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!
Top Bone Research Honor
Congratulations to Dr. Teresita Bellido, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, on being named the 2022 recipient of the Stephen M. Krane Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). The award will be presented at the ASBMR annual meeting in Austin next month and is one of the society’s most esteemed honors. Dr. Bellido has held numerous leadership roles in ASBMR, including President in 2020 and Chair of multiple committees. She also has been an active contributor to the journal JBMR Plus, serving as an editor. Dr. Bellido is internationally recognized for her NIH- and VA-funded research into bone biology and pathophysiology, osteocyte biology and bone and cancer. At UAMS, she also serves as leader of the Creativity Hub in Musculoskeletal Health and Disease.
Resident’s Paper in Lancet Psychiatry
Dr. Wesley White, a second-year resident in the Department of Psychiatry, is the first author on an insightful correspondence article in The Lancet Psychiatry, one of the world’s leading psychiatric journals. Dr. White and coauthors Dr. Jessica Coker and Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith, Associate Professors in the department, call for an increased awareness of Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) and the importance of having psychiatrists participate fully on them. Most states have convened MMRCs to address high mortality rates among pregnant and postpartum women. While obstetrical causes of maternal deaths traditionally have been a primary focus, recent data indicates that non-obstetrical causes of death, including suicide and accidental overdose, are a significant contributor to this crisis. Well done.
Prestigious Immunology Fellowship
Miguel Mercado, a graduate student working with Dr. Lin-Xi Li, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, has received a prestigious Careers in Immunology Fellowship from the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). The program provides independent research scientists from around the world with fellowships supporting one year of salary for a predoctoral student or postdoctoral fellow in their labs. I join with Microbiology and Immunology Professor and Chair Dr. Dan Voth in congratulating these outstanding colleagues.
Pediatric Critical Care Insights
Dr. Erin Bennett, Assistant Professor in the Critical Care Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics, was first author on an article in Hospital Pediatrics assessing the biochemical and clinical outcomes of hospitalized children who receive prophylactic enoxaparin against hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism. Also recently, Dr. Bennett and Assistant Professor Dr. Salim Aljabari were coauthors on an “Editor’s Choice” article in Respiratory Care on high-frequency percussive ventilation (HFPV) in viral bronchiolitis. The study improves knowledge of the alternative mode of mechanical ventilation’s uses and provides a base for future, broader research efforts.
Diversity Honor for MSPH Scholar
And finally this week, congratulations to Nabeel Alwan, a member of the second class of our Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH) post-baccalaureate program, who has been awarded the Minority Healthcare Diversity Scholarship from the Arkansas Minority Health Commission. As a student in the one-year MSPH program, Nabeel is working toward a Master of Public Health and will eventually apply for admission to medical school.
Nabeel and his family immigrated to the United States from Palestine. A first-generation college student, he graduated from UA Little Rock with a bachelor’s in biology and chemistry in the prestigious McNair Scholars program. Nabeel is an outstanding student with a strong commitment to academics and service. Prior to joining our program, he had volunteered over 200 hours at the Harmony Health Clinic in Little Rock. We are so proud to have Nabeel in the MSPH program and at UAMS!