The nucleoside analog CMX521 inhibits coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase via a two-pronged mechanism.
Rakib A, Gordon CJ, Anderson TK, Marecki JC, Smitskamp Q, Moorman NJ, Heise MT, Colton HM, Selleseth D, Lanier R, Raney KD, Kirchdoerfer RN, Götte M, Dulin D.
J Biol Chem. 2026
T cell-dependent modulation of pain behaviors in a rat model of recurring paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Bakare AO, Austin PJ, Curatolo M, Stephens KE, Sivanesan E.
Brain Behav Immun Health. 2026
Dr. Miller has accepted a joint position as a Research Principal Investigator in the Department of Research at the Central Arkansas Veterans Health System. He was also awarded a four-year VA Merit Award for his project, “Drug-Drug Interaction Risks for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders.” The award, totaling $1,148,377, spans August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2030.
Dr. Miller was also honored as the 2026 Innovation Champion of the Year by BioVentures in recognition of his outreach efforts and contributions through his service on the Copyright and Patent Committee. Continuing his involvement in advancing research and innovation, he was selected to serve as a Research Innovation Ambassador, joining approximately 20 researchers from across campus in supporting BioVentures’ efforts.
Congratulations to Dr. Miller on these well-deserved accomplishments and his continued contributions to research and innovation!
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Graduate School’s research induction ceremony represents a significant milestone for students in their pursuit of a doctoral degree.
Students were presented white coats at the Sept. 10 event at the Fred W. Smith Auditorium on the 12th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. These candidates have passed the Ph.D. qualifying exam and will now begin work on their dissertation.
“This is a wonderful occasion,” said Sean Taverna, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School. “Receiving a white coat from their mentor symbolizes a student’s achievement in becoming an official Ph.D. candidate.”
“Students prepare intensely for their qualifying exams, which cover the first two years of graduate coursework, and passing it is a major accomplishment,” he continued.
Educators from the College of Health Professions, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health comprise the faculty of the UAMS Graduate School.
Latrina Prince, Ed.D., Graduate School associate dean for academic affairs, introduced program directors, track directors, mentors, and students in the ceremonial donning of the white coats.
The ceremony concluded with students and faculty reciting the Affirmation of Scientists, an acknowledgement of the acceptance of the expected standards of honor and integrity.
Doctoral candidates expressed excitement about the road ahead.
“It’s a big step in the career of a scientist,” said Joseph Beard, a candidate in the Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Biochemistry and Molecular Biology track. “Instead of going to classes every day, I get to focus solely on research.”
For M.D./Ph.D. program candidate Mattie Nester, the ceremony represents a continued progression towards her goal.
“I’m officially halfway through the eight-year program, and I’m happy to get into the lab and do more research,” she said.
Taverna noted the role that mentors play in the success of a student.
“Choosing a mentor is the single most important decision a graduate student will make,” he said. “The mentor is a critical part of a student’s career, and the mentor-mentee relationship can often last a lifetime.”
Doctoral programs, program directors, track directors, Ph.D. candidates, and mentors follow:
Biomedical Informatics
Program Director: Horacio Gomez-Acevedo, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biomedical Informatics
Environmental Health Sciences
Program Director: Gunnar Boysen, Ph.D., professor in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Epidemiology
Program Director: Mohammed Orloff, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Public Health Department of Epidemiology
Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS)
Program Director: Karl Boehme, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Track Director: Mari Davidson, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cancer Biology
Track Director: Samantha Kendrick, Ph.D., professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cell Biology & Physiology
Track Director: Melda Onal, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Cell Biology & Physiology
Microbiology and Immunology
Track Director: Mark Manzano, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Neuroscience
Track Director: Angela Odle, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Neuroscience
Pharmacology, Toxicology & Experimental Therapeutics
Track Director: Abdel Fouda, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Health Promotion & Prevention Research
Program Director: George Pro, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Behavior and Health Education
Health Systems & Services Research
Program Director: Jure Baloh, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management
M.D./Ph.D. Program
Program Directors Sara Shalin, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the College of Medicine Department of Dermatology; Jesús Delgado-Calle, Ph.D.
Nursing Science
Program Director: Martha Rojo, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Nursing
Pharmaceutical Evaluation & Policy
Program Director: Laura Gressler, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Evaluation & Policy
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Program Director: Nukhet Aykin-Burns, Ph.D., associate professor in the College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
A safety pin against BAX.
Moldoveanu T.
Nat Chem Biol. 2026
Making zombies to kill cancer.
Moldoveanu T.
Cell Chem Biol. 2026
CRISPR-mediated Correction of Oncogenic AS-NMD in Splicing Factor Mutant Cancer.
Nagar P, Islam MR, Rahman NA, Heeamoni SA, Hasan MM, Huq S, Ali R, Hossain M, Rahman MA.
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026
Targeting EZH2 oncogenic splicing: decoding the regulatory network and antisense correction.
Islam MR, Nagar P, McNaughton N, Heeamoni SA, Hasan MM, Kandel S, Mukta IJ, Tsakiroglou P, Dalton WB, Abdel-Wahab O, Krainer AR, Rahman MA.
Genes Dev. 2026
HuR degradation reveals dependencies in BRAF-driven cancers.
Siordia IR, Brody JR, Dixon DA.
Trends Cancer. 2026
Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine and Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute made a breakthrough while studying a new therapeutic strategy for blood cancer that may lead to better future treatment options.
The successful study was published in Genes & Development, one of the top 10 research journals in the field of molecular biology and genetics.
This research was led by Mohammad Rahman, Ph.D., in collaboration with leading scholars in the field Omar-Abdel-Wahab, M.D., at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Adrian Krainer, Ph.D., at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and William Dalton, M.D., Ph.D., at Johns Hopkins University. The lead authors of this study are two postdoctoral trainees in Rahman’s lab, Rafikul Islam, Ph.D., and Preeti Nagar, Ph.D.
The paper entitled, “Targeting EZH2 Oncogenic Splicing: Decoding the Regulatory Network and Antisense Correction,” focuses on the team’s efforts to use a treatment called antisense (ASO) pharmacology to correct mutations that can lead to blood cancer.
“This study exemplifies the innovative, high-impact research the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute is committed to,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., vice chancellor of UAMS and director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. “Breakthroughs like this bring us closer to developing more effective treatment options for certain cancers.”
Research in recent decades has established that repeated mutations in proteins called splicing factors can cause several types of blood cancer and a variety of other tumors. Splicing factors play a critical role in human cells by helping our cells read and use genetic information. When these functions do not work correctly, cells can become unhealthy. Rahman’s team previously published research studying the impact of recurrent mutations in SRSF2. This current work builds on that discovery.
“We extended our focus to develop a therapeutic strategy to correct splicing that leads to cancer and conceived this study,” said Rahman.
When mutations occur in SRSF2, the tumor suppressing gene known as EZH2 is altered, ultimately weakening one of our body’s natural defenses against cancer. For this study, EZH2 was chosen as the target for therapy. The research team successfully demonstrated that using an ASO can repair the damage to EZH2 and partially restore the body’s ability to produce new blood cells.
Ultimately, this is an important step toward developing new treatment options for blood cancers that are difficult to treat. The team plans to continue testing this treatment strategy, expanding their focus to include additional genes.
“Our future research will develop ASOs targeting multiple genes and test the efficacy of a combined treatment,” said Rahman. A provisional patent application has been filed for the lead ASO developed in this study, with Rahman, Islam and Nagar listed as the inventors.
Rahman, assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and member of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, centers his research on alternative splicing (AS) and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) two cellular processes that control genes as needed. Tumor cells often use AS and/or NMD, this work aims to detail how this happens with the goal of developing new effective cancer therapies.
This study was supported by the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health awards R35GM154991 and P20GM152281, and Edward P. Evans Foundation.
Assessing Pain Linked to High Metabolic and Glycolytic Shift in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) Patients by Using a Bioenergetic Biomarker: A Pilot Study.
Miller GP, Krager K, Eom D, Aykin-Burns N, Santos-Horta E.
Cureus. 2026
TGF-β Is Critical for Ovarian Cancer Migration, Invasion, and Chemosensitivity.
Elms C, Wei W, Birrer MJ.
Cancers (Basel).
Bioactivation and reactivity research advances – 2025 year in review.
Liu J, Argikar UA, Brunetti P, Chatzopoulou M, Cho S, Claesson A, Dhaware D, Lang J, Ma B, Ma S, Maw H, Miller GP, Schadt S, Seneviratne HK, Tang LWT, Wei C, Khojasteh SC.
Drug Metab Rev. 2026
Dynamic global acetylation remodeling during the yeast heat shock response.
Hardman-Kavanaugh RE, Storey AJ, Stuecker TN, Hood SE, Barrett-Wilt GA, Krishnamurthi VR, Wang Y, Byrum SD, Mackintosh SG, Edmondson RD, Wahls WP, Tackett AJ, Lewis JA.
Genome Biol. 2026
The nucleoside analog CMX521 inhibits coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase via a two-pronged mechanism.
Rakib A, Gordon C, Anderson TK, Marecki JC, Smitskamp Q, Moorman NJ, Heise MT, Colton HM, Selleseth D, Lanier ER, Raney KD, Kirchdoerfer RN, Götte M, Dulin D.
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026
A peptide-based screen for cell death inhibitors identifies the cytoprotective compound CDL36.
Inde Z, Keppler S, Gelles J, Fraser CS, Presser A, Mohammed JN, Jung M, Garvey DS, Moldoveanu T, Chipuk JE, Sarosiek KA.
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026
Congratulations to fourth-year Ph.D. student Emory Malone, who was selected to present a full-length talk at the 2026 FASEB Scientific Research Conference on Chromosome Biology and Cell States in Yeasts, held in Niagara Falls, New York on 27-29 July, 2026. Emory presented results for her project entitled, Fission yeast transcription factor Toe2 positions meiotic recombination via nucleosome displacement. A recent graduate of our Ph.D. program, Dr. Matthew Thompson (now an Assistant Professor at Lyon College), was a co-author on the study. The research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health to Dr. Wayne Wahls (grant number NIH R01 GM145834).
The thirteenth Annual Arkansas Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium was held on July 29, 2026. Undergraduate students from 36 institutions in 16 states gathered at UAMS to celebrate the achievements of undergraduates pursuing research projects at colleges and universities across Arkansas.
Of the 87 student researchers who submitted abstracts for the Symposium 12 were selected for oral presentations.
Of the 80 poster presentations, the top 10 received prizes donated by MedChemExpress and the UAMS Graduate School.
This annual event at UAMS is organized by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, and was supported by the Arkansas INBRE, the Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer (CMIC), the UAMS Graduate School, the Central Arkansas Chapter of Sigma Xi, and MedChemExpress.
Congratulations to Mason McCrury, Ph.D., on the successful defense of his dissertation, “DNA secondary structure as a determinant of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) activity at key oncogenes.” Dr. McCrury was mentored by Dr. Samantha Kendrick and will be moving to Emory University for his postdoctoral studies.
Human REV1 interacts with DHX36 to promote replication and tolerance of G-quadruplex DNA.
Ketkar A, Paxton BC, Zuniga OE, Sewilam RS, Morales M, Schaller J, McCollum RJ, Jackson KE, Lowran K, Paul A, Patel M, Seenivasan S, McCrury M, Al-Anbaky Q, Maddukuri L, Kendrick S, Wu CG, Gunderson JEC, Eoff RL.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2026
Copy-back RNA synthesis by coronavirus polymerase requires helicase activity and is stimulated by remdesivir and molnupiravir.
Rakib A, Das A, Bera SC, Cnossen J, Robles-Sikisaka R, Diefenbacher MV, America PPB, Klein M, Anderson TK, Marecki JC, Wang B, Bogers E, Feng JY, Bilello JP, Papini FS, Smitskamp Q, Sheahan TP, Arnold JJ, Routh A, Artsimovitch I, Kirchdoerfer RN, Cameron CE, Raney KD, Dulin D.
Sci Adv. 2026
Acellular normothermic spleen perfusion resolves transcriptional and non-transcriptional mechanisms of steroid immunosuppression.
Callais NA, Welch S, Rainwater RR, Schaller J, Deng S, Azevedo-Pouly A, Burdine MS, Burdine L.
bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2026
DZNep: A Methyltransferase Modulator for Disease Mitigation.
Garg S, Miousse IR.
Environ Mol Mutagen. 2026
