Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!
M.D./Ph.D. Student Earns Prestigious Grant
We were delighted to learn this week that M.D./Ph.D. student Ravi Sun has been awarded a prestigious, highly competitive NIH F30 grant through the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Ravi’s research focuses on the role of the protein Angiopoetin-2 in the abnormal growth of lymphatic malformations, which are congenital vascular abnormalities that can cause severe morbidity in children. The four-year, $181,464 grant covers the cost of this research as well as tuition and a monthly stipend.
Ravi’s research is being conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Graham Strub, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Director of the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Vascular Anomalies Laboratory. Dr. Strub and Dr. Alan Tackett, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, serve as Ravi’s F30 co-sponsors. I join with Dr. Strub, Dr. Tackett and Dr. Sara Shalin, Chair of Dermatology and Director of the M.D./Ph.D. Program, in congratulating Ravi on this outstanding achievement.
Academic Senate Service
Congratulations to Dr. Jarna Shah, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, on her election as a COM representative to the UAMS Academic Senate. Dr. Shah will hold the position that was vacated when Dr. Ronald Sanders, Professor of Pediatrics, assumed the role of President-Elect of the Academic Senate. Dr. Shah joins Dr. Steve Cherney and Dr. Ben Stronach, both Associate Professors of Orthopaedic Surgery, who are midway through their two-year terms as COM representatives. Dr. Tiffany Huitt, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, began serving as Academic Senate President in July. Dr. Priya Mendiratta, Professor of Geriatrics, just completed her term as Past-President, and Dr. David Ussery, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, wrapped up his term as a Member-at-Large. Kudos to all for their leadership and service.
Otolaryngology Faculty Lend Expertise to Textbook
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery faculty members Dr. Mauricio Moreno, Dr. Jennings Boyette and Dr. Emre Vural are Co-Editors with Adjunct faculty member Dr. Brendan Stack on a new textbook, “Matrix Head and Neck Reconstruction.” Published by Springer, the book focuses on scalable reconstructive approaches organized by defect location. Assistant Professor Dr. Jumin Sunde served as Associate Editor, and Otolaryngology resident Dr. J. Reed Gardner was Assistant Editor. In addition to the editors, other UAMS faculty members, residents and fellows are among the experts in facial plastic surgery, oncology and otolaryngology from around the country who contributed to chapters in the book.
Breast Pathology, Surgery Expertise Featured in Textbook
A shout-out to Dr. Soheila Korourian, Professor of Pathology and Director of the Breast Pathology Service, on the publication of the sixth edition of “The Breast, Comprehensive Management of Benign and Malignant Diseases.” Dr. Korourian was among the editors of the textbook, published by Elsevier, and co-authored six chapters. In addition to her work in the area of breast pathology, Dr. Korourian provides clinical service in cytopathology and gynecologic pathology. She also directs the annual Pathology Update CME course and directs the Pathology Grand Rounds series. Other COM faculty members who co-authored chapters in the textbook include Drs. Sara Shalin, Ginell Post, Vijay Patel, Chien Chen and Nicole Massoll from the Department of Pathology; along with Dr. Anne Thompson Mancino and Dr. Matthew Steliga from the Department of Surgery, who contributed to chapters relating to surgery.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference
Several members of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Section presented work at the recent Society of Hospital Medicine conference in Philadelphia. Section Chief Dr. Rebecca Cantu and faculty members Dr. Sara Sanders and Dr. Brittany Slagle gave oral presentations on a wide range of topics including the Arkansas Children’s Operations Center, writing and reviewing personal statements, clinical management of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, and acute pain management in children. Dr. Kristyn Jeffries and Dr. Emily Barnes, along with senior Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellow Dr. Cindy Nguyen and Pediatrics residents Dr. Annalyse Kohley and Dr. Rachel Mayo presented research posters.
Ophthalmology Recognized for Research
The Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmology Residency Program continue to stand out nationally for excellence in research output. The residency program ranked ninth nationally for research output this year, up from 13th last year, in the Doximity Residency Navigator rankings. The achievement is significant, because the rankings are compiled for medical students who are interested in matching to the specialty. The department as a whole often stands out at national meetings, such as the recent American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), where UAMS team members presented 14 posters, papers and videos. Kudos to Chair and Jones Eye Institute Director Dr. Paul Phillips, Residency Program Director Dr. Ahmed Sallam, and the faculty, residents and research coordinators for their commitment to research.