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!
Necessity Leads to Opportunity
The temporary closure of a specialized learning laboratory for otology/neurotology trainees at Oklahoma University College of Medicine led to an enhanced learning opportunity for residents at OU and UAMS. With the OU temporal bone lab closed for renovations, OU’s Dr. Alex Bien joined forces with Dr. John Dornhoffer, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UAMS, to conduct a combined temporal bone lab for residents of both schools over two recent weekends at UAMS. Consisting of both didactic lectures and dissections, the temporal bone lab is a crucial component of otolaryngology residency education – and UAMS’ lab is considered one of the best in the country.
Dr. Dornhoffer said the dual-institution lab gave residents a unique learning experience and an opportunity to “socialize and compare notes outside of the lab.” Now, the two programs hope to make it an annual collaboration. UAMS Assistant Professor Dr. Robert Saadi and Otology fellow Dr. Anna Bareiss also served as course instructors.
EM Leadership Development
Dr. Sarah Greenberger, Associate Professor and Residency Program Director in the Department of Emergency Medicine, has been accepted for the 2023-2024 class of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine/Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (SAEM/AACEM) Emerging Leader Development Program (eLEAD). The highly competitive, year-long program is designed to help emerging leaders in the field further develop their leadership skills, and to provide networking and other opportunities. I join with Dr. Rawle “Tony” Seupaul, Emergency Medicine Chair and Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, in congratulating Dr. Greenberger on this well-earned opportunity.
Outstanding Reviewer
Dr. Carol Thrush, a leader in educational research in the COM GME Office, has been named an Outstanding Reviewer for 2022 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the editors of ACGME’s Journal of Graduate Medical Education. The honor stems from her contributions as a peer reviewer for multiple manuscripts and her high reviewer ratings. This national service to scholarly work is an extension of Dr. Thrush’s strong commitment to high-quality scholarly work by residents, students and faculty in our college and her contributions to many excellent publications through her roles as a Professor in the departments of Surgery and Internal Medicine as well as the GME Office. Kudos, Dr. Thrush.
Insights into Aging
Researchers in the Department of Geriatrics recently published two articles on different aspects of aging. First-year postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ambika Verma was first author on “P. gingivalis-LPS Induces Mitochondrial Dysfunction Mediated by Neuroinflammation through Oxidative Stress,” published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The article sheds light on the links between periodontal disease and neurodegenerative disease in older individuals. Professor Dr. Gohar Azhar was the first author on “Differential plasma protein expression after ingestion of essential amino acid-based dietary supplement versus whey protein in low physical functioning older adults,” published in GeroScience. The article expands on the team’s findings in a recent clinical trial that demonstrated the superiority of a dietary supplement composed of essential amino acids. Professor and Chair Dr. Jeanne Wei was senior author on both of the recent publications, and many lab team members were coauthors.
Gold Standard for Consulting
Dr. Abhilash Thatikala, a second-year Neurology resident, is “the gold standard” for specialty consultants called to the Emergency Department to assist with patient cases and the teaching experiences they present. Emergency Medicine residents selected Dr. Thatikala as their newest Consultant of the Month in recognition of his expertise, teaching and collegiality. As one resident wrote, “Dr. Thatikala updates you quickly on the plan and always does what’s best for the patient, all while being the most kind, efficient, and pleasant person ever, even when he’s swamped with consults.” Kudos to Dr. Thatikala for his outstanding work.
Putting Patients First
Patients who suffer from severe headaches are grateful for the expert, compassionate care provided by headache medicine specialist Dr. Scott Lucchese, Associate Professor of Neurology. A patient recently explained in a post-visit survey how much Dr. Lucchese’s “great attention to detail” and willingness to take the time needed to address concerns means. “I never leave his office with any unanswered medical questions,” the patient wrote. “He is a 5-Star Neurologist who is genuinely concerned about his patients, and his pleasing disposition is highly commendable.” Kudos to Dr. Lucchese for putting patients first.