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.
New Hope for Fighting Cervical Cancer
The results of an international clinical trial led by Dr. Michael Birrer, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, may offer hope for women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The results were published last week in JAMA Oncology. Dr. Birrer led the two-year, multi-site study of a novel bispecific antibody, Bintrafusp alpha, in 146 women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer that had progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy. The treatment resulted in a tumor response in 22% of the patients, and more than half of these patients had a durable response of six months or more.
The pursuit of better treatments for cervical cancer is imperative. As discussed in this UAMS news release, an estimated 4,360 women in the United States will die from cervical cancer this year. Arkansas has one of the highest incidence and mortality rates per capita for cervical cancer. There are currently only two FDA-approved treatments for recurring or metastatic cervical cancer, and neither is curative. Dr. Birrer is on the forefront of international efforts to move the needle on cervical cancer treatment and outcomes.
World-Class Epilepsy Care
The UAMS Comprehensive Epilepsy Center has again been accredited as a Level 4 epilepsy center, the highest designation from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers. UAMS first earned the two-year accreditation in 2018 for professional expertise, facilities, and dedication to providing world-class medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy. Special thanks to Dr. Sisira Yadala, Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of the Division of Electrodiagnostics (Epilepsy and Neuromuscular Disorders); Dr. Viktoras Palys, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of the Epilepsy Center; neurologists Drs. Harshad Ladha, Dr. Salman Zahoor and Dr. Taqi Zafar; and Taneicie Sabb, APRN.
Training the Next Generation of Addiction Researchers
A shout-out to the UAMS Addiction Research Training Program and the many colleagues across UAMS who have ensured its success over the past 15 years. The program has supported the development of 104 trainees since 2009 and recently received a $2.4 million grant renewal from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to continue its important work for another five years. Dr. Melissa Zielinski, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. William Fantegrossi, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, serve as Co-Directors. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
National Recognition for Surgical Teaching
Congratulations to Dr. Mary Katherine Kimbrough, Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery, on her induction as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. At UAMS, Dr. Kimbrough is an award-winning educator with tremendous impact on our residents and students through many roles, including current Program Director of the General Surgery Residency and previous Program Director for the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, which she built from the ground up. Read more about the honor and Dr. Kimbrough here.
Abdominal Pain Management Insights
Anesthesiology resident Dr. Shawn Shoham is first author of a new article on a novel use of botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) for treatment of chronic focal abdominal pain. The article, accepted for publication in the journal Pain Medicine, discusses the use of BoNT-A in Celiac Plexus Block, which has been shown to be an effective intervention for the complex challenge of managing chronic focal abdominal pain. Dr. Jarna Shah, Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Pain Medicine Fellowship, is senior author on the article.
BioVentures Launches Podcast
UAMS-based BioVentures has launched the BioVentures Podcast to showcase some of its many initiatives and success stories. BioVentures manages the intellectual property generated at UAMS and helps inventors and startups to commercialize their technology. The impact extends far beyond the borders of UAMS, as the first episode, highlighting the Arkansas Collaborative for Technological and Innovative Venture Equality (ACTIVE), shows. This summer, ACTIVE began working with the inaugural 25 health care and health technology companies from across Arkansas under a four-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency. Outreach Coordinator Joe Schaffner, MPA, led the development of the podcast and serves as host. Senior Program Manager Dr. Stefanie Kennon-McGill and Program Manager Dmitri Scott joined him to talk about ACTIVE.
Medical Student Olympian
Many at UAMS are following the thrills of competition at the Summer Olympics in Paris, but the games and events leading up to them are a particularly exciting and familiar experience for fourth-year UAMS Northwest MD/MPH student Megan Clark. In June 2021, just a couple of months before matriculating at UAMS, the accomplished pole vaulter competed at the U.S. Olympic trials for track and field.
Megan has since retired from pole vaulting and devotes her time to being an outstanding medical student. Last week, she was one of a handful of medical students around the country to be highlighted in a feature on current and former medical student Olympians on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website. Congratulations, Megan!