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.
Special Article Highlights Major Cardiovascular Advance
Dr. J.L. Mehta, Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine, Physiology and Cell Biology and Pharmacology and Toxicology, is the senior author on a review article published in the American Heart Association journal Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology as part of a special series marking AHA’s 100th anniversary. “Direct Impact of PCSK9 on SMC Senescence and Apoptosis: A New Focus in Cardiovascular Diseases” is one of 100 invited publications by international experts and thought leaders on the past, present and future of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research and care.
The article discusses one of the major advances in cardiovascular research, the significance of the relationship between PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) and aging and apoptosis of smooth muscle cells. Additional research in this area is important for future efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases. Co-authors with Dr. Mehta include Dr. Philip Palade, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and scientists at Xinxiang Medical University in China who were previous students of Dr. Mehta.
El Dorado Initiative Gets Boost
UAMS’ initiative to reestablish a Family Medicine Residency Program in El Dorado received a boost with a $750,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. UAMS was one of only 15 organizations nationwide to receive funding through a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative to develop rural residency training programs and generate much-needed physicians for rural communities. Dr. Richard Turnage, Vice Chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses, is Principal Investigator on the grant. Dr. Donya Watson, Associate Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine, is Co-Investigator and will serve as Program Director for the residency, which aims to welcome its first trainees in 2026. Kudos to Dr. Turnage, Dr. Watson and colleagues for their work to bring this important training program to southern Arkansas. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Talk Draws on Diabetes Expertise and Personal Experience
Dr. Joseph Henske, Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Director of the UAMS Diabetes Program, was an invited speaker at the Endocrine Society’s ENDO 2024 conference in Boston last month. In his talk, “Management of Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes: Avoiding Peaks and Dangerous Valleys,” he spoke about exercise physiology and its effects on blood glucose, providing expert guidance for clinicians and patients. Dr. Henske, who has type 1 diabetes and is an accomplished runner, drew on personal experiences for the cases and concepts he discussed in the presentation.
National Panel on Psychiatry Education
Dr. Samidha Tripathi, Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Psychiatry’s clerkship program, was a presenter at the annual meeting of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry in Pittsburgh. Dr. Tripathi lent her expertise to a panel discussion on changes in medical student education across the country with increasing class sizes, expanding campuses and the evolving need to incorporate a “hybrid” model of virtual plus in-person learning.
Champions for Breastfeeding
The Department of Pediatrics’ Dr. Emily Beckett, Assistant Professor in the Community Pediatrics Section, and Dr. Misty Virmani, Associate Professor in Neonatology, are among the first class of physicians nationally and internationally to graduate from the Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum (LILAC) fellowship program offered through the University of Rochester in New York. Their accomplishment is another big step in the efforts of UAMS and Arkansas Children’s to improve maternal and infant mortality rates across Arkansas through many initiatives including breastfeeding and lactation support. Associate Professor Dr. Carla Brown (Neonatology) was recently accepted and started the fellowship in July.
The Impact of Mentorship
Dr. Wayne Bryant Jr., Assistant Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and Associate Director of the UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program, is lauded for his mentorship in a personal essay published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. The essay, titled “On Mentors and Mentality,” was written by Dr. John Ukadike, a 2023 graduate of the program, who discusses how Dr. Bryant “left an indelible mark” on his professional and personal journey. “His mentorship has paved the way for my growth and success,” writes Dr. Ukadike, who is continuing his training with an additional residency in emergency medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “(Dr. Bryant) instilled within me the courage to believe in myself.”
The Gift of Stem Cell Donation
College of Medicine students understand the life-saving potential of blood stem cell transplants for many diseases, including blood cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma – and the importance of NMDP, the National Marrow Donor Program for connecting patients with matching donors. Many of our students have taken the time to register with NMDP over the years. Senior Alex Rieth was recently notified he was a match for a patient, and he traveled to Houston in June to donate stem cells. Thank you, Alex. We’re proud of you!