June 13, 2017 | Two residents from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have been selected for a prestigious fellowship in neuro-oncology administered jointly by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Neuro-Oncology Branch.

A maximum of two fellows per year are selected for the program, and this year, both are from UAMS.

Carlos Romo, M.D., co-chief resident physician; and Orwa Aboud, M.D., Ph.D., will complete their residencies in the Department of Neurology in the UAMS College of Medicine in June and begin their fellowships in July.

The fellowship provides advanced training for neurosurgeons, radiation therapists, medical and pediatric oncologists and neurologists to prepare them for academic careers in neuro-oncology. The experience is tailored individually to the needs of the fellow. Both Romo and Aboud will spend three years expanding both their research and clinical experience through courses, research projects, mentoring and clinical rotations.

“It is extremely prestigious for us to have not just one of the two, but both,” said Robert L. “Lee” Archer, M.D., professor and interim chairman of the Department of Neurology. “Their selection says a lot about the level of residents we are producing. Dr. Romo and Dr. Aboud have done outstanding work during their time here, and I would also like to credit their adviser, Dr. Shirley Ong, and our residency director, Dr. Kinshuk Sahaya, for contributing to their success.”

Ong, M.D., said that both have unique skillsets to offer their patients and expand the future of neuro-oncology.

“There are very few good neuro-oncology fellowship training programs in the U.S., and they are extremely competitive,” Ong said. “Neuro-oncology is a small field and requires hard work and a strong fortitude, and I had zero hesitation in recommending Drs. Aboud and Romo to the Johns Hopkins/NIH fellowship program. I know they will represent UAMS well.”

Romo is from Aguascalientes, Mexico, and earned his medical degree at Tec de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. Sahaya, M.D., described him as a dynamic and multifaceted resident whose teaching ability is appreciated by students and faculty alike. For example, Romo helped Sahaya redesign part of the neurology residency curriculum. Ong described him as a leader who sets goals and accomplishes them.

Romo said his time at UAMS exposed him to a wide variety of patients, especially because of UAMS’ partnerships with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. He is looking forward to expanding his experiences even further.

“This fellowship, unlike any other in the country, provides the fellows with access to two different institutions that are leaders in the field,” Romo said. “Faculty members at Johns Hopkins and NIH are recognized worldwide for their contributions in the area of neuro-oncology. NIH also offers opportunities for collaboration between basic and clinical scientists, and particularly among scientists across other disciplines. This collaboration creates a nurturing environment for the development of ideas that can improve outcomes for patients with cancer of the nervous system.”

Aboud is from Swaida, Syria. He attended medical school at the University of Damascus in Syria and graduate school at UAMS. Sahaya described him as an outstanding resident and researcher and a skilled physician. He is a great team leader who is loved by colleagues, faculty, students and patients alike. His research is already garnering him top honors. Ong said Aboud is extremely compassionate and goes above-and-beyond with his patients.

Aboud said that early in his neurology residency, he took part in a neuro-oncology rotation that exposed him to how big the impact of basic and clinical research can be on patients’ treatment options and quality of life. He values the fact that both the UAMS residency and the NIH/Johns Hopkins fellowship give him both research and clinical exposure.

“The field of neuro-oncology is about giving patients options for a better quality of life, longer survival, and, hopefully, a cure,” Aboud said. “In preparation for my career as a neuro-oncologist, this training is essential to gain a broad knowledge of the science of brain tumor development and the scientific strategies used in the development of the next generation of treatment. As a clinician scientist, my goal is to achieve a more immediate and positive impact on my patients’ lives.”

The UAMS Neurology Residency is a four-year program open to students who already have a medical degree and are looking for advanced training in neurology. Residents can then move on to become practicing neurologists or pursue additional specialized training through fellowships, like Romo and Aboud.

“Both are very different in their interests and approach, and they exemplify the diversity of our learning approach, both culturally and academically,” Sahaya said. “It’s our goal to provide a supportive environment for our residents where they can both learn the essentials and develop their own interests while we assist them in that process. We support our residents in all career choices, from general to specialized neurology. These two are just another example of the careers we hope to nurture with our residency.”

For more information, visit neurology.uams.edu.

---

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,021 students, 789 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

###

By Amy Widner

June 15, 2017 | Justin Treas is a busy man. The 29-year-old has a Ph.D. in environmental toxicology and has worked in cancer research. He’s married with three children and just earned his medical degree from the UAMS College of Medicine. On March 28, 2017, Treas had a stroke that his doctors believe would have killed him if those around him hadn’t acted quickly and efficiently.

“I remember being with other students. The professors were teaching us about geriatrics,” Treas said. “I remember going outside because I wasn’t feeling well. Some friends came to check on me and quickly called Dr. Mendiratta. She took me to the clinic. They checked my glucose and other vitals. I was doing very poorly so they took me to the emergency department.”

Benedict Tan, M.D., listened as Treas recounted the events of that day.

“The fact that you can recall that much is very impressive,” Tan told his patient. “Once you see your CT scans, you’ll be impressed, too. Your clot was massive.”

Tan is the director of neurocritical care at UAMS, treating the most serious brain and spine cases in emergency and intensive care. He is the only neurointensivist in Arkansas.

“The stroke pager was activated, and we were called to the emergency room,” Tan said. “As soon as the CT scan was complete you could see the clot. That’s very unusual because it was probably the biggest clot I have seen without using further imaging techniques. We knew right away that he needed treatment immediately.”

Mehmet Akdol, M.D., an interventional neuroradiologist and assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Radiology, removed the clot after Treas received tPA. The tissue plasminogen activator is a clot-busting agent used to quickly improve blood flow to the brain. Tan says since the onset of the stroke was clear and verified by multiple witnesses, he felt confident to give him the clot-busting drug. Clot-busting medication is the first line of medication for stroke patients but must be used in the first three hours after onset of symptoms. Treas received tPA 19 minutes after he entered the emergency department.

“We used a microcatheter to grab the clot and pull it down like a cork screw, resuming blood flow to the brain,” Akdol said. “We have several cases that received this kind of treatment. What is unique in this case is the timing and aggressive treatment with no delay, which brought an excellent neurological result.”

“The staff, physicians and nurses were amazing,” said Debra Johnson, R.N., stroke nurse coordinator and outreach nurse for the AR SAVES program. “He was ranked a 26 on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale. Twenty-four hours later, he was at a two.”

The NIH stroke scale increases with severity. The lower the score the less severe it is; anything above 20 is extremely severe.. Three nurses and a resident physician were recognized for their distinct aptitude in treating Treas by receiving an “I Saved a Brain” pin: Stacy Bennett, R.N; Emily Boyd, R.N.; Erin Sanders, R.N., and Heather McLemore, M.D.

It is uncommon for a person as young as Treas to have a stroke except in the case of traumatic injury. The size of the clot prompted Tan to examine Treas for signs of trauma around his neck.

“We later found out that the stroke was caused from a carotid artery dissection,” Tan said.

Carotid artery dissection is a tear in one of the two main arteries in the neck. It’s almost exclusively caused by trauma. Over time, the tear can get bigger and a clot will form around it, cutting blood flow to the brain. Tan says the trauma doesn’t have to come from an assault or something very severe. He says there have been examples of carotid artery tears caused from being hit too quickly, falling, whiplash, dancing violently or riding a roller coaster. Treas’ physicians believe a roller coaster may have caused his tear. He’d visited an amusement park two weeks prior.

“Rides like that can cause a tear because of the abrupt changes in gravity,” Tan said. “That creates a reversal in blood flow and in some degree can cause stress on the vessel itself. If the vessels obtain stress, they can tear and over time cause a clot.”

Akdol says Treas’ ability to make a complete recovery is because of swift reaction from those around him. “There was no waste of time. We have implemented a system here at UAMS that allows us to deal with these cases very quickly. This is why we want people to know the symptoms and remember the acronym FAST.”

F – Face Drooping.

A – Arm Weakness.

S – Slurred Speech.

T – Time to call 911.

Since the stroke, Treas has been recovering and says he’s been improving daily. He and his wife have a baby, Lillie Belle, born April 20. He graduated from UAMS on May 20 and he soon starts his internal medicine residency with hopes to eventually be an oncologist or cardiologist.

By Katrina Dupins | June 15th, 2017 |

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., recalled the day four years ago when one of his Department of Microbiology and Immunology mentors, Xuming  Zhang, Ph.D., D.V.M., came looking for him.

Forrest had sought input from Zhang and mentor Usha Ponnappan, Ph.D., on his first NIH National Cancer Institute grant application. Zhang found him in a fifth-floor lab of the Biomedical One building. There, standing at the freezer, the two had one of the more consequential mentoring sessions of Forrest’s early career.

“This is all wrong,” Zhang said, presenting his marked-up copy with an outline and arrows showing Forrest how to more effectively make his case.

“He knew exactly what he was doing,” Forrest said.

Ponnappan, who joined UAMS 25 years ago, and Zhang, who joined UAMS 20 years ago, said their approaches to mentoring are grounded in their own experiences as junior faculty.

Zhang, as an early career researcher, recalled his own need for the kind of detailed review he gave Forrest’s application. He loved getting thorough critiques from his mentors and colleagues because it gave him a better chance of being funded. Today, Zhang can bring to bear his expertise in the field and experience as an NIH reviewer to help mentees.

“Based on my own experience, for basic science faculty you have to have an NIH grant to be successful,” he said. “Without a grant, you can’t get promoted.”

Leading up to his grant submission, Forrest would pop into the offices of Ponnappan and Zhang to ask questions. “I bothered them constantly.”

Their advice was incorporated into his application, which achieved a rare perfect grant score and a five-year NCI grant totaling $1.83 million. The grant is helping further work on his discovery of a protein with a significant role in controlling herpes infections. Forrest’s early data gathering and a surprise discovery that were cornerstones of his grant application were supported by a UAMS Translational Research Institute pilot award and a COBRE grant.

The NIH application reviewers said they anticipate that his research “may reveal novel therapeutic targets,” and concluded, “In sum, there is considerable enthusiasm for the talented new investigator (Forrest) and the proposed work ….”

Forrest and his team have published three papers so far, and have three more in the works. He’s also filed a patent application through BioVentures.

Mentoring traditionally has been an informal practice, although some departments, such as Microbiology and Immunology in the UAMS College of Medicine, have a prescribed process. Department Chair Richard P. Morrison, Ph.D., started an official mentoring program eight years ago.  He describes it as “simple, straightforward and non-overbearing.”

Each junior faculty member has a three-person mentoring committee. The committees meet with the mentees once a semester to discuss progress and goals, followed by a written report.

Over the program’s eight years, the department’s five most senior junior faculty have produced five R01’s, three R21’s and three K22 awards – and all have received promotion and tenure, Morrison said.

Ponnappan and Zhang also helped Forrest become an associate professor, marking the official end of a six-year mentor-mentee relationship.

“Once they got me through the tenure process, it was kind of over,” Forrest said. “I’m on my own now, although I haven’t completely been away from them.”

Ponnappan said Forrest was a like a sponge and a pleasure to mentor. “He lives science,” she said. “His success is his own success. We just pointed him in right direction, that’s all.”

Forrest is now breaking new ground as a mentor himself, sitting on mentoring committees where he can learn from senior faculty.

He already has a key piece of advice for junior faculty, telling them, “Make sure you use your mentors.”

By David Robinson | June 6th, 2017

Three new degrees and a certificate in biomedical informatics to help professionals assess and manage large sets of medical and public health information will soon be offered at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education recently approved the three graduate degrees — Doctorate of Philosophy, Master of Science and Professional Master’s — and a Graduate Certificate Program in biomedical informatics at UAMS.

“Biomedical informatics is a driving force behind personalized medicine, enabling innovative, customized treatments for individual patients,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and College of Medicine Dean Pope L. Moseley, M.D. “The state’s approval of these advanced biomedical informatics degrees will position UAMS to be a national leader in one of the fastest growing research fields.”

Biomedical informatics professionals use computational tools to assess and manage medical and public health information for patient care and research programs. Professionals have the knowledge and skills to help improve human health through their own research and by aiding other researchers in the use of large amounts of data that are beyond the ability of commonly used software tools to process and manage.

“Our vision is to build a nationally recognized graduate program in biomedical informatics,” said Fred Prior, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics in the College of Medicine. “We will do so by first focusing on understanding and meeting the significant biomedical informatics workforce needs of our state.”

As the state’s only academic medical center, Prior said, UAMS has an obligation to serve Arkansas in this way. Meeting this goal will forge a strong, biomedical informatics graduate program that will contribute to meeting state and national workforce needs across the major sub-areas of biomedical informatics, including:

• Translational bioinformatics. This degree program is for researchers using data in cellular- and molecular-level studies such as a study of genes producing a protein that has a role in disease. The field also includes pre-clinical data as development and testing begins for new drug targets, compounds or devices.
• Imaging informatics. Training in imaging informatics, offered only a few places nationally, includes the latest methods of managing and interpreting images used in research. It also includes coursework for imaging professionals, such as those who run a hospital’s picture, archiving and communication (PAC) system where images such as CT scans, X-rays, and MRIs are stored.
• Clinical informatics. This program is for those interested in generating, managing and using information in health care settings, such as predicting patients who are likely to respond well to treatment.
• Clinical research informatics. UAMS is the first program in the country to offer both specific training and graduate degrees in Clinical Research Informatics, which involves use of data to design, conduct and report clinical studies.

Each of the four tracks are offered as a 36-credit hour master’s degree with a Professional and a Master of Science option. Additionally, the doctoral program will take a minimum 55 credit hours that are inclusive of the master’s degree credit hours.

“Adding these biomedical informatics degrees strengthens our curriculum and will be a significant draw for students nationally,” said Graduate School Dean Robert E. McGehee Jr., Ph.D. “Both master’s options can be completed in two years with full-time enrollment, and the Ph.D. can be completed in four years, though for most individuals we anticipate five years.”

The Graduate Certificate consists of one core course, a practicum, and additional courses of the candidate’s choosing.

At the certificate level, the goals are to deepen knowledge, increase skills and the ability to apply biomedical informatics principles and methods within an area of practice, and to conceptualize, plan, conduct and report an applied biomedical informatics project.

At the professional master’s level, the educational goals will expand on the certificate level to include the ability to productively work as a member of an interdisciplinary team, and to continue professional career development. Students completing the professional master’s degree will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to sit for the relevant professional certification exam.

The Master of Science educational goals include those at the professional master’s level plus gaining the ability to participate in and manage research processes in the relevant area of biomedical informatics.

Doctoral–level goals include those at the master’s level plus the ability to pose compelling scientific questions and new methods in biomedical informatics to design, conduct and report the research that answer them.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,870 students, 799 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS and its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

By David Robinson

June 2, 2017 | C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, was invested June 1 in the Carl L. Nelson, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Barnes, who graduated with honors from the College of Medicine in 1986 and completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at UAMS, has served as department chair since August 2014.

He was presented the chair medallion by UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D., and UAMS Executive Vice Chancellor and College of Medicine Dean Pope L. Moseley, M.D.

An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A distinguished chair is established with gifts of at least $1.5 million, which are invested and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research and clinical activities of the chair holder. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, physicians and professors in their fields.

The chair is named in honor of Carl L. Nelson, M.D., a world-renowned expert in joint replacement who served as chairman of the UAMS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery from 1974 until his death in 2005. He oversaw the education of 122 orthopaedic surgeons, many of whom stayed in Arkansas to practice, including Barnes.

Barnes is one of Arkansas’ and the region’s foremost joint replacement experts. He holds four patents for orthopaedic surgery devices and has designed numerous hip and knee implants. He lectures nationally and internationally on total joint replacement surgery and has been active in hip and knee research. Barnes established the HipKnee Arkansas Foundation to further study patients with arthritis.

“Dr. Barnes’ journey to this leadership position at his alma mater, in his hometown is unique, a bit circuitous and one that we’re delighted about,” said G. Richard Smith, M.D., former dean of the College of Medicine who helped recruit Barnes to UAMS and the department chair position. “During those 18 months, I formed a deep friendship with Lowry and a true respect for who he is, a person of character and integrity.”

Tom S. Butler, retired vice chancellor for Administration and Governmental Affairs at UAMS and a former patient of Barnes, said in the care he received from Barnes he was most impressed with Barnes and his staff’s concern for the patient beyond the procedure.

“That’s the kind of training you want your physician to have,” said Butler. “To see the patient in total.”

A special guest was lifelong friend Kevin L. Garvin, M.D., who is now chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Garvin met Barnes as a fourth-year resident at UAMS while Barnes completed his internship.

“Dr. Barnes has a passion to lead this department to new heights,” said Garvin. “The relationships he’s established will serve this department well as he continues to recruit the best and brightest faculty, staff and residents to grow the program.”

Barnes is president of the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association and a past president of the Arkansas Orthopaedic Society, the Southern Orthopaedic Association and the Society of Arthritic Joint Surgery. He has served as treasurer and is currently president-elect of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Barnes has published extensively and is on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Arthroplasty and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. Barnes is known nationally for his expertise in health care quality and efficiency.

Barnes is a member of the prestigious Knee Society, an exclusive organization of the world’s experts in orthopaedic surgery. He is the only Arkansas member since Nelson’s death.

Nelson came to UAMS in 1974 to develop the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and organize the orthopaedic training program. He produced more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications on topics including orthopaedic education, musculoskeletal infection, psychomotor skills and bloodless surgery.

“I was very lucky to have been educated by Dr. Nelson,” said Barnes.

---

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,021 students, 789 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

###

By Lee Hogan | June 2nd, 2017

May 31, 2017 | Erick Messias, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., has been appointed associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Messias is rejoining the UAMS faculty and will also be an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, where he served in a number of leadership positions from 2010 to 2015.

Messias replaces Jeannette M. Shorey II, M.D., who was appointed associate provost for faculty in 2015 and served in both roles during the search for her successor.

“Dr. Messias brings a deep understanding of our academic mission, considerable knowledge about UAMS, and a strong interest in advancing the careers of our faculty members,” said UAMS Executive Vice Chancellor and College of Medicine Dean Pope L. Moseley, M.D. “He has a genuine concern for the well-being of others, a passion for diversity and social justice, and a commitment to fairness and equal treatment for all. He is thoughtful and analytical while also focusing on qualitative aspects of psychiatric care and research, academic medicine and faculty and personal development.”

As associate dean, Messias will lead College of Medicine faculty processes related to recruitment, evaluation, promotion and tenure. He will advance the college’s efforts to support faculty development and foster professionalism. He will work closely with Shorey and the UAMS Faculty Center as the College of Medicine’s representative on the Intercollegiate Faculty Council.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to apply my training and experience in this new role, with the goal of improving support and opportunities for UAMS faculty as they advance through their careers in academic medicine,” Messias said. “I have big shoes to fill in Dr. Shorey and look forward to collaborating with her and the UAMS Faculty Center to provide support and tools so we can continue to improve the training and education of the health care workforce for Arkansas.

“In my most recent job, overseeing Medicaid providers around the state, I’ve had the chance to see firsthand the key role played by UAMS in creating that workforce. While the state has many needs, UAMS has the will and the mission to help improve the health of all Arkansans I feel fortunate to contribute to that mission every day.”

During his previous tenure at UAMS, Messias served as medical director of the Walker Family Clinic, director of the House Staff Mental Health Service and director of the Brain and Behavior course for medical students. He has received many teaching awards and other accolades.

After leaving UAMS, Messias served as vice president and medical director of Beacon Health Options Arkansas.

Messias received his medical degree from Federal University of Ceará in Brazil in 1996. He completed his residency in general psychiatry at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt Program. Messias went on to earn a Master of Public Health, complete a residency in preventive medicine and obtain his Ph.D. in psychiatric epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Messias was an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine during his final year of work toward his doctorate. He returned to Brazil for two years, practicing psychiatry while also serving as an assistant professor of medicine at the Federal University of Ceará School of Medicine. From 2007 to 2009, he was an associate professor in psychiatry and in biostatistics at the Medical College of Georgia. He also served as medical director of an acute adult psychiatric unit and associate director of psychiatry residency training until his recruitment to UAMS.

By Amy Widner | May 31st, 2017

May 26, 2017 | Of the 308 Arkansas physicians named to the recently released 2017 Best Doctors in America list, nearly 200 are on staff at UAMS.

The list is compiled annually by Best Doctors Inc., a health care information service company headquartered in Massachusetts, and is published by the weekly newspaper Arkansas Times. Researchers at Best Doctors Inc. formulate the list through a polling method that gathers opinions from thousands of doctors across the country. Physicians cannot pay to be included in the database and are not paid to provide input.

Gallup, a well-known and respected research, consulting and public opinion firm, has audited and certified Best Doctors Inc. as using the highest industry standards survey methodology and processes.

The UAMS College of Medicine faculty physicians to make the list cover many specialties and practice at UAMS Medical Center, Arkansas Children’s and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

To view all the UAMS doctors who made the list, click here.

By Lee Hogan | May 26th, 2017

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Professor Mark Smeltzer, Ph.D., has been awarded $11 million in federal funding for Phase II of a program that supports microbiology and immunology research.

Phase I of the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant was awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2012 at $10 million. Phase II began May 1 and is $11 million.

The first COBRE grant allowed Smeltzer to establish the UAMS Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses. Its focus is pathogens – bacteria, viruses and microorganisms – and the disease responses they cause in humans.

COBRE grants include funding for individual projects by junior research faculty — those who have just received their first academic appointments. The first grant supported projects on viruses and malaria. The $11 million award continues funding of the center, with individual projects on cancer, Lyme disease, pneumonic plague and chlamydial infection.

Smeltzer co-directs the center along with Richard P. Morrison, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

“Everything that we do, at the end of the day, it’s really about human health,” Smeltzer said. “We’re trying to understand how microorganisms and pathogens cause disease in humans, and if you understand that, you’re that much closer to coming up with useful treatments.”

Additionally, technology purchased through the grant benefits researchers across the state. Researchers from other academic institutions and those from government agencies alike have used technology at UAMS purchased with COBRE funds.

“Scientific technology is always advancing, and the funding for us to be able to keep up with these advances is key,” Smeltzer said.

Smeltzer, who studies staphylococcus aureus, is one of the most-well-funded faculty in the UAMS College of Medicine. He has more than $14 million in current grant funding and has received more than $30 million in external grant funding. His current NIH funding ranks him 46th out of 993 microbiology faculty nationwide.

“With this program, over time, you develop this critical mass of people who can work synergistically with each other,” Smeltzer said. “You build up the technology that is essential to propel research forward. A lot has to slide into place, but the end result benefits more than just these individual investigators – it benefits UAMS as an institution, the state of Arkansas and the future of medicine.”

Three junior faculty in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology completed Phase I – assistant professors Karl Boehme, Ph.D., and Jason Stumhofer, Ph.D.; and associate professor Craig Forrest, Ph.D. Boehme and Forrest study viruses, and Stumhofer’s work is about malaria.

The junior faculty selected to participate in Phase II are Ruud Dings, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology; and Jon Blevins, Ph.D., associate professor, Roger Pechous, Ph.D., and Lin-Xi Li, Ph.D., assistant professors – all in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Their research focuses on cancer, Lyme disease, pneumonic plague and chlamydial infection.

Rhonda L. Anthony is administrative coordinator of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses.

“I am proud of this grant, but I don’t kid myself – it’s about teamwork,” Smeltzer said. “If every single person involved in this hadn’t done their part to make it successful, we would not have been approved for Phase II of funding.”

The COBRE grant also includes funding for training and mentoring at the institution level and from national-level COBRE advisers.

“It certainly tipped the scales for me when I was considering job offers,” Boehme said. “In addition to not having to immediately worry about funding and equipment and whether I could afford staff or take on students, it made the department feel like there was a real strategic plan in place, a forward momentum, and a sense that success was a group effort rather than something that was on my shoulders alone.”

Boehme and Stumhofer were recruited from well-regarded postdoctoral programs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, respectively. Both have now successfully written their own NIH grants to sustain the next chapter of their research – a key marker of success under COBRE parameters.

Stumhofer appreciated the collaborative meetings and mentoring that occurred as often as twice a month as part of the program.

“It keeps you from getting isolated, stuck alone in your own lab with a problem that is keeping you from moving forward. Everyone helps you troubleshoot,” Stumhofer said.

Smeltzer, Boehme and Stumhofer agreed that the grant empowers researchers to explore ideas they may not have otherwise considered if they were immediately left on their own to navigate funding and logistics. They said that over the long haul, such programs create better researchers and higher-quality research.

COBRE grants are only available for Institutional Development Award (IDeA) states where NIH funding has been historically low. They include 23 states and Puerto Rico. UAMS is host to three centers funded by COBRE grants. The Center for Translational Neuroscience, led by Edgar Garcia-Rill, Ph.D., has received $22.5 million in funding and is in its third and final phase. The Center for Studies of Host Response to Cancer Therapy, led by Martin Hauer-Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., has received $10.5 million and is in Phase I.

When Jerad Gardner, M.D., stepped up to the podium to address the UAMS College of Medicine’s Class of 2017 at the college’s Honors Convocation on May 19, the first thing he did was take a “selfie” with the class.

The move wasn’t too surprising for Gardner, who has drawn national acclaim for championing the use of social media, mobile devices and other technologies in medical education and the field of pathology.

The assistant professor in the college’s Department of Pathology, clinical co-director of the musculoskeletal/skin curriculum block for medical students and director of the fellowship for residency graduates training in the subspecialty of dermatopathology has earned raves for his ability to teach and connect through social media.

The class chose Gardner to deliver the address from the faculty at the annual ceremony held the evening before the UAMS Commencement Ceremony. Honors Convocation features numerous awards for students and faculty members. Students don the ceremonial doctoral hoods they will wear at commencement and recite the Hippocratic Oath of the medical profession.

Gardner encouraged the graduating seniors to start their career thinking about the end.

“Start thinking now about what is going to make it meaningful,” he said. “How will you know that it’s worthwhile, that it mattered, that you had the impact that you wanted to have?”

Gardner advised graduates to find innovative ways to help patients and their families. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘cure’ and ‘healing’ are always the same thing,” he said. “Cure whenever you can, but heal always.”

He urged the class to not lose sight of the loved ones in their lives and how they are impacted by the demands of a career in medicine, and to always show them gratitude.

Gardner also encouraged graduates to become mentors to future aspiring physicians. “You can never pay back your mentors,” he said, borrowing an old adage. “You can only pay them forward.”

Four faculty members received Golden Apple Awards, marking their selection as the most outstanding teacher of the year by a vote of each of the four classes in the College of Medicine. Charles Matthew Quick, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pathology, received the Golden Apple from the senior class. Golden Apples also went to: Toby Vancil, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine (junior class); Sung Rhee, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology (sophomore class); and Alan Diekman, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (freshman class).