calhoun Calhoun Cardiology Center has been invited to be a test site for a groundbreaking clinical trial. The National Institutes of Health is studying the use of cardiac imaging to diagnose problems associated with chest pain, the most common clinical cardiology problem. The PROspective Multicenter Imaging Study for the Evaluation of […]