trobinson

COM Creativity Hubs – Q&As with the Hub Leaders

The College of Medicine has announced four inaugural “Creativity Hubs” to grow collaborative and thematic research programs with a boost of $300,000 in seed funding over the next 18 months. We invited the leaders of the four hubs to share their group’s strengths and goals, insights on collaboration and more through Q&A interviews conducted by email. For more information on this initiative, read the main story here. Congratulations to these hub leaders and their colleagues!

Neurodegenerative Diseases

Q&A with Creativity Hub Co-Leaders Steven Barger, Ph.D., and Paul Drew, Ph.D.

Please comment on being selected as a Creativity Hub.

Dr. Barger: The application I submitted was somewhat specific for brain disorders related to Alzheimer’s disease. The review panel supported combining that with a proposal by Dr. Drew to support research into a broader array of brain disorders. And I think that exemplifies the unifying nature of the Creativity Hub initiative – it is inclusive and collaborative. The projects I felt were important to support have objectives and needs that are shared with others in the College of Medicine that seek to understand the fundamental underpinnings of neurodegeneration.

Dr. Drew: It is a great honor to be selected as an inaugural Creativity Hub. I look forward to working with my friend and colleague Dr. Steve Barger to advance research at UAMS concerning neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.

Why is this hub’s focus of research so important?

Dr. Barger: “Neurodegeneration” is a term that is not widely known to the broader public, but it may be self-explanatory. This refers to disorders in which the brain or other parts of the nervous system are degraded over time, both in structure and function. Most of these diseases are progressive—once started, they continue to get worse over time. As one might expect, they tend to depend somewhat on one’s age. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common—the fourth leading cause of death among American adults—but others are no less tragic. It is generally recognized that our brains are what make humans special, and neurodegeneration erodes the specialness that defines the individuals who are important in our lives, as well as the collective potential of the entire human family.

Dr. Drew: Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people and have devastating personal and societal consequences. These diseases more commonly occur in adults and elderly individuals, and the incidence of these diseases has increased dramatically as lifespan has increased. There are limited treatment options for most neurodegenerative disorders, and thus it is critical that basic science and clinical researchers collaborate to develop novel therapies.

How will the funding and establishment of the hub boost/accelerate the work that is being done in this area?

Dr. Barger: UAMS has a strong tradition of research and treatment for neurodegenerative disorders. But tradition is easily modified by the changing nature of our funding sources, our workforce, and even the factors that initiate disease. In a word, it boils down to “entropy,” a term that reflects the tendency of organized efforts to become disorganized over time. A fundamental property of entropy is that it can only be overcome with energy. So, it is critical that we respond to the changing nature of medicine energetically. Financial resources are energy, pure and simple. This funding will ensure that we not only maintain traditional strengths but also create new paths of progress through previously unseen opportunities to collaborate. We will learn from each other and pool resources. More specifically, establishment of the hub means that contributions from every member will support the reinvigoration of research expertise in ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”), the renewal of a NIH Program Project Grant on Alzheimer’s, a concrete research effort to support our Movement Disorders Clinic, and greater interaction between neurobiologists and the Psychiatric Research Institute.

Dr. Drew: Creativity Hub funding is expected to increase extramural grant funding including interdisciplinary collaborative grants and programmatic grants. Funding will also increase collaborative research between basic science and clinical researchers. Furthermore, the funding will facilitate career development and mentoring programs for neurodegeneration researchers including students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty.

Please comment on the caliber of the UAMS researchers currently working in this area.

Dr. Barger: One of the requirements in the application for a Creativity Hub was documentation of the expertise and accomplishments of the principal human components. This group comprises individuals who have been leaders in their fields throughout their careers. The university’s research office recently made note of the UAMS researchers who were included in a recent ranking of the top 2% of research scientists across all time and geography. Nearly a fifth of those elite individuals from UAMS will be included in the Neurodegeneration Creativity Hub. Sue Griffin, Ph.D., was given the Alzheimer’s Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Gwen Childs, Ph.D., received the George Gomori Award, which amounts to recognition by the national Histochemical Society of their top scientist only once every four years. Lee Archer, M.D., was selected by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for the prestigious designation as “Partner in MS Care.” Dr. Bill Slikker was awarded the Mildred S. Christian Career Achievement Award by the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and the George H. Scott Memorial Award from the Toxicology Forum. Many among our team are or have been officers in national and international scientific organizations, chairs of NIH review panels, and on the editorial boards of major scientific publications. It is also significant that many of the hub’s faculty have been mentors of students who have won their own awards. Furtherance of research education and career advancement will be an important goal of the hub.

Dr. Drew: Neurodegeneration research has traditionally been a strength at UAMS including a program project on Alzheimer’s disease which has been continuously funded for over two decades. There is also excellent research concerning multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s disease and stroke at UAMS. Traditionally, these research teams have largely worked independently, and it is hoped that the Creativity Hub will bring these researchers together to more effectively advance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

What is the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration?

Dr. Barger: Like most aspects of life, biomedical research is getting increasingly specialized. This is largely just a natural outcome of technological and conceptual sophistication. As knowledge and methodology advance, they get divided into more and more numerous components. So, we researchers get deeper and deeper into the granular details of our subfields. It is important to step back and look at the problem from a broader perspective. This is true for the conceptual framework on which the research is hung. And, it is also true in a technical sense. Sometimes, interdisciplinary collaboration will reveal an appropriate methodology that would not have been recognized without the views and experiences of colleagues in diverse fields.

I would also like to emphasize the potential for the Creativity Hub initiative to enhance diversity and inclusion. This was a stated objective in the announcement of the program, and I am gratified that components focused on mentoring the next generation of researchers will include active and intentional efforts to overcome the hurdles and stumbling blocks that have traditionally excluded certain classes and groups of people. Among other dividends, this should facilitate the development of research into a wider array of health concerns, to the benefit of all Arkansans.

Dr. Drew: As noted earlier, the breadth and magnitude of neurodegenerative diseases and fact that there are only limited therapies for most neurodegenerative diseases makes it imperative for basic science and clinical researchers to work together to develop new and better treatments as expeditiously as possible.

Musculoskeletal Health & Disease

Q&A with Creativity Hub Leader Teresita Bellido, Ph.D.

Please comment on being selected as a Creativity Hub.

On behalf of UAMS musculoskeletal investigators and professionals, I feel honored and gratified that the Musculoskeletal Creativity Hub was selected by Dean Smyth for funding. This fact is particularly humbling knowing that 23 proposals by excellent research groups at UAMS were submitted and only four were selected for funding.

Why is this hub’s focus of research so important?

Diseases like osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, developmental skeletal abnormalities, poor nutrition, and cancer – such as multiple myeloma and breast cancer – negatively impact the skeleton. There is an unmet need to better understand the causes of these diseases to support the development of more effective prevention strategies and therapies. To address this need, UAMS has supported research in the musculoskeletal field for the last 20 years, including recent recruitments, and UAMS researchers are well funded by the NIH, the VA, USDA, and other sources. As a consequence, this is already a key signature area for which UAMS is nationally and internationally recognized.

How will the funding and establishment of the hub boost/accelerate the work that is being done in this area?

We identified key areas for investment that will take advantage of the existing strengths to promote synergy between, and expand the abilities of, existing programs. Our vision is to capitalize on the UAMS investment and the success of musculoskeletal investigators by strengthening focus areas that will enhance the recognition of UAMS as well as promote interaction between musculoskeletal investigators and those involved in cancer research (another key signature area at UAMS) and with investigators at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) at Arkansas Children’s. These efforts will also increase the opportunities to recruit new investigators to UAMS, retain talent within the state, and increase diversity. Our goals are in sync with the 2029 UAMS vision plan developed by the UAMS Chancellor and the Provost.

Please comment on the caliber of the UAMS researchers currently working in this area.

UAMS researchers are among the most outstanding investigators in the musculoskeletal field. The Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, is represented by its Division Director, Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., as well as Charles O’Brien, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research, which is supported by a NIH Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant. This group of investigators carries on the vision of the UAMS and VA Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases, which was funded under the leadership of Stavros Manolagas, M.D., Ph.D., starting more than two decades ago. C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., and David Bumpass, M.D., Chair and Vice-Chair of Research, respectively, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, are committed to enhancing research in orthopedics at UAMS and actively interact with other UAMS departments. I am past president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and since my recruitment and return to UAMS as Chair of Physiology and Cell Biology in 2020, I have increased the emphasis on musculoskeletal research, making it one of our department’s research signatures. Mario Ferruzzi, Ph.D., who was recruited in 2021 as Director of the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center and a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, is committed to interacting with other UAMS departments. Drs. Ambrogini, O’Brien and I are also VA investigators, providing a solid foundation to the planned expansion of musculoskeletal research supported by the VA in the next few years.

What is the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration?

The goal is to accelerate the synergism among the departments of Physiology and Cell Biology, Medicine/Endocrinology, Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Cancer Institute (CI) at UAMS; enhance the UAMS and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) relationship; initiate collaborations with the Arkansas Children Nutrition Center; and expand collaborations with investigators at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The following research areas will constitute the major focus of these efforts: bone and cancer; bone pathophysiology; and regulation of bone and muscle over the lifespan by nutrition and physical activity.

Lifespan Research to Improve Cardiometabolic Health

Q&A with Creativity Hub Leader Elisabet Borsheim, Ph.D.

Please comment on being selected as a Creativity Hub.

This is a very exciting opportunity to initiate a strong life course program at UAMS in collaboration with Arkansas Children’s focusing on improving cardiometabolic health.

Why is this hub’s focus of research so important?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Arkansas and in the U.S. as a whole. Known risk factors for heart disease in adults include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, suboptimal diet, and physical inactivity. Early life exposure can impact health and disease across the life course. Understanding early-life factors and their relations to trajectories of cardiometabolic health can help us develop effective and strategic interventions directed towards critical time periods to prevent cardiometabolic disease.

How will the funding and establishment of the hub boost/accelerate the work that is being done in this area?

The funding will bring together researchers at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, and at the UAMS campus, who work along a spectrum from pre-pregnancy, gestation, childhood, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. Thus, it will bridge research in pediatrics and geriatrics. The funding will help kickstart unique teamwork on lifespan/healthspan research, including initiating infrastructure to facilitate such collaborations. It is expected that the work will lead to training of new diverse investigators in the field, and to collaborative research publications and grants for further expansion of the team’s work.

Please comment on the caliber of the UAMS researchers currently working in this area.

The team consists of senior, early- and mid-career investigators. Several of the senior team members are listed in the recent study from Stanford University ranking the top 2% most influential researchers, highlighting the expertise and strong mentoring potential within the team. Additional team members are from the Department of Pediatrics, Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC), and/or Arkansas Children’s Research Institute: Aline Andres, Ph.D., R.D., Professor (Associate Director ACNC); Eva. C. Diaz, M.D., Assistant Professor; Mario Ferruzzi, Ph.D., Professor (ACNC Center Director; Section Chief Developmental Nutrition); Craig Porter, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Elijah Bolin, M.D., Associate Professor; Emir Tas, M.D., Assistant Professor, Keshari Thakali, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; from the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine: Taren Swindle, Ph.D., Associate Professor (also ACNC); and from the Department of Geriatrics/ Reynolds Institute on Aging: Jeannie Wei, M.D., Ph.D. (Chair); Robert R. Wolfe, Ph.D., Professor; Arny Ferrando, Ph.D., Professor; Gohar Azhar, M.D., Professor.

What is the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration?

Interdisciplinary collaboration is mutually beneficial for team members and enhances outcomes. Our Hub includes basic, clinical and implementation scientists. Such collaboration enables evaluation of the clinical and applied value of the research, ensuring high significance.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Health

Q&A with Creativity Hub Leader Fred Prior, Ph.D.

Please comment on being selected as a Creativity Hub.

We were surprised to be selected given all of the excellent proposals and very pleased.

Why is this hub’s focus of research so important?

Artificial Intelligence is being embedded into almost everything we deal with – from TV sets to cars. It has already made a major impact on biomedical research and is beginning to be felt in the clinic. UAMS needs to be prepared to wisely choose appropriate tools and to use them knowledgably. We need to pool our knowledge and expertise and grow resources and skills in this space. AI is a train that already left the station. We need to be on board and helping to select the next destinations.

How will the funding and establishment of the hub boost/accelerate the work that is being done in this area?

The funding will help us to establish a framework for future research, future grant funding and the capability to guide integration of new tools into clinical practice. We plan to not only build capacity at UAMS, but to reach out across the state to build collaborations and to provide training opportunities to focus attention on medical applications of AI. We plan to leverage this work in the informatics component of the CTSA grant renewal next year.

Please comment on the caliber of the UAMS researchers currently working in this area.

We have an excellent team drawn from both clinical and basic science departments with many hub members also serving in the Translational Research Institute, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, and the Institute for Digital Health and Innovation (IDHI). Joining me from the Department of Biomedical Informatics are Vice Chair and Professor Mathias Brochhausen, Ph.D.; David Ussery, Ph.D., Professor; Intawat Nookaew, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Horacio Gomez-Acevedo, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Galina Glazko, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Jonathan Bona, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; Michael Robeson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; Yasir Rahmatallah, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; and Christopher Wardell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Joseph Sanford, M.D., Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Biomedical Informatics, serves as Associate Vice Chancellor, Chief Clinical Informatics Officer and Director of IDHI. Kevin Sexton, M.D., Associate Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Informatics, is Associate Chief Medical Officer, Associate Director of IDHI, and Associate Chief Clinical Informatics Officer for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship. Jonathan Laryea, M.D., is Professor of and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Medical Director of the Cancer Service Line in the Cancer Institute. Dr. Grover Miller is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

What is the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration?

This is very definitely a team sport. We see AI and in particular machine learning as a critical research tool with broad applicability.

Recent Faculty Appointments March 2022

Department of Internal Medicine

Shi-Ming Tu, M.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute as a Professor and medical oncologist specializing in the treatment and research of genitourinary cancer.

A fellowship-trained medical oncologist from MD Anderson Cancer Center with 30 years of clinical experience, Tu treats cancers of the urinary system of men and women and the reproductive organs in men. Prostate cancer is the most common genitourinary malignancy and the third highest cancer diagnosis in Arkansas with an estimated 2,680 cases per year.

“Dr. Tu will bolster a growing team of physicians and scientists in the battle against genitourinary malignancies,” said Michael Birrer, Cancer Institute director and UAMS vice chancellor. “He joins a multidisciplinary team of clinicians committed to holistic and patient-centered cancer care, including uro-oncologic surgeons, radiation oncologists specializing in modern treatments of GU tumors and other clinical specialists.”

Before joining UAMS, Tu served for 28 years on the medical oncology faculty at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. There, he conducted clinical and translational research relating to genitourinary cancers, authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles, presented at national and international conferences and developed a highly regarded clinical practice. In addition to clinical work on the main campus, he also conducted specialty clinics at one of MD Anderson’s satellite network sites in the greater Houston area.

After earning his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis and completing residency at the University of Illinois Hospitals, Tu completed a clinical fellowship in medical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Accolades – March 30, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Secret Sauce
I had the honor last night of joining with many others throughout the community in paying tribute to Dr. Sara Tariq, Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Dr. Tariq was the special honoree at the annual “Taste of Little Rock” fundraiser for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, her undergraduate alma mater. Dr. Tariq has been a source of pride for us here at UAMS for many years. I felt that sense of pride when reading a guest column by Dr. Tariq in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette last week. As a highly respected leader, she has a keen perspective on the “secret sauce” that makes leaders – and their teams – successful.

“Research shows that when team members feel a strong relationship with their leaders, they feel more engaged,” Dr. Tariq wrote. “This results in a measurable and transformational impact on the organization. Relationships are the ‘special sauce’ of our ability to attract and keep the very best people. Leadership is not the simple transaction between managers and employees; it is a dynamic that is created through intentional acts of investment in people.”

You nailed it, Dr. Tariq. COM team members can read the full column here.

Enhancing Clinical Research Data
Congratulations to Dr. Maryam Garza, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics, on her election as Operations Committee Co-Chair of the Vulcan Accelerator, a clinical research-focused project of the Health Level Seven International (HL7) data standards organization. Vulcan and other accelerators are focused on the crucial work of speeding the development and availability of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) compliant data to deliver better health outcomes. The work depends on experts in interoperability and standards-based data exchange, such as Dr. Garza, from academia, government agencies, technology companies and other organizations.

Financial Profit in Medicine
A position paper from the American College of Physicians (ACP) coauthored by Dr. Omar Atiq, Professor of Internal Medicine, has won the John A. Benson Jr., M.D., Professionalism Article Prize for Commentary from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation. The paper explores the effects of the growth of corporate interests and influence in health care on patients, physicians and the health care system. The article from the ACP Health and Public Policy Committee, which Dr. Atiq chairs, also makes recommendations for policies that can foster and sustain the physician-patient relationship. Dr. Atiq is now President-Elect of the ACP. Well done!

Papers Published
Dr. Zhiqiang Qin, Associate Professor of Pathology, and colleagues have published two recent articles, including one exploring how some anti-COVID-19 drugs, especially Remdesivir, may induce oncogenic herpesvirus reactivation. The article, with postdoctoral fellow Dr. Jungang Chen as first author, was published in the American Society for Microbiology journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Dr. Chen is also a first author on an article from Dr. Qin’s group, published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, that identifies some new natural compounds with excellent anti-small-cell lung cancer activities. Other UAMS contributors to these papers included Dr. Lu Dai and Dr. Steven Post (Pathology); Dr. Samantha Kendrick (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology); and Dr. Shengyu Mu (Pharmacology and Toxicology.)

COVID Prevalence in Children
Researchers at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s and the Arkansas Department of Health found evidence through a seroprevalence study that SARS-CoV2 infections in children were more common in Arkansas than previously recognized during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, led by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology’s Dr. Karl Boehme and Dr. Craig Forrest and the Department of Pediatrics’ Dr. Josh Kennedy, was published this month in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

The research team tested remnant serum samples from children who visited Arkansas hospitals or clinics for non-COVID reasons from April 2020 through April 2021. The presence of antibodies in samples revealed a steady increase of infections during the first eight months of the pandemic, followed by a more rapid increase. The researchers also found racial and ethnic disparities, with Hispanic and Black children being at increased risk for COVID infection. Along with many faculty members, contributors included postdoctoral fellow Dr. Shana Owens (Dr. Forrest’s lab), Pediatrics resident Dr. Katherine Caid and medical student Zeel Modi. Great work, all.

Distinguished Graduate
This week’s Accolades started, and now ends, with a note about a colleague who has made their mark as an alumnus. Dr. Terry Harville, Professor of Pathology and Internal Medicine, is highly regarded among peers nationwide for his expertise in pediatric allergy, asthma, immunology, autoimmunity and much more. Recently, his expertise has been integral in groundbreaking research into “long COVID.” However, it is also wonderful when your accomplishments are recognized by those who were peers and teachers in your formative years. I am pleased to congratulate Dr. Harville on being named to the Lake County Schools Alumni Hall of Fame in Florida, where he is a proud graduate of the Groveland High School Class of 1971!

Accolades – March 23, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Research Excellence Today & Tomorrow
The caliber of UAMS researchers today and in recent years, the quality of our research environment, and the potential for extraordinary research accomplishments in the years ahead have all been on display with recent developments.

First, it is my great pleasure to join with Dr. Nancy Rusch, Vice Dean for Research, to announce the launch of four inaugural “Creativity Hubs.” Each group will receive an investment of $300,000 over the next 18 months to grow collaborative and thematic research programs. The hubs will work to expand interdisciplinary research, plan programmatic grant proposals, strengthen workforce diversity, and mentor junior faculty and trainees in specific areas of research strength. These four initiatives were chosen from 23 applications submitted to the College of Medicine Research Office. Funding is being provided by the COM and the Office of the UAMS Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, led by Dr. Shuk-Mei Ho. Watch for more information in the March COMmunication e-newsletter.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the Creativity Hubs and leaders listed below, along with their colleagues:

Neurodegenerative Diseases
Co-led by Dr. Steven Barger and Dr. Paul Drew

Musculoskeletal Health & Disease
Led by Dr. Teresita Bellido

Lifespan Research to Improve Cardiovascular Health
Led by Dr. Elisabet Borsheim

Artificial Intelligence for Health
Led by Dr. Fred Prior

Also, you may have seen the UAMS news story last week about the more than 50 current and retired UAMS faculty who were listed among the top 2% of most influential researchers in a study by Stanford University. As Dr. Ho said in the article, “Our strong and supportive research environment is what allows investigators to achieve this kind of distinction and excellence.”

Bravo to all of our influential and impactful researchers!

Mask Mandate Insights
Researchers from the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and College of Medicine collaborated with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a project that showed how mask mandates in Arkansas school districts helped to limit COVID-19 at the schools. The research was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and was featured in a number of news reports. The College of Medicine’s Dr. Kanna Lewis (Family and Preventive Medicine), Dr. Franklin John Gray (Hospital Medicine) and Dr. Joseph Thompson (Pediatrics and ACHI President) were among the outstanding contributors to this important research. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Gold Standard for Care
Congratulations to the College of Medicine faculty and many Arkansas Children’s team members who achieved accreditation from the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for three areas at Arkansas Children’s. Kudos to the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology’s Dr. Arun Modi for his leadership on accreditation for hematopoietic cellular therapy accreditation and Dr. Suzanne Saccente and team for their successful efforts on accreditation for peripheral blood cellular therapy product collection. Kudos to the Department of Pathology’s Dr. Bobby Boyanton and Dr. Eric Rosenbaum for their achievement in cellular therapy processing with minimal manipulation in the blood bank. FACT designations are the gold standard for quality of care and place Arkansas Children’s in an elite group of pediatric hospitals across the country. Well done!

Five in a Day
Dr. Everett “Pat” Magann, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recently had the pleasure of receiving notification of five acceptances for review articles in Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey in one day – the most in a single day in his 30-plus years in academic medicine. All of them were the result of scholarly collaborations with several students, residents, fellows, faculty colleagues and staff. Click here for a list of the articles and contributing UAMS team members. Congratulations Dr. Magann and team!

Matched!
Finally this week, very special congratulations to our graduating seniors on their fantastic results on Match Day last Friday. The pandemic clearly was “no match” for the tenacity of the Class of 2022! Kudos to our Academic Affairs and Graduate Medical Education teams for their outstanding work throughout this year’s National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) process, which also resulted in our own residency programs having a great Match this year. A shout-out as well to the UAMS AV Team for doing a great job with the off-campus livestream of the ceremony, which allowed some of our seniors to participate virtually and enabled more family and friends of our graduates, along with UAMS team members, to enjoy the event. In case you missed it, here are links to the ceremony video and the UAMS news story about the event and some of our fabulous seniors. You can click here to see where everyone is headed for their residency.

Accolades – March 16, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Epic Innovation
Kudos to the UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation (IDHI), the Department of Biomedical Informatics and UAMS Information Technology (IT) for their work to create a novel “copy” of the Epic electronic medical record system specially designed for students, residents and researchers. Special thanks to Dr. Kevin Sexton, Associate Chief Clinical Informatics Officer and Division Director of IDHI Innovations, and Dr. Joseph Sanford, IDHI Director, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, for their leadership of the project. The copy Epic system uses synthetic data rather than actual patient data, enabling users to experience and learn from the clinical workflows of Epic without putting anyone at risk. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Research Highlighted
Luis Juncos, M.D., a Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Director of Nephrology for the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, coauthored an article published last week in Science Translational Medicine and featured on journal’s website homepage. The article focuses on reducing ischemic kidney injury, a major contributor to the development of delayed graft function after transplantation, through application of a synchronization modulation electric field to maintain Na +/K +-ATPase functions. Dr. Juncos collaborated on the paper with researchers at the University of South Florida and others.

National Course Leader
Dr. Lauren Poindexter, an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and primary care sports medicine specialist in Northwest Arkansas, will serve as Co-Director, lecturer and moderator for “The New Metro: Sports Medicine Board Review Course” at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York in June. The nationally advertised course is the only one of its kind in the United States, geared toward primary care sports medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation fellows preparing for board exams, and attendings in the specialty who are preparing for recertification. The course is more comprehensive and exam-focused than other programs sponsored by leading institutions.

Winning Speech
Congratulations to senior medical student Paige Jones-Brooks on her first-place win for “Start Your Chest Compressions,” her first-ever speech in a Toastmasters competition. She was participating in the District 43-Area B2 competition on Saturday through the newly launched UAMS Confident Communicators Toastmasters Club for underrepresented students, and will now move on to the Division Competition on April 2. Toastmasters International is an educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills to build confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Paige serves as Vice President of Membership for the UAMS club. (Students interested in joining the club can contact Sharanda Williams, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity, for more information.)

Surgery First
A shout-out to Dr. Katy Marino, Assistant Professor in the Division of Thoracic Surgery, and her team on the recent completion of the first minimally invasive, robotic assisted lung lobectomy performed at UAMS and in central Arkansas using the new Intuitive da Vinci Xi platform. The achievement is a clear reflection of Dr. Marino’s commitment to advanced training and her dedication to providing patients with the best possible care. Well done, Dr. Marino!

Resident Published
Dr. Husam Salah, a third-year Internal Medicine resident who will serve as Chief Resident next year, is the first author of a meta-analysis accepted for publication in the American Journal of Cardiology. Dr. Salah collaborated with his mentor, Associate Professor Dr. Srikanth Vallurupalli, and other current and former Cardiovascular Medicine colleagues on a meta-analysis of studies comparing anterior-lateral (AL) versus anterior-posterior (AP) electrode position for biphasic cardioversion in atrial fibrillation.

Inspired Giving
I continue to be amazed at the generosity of UAMS alumni, former patients and so many others who contribute to our scholarships, programs and initiatives in support of our mission. Just as wonderful is the inspiration for so many gifts – you! One recent example is a $1 million gift from 1979 alumnus Dr. Mark Harriman to support the new Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery under Dr. Lowry Barnes’ stellar leadership. Another example is a $1 million pledge from an anonymous, grateful patient to honor the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s Dr. James Suen through a future endowed chair focused on research into trigeminal neuralgia, an excruciatingly painful condition that typically involves the lower face and jaw.

Student Ambassadors
Finally this week, I want to take a moment to thank the 12 COM students who were selected and are serving as UAMS Student Ambassadors this year. The program, sponsored by the UAMS Alumni and Annual Giving Office, provides students with opportunities to volunteer, network and serve UAMS alumni. During the pandemic, the student ambassadors have contributed to virtual events, video thank you messages, and assisting with UAMS Day of Giving. Participating COM students include: Kacee Daniels, Elizabeth Draper, Sarah Hall, Michael Held, Clark Kennedy, Brianna Long, ChrisTina Okolo, Meredith Ott, Olivia Speed, Julia Townsley, Matthew Tran and Margaret Woodruff. Thank you all for your service!

Accolades – March 9, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

International Collaboration
Dr. Spyridoula Maraka, Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and a leading expert on thyroid diseases in pregnancy, is the senior author on an article published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the world-leading endocrine research journal. The article stems from an international collaboration across institutions from 12 countries that aimed to assess whether thyroid function test abnormalities during pregnancy are associated with gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Dr. Maraka also was recently invited to serve on the American Thyroid Association Task Force that is updating guidelines for the diagnosis and management of thyroid disease during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom. Congratulations on these latest accomplishments, Dr. Maraka!

Fellowship Accreditation
A shout-out to Dr. Rebecca Cantu, Associate Professor of Pediatric Hospital Medicine and Director of the newly established Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship, for her hard work and success in achieving initial accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Dr. Cindy Nguyen will pause from her role as an Assistant Professor to train as the state’s first pediatric hospital medicine fellow starting in July. Pediatric Hospital Medicine is the newest pediatric subspecialty, with Arkansas’ four board-certified pediatric hospitalists all at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s.

Sharing Pathology Expertise
The Department of Pathology will be well represented at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) annual meeting later this month. As a member of the USCAP education committee, Dr. Matt Quick will be faculty for a special course, “Seeing the Light: How to Help Medical Students Discover the Hidden Gem of Pathology,” as well as serve as an invited speaker for “Hot Topics: Diagnostic Issues in Vulvar Pathology” and in other integral activities. Third-year resident Dr. Azin Mashayekhi, who is mentored by Dr. Quick, will present her research on P53 expression in mucinous borderline tumors with intraepithelial carcinoma.

In addition, Dr. Murat Gokden has served as the American Association of Neuropathologists Liaison officer to USCAP for six years and co-chairs and moderates the AANP Companion Society Meeting. Pathology Chair Dr. Jennifer Laudadio has been invited to serve as faculty for a short course, “Minding your Ps and Qs: Process and Quality Improvement in Anatomic Pathology,” for the third year.

Med School in the Pandemic
The pandemic has reshaped the medical school experience for aspiring physicians across the country. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) talked with five medical students about their experiences, including UAMS junior Austin Morgan. In the newly released video, Austin comments on how students entering clinical training had to “learn on the fly” a little more than their predecessors due to limitations on pre-clinical simulations with standardized patients. But Austin astutely noticed something that hasn’t changed. “What I have seen in the hospital,” he said, “is the continued diligence by the attendings and the residents, the nursing staff and all of the health care professionals, in providing high-quality patient care, even during the pandemic.” Great job, Austin!

Three-Minute Thesis
Bravo to all of the competitors and finalists in UAMS’ annual Three-Minute Thesis (3 MT) competition – and congratulations to the winners. COM senior Jackson Mosley won first place for “Correlating Ytrium-90 PET/CT Absorbed Dose with Tumor Response from Glass-Microsphere Radio Embolization.” His mentors were Dr. Jeff Lynch (Interventional Radiology resident) and Dr. James Meek (Radiology). Second place went to third-year medical student Christine Hsu, for “Authentic versus Replica: Diagnosis of Papilledema versus Pseudopapilledema in Children Using Oral Fluorescein Angiography.” Her mentor was Dr. Paul Phillips (Ophthalmology).Graduate School Ph.D. candidate Lance Benson received the People’s Choice Award for “A Salty Immune System: CD8+ T Cells and the Pathogenesis of Salt-Sensitive Hypertension.” His mentor was Dr. Shengyu Mu (Pharmacology/Toxicology).

Kudos to Dr. Melanie MacNicol (Neurobiology/Developmental Sciences), Dr.Tom Kelly (Pathology) and Dr. Antino Allen (College of Pharmacy) for serving as judges at the finals, all of this year’s mentors, and very special thanks to Dr. Bobby McGehee, Graduate School Dean and Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics..

Arkansas Children’s Honors Excellence
Finally this week, congratulations to the phenomenal faculty members and teams at Arkansas Children’s who recently received annual awards for their contributions to clinical care, research, quality improvement, teamwork and more. If you check out the video tributes for each of these awards, you will see dedication and passion for improving the health of children in action!

Dr. Franscesca Miquel-Verges, neonatologist and Medical Director of Neonatal Transport at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, received the Ruth Olive Beall Award for exemplifying the values of safety, teamwork, compassion and excellence, and for championing recent efforts related to communication and handoff. Learn more in this video tribute.

The Section on Community Pediatrics, led by Dr. Eddie Ochoa, received the Drs. Joanna J. & Robert W. Seibert Award for outstanding teamwork, communication and collaboration in the care of patients and their families. Learn more in this video tribute.

Dr. Jessica Snowden, who serves as Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Vice Chair for Research among many other leadership roles, received the Dr. Robert H. Fiser Jr. Research Achievement Award for her impact on research to improve the health of children in Arkansas and beyond. Learn more in this video tribute.

Dr. Snowden and Dr. Rebecca Cantu received the Diane S. Mackey Quality Award for their leadership of a hospital-wide project to improve influenza rates in children. Learn more in this video tribute.

The Dr. Tom Ed Townsend Award, presented to a community physician or practice for excellence and support of Arkansas Children’s, went to UAMS alumnus Dr. Meghan Repp of the Central Arkansas Pediatric Clinic in Benton. Here is Dr. Repp’s video tribute.

Accolades – March 2, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Pediatric Research Excellence
I was delighted to learn that the Department of Pediatrics ranked in the top 30 departments for NIH funding in the latest rankings from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR). In fact, the department’s faculty would rank in the top 20 if funding that flows through ACRI were included in the BRIMR department-based ranking. Regardless, the data reflects the caliber, successes and remarkable dedication of our researchers in Pediatrics and collaborators in many other departments who are involved in research at Arkansas Children’s.

I asked Dr. Jessica Snowden, Professor and Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics, for her perspective. As Dr. Snowden explains, “Research and innovation are critical to our mission to make children better today and healthier tomorrow. Our scientists are national leaders in nutrition, allergy, clinical trials, obesity and many other areas. We are looking forward to continued growth and integration of research even more into everything we do for children in the coming years.”

Community Honors
Dr. Sara Tariq, Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Dean for Students, has served as a leader in the central Arkansas community in many capacities, including organizations devoted to the health and wellbeing of the underserved, interfaith initiatives and much more. This month, two higher education institutions are separately honoring her for her leadership and service. On March 14, Hendrix College in Conway is presenting Dr. Tariq with the Ethel K. Miller Award for Religion and Social Awareness as part of its annual Steel-Hendrix Awards celebration. And on March 29, Dr. Tariq is the honoree for the annual “Taste of Little Rock” fundraiser for UA Little Rock, her undergraduate alma mater. Congratulations Dr. Tariq. Thank you for all that you do for the community as well as UAMS.

Putting EM on the Map
Congratulations to Dr. Rawle “Tony” Seupaul, Chair of Emergency Medicine and Chief Clinical Officer, on his election to the Board of Directors of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Seupaul’s election reflects his outstanding leadership here and nationally, as well as the increasing numbers of nationally-recognized accomplishments in clinical care, education and research of his team. UAMS Emergency Medicine is definitely “on the map.” Well done!

Cancer Coalition Award
Congratulations to Marybeth Curtis, RN, nurse planner in the Community Health & Education Division of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, on receiving the Dr. Fay Boozman Leading Light Award from the Arkansas Cancer Coalition. She will be recognized at the 23^rd Arkansas Cancer Summit next Tuesday. The ACC is honoring Marybeth for her commitment and tireless work with her team to plan and conduct multiple fall and spring educational conferences for the ACC and UAMS – efforts that have led to sustained or increased attendance at the events despite having to pivot to a virtual format during the pandemic.

Community Service Recognition
Dr. Pearl McElfish was honored by the Northwest Arkansas Council last week for her many contributions to advancing health in the region, including her research and outreach to protect vulnerable populations during the pandemic and beyond. The Council presented Dr. McElfish, Director of the Office of Community Health and Research, with its Community Service Award. Read more about this latest well-earned honor for Dr. McElfish here.

Geriatrics in the Spotlight
The Department of Geriatrics will be in the spotlight at the annual American Geriatrics Society meeting in May, with a poster by Assistant Professor Dr. Xiaomin Zhang and colleagues, “Analysis of fifteen sirtuin gene isoforms in the mouse genome,” selected for the Presidential Poster Session. Dr. Zhang’s poster was one of eight from UAMS accepted for the conference, including two with student authors. Junior Chandler Kern was first author on “Caregiver Burden Survey: A Tool for Assessing the Stress Burden in Caregivers of Elderly Patients. Junior Micah Huckabee was first author on “Difference in the Emotional Impact and Coping Strategies towards COVID-19 in Young versus Older Adults Residing in South Central United States,” with senior Anna Blach as a co-author. Many outstanding research associates and faculty contributed to the posters.

Clinical Informatics Accreditation
A shout-out to the Department of Biomedical Informatics and the Clinical Informatics Fellowship team on achieving full accreditation for the Clinical Informatics Fellowship Program from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The fellowship is one of the first in the nation to gain the national accreditation, which will help us lead the country in a field that is playing an increasingly important role in health care. Special thanks to Biomedical Informatics Chair Dr. Fred Prior, Dr. Feliciano “Pele” Yu Jr., Director of the Clinical Informatics Fellowship Program, Dr. Joseph Sanford, who directs the fellowship program at UAMS, and Program Coordinator Amy Widner. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.

Consultant of the Month
Dr. Bharat Dhanireddy, an Assistant Professor in the Hospital Medicine Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, has been named Consultant of the Month by appreciative Emergency Medicine residents. Residents praised him for his excellent patient care and kindness as well as his collegiality and understanding of the needs and constraints of the Emergency Department. Great job, Dr. Dhanireddy.

Victorious Videos
UAMS Ophthalmology residents dominated the competition in the 2022 USF Eye Institute and Cataract Coach Surgical Video competition, with four residents achieving top honors and Dr. Heather Broyles bringing home the First Place award. Also in the top 16 – chosen for discussion and ranking from entries submitted by residents, fellows and attendings from around the world – were videos from Drs. Abdelrahman Elhusseiny, Muhammad Shamim and Christian Ponder. For more info, see this flyer from the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute. Congratulations to all!

Recent Faculty Appointments February 2022

Please join us in welcoming these recent additions to the College of Medicine faculty.

Department of Internal Medicine

Rushita Bagchi, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor and researcher in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr. Bagchi earned her Master of Science in zoology from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in India in 2005. She received her doctorate in physiology and pathology in 2016 from the University of Manitoba in Canada, where her research focused on cardiovascular pathophysiology and gene transcription. Dr. Bagchi comes to UAMS from the University of Colorado Denver, where she served as a postdoctoral research fellow focusing on epigenetics, metabolism, pharmacology and translational research.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Justin Hire, M.D., has joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale. Dr. Hire received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 2011. He completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia, and continued his training with a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Hire most recently was an Assistant Professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery in the Pediatrics Department at Women’s and Children’s Hospital at the University of Missouri in Columbia and the Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri. He previously served at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, as an orthopaedic staff surgeon and Chief of the Orthopaedics and Podiatry Department. A decorated U.S. Army veteran, Dr. Hire was deployed with the Army’s 541^st Forward Surgical Team as part of Operation Inherent Resolve in Ash Shaddadi, Syria, in 2017.

Department of Pathology

Felicia Allard, M.D., has joined the Department of Pathology as an Associate Professor in the GI and Cytopathology divisions. Dr. Allard received her medical degree at the University of Colorado Denver & Health Sciences Center. She completed her residency and clinical fellowship in gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Allard continued her training with a fellowship in cytopathology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Prior to her recruitment to UAMS, Dr. Allard served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, New York.

Department of Psychiatry

Aaron Carson, M.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Carson received his medical degree from UAMS in 2012. He completed his residency in psychiatry at UAMS, serving as Chief Resident at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus in his final year. Dr. Carson most recently served as Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. He sees patients for the AR-Connect program and Psychiatric Research Institute-Northwest at the behavioral health offices in Fayetteville.

Brian Kirkpatrick, M.D., MSPH, has joined the Department of Psychiatry as a Professor. A graduate of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, he most recently served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada at Reno School of Medicine. He is a former Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Texas A&M College of Medicine, and former Vice Chair of the Medical College of Georgia Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. His research and clinical work have focused on schizophrenia and related disorders.

Brian Mooney, M.D., has joined the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Mooney received his medical degree from UAMS in 2001 and completed his residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa. He most recently practiced at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, where he served as lead psychiatrist for the Trauma Recovery Program. He also served as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor for the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, supervising medical students and psychiatry residents at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. Dr. Mooney sees patients in the Psychiatric Research Institute Northwest’s outpatient clinic in Fayetteville as well as the AR-Connect Northwest Arkansas office.

Accolades – February 23, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

Making an Impact
The UAMS Office of Community Health and Research, based at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus and led by Dr. Pearl McElfish, continues to excel in impactful research and outreach. The team is leading a new $10 million grant to UAMS from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to expand community-based outreach and increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence in medically underserved communities across the state.

Meanwhile, a 2021 study by the team on the links between race/ethnicity and trust or fear in COVID vaccines has earned the 2022 Clinical and Translational Science Award from the journal Clinical and Translational Science. The article was the journal’s most downloaded original article of 2021 and was judged by the editorial team as most reflective of the goals for diversity, equity and inclusion of the sponsoring organization, the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (ASCPT). The team will be recognized at the ASCPT annual meeting in March. Congratulations to co-authors Drs. Don Willis, Jennifer Andersen, Keneshia Bryant-Moore, James Selig, Christopher Long, Holly Felix, Geoffrey Curran and Pearl McElfish.

Most recently, researchers in the office published four articles relating to a study they conducted that found that many Arkansans who received the vaccine did so despite having some doubts about the shot.

Diversity Leadership
Congratulations to Sharanda Williams, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity, on being selected for the 2022 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program. The intensive program is designed to bolster skills for driving diversity, equity and inclusion as a core component of excellence in health care. As part of the program, Ms. Williams will plan and lead an institutional initiative to foster and support diversity among UAMS staff members through her new role as Co-Chair of the Staff Recruitment, Engagement and Retention Committee in the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

COVID & Breastfeeding
Dr. Aline Andres, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director of the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) and Dr. Laxmi Yeruva, USDA ARS – Research Leader at the ACNC, were part of a research team that found that breastmilk produced by women diagnosed with COVID-19 does not contain SARS-CoV-2 RNA but had persistent levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and is likely a source of passive immunity. The team’s conclusions, published in Frontiers in Immunology, support recommendations for lactating women to continue breastfeeding during and after COVID-19 illness.

International Research Award
Congratulations to Dr. J.L. Mehta, Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Physiology and Cell Biology, on being selected to receive the Oxford International Best Researcher Award from Oxford Research News and ISSN Awards. Dr. Mehta was selected along with his international coauthors of “Epigenetic Modification in Coronary Atherosclerosis: JACC Review Topic of the Week,” published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Many thanks to Dr. Mehta for his internationally recognized scholarly work and many contributions to the field of cardiology.

Center of Excellence
Kudos to Dr. Tuhin Virmani, Associate Professor of Neurology, and the entire Movement Disorders team for their continued diligence in the care of Arkansans with Huntington’s disease and maintaining the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence at UAMS. The HDSA designation requires evaluation every year for compliance with rigorous standards and is accompanied by a nearly $20,000 grant to support the team’s outstanding efforts on behalf of their patients.

Menopause Expertise
Congratulations to Dr. Alexis White, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, on becoming a North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP). Dr. White is the only clinically active physician at UAMS with this certification, which recognizes special expertise in the field of menopause. NAMS is North America’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and quality of life during menopause. Thank you, Dr. White, for your dedication to providing the very best care for Arkansas women.

Obstetric Anesthesia Guidance
Faculty in the departments of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology contributed to a number of chapters in a newly published book from Springer, “Quick Hits in Obstetric Anesthesia.” Dr. Nadir El Sharawi (Anesthesiology) was a co-author for chapters relating to placenta praevia, placenta accrete spectrum and, along with Dr. Everett “Pat” Magann (OB/GYN), on intrauterine growth restriction. Dr. Muhammad Athar (Anesthesiology) coauthored a chapter on cardiotocography (CTG). Dr. Julie Whittington, who completed her Maternal Fetal Medicine fellowship at UAMS in 2020, coauthored several chapters.

Student Presenters
A shout-out to fourth-year medical students Curran Henson and Brandon Leding on their excellent poster presentation at the Innovations in Medical Education Online Conference last week, and to their project mentor, Dr. Jasna Vuk in the UAMS Student Success Center. The students presented on “Board-Style Question Review as an Inter-Module Approach to Improving Medical Student Test Scores.” Well done!

COM Conversations
Finally this week, I want to thank all of you who have been joining us for COM Conversations, our informal journal club-style discussion group. Yesterday afternoon, our conversation over Zoom centered on “Creating a User Manual for Yourself.” Many of you shared insights on this creative idea for helping team members understand us better, so that we can work well together and have more meaningful, positive relationships. I am pleased to share these slides from the meeting, which include the survey responses from the instant poll. I will also share slides and materials in my At-a-Glance weekly updates. COM Conversations is held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 4:00-4:30 p.m. Watch for an announcement about our March session soon!

Accolades – February 16, 2022

Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently!

NCI Investigator Development
Congratulations to Dr. Analiz Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Neurosurgical Oncology, on being accepted for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Early Investigator Advancement program (EIAP). The program facilitates the advancement of scientists from diverse backgrounds to become independent investigators, providing professional and career development for new and early-stage investigators from institutions around the country. This wonderful news comes on the heels of the recent selection of Dr. Rodriguez for the first cohort of the Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program sponsored by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, National Medical Fellowships and the American Association for Cancer Research. Well done, Dr. Rodriguez!

Ensuring Good Health for All
This week, I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Omar Atiq, Professor of Internal Medicine and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, about why it is so crucial for us to strive to eliminate health disparities here in Arkansas and across the country. I interviewed Dr. Atiq for the newest video in our Spotlight on Excellence series. Dr. Atiq has just been voted President-Elect of the American College of Physicians, and he has been a leader in major, evidence-based ACP initiatives to address health disparities and ensure good health for all. His insights will inspire me and many others as our college and UAMS continues to make diversity, equity and inclusion – and ultimately elimination of health disparities among Arkansans – a top priority. In case you haven’t had an opportunity to watch our interview yet, here is a link to the video.

Our Shared Responsibility
Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Executive Director of the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, has long championed equity in health care, including initiatives to address disparities that women of color experience in reproductive medicine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) featured a column by Dr. Richard-Davis on its website to mark Black history month. In “Our Shared Responsibility,” Dr. Richard-Davis touched on some of her work with the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion working committee, which she chairs, and efforts in Arkansas to increase the numbers of Black women and others in the pipeline for physicians and health professionals.

“Community leaders such as doctors should be leading conversations and initiatives to change policies to drive equity,” she wrote. “We are in positions of influence and should leverage our influence in every possible way to support equity.” Thank you for your leadership here in Arkansas and nationally, Dr. Richard-Davis.

Clinical Chemistry Reviewer
A shout-out to Dr. Hoda Hagrass, Assistant Professor of Pathology, on being selected to serve a three-year term as a poster abstract reviewer for the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Scientific Meeting. In Arkansas, Dr. Hagrass serves as Medical Director of the Clinical Chemistry and Immunology Laboratories at UAMS and the Clinical Chemistry and Metabolic Diseases Laboratories at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Prestigious Summer Fellowship
And finally this week, congratulations to Megan Clark, a first-year medical student at the UAMS Northwest Campus, on being selected for the 2022 New York University Bellevue Summer Fellowship in Emergency Medicine for Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine. Megan was one of only five students from across the country selected for the highly competitive fellowship. Program officials wrote that her application was a standout in part because of the extensive health care and community volunteer work she has already undertaken in Northwest Arkansas. Additionally, as Dr. Linda Worley, Associate Dean for Northwest Arkansas, said in her letter of support, “Megan is courageous, intelligent, motivated, compassionate, altruistic and inspirational. She lights up a room with her refreshing spirit of cooperation and optimism.” We are proud of you, Megan!