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.

The College of Medicine (COM) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced the recipients of its first annual Clinical Excellence Awards for faculty physicians on Dec. 10.

The awards honor seven individuals in six categories, including the 2019 Physician of the Year, Ashley Ross, M.D., an associate professor and chief of the Neonatology Section in the Department of Pediatrics.

Ross has led the largest section in the Department of Pediatrics since 2017. The section includes 25 neonatologists, 10 general pediatricians, 17 neonatal nurse practitioners and research and administrative staff. Ross and his colleagues provide clinical care at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH).

A faculty member since 2006, Ross served as co-medical director of the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) from 2009 to 2015. He was appointed medical director of the NICU at ACH in 2013. Ross directed the Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship from 2008 to 2015, and he continues to serve as associate director.

“In these and numerous other roles, Dr. Ross has strived to ensure world-class care for the most complex infants; outstanding education for COM medical students, residents and fellows; and an excellent professional environment for his colleagues,” the announcement from leaders including UAMS Executive Vice Chancellor and COM Dean Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., said.

Joining Westfall in the announcement to COM faculty were Erick Messias, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., associate dean for faculty affairs, and Richard H. Turnage, M.D., executive associate dean for clinical affairs. Physicians were nominated for the awards by other faculty leaders and peers. A committee of representatives of the college, UAMS’ integrated clinical enterprise, ACH and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System selected the winners.

“Your world-class clinical care benefits, first, the patients and families who come to us seeking care, comfort and expertise,” Westfall, Messias and Turnage said to faculty physicians in the announcement. “Your impact is multiplied as our students, residents and fellows learn by observing clinical excellence in action. In short, this work is fundamental to the sustainability of UAMS and all of our mission areas.”

The 2019 Clinical Excellence Award recipients, along with excerpts from their nomination letters, are:

Physician of the Year

Ashley Ross, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology Section

“Dr. Ross is an excellent physician with outstanding contributions to the care of children, specifically neonatal patients, in the state of Arkansas.”

“One of his biggest contributions is the past year has been his [ongoing] participation in the development of the ACH Nursery Alliance. This is a statewide effort to reduce infant mortality in the state of Arkansas by improving quality of care in NICUs and nurseries … Dr. Ross was crucial in the design of this Alliance and development of the benchmarks to follow and how to share the best practices.”

Excellence in Service and Professionalism

Carly Eastin, M.D.
Associate Professor, departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics

“Where Dr. Eastin truly shines … is in her ability and willingness to identify issues, develop solutions, and cultivate consensus in ways that improve and advance our department. She has had an integral role in multiple initiatives to improve the care of patients with psychiatric emergencies, and spearheaded a successful multidisciplinary effort to improve our readiness to care for critically ill children in our ED.”

“Dr. Eastin has been a steadfast advocate for physician wellness, serving as a mentor to our resident wellness committee for several years.”

Excellence in Quality and Safety

Jennifer Laudadio, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology

“Dr. Laudadio embodies the criteria for this award: championing best practices and standards for the clinical laboratory, demonstrating exemplary performance on recognized clinical outcome measures and exceptional results on accreditation surveys, and educating and implementing tools and processes to improve patient experience.”

“Dr. Laudadio’s commitment to quality and safety is second to none. Not only does she dig deeply into issues and concerns, but she does not rest until she arrives at a true root cause and a robust action plan.”

Best Consulting Physician

Nithin Karakala, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology

“Dr. Karakala is the go-to-person for multiple ‘curbside’ renal consults – each of which is addressed in detail, without making the [requesting clinician] feel small in any way. He is the go-to also for urgent service cover needed, faculty support for last minute classes, resident teaching efforts, mentoring and supporting fellows despite significant research and clinical responsibilities.”

“Dr. Karakala has amply demonstrated his abilities as an expert clinician, compassionate human being and most importantly, worthy of being Best Consulting Clinician at UAMS with his dedication, sincerity, empathy and ability to go above and beyond the routine norms of patient care, always keeping the best outcomes of his patients as his core philosophy.”

Clinical Collaborations and Teamwork

Michael Wilson, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, departments of Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry

“Dr. Wilson has been a leader in the care of patients with psychiatric emergencies since arriving at UAMS. His work is, by its nature, collaborative and teamwork-oriented, and in these areas he excels.”

“Dr. Wilson spearheaded the creation of the multidisciplinary ED-Psych Working Group … [which] has been responsible for several initiatives that have improved the efficacy, efficiency and safety of the care provided to patients with mental health needs. … Dr. Wilson has also been a local champion for bringing the most up-to-date Emergency Department care to patients with opiate use disorder.”

Rising Stars Clinical Faculty (Two Honorees)

By Ben Boulden

UAMS’ Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., an internationally known leader in bone research, was named an Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Scholar at a Dec. 5 news conference at the State Capitol.

Bellido, who will receive $500,000 from the ARA to further her research, was presented with a certificate by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA.

The ARA program recruits highly respected researchers to Arkansas with the goal that through collaboration and innovation, the research can lead to jobs and economic opportunity.

“The ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows ignites Arkansas’ success,” said Gov. Hutchinson. “ARA Academy members open new doors and pioneer new pathways into the future.”

In September, Bellido was named chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the UAMS College of Medicine and will be at UAMS fulltime July 1. She joins UAMS from the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine Currently she is a tenured professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

She is not new to UAMS, having been on faculty of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine and a researcher in the UAMS and VA Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases from 1993 to 2009.

“We are thrilled to have her back,” Patterson said. “Dr. Bellido’s lab focuses on the mechanisms of signal transduction in bone cells with a particular emphasis on osteocyte biology in health and disease, bone cell apoptosis and mechanisms of action of bone active hormones. Her presence and work will be a great asset to the university.”

Bellido holds multiple major grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as a Veterans Administration Merit Award. She serves on the Skeletal Biology Development and Disease Study Section for the NIH. Bellido is president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), becoming the ninth woman among 40 presidents in the society’s history and the first female president originally from Latin America.

Bellido will also bring strong commitment to mentorship and faculty development to her new role at UAMS.

For her scientific and mentoring efforts, Bellido was awarded the IU Women Faculty Leadership Award and the Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award in 2015 and the ASBMR 2015 Paula Stern Achievement Award. The Paula Stern award recognizes a woman in the bone research field who has made significant scientific achievements and who has promoted the professional development and career advancement of women.

She also received the ASBMR Gideon A. Rodan Excellence in Mentorship Award in recognition for outstanding support by a senior scientist who has helped promote the independent careers of young investigators in bone and mineral metabolism.

Other ARA Scholars from UAMS are Peter Crooks, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the UAMS College of Pharmacy; David Ussery, Ph.D., director of the Arkansas Center for Genomic and Ecological Medicine at UAMS; and Hong-yu Li, Ph.D., a professor in the UAMS College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Also recognized as a new ARA Scholar at the news conference was Justin Zhan, Ph.D., professor of data science at the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

The ARA Scholars program helps recruit and support world-class researchers to universities where their work helps strengthen the competitiveness of the state. ARA Scholars focus on innovations in artificial intelligence, plant biochemistry, drug discovery, nanoscience, microbiology, big data, nutritional improvements, electronics research, and more at the state’s five research institutions — UAMS; Arkansas State University; University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff — as well as the National Center for Toxicological Research in Pine Bluff.

The ARA Fellows program, launched in 2014, recognizes research leaders who are currently working in Arkansas at one of the state’s five research campuses. The program was created to advance the mission of ARA by supporting world-class researchers whose work strengthens the competitiveness of the state through research.

Previously named ARA Fellows from UAMS are Laura James, M.D., director of the UAMS Translational Research Institute; Michael Owens, Ph. D., a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Mark Smeltzer, Ph.D., professor in the UAMS Department of Microbiology and Immunology and director of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses; and Clint Kilts, Ph.D., the founding director of the Brain Imaging Research Center at the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, an associate director of the institute and a professor in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry in the UAMS College of Medicine

By Amy Widner
José R. Romero, M.D., of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers to recognize scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Romero is one of 442 scientists nationwide receiving the honor for the year 2020. They will be announced in Science magazine and recognized Feb. 15 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle.

An internationally known expert on enteroviruses and childhood immunization, Romero is being honored in the Medical Sciences category for his efforts in controlling infectious diseases; particularly enterovirus research and service on national panels the ensure safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

Romero is chief of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Section in the Department of Pediatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine. He is a professor of pediatrics at UAMS and holds the Horace C. Cabe Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

The AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million people. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world.

Thirty-five high school girls from across Arkansas spent a recent Saturday at UAMS wielding power tools. They drilled, sawed and hammered simulated bones (sawbones) in sessions that included casting, suturing, and repairing broken bones, torn knee ligaments and rotator cuffs.

As part of the Perry Outreach Program, the students, selected from about 100 applicants based on their essays, were able to experience first-hand what it is like to be an orthopaedic surgeon.

UAMS’ Theresa Wyrick, M.D., led the program, which included a presentation illustrating how she has balanced a demanding career and a family with two young children. Her presentation included real-life examples of how surgery can help children regain use of injured hands and to make severely deformed hands usable.

The Perry Outreach Program is organized by the Perry Initiative, a national nonprofit that aims to increase the number of women in orthopaedics and engineering. Its programs are available for students in high school, college and medical school. This was UAMS’ ninth year to partner with the Perry Initiative, which in some years also includes medical students.

Following Wyrick’s presentation, the 10^th – 12^th grade students lined up to speak with her one-on-one. Now in her 10^th year as a program volunteer, Wyrick said giving up a Saturday to mentor students is an easy call.

“When I was starting out, women reached out to me and gave me their time and effort and energy and advice to help me know the things I needed to know and to get to where I am,” said Wyrick, vice chair of the orthopaedic surgery and an associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Wyrick was assisted at the workshop by other women orthopaedic surgeons including Ruth Thomas, M.D., who led the Perry Outreach Program at UAMS for many years, and Laurie Hughes, M.D., retired.

Orthopaedic surgery resident Meg Cornaghie, M.D., had just worked an all-night shift, but she wouldn’t miss helping with the event. She recalled attending a similar Perry Initiative workshop during her first year of medical school.

“It really inspired me,” Cornaghie said. “Getting to see the community of women orthopaedic surgeons with families who shared their experiences is something that, as girls, we don’t get a lot of exposure to.”

Only 8% of orthopaedic surgeons are women, Wyrick noted.

“With the idea of paying it forward, hopefully we’re all creating a community of mentors for young women,” she said. “Even if the girls choose other careers, we want to get them exposed to what it is they might want to do and to encourage them to find what it is they’re passionate about, and do it,” she said.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) celebrated the investiture of Gregory Albert, M.D., M.P.H., FAANS, FACS, FAAP, as recipient and steward of the Lee and Bob Cress Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery on November 12 on the campus of ACH.

Dr. Albert is an Associate Professor in the UAMS College of Medicine who practices at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He is the Section Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at ACH and is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at UAMS.

This brand-new chair was established through gifts from Lee and Bob Cress and the Riggs Benevolent Fund, and honors Lee and Bob Cress’ legacy of more than 50 years’ service to Arkansas Children’s. Lee is a lifetime member of the ACH Auxiliary, and Bob served on the governance boards for Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Arkansas Children’s Foundation.

“This chair honors Lee and Bob Cress’ legacy of leadership, volunteerism and their unyielding commitment to champion children. We are proud to recognize Dr. Albert’s commitment to advance children’s health and pediatric neurosurgery at Arkansas Children’s,” said Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “Dr. Albert continuously demonstrates his commitment to providing excellent and compassionate care for our patients and their families.”

Endowed chairs provide Arkansas Children’s and UAMS the ability to recruit and retain top leaders in the medical field who can provide the best care for patients. An endowed chair or professorship remains one of the highest honors that UAMS and Arkansas Children’s can bestow on its most distinguished physicians. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, practitioners and professors in their fields.

“We are pleased to honor Dr. Albert and invest in his abilities to transform health care for children,” said UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson.

Dr. Albert received his medical degree and Master of Public Health from Tufts University in 2003. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society while at Tufts. He then completed neurosurgery residency and a one-year fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. During his time at Iowa, he was awarded a Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. He received additional fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. He is certified by both the American Board of Neurological Surgery and the American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery.

Following completion of his training in the summer of 2011, Dr. Albert joined the Division of Neurosurgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Department of Neurosurgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. He practices the full range of pediatric neurosurgery with a particular interest in the surgical management of epilepsy. He has published a number of peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Albert is a member of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgeons, the AANS/ CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery, and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS), a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and a Specialty Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).

About Arkansas Children’s

Arkansas Children’s, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas’ 710,000 children, giving the organization a unique ability to shape the landscape of pediatric care in Arkansas and transform the health of children throughout the region. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state’s only burn center; the state’s only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons; and the state’s only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in five pediatric subspecialties (2019-2020): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Pulmonology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, opened in Springdale in early 2018. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas’ only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children’s since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can fundamentally transform the health of children in Arkansas and beyond. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

About UAMS

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.

The Women’s Faculty Development Caucus celebrated 30 years by turning a spotlight on women in research at UAMS, while also setting new goals to ensure that progress continues.

The Women in Research Poster Showcase was held Nov. 7 in the Fred W. Smith Conference Center on the 12th floor of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. All women researchers on campus were invited to present posters. The presenters went in groups, allowing participants to visit other posters and network.

The format enabled visitors to see that women are advancing research in all aspects of health care and in all colleges and departments on campus.

“I am really impressed by the wide range of projects that I see around the room,” said Mari K. Davidson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Medicine. “I just talked to one person about safe sleep for babies, another about Stop the Bleed. We can get caught in a place where we just stick to our own area, so it’s really fun to see what’s going on.”

The Women’s Caucus was founded in 1989 at UAMS as a professional development and mentoring program to help women advance their careers and assume leadership positions. Its professional development efforts have resulted in an expanding organization that addresses the needs of all UAMS faculty members and trainees. The caucus provides leadership training, mentoring/advising, faculty handbook publications, faculty development, and networking opportunities.

The caucus is structured around faculty-led committees with rotating leadership, which simultaneously gives women leadership opportunities and provides new ideas and energy behind caucus activities.

Research Committee Chair Taren Swindle, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine Research and Evaluation Division, welcomed the crowd with information on caucus history and inspiration for its future.

“For women in science, we have made some progress,” Swindle said. “The National Institutes of Health, for example, just announced last week they are extending early career status for career development applications after childbirth. Another example is here at UAMS, promotion and tenure guidelines have been changed to accommodate familial needs for men and for women. These are wonderful areas of progress, but we still have work to do.”

Swindle shared statistics that paint a picture of the remaining gender gaps:

• Only 32% of scientists in North America are women, according to a UNESCO report.
• While there is no difference in productivity between young male and female scientists, the first grant given to female scientists is $40,000 less on average, and that gap increases to almost double at Big 10 universities, according to a report published in JAMA.
• Women scientists are 20% less likely than men to come back to work after starting a family, according to an article in Nature.
• Only 21% of full professors are women, according to the American Medical Association.

Swindle pointed to a poster near the entrance which provided attendees an opportunity to list strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges facing women faculty at UAMS. The committee supplied a few bullet points in each category, and the participants were encouraged to use sticky notes to provide their own insights.

“We’re really seeking your perspective on this,” Swindle said. “The Women’s Faculty Development Caucus has decided to broaden the research committee. In the past, the committee has focused on promoting students. These statistics and others show us that not only do students and young researchers need help, mid-career faculty face challenges too. There is a gap to bridge between young, promising researchers and full tenured professors, so we’re looking at how we can address that issue. This will also result in serving the faculty more broadly and better promoting all women in science.”

Eva Woodward, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the College of Medicine, was swarmed by interest in her recent publication about ways to address health inequity using the tools of implementation science. Between interested visitors, she paused to say that the points made by Swindle were exactly why she welcomed the opportunity to take part in the research showcase.

“While men and women start out even at the assistant professor level, by the time you’re talking about full professor, the women fall out and the men dominate those positions, and we still have huge disparities to address,” Woodward said. “I’m taking time out of my schedule for this because it’s one way in which I can provide witness to the work of other women scientists who aren’t necessarily underrepresented in their field, but are underrepresented in positions of leadership, and also to be seen as well. It seems simple, but it’s important.”

Steven Barger, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has entered the national spotlight for showing how the mechanism that brings sugar to the brain malfunctions in people with Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting a potential target for treatment.

The study also explains why Alzheimer’s can mimic the symptoms of diabetes, and ultimately concludes there is not as strong a connection between the two diseases as previously believed. The work also deepens the understanding of how the brain uses sugar, or glucose, to fuel important mental functions and memory.

Barger is a professor with appointments in the Geriatrics, Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, and Internal Medicine departments in the UAMS College of Medicine. His work was featured during a news conference hosted by the Society for Neuroscience at its annual meeting in Chicago. The findings were featured in Forbes, the American Association for the Advancement of Science EurekAlert!, and other outlets such as dLife.

Researchers have long tried to explain the apparent connection between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. A diabetes diagnosis doubles a person’s risk of developing dementia. Memory loss and other symptoms of dementia are common among older adults with diabetes. However, Alzheimer’s is just one form of dementia, and it includes other unique symptoms that diabetes does not. Notably, brain samples of diabetics do not show excessive beta-amyloid peptide, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

These observations have led scientists to question whether diabetes leads to Alzheimer’s or if the converse might be true. Barger’s research began as an exploration of whether Alzheimer’s might cause some cases of diabetes.

Barger looked at Alzheimer’s brains and discovered a very specific process at work. He focused on a protein called glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), which takes glucose from the blood vessels to the neurons in the brain, and found that beta-amyloid peptide can cause GLUT1 to be defective. The result is that the brain does not get enough glucose, and excess glucose backs up in the blood, mimicking diabetes.

“Our model indicated that, rather than diabetes, people with Alzheimer’s may have higher glucose in their blood simply because they are not transporting as much into the brain, and this may be responsible for the problems with the high blood sugar levels common to Alzheimer’s,” Barger said.

Glucose, here represented by hexagons, is delivered to the brain via blood vessels. It is shuttled from the blood into astrocytes (brown), a type of brain cell that relays the glucose to neurons (green). This is especially important at synapses, the site at the ends of long extensions where neurons communicate with one another (lightning bolts). When the rate of their firing increases — during the creation of a memory, for instance — neurons receive glucose at higher rates from the astrocyte conduit. Zooming in to the junction between the blood vessel and the astrocyte’s extension, we see that the glucose is shuttled between two versions of GLUT1:  GLUT1-B in the blood vessel wall and GLUT1-A in the astrocyte membrane. In Alzheimer’s disease, the astrocytes installation of GLUT1-A in their membranes falters. Less glucose is available to the synapses for making memories, and more is left in the blood, moderately elevating blood sugar levels.

Barger suggests further research could focus on finding ways to ensure the brain continues to get glucose by targeting GLUT1.

“Multiple therapies that reduce brain levels of beta-amyloid have failed in Alzheimer’s treatment trials in recent years, perhaps because it is nearly impossible to remove the beta-amyloid fast enough, before it has kicked off its deadly chain reaction that causes the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s,” Barger said. “Interfering with later events, further down the chain, may be the best hope for preventing dementia. If impaired glucose delivery is a key element of this chain reaction, it may be fruitful to reinforce the sugar bucket brigade.”

Barger’s work coincided with emerging studies by other scientists who have looked at diabetes brain samples and found that the cognitive symptoms of diabetes are related to what is called “vascular dementia,” which results from damage to blood vessels. High blood pressure and arterial plaque are common complications of Type 2 diabetes.

“The two diseases appear to be quite distinct,” Barger said.

Barger’s abstract was one of about 50 to be highlighted at the Society for Neuroscience news conference out of more than 14,000 submitted.

The project included UAMS colleagues Antiño Allen, Ph.D., in the College of Pharmacy; Gwen Childs, Ph.D., and Angela Odle, Ph.D., in Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences; Yang Ou, Ph.D., a research associate in Geriatrics; graduate student Jakeira Davis; and former graduate student Rachel Hendrix, Ph.D.