Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have found a potential link between PTSD in combat veterans and changes in thyroid function.

Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Department of Internal Medicine in the UAMS College of Medicine and staff physician at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS). She and her research fellow, Freddy J.K. Toloza, M.D., presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. Their research was also featured in the Endocrine Daily Briefing and Clinical Endocrinology News.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 6-9% of the U.S. population but is closer to 20% among veterans. People with PTSD have difficulty with physical and emotional symptoms after witnessing a life-threatening or terrifying event. PTSD can linger for years, with triggering events bringing back unwanted memories or symptoms.

“Treatments exist, but there is a lot of room for improvement,” Maraka said. “Researchers have long noticed a potential link between endocrine disorders like thyroid disease and psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety. Though the suggestion of a link is controversial because it has not been completely explained, the goal of our research was to explore this connection by looking at thyroid function and PTSD.”

Maraka, Toloza, and collaborators performed a meta-analysis, which is a type of research in which no new experiments are performed, rather researchers take the results of many other studies, combine them and look for patterns. In this case, they found 10 previous studies about PTSD and thyroid function involving 674 participants.

For their first analysis of the data, they found that the patients with PTSD had higher levels of the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) than those without PTSD, or the control group. They decided to dive deeper into the data, and a second analysis compared people with combat-related PTSD to the control group separately from people with other PTSD types.

“What we found surprised us,” Maraka said. “The correlation was the strongest between T3 hormonal levels and the combat-PTSD group. In fact, once we looked at the data in this way, it became clear that the combat group was the main driver of the correlation. The combat group continued having higher T3 levels compared to the control group, but people with non-combat-PTSD were not different than the control group.”

Maraka stressed that the finding is merely an association and not proof of a cause. However, it does tell researchers that they should investigate further in this area. A medication that could target one or both issues could emerge as a more effective treatment for PTSD than those currently available. For her next step, Maraka plans to conduct a study testing thyroid markers in veterans with combat-related PTSD.

“This could teach us more about how the body adapts to stressful situations, both mentally and hormonally,” Maraka said. “It’s possible that there is a difference between PTSD that develops from long-term exposures to life-threatening stress, like combat, and brief exposures, like a car accident or crime. Understanding more about these differences could lead us to more tools for treating them.”

Also assisting with the project was Richard R. Owen, M.D., a professor at UAMS and associate chief of staff for research at CAVHS and other members of the UAMS Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Cardiologist J.L. Mehta, M.D., Ph.D., received multiple honors during a recent trip to Rome.

Mehta is a distinguished professor of medicine and physiology and biophysics at UAMS and holds the Stebbins Chair in Cardiology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

He gave an invited lecture at the 80th annual session of the Italian Society of Cardiology, Dec. 12-15 in Rome. Mehta spoke on “Efferocytosis, A New Player in Atherosclerosis.”

Also at the meeting, Mehta’s society peers gave him a Distinguished Achievement Award for being an excellent mentor and outstanding researcher responsible for key discoveries, like the critical role of platelets in coronary artery disease and the role of a particular protein called LOX-1 in cell death and inflammation.

In addition, the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” awarded him a distinguished professorship at a gala ceremony.

Mehta joined the faculty at UAMS in 2000 to lead the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

He is known for his original work on platelet biology and thrombosis in myocardial ischemia in collaboration with his wife, Paulette Mehta, M.D., UAMS professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. This groundbreaking work led to trials of aspirin and other anti-platelet drugs in cardiac patients.

His research over the last 15 years has focused on the biology of LOX-1, a receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein, which has opened a new target for cardiovascular therapy. His research has been supported continuously for 36 years by the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and several pharmaceutical companies.

Mehta serves or has served on the editorial boards of several major cardiology, physiology and pharmacology journals. He has published over 1,300 papers, abstracts and book chapters. He has published seven books and has 11 patents. He has published in prestigious journals with a worldwide impact.

He is a member of several prestigious academic societies and has received major national and international awards. Recent major awards include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences and the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Mehta was named among the top 27 cardiologists in 2017 in the United States by Forbes magazine. He has been frequently listed among the Top Doctors in the US, and the Best Doctors in Arkansas.

Mehta has lectured in over 35 countries. He is an honorary professor in the University of Rome, Italy, and an adjunct professor for the Clinton School of Public School in Little Rock and serves as consultant to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in Nanotechnology and Biomedical Engineering.

Rawle A. “Tony” Seupaul, M.D., has been named chief clinical officer for UAMS Medical Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

“Dr. Seupaul has been an exemplary head of our Emergency Medicine program for the past six years,” said Steppe Mette, M.D., senior vice chancellor for UAMS Health and UAMS Medical Center CEO. “This promotion allows us to leverage his medical expertise and leadership skills across our inpatient and outpatient operations. He has served in this new role on an interim basis for the past six months and has already built strong relationships with staff at all levels across the institution.”

As chief clinical officer, Seupaul will oversee all clinical care at UAMS, serving as the medical staff liaison with medical center administration and coordinating activities of the service line medical directors. He will work with other members of the executive leadership team to identify and implement best practices to ensure the safety of all patients and employees. He will also continue to serve as Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine in the UAMS College of Medicine.

An international emergency medicine authority, Seupaul came to UAMS in 2013 as professor and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine. He previously served on the Emergency Medicine faculty at Indiana University School of Medicine and Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago as an honors graduate in 1997. He completed his internship and residency in emergency medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., serving as chief resident during his final year.

Seupaul has been the principal investigator on a number of clinical trials in emergency medicine and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and other publications.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Childrens Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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 Thomas Frazier, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), was invested Dec. 19 in the inaugural G. Thomas Frazier, M.D. Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.

“It’s a really auspicious day, and having everybody here means a lot to me and my family,” said Frazier. “It’s my honor to receive this chair, and I will continue doing everything I can to improve outcomes for our patients.”

Frazier joined UAMS in 2017, where he specializes in hand and microsurgery and has a special interest in joint replacement of the hand, wrist and elbow, and joint arthroscopy for the elbow and wrist, minimally invasive surgeries in which a tiny camera is inserted into the joint through a small incision, thereby avoiding traditional open surgery.

An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A chair is established with gifts of at least $1 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.

“This is a well-deserved honor that recognizes Dr. Frazier’s extraordinary contributions to the field of hand and upper extremity surgery,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA.

Ellis Walton provided funding for the chair to honor her son-in-law Frazier’s contribution to the treatment of the hand. She and her late husband, Gus Walton, have been graciously philanthropic to UAMS in various capacities over several decades, and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and specifically the Section of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery has been near and dear to their hearts. She has volunteered with the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and has served on boards for the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Psychiatric Research Institute.

“Dr. Frazier, it’s clear that with your reputation and all of the support that you have, it’s no wonder that you’re being recognized today,” said Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., UAMS vice chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine. “I would like to extend a special thanks to Mrs. Ellis Walton for her generosity, her philanthropy and her long-term support of this university, in making this wonderful honor a reality.”

“Ever since I have known what an orthopaedic hand surgeon was, I have known about Tom Frazier,” said Theresa Wyrick-Glover, M.D., vice chair and associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Tom Frazier is all-in here at UAMS, and we’re just so proud to be his partner. This is an opportunity for him to continue to provide to the citizens of our state the same outstanding care he has done his entire career.”

The investiture ceremony hosted a packed house on the 12^th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, many from Frazier’s hometown of Hope. That sense of community was referenced many times, including Frazier’s longtime friend and fellow Hope native Larry D. Wright, M.D., an associate program director for internal medicine residencies and associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.

“As far as I know, there was nothing in the water in Hope, but there was something in that community that was nurturing and encouraging and expecting the best from all of us,” said Wright. “If Tommy Frazier could make it to be the starting quarterback for the Hope Bobcats, then maybe he could also make it in pre-med at Hendrix College; maybe he could also get into medical school; and maybe one day he would be named to an endowed chair in hand and extremity surgery at UAMS. I know everyone in our hometown is proud of Dr. Frazier, with all he’s accomplished and particularly his magnificent award today.”

Frazier was presented with a commemorative medallion by Patterson and Westfall. He thanked his mentors, colleagues and family, and presented roses to his wife, Cynthia Walton Frazier, and his mother-in-law.

“Gus and Ellis Walton are two of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known,” said Frazier. “We lost Gus about a year ago, but apparently Ellis and Gus had discussed this chair before he got sick. And to her credit, and my benefit, she pursued that and persisted in endowing this chair, and I will be forever grateful. Ellis, I love you.”

Frazier’s guest of honor was Danny Dozier, a former patient whose thumb he saved many years ago after it was nearly severed. Dozier demonstrated full use of his thumb by playing guitar for a delighted audience and thanked Frazier.

“They were getting ready to start sewing me up, and an orthopaedic surgeon who knew me as a guitar player said, ‘Don’t start sewing Danny up yet.’ And he came in and said, ‘Dozier, we’re sending you to Frazier. You’re going to go to Little Rock, because that’s who’s going to fix your thumb.’” After about a year, Dozier resumed playing guitar. “You just never know how somebody’s going to touch your life,” he said.

Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair and professor of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, has a special relationship with Frazier, having known him since Barnes was a medical student at UAMS and Frazier a resident. Both men helped form Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics, with a focus on sub-specialty orthopaedic care, where Frazier served as chairman of the board and Barnes was president and managing partner.

“This truly was Tom’s idea to come for his ‘give back’ period, which is the same reason I came to UAMS – because we care so much about this state, and we want to make it better,” said Barnes. “Tom, I hope that we have many years remaining as good friends and colleagues. I love you, friend.”

Barnes surprised Frazier with a recorded message from mutual friend and Hope native, former Gov. Mike Huckabee.

“I’m absolutely and genuinely proud of my neighbor, but not the least surprised,” said Huckabee, who grew up across the street from Frazier. “He was destined for greatness by his intelligence, work ethic, kindness toward others, and dedication to excellence in all that he has ever undertaken.”

Frazier grew up in Hope, Arkansas, graduating from Hope High School and later Hendrix College with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. In 1982, he graduated from the UAMS College of Medicine and completed an internship with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, where he was selected Outstanding Intern. He completed his orthopaedic residency in 1987, and Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship in 1988, both at UAMS. Frazier then joined Orthopaedic Associates to practice and helped start the Arkansas Hand Center in 1991. Along with his colleagues, Frazier helped provide the entire spectrum of hand care for Arkansas. In 1998, the Arkansas Hand Center joined with Orthopaedic Specialists and the Arkansas Spine Center to form Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics.

Frazier is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, the Southern Orthopaedic Association and the Arkansas Orthopaedic Society. He is board certified in orthopaedic surgery and holds a certificate of added qualification in hand surgery. He has been listed in “Best Doctors in America” each year since 2004. Frazier has served as an inaugural board member at Access Schools, a member of Hendrix College’s Physician’s Advisory Council, a board member and president of The Anthony School, and on the Potluck Food Rescue’s board of directors.

A standing-room-only crowd gathered Dec. 17, including members of the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute Advisory Board, to celebrate John Shock, M.D., and the 40 years he has given in service to UAMS.

Faculty, staff, patients and others gathered to share memories of Shock’s many years of service and many accomplishments as former chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in the College of Medicine and founding director of the Jones Eye Institute.

“Those of us who work here at JEI owe this lovely workplace and many of the opportunities we have to Dr. Shock’s leadership,” said Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., executive vice chancellor and dean of the UAMS College of Medicine. I think that many of us, particularly those of us who are newer, don’t realize how much we owe to Dr. Shock.”

Shock arrived at UAMS in 1979 to lead the ophthalmology department. At the time, Gissur Petursson, M.D., who had been acting as interim chair, was the only other faculty member.

“The eye institute began in the basement of the outpatient clinic,” Westfall continued. “Now we have a nine-story building, which has some of the best equipment in the world, is staffed by some of the finest people in the world, and has a faculty who are committed to education, research and patient care.”

As part of the celebration, Sami Uwaydat, M.D., interim chair of the department presented Shock with a gift marking his 40 years and also thanked Shocks’ wife, Nancy, who has been by his side the whole time.

“We all know the immense work that Dr. Shock has done. This institution would not have been possible and none of us would be here without Dr. Shock’s 40 years of selfless dedication to resident education and patient care,” said Uwaydat. “I still see patients that Dr. Shock took care of 40 years ago, and that should give you some idea of the tremendous work that he has done for so many Arkansans.”

Shock thanked the many contributors to Jones Eye Institute over the years, including those who have long served on its advisory board.

“Many of you have been on the board for, well, 40 years,” he laughed. “It’s always great to have people on the board stay on the board to provide the input they do.”

Shock told how it was an original board member, Morriss Henry, M.D., J.D., who introduced him to Bernice Jones, who provided a $1 million gift to fund research early in his tenure and ultimately would give $5.5 million to lead the way in establishing the Jones Eye Institute. That gift would be complemented by $15 million from Pat Walker, for whom Walker Tower is named.

“During my 40 years here, I had the privilege to develop relationships with many philanthropic Arkansans with whom I shared a vision to help build the Jones Eye Institute. That became possible when Bernice Jones provided the lead gift for the first four floors plus parking underneath and Pat Walker later added resources for the second five floors. Of course, there were many others who provided significant financial contributions,” Shock said.

Shock credited the leadership of former chancellor Harry Ward, M.D., who arrived on campus the same month he did, for providing the opportunity and the encouragement to build a culture of philanthropy at UAMS and for the vision of the expansive campus that exists today.

Shock reminded those gathered of his trust-based philosophy when it comes to giving, which has guided so much of the work he accomplished as institute director and, after he stepped down, as an unpaid director of development for the institution.

“The development worker must listen carefully. Do not assume you already know what the donor wants to do based on their past gifts. By listening carefully, you are given an opportunity to suggest areas that are important to the donor and for which they can take great pride,” he said. “You serve donors when you help them invest their money into something in which they have an emotional stake.

“The key is knowing that, from the donor’s perspective, a major gift is not defined by any criteria of the organization but by the significance placed on that gift by the donor. The truth is, it’s about providing donors the opportunity to experience joy they can experience in no other way.”

Laura James, M.D., director of the UAMS Translational Research Institute, has been named to the national Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program Steering Committee.

The CTSA Program is administered by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health. The UAMS Translational Research Institute received a five-year, $24.2 million CTSA in July and is one of more than 60 CTSA-supported institutions nationally.

James will serve for three years, and as one of 20 Steering Committee members, she will enable information and idea sharing among her peers in the CTSA Program and NCATS leadership to advance clinical and translational science.

Translational research is the process of taking findings and discoveries (new medicines, health interventions, etc.) and “translating” or applying them to real-world practices that improve health.

James has been director of the institute since 2014 and is UAMS associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational research. She is a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and has a 25-year history of translational research in clinical pharmacology and toxicology at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. As a clinician-scientist and founder of the startup company Acetaminophen Toxicity Diagnostics LLC, she is leading development of a rapid diagnostic test for acetaminophen liver injury. In 2014 she was named inaugural fellow of the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA).

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, 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.

Tresor Mukiza, a graduating Ph.D. student at UAMS, received high honors for his first-author publication in the November issue of the journal Genetics. The editors selected the paper to be featured in a Highlight, and cover art for the article was displayed on the journal home page during the month of publication.

“This is a notable accomplishment,” said Wayne Wahls, Ph.D., professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and mentor for Mukiza’s doctoral dissertation research. “It reflects the high quality of Tresor’s research and the importance of his findings to the scientific community.”

In humans, the wrong number of chromosomes (aneuploidy) is the leading cause of spontaneous pregnancy loss, intellectual disability, and congenital birth defects such as Down syndrome.  This stems from errors in chromosome segregation during meiosis, which produces the reproductive cells (sperm and eggs) of the parents.  Because the fundamental features of meiosis are conserved from fungi to humans, the Wahls’ laboratory uses an exceptionally powerful model organism, the fission yeast S. pombe, to study molecular mechanisms of meiosis.

In their paper, Mukiza and his co-authors Reine Protacio, Ph.D., Mari Davidson, Ph.D., Walter Steiner Ph.D., and Wayne Wahls, Ph.D. report that DNA sequence elements and their binding proteins remodel the structure of chromosomes to regulate the distribution of homologous recombination during meiosis. “This provides important clues about the meiotic origins of aneuploidy,” said Mukiza, “because correctly positioned homologous recombination is essential for the proper segregation of chromosomes in meiosis.”

Mukiza earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry, Magna Cum Laude with Distinction in Biology, from Hendrix College. He successfully defended his dissertation at UAMS on Dec. 5 and will officially receive his doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology on Dec. 21.  Mukiza’s dissertation research was supported by a $1.2 million grant to Wahls from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which is the basic science institute within the National Institutes of Health.

Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D. — vice chancellor for research and innovation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) — has won the Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award from the Society of Toxicology, an internationally recognized professional organization.

This award recognizes a society member who has made substantial and seminal scientific contributions to the understanding of the science of toxicology and is actively involved in toxicological research. Ho will be formally honored with a plaque, cash stipend and guest lectureship March 15-19 during the society’s 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Anaheim, California.

Ho, an internationally renowned scientist, is a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. She oversees UAMS’s mission to grow research capacity, improve research infrastructure, promote innovation, and build research partnerships that can be translated to better clinical care and disease control in Arkansas and across the nation.

Her research interests pertain to the role of hormones and endocrine disruptors, and the interplay between genetics and epigenetics, in disease development as well as how early-life experiences can be a root cause in later development of cancers, asthma, neural disorders and other complex chronic diseases.

Her work — published in more than 240 articles — has pioneered the fields of environmental epigenetics and developmental origins of adult disease. This body of highly innovative and paradigm-changing research has advanced basic science and catalyzed major changes in public health and medical practices in the nation and around the globe.

Ho is past president of the Society for Basic Urological Research. She is a member of the American Urologic Society, Endocrine Society, Society for Basic Urologic Research and American Association for Cancer Research. She chairs numerous scientific reviews and policy committees for the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense. She is a former member of the Integration Panel of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Prostate Cancer Research Program and the National Academy of Science Committee of Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions. Ho serves as a charter member of the National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences (2016-2020) and a member of the External Expert Panel for the O’Brien Urology Research Centers (U54).

Ho received her doctoral degree from the University of Hong Kong. Prior to coming to UAMS in 2019, she served as director of Cincinnati Cancer Center, where she was also the Hayden Family Endowed Chair for Cancer Research. Previously, she was the Jacob G. Schmidlapp Professor and chairwoman of the Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Prior to Cincinnati, Ho’s experience includes the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where she was vice chair for research in the Department of Surgery and director for translational research in urological disorders. She also served Tufts University as associate dean for research in the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Continuing Education.

When a young Laura Hutchins’ mom encouraged her to get a part-time job, she found one in a clinical lab not far from her parents’ dairy farm in northeastern Mississippi.

It didn’t take long for the teenager to realize that lab work was more stimulating than cleaning barns.

It also was quickly apparent to her colleagues that Hutchins had a knack for health care.

“It was the lab techs who encouraged me to apply to medical school,” she said, reflecting back to a time in the early 1970s when few women pursued careers as doctors.

As one of only 11 women accepted to her class in the now-UAMS College of Medicine, Hutchins recalls the experience with humor, although it began with an unusual requirement.

“I was told I had to become a citizen of Arkansas in order to accept my spot in the class,” she said, citing an enrollment requirement. To do that, Hutchins needed to marry a resident of the state. Luckily for her, that was already in the works.

Determined to keep her medical school dream alive, Hutchins moved up her impending wedding and claimed the spot she rightfully earned.

Times have changed, she noted. The gender balance in the UAMS College of Medicine is now almost equally mixed, with 82 women and 88 men enrolled in the Class of 2020.

Hutchins’ determined spirit and thirst for knowledge carried her through medical school, internship, residency and a fellowship at UAMS, followed by multiple leadership roles on the faculty, including 15 years as director of the UAMS Division of Hematology/Oncology and 20 years as associate director for clinical research in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

All told, she devoted 46 years at the university, most recently as interim director of the Cancer Institute.

“Dr. Hutchins postponed her retirement to serve as interim director for 18 months while the search for a permanent director was underway. For that we are eternally grateful,” said College of Medicine Dean Christopher Westfall, M.D.

Hutchins plans to retire in January 2020.

In recognition of her service, Hutchins was named the College of Medicine’s 2019 Distinguished Faculty Scholar. She presented the Dean’s Distinguished Lectureship to a crowd of colleagues and friends gathered to honor her Dec. 3.

“We have had many impressive speakers participate in the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series, but it is particularly gratifying to welcome one of our own,” said Westfall.

Westfall thanked the three College of Medicine faculty members who nominated Hutchins for this recognition: Kristin Zorn, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology; Jeannette Lee, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Biostatistics; and Steve Post, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Pathology.

“In her nomination letter, Dr. Zorn noted Dr. Hutchins’ ‘legacy of selfless service,’ while Dr. Post stated that we all have benefited from Dr. Hutchins’ ‘steadfast leadership,’” said Westfall.

In her nomination, Lee noted the wide-ranging aspect of Hutchins’ research, from developing a vaccine for high-risk breast cancer patients to fully exploring the use of digital enterprise systems in clinical and translational research.

As for himself, Westfall expressed gratitude to Hutchins for her willingness to see his patients who needed the care of an oncologist.

“When I first arrived a UAMS, there was never a time when I called her about a patient when she didn’t say ‘send him over this afternoon,’ or ‘I’ll see her tomorrow,’” he said.

Westfall is also a professor and director of the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute.

A hematologist/oncologist and professor of medicine, Hutchins’ research activities focused primarily on clinical trials related to breast cancer and melanoma. She served as local investigator for more than 70 multisite trials and principal investigator for two cooperative group national trials.

She was program director of the UAMS Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program for 10 years and held the Virginia Clinton Kelley Endowed Chair for Clinical Research from March 2007 to December 2018.

The Distinguished Faculty Scholar lecture is part of the College of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series. Since 1993, the lecture series has brought researchers, clinicians and leaders in academic medicine from around the world to UAMS to discuss their work and advances in their fields.

Each year a special lecture honors one of the college’s own faculty members as the Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Scholar. Faculty members from throughout the college are invited to nominate colleagues, and a committee of faculty members evaluates comprehensive nomination packets to select the honoree.