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!

Thank You, Dr. Romero
Dr. José Romero has provided superb leadership and service for UAMS, our state and the nation as a member of our faculty since 2008. And for nearly two years, he has expertly guided Arkansas through the COVID-19 pandemic as Arkansas Secretary of Health. Congratulations to Dr. Romero on his new position as Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, where he will start on June 5. As Dr. Romero winds down his time in Arkansas, I want to thank him for his outstanding service as Professor and Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases for 12 years prior to assuming leadership of the Arkansas Department of Health. Arkansas has been exceptionally fortunate to have Dr. Romero’s leadership during the pandemic, and that leadership extended to the national level through many roles including a term as Chair of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Thank you and very best wishes, Dr. Romero!

Psychologists Rock
This is national Psychology Week, and I want to take a moment to thank our dedicated psychologists and neuropsychologists in the departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics for their many contributions to society and improving the lives of Arkansans. They provide services across UAMS and Arkansas Children’s campuses in Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas to support patients across the lifespan. These providers are embedded in numerous programs, including the Child Study Center, Dennis Developmental Center, Schmieding Developmental Center, Internal Medicine, Trauma, Transplant, the Psychiatric Research Institute, Arkansas Children’s and the Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit. Our psychologists also lead initiatives with community partners to support patients and families, such as Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) and Community-Based Autism and Treatment (CoBALT). Many are also engaged in cutting-edge research and in education. Many serve as leaders at the state and national level. Thank you all for your commitment to excellence!

Journal Leadership
A shout-out to Dr. Grover Miller, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, on being named as an Associate Editor for the Drug Metabolism and Transport section of Frontiers in Pharmacology. The specialty section covers regulation of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters, genetic variability and polymorphisms, design of innovative tools for determining drug metabolism and transport, in vitro to in vivo extrapolations, and effective drug design.

Transforming Cancer Medicine
Congratulations to Dr. Donald Johann, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Internal Medicine, who is an author on a paper in the high-impact journal Nature Scientific Data on the analytic validity of liquid biopsies. The use of routine blood draws to diagnose and monitor the status of cancer patients, rather than tissue biopsies, is revolutionizing the practice of clinical oncology and how drugs are designed. Dr. Johann has been at the forefront of research such as this to understand the analytical validity (performance) and technical limitations of this technology. The study generated the most comprehensive public-facing dataset of its kind, providing valuable insights into ultra-deep circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA, or liquid biopsy) sequencing technology.

Improving Stroke Care
Dr. Aliza Brown, Associate Professor of Neurology, has devoted her career to improving care for stroke patients – which is crucial in a state that consistently ranks high for acute stroke death and risk factors. Most recently, Dr. Brown was integral to the Arkansas Department of Health’s successful application for an estimated $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention’s Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry. The grant will be used to decrease disparities in access and improve the quality of care for high-risk populations. Dr. Brown is serving in this initiative through the Department of Neurology and the UAMS Institute for Digital Health and Innovation’s Stroke Program. Other partners with ADH include hospitals in the stroke registry, emergency medical services, the American Heart Association, the Arkansas Acute Stroke Care Task Force, and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission.

Gynecology Conference Contributors
UAMS and Arkansas Children’s were well represented at the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology’s recent Annual Clinical and Research Meeting in Chicago. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Dr. Laura Hollenbach and Dr. Kathryn Stambough hosted three workshop sessions alongside Dr. Laura Hobart-Porter (Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehab), Dr. Joana Mack (Pediatrics/Hematology), and Dr. Spencer Lewis (Radiology/Pediatric Interventional Radiology), showcasing our outstanding Spina Bifida and Vascular Anomalies programs at ACH. Also presented were two abstracts co-authored by Dr. Kevin Wong (Radiology/Pediatric Interventional Radiology) with medical student Ryan Hui and OB/GYN resident Dr. Tucker Doiron.

Thankful Colleagues
Finally this week, I want to share a couple of appreciative notes I recently received from team members who are thankful for their colleagues.

The first was from Dr. Omar Atiq, Professor of Internal Medicine and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Atiq wrote to four chairs – Surgery’s Dr. Ron Robertson, Otolaryngology’s Dr. John Dornhoffer, Orthopaedic Surgery’s Dr. Lowry Barnes, and Dermatology’s Dr. Sara Shalin – to express his gratitude for the oncologic surgeons on their teams.

“As a practicing medical oncologist, I wish to acknowledge the satisfaction and joy your oncologic surgeons bring to the rest of us in the Cancer Service Line,” Dr. Atiq wrote. “They are dependable, competent, available and a pleasure to work with. Their excellence and professionalism reflects well on their leaders – all of you.”

The second note was from Carla Williams, Student Clerkship Coordinator for the Department of Surgery. “I would like to thank my coworker, Tondra Thomas, Assistant Department Administrator,” Carla wrote. “I am new to the Student Clerkship Coordinator position, and Tondra is very helpful. She helps me with spreadsheets. Our positions are totally different, but she has always helped make my job much easier. She is very hardworking and dependable. She goes the extra mile and is always willing to help others.”

Kudos to all of these wonderful COM team members!

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!

Nutrition Sciences Award
Congratulations to Dr. Aline Andres, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Director of the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC), on receiving the 2022 ANS Nutrition Sciences Award from the American Society for Nutrition. The award recognizes Dr. Andres for her work to advance the understanding of how dietary, metabolic and lifestyle factors impact the growth, development and long-term health of children. Professor and ACNC Director Dr. Mario Ferruzzi explains why the recognition is so well-earned for Dr. Andres and her team. “Their critical work here at the ACNC requires time and commitment and is unique in its combination of diverse and complex clinical designs,” he said. “Dr. Andres’ efforts are critical to our goal to improve infant and child health.”

Trauma Team Excellence
The Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery has been doing phenomenal work, thanks to strong leadership by Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Ron Robertson and faculty who have taken on leadership roles at UAMS and beyond. The successful launch of the life-saving ECMO program during the pandemic and integral contributions to the new Cardiovascular Service Line are just a couple of examples of the team’s major achievements. Dr. Ben Davis, Medical Director of the SICU and ECMO programs, has been named Director of the growing division, and Dr. Kyle Kalkwarf and Dr. Avi Bhavaraju have been named Associate Trauma Medical Directors. Together with Dr. Robertson, they will steer the UAMS trauma program through the upcoming site survey with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Congratulations also to Dr. Kalkwarf on being named Trauma Medical Consultant to the Arkansas Department of Health, which he will advise on continued development of the statewide trauma system.

Robotics Goes Outpatient
A shout-out to the Women and Infants Service Line, UAMS Robotics Committee and many perioperative team members for successfully completing the first Da Vinci Robotic case in UAMS One Day Surgery. Special thanks to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Dr. Alexis White, Dr. Luann Racher and Dr. Chad Taylor for leading the transition of Da Vinci Robotic surgery to the outpatient setting, and congratulations to second-year OB/GYN resident Dr. Natalie Tips, who performed the majority of the case as operating surgeon on the robotic console. Well done.

Teach the Teacher
The 13^th annual Teach the Teacher Symposium was a great success thanks to the hard work of the organizers, insightful speakers and panelists from across our college and UAMS, and the many faculty and learners who contributed to more than two dozen posters on teaching and health care education topics. Special thanks to Dr. Karina Clemmons, Assistant Dean for Medical Education and Associate Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, for her leadership of the April 1 symposium, along with Dr. Sara Tariq, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Professor of Internal Medicine, and the UAMS Academic Affairs Educators Academy. Learn more about the presentations, panel discussions and posters presented during the workshop here.

First-Place Predoctoral Research
Lance Benson, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Shengyu Mu’s laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, took first place in the American Physiology Society Predoctoral Excellence in Renal Research competition. The award follows his selection as one of five finalists from around the country who were invited to present their research into kidney disease at the Experimental Biology annual meeting. Lance won the top award for his presentation, “The IFNγ-PDL1 Pathway Enhances the Interaction Between CD8+ T Cells and Distal Convoluted Tubules to Promote Salt-Sensitive Hypertension.” Congratulations!

Conference Contributions
Emergency Medicine Assistant Professors Dr. Meredith Von Dohlen and Dr. Lauren Evans and second-year resident Dr. Adam Watkins did a great job at the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine’s recent Academic Assembly conference in San Diego. Dr. Watkins presented a case in the Clinical Pathologic Case competition; Dr. Von Dohlen was a faculty discussant of another case; and Dr. Evans served as a judge for this prestigious national competition. Dr. Von Dohlen also presented a research abstract, “Emergency Medicine Resident RVU Trends at an Academic Medical Center,” on behalf of the department’s Division of Medical Education.

Student Presenters
Congratulations to third-year medical students Sophia Ly and Alyson McKinnon on their recent presentations at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Conference in Boston. Sophia, who is mentored by Dermatology Professor Dr. Henry Wong, presented “Treatment with rituximab for refractory adult dermatomyositis complicated with calcinosis cutis.” Alyson, who is mentored by Dr. Andrea Mabry of Pinnacle Dermatology, presented “Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis following infertility treatment.” Great job!

Estimating Postpartum Blood Loss
Dr. Muhammad Athar, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, is the first author on a newly published paper in the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia that explores inaccuracies in the visual estimation of blood loss during postpartum hemorrhage under different scenarios. Dr. Athar collaborated with researchers at Stanford University on the study. Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal mortality nationwide, making accurate blood loss estimation essential for optimal management. Well done.

Roots & Wings
Gifts that fund scholarships are among the most forward-thinking ways to support the College of Medicine and our mission in Arkansas. It is always humbling to hear about the motivations and inspirations for these gifts. The late Dr. Marvin Murphy was a cardiologist at UAMS for over three decades until his retirement in 1996. His wife, Rosanne Murphy of Hot Springs, has given $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship. In a UAMS news article, she said her husband was passionate about UAMS’ mission to educate outstanding doctors. “He and I always sought to impart two things to our children – roots and wings,” Mrs. Murphy said. “With this scholarship, in honoring him, our family seeks to help physicians establish strong roots at UAMS and to move forward to serve, honor and care for patients and their families.”

More Inspired Giving
Meanwhile, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, faculty have established a scholarship in honor of Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, Professor, reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, and Executive Director of the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The scholarship will attract and support visiting medical students from underrepresented groups, in support of the department’s commitment to recruit a more diverse resident population and OB/GYNs for Arkansas. “Dr. Richard-Davis has worked tirelessly for diversity, equity and inclusion among medical students, residents and colleagues,” said OB/GYN Chair Dr. Nirvana Manning. “Thank you to Dr. Luann Racher, who was instrumental in getting this up and going.” Learn more about the scholarship here.

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!

Great Day for Research
The inaugural Translational Research Institute (TRI) Research Day was a big success yesterday thanks to Dr. Laura James and her team in TRI and the contributions of many presenters. The event at Heifer International Headquarters featured keynote presentations by Dr. Rachel Hess, Co-Principal Investigator of the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Dr. Stacie Jones, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology. Also presenting talks were KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Scholars Dr. Jennifer Vincenzo (College of Health Professions) and Dr. Britni Ayers (UAMS Northwest, Community Health & Research); TL1 Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) fellows Dr. Shana Owens (Microbiology/Immunology) and Dr. Thomas Nienaber (Pediatrics); and TRI pilot awardees Dr. Emily Kocurek (Internal Medicine) and Dr. Sara Landes (Psychiatry).

I had a great time as a judge for the poster competition and am delighted to congratulate the winners: Overall Visual – Dr. Cody Ashby (Biomedical Informatics); Overall Content – Dr. Yasir Rahmatallah (Biomedical Informatics); Overall Oral/Discussion – Dr. Melissa Zielinski (Psychiatry); Overall Impact – Dr. Isabelle Racine Miousse (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology); and People’s Choice – Dr. Nishank Jain (Internal Medicine). Learn more about all of the presenters and poster entries in the TRI Research Day program.

Entrepreneurship Award
Congratulations to Dr. Shana Owens, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and team members from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville on taking home the top prize at the 2022 Arkansas Governor’s Cup for student entrepreneurs. Dr. Owens, a member of Dr. Craig Forrest’s laboratory, is CEO of GammaVet. The company has developed a prototype for a commercial diagnostic device that detects a viral infection that plagues nearly one-third of cats. (Read more in this Arkansas Democrat-Gazette story.) The venture is also part of Dr. Owens’ work in the Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) training program, a partnership of the UAMS Translational Research Institute and the UA Sam M. Walton College of Business. As mentioned in today’s top accolade, Dr. Owens also presented on her work at the TRI Research Day. Well done!

Hospital Medicine Leadership
Dr. Franklin John Gray Jr., Assistant Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine, was inducted as the 2022-2023 President of the Arkansas Chapter of the Society for Hospital Medicine during the chapter’s spring meeting. Congratulations and kudos to Dr. Gray for his service to UAMS, hospitalists and their patients across the state.

Health Literacy and COVID-19
Radiation Oncology resident Dr. Arpan Prabhu and colleagues have published an article exploring the quality and readability of COVID-19 patient education articles online. The article, “Assessing COVID-19 Health Information on Google Using the Quality Education Scoring Tool: Cross-sectional and Readability Analysis,” was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The multi-institution research team found that articles vastly varied in their attributes and levels of bias, and would benefit from revisions for increased readability. Dr. Pearman Parker, an Assistant Professor in the UAMS College of Nursing, also contributed to the project.

Travel Award
A shout-out to Lucy Fry, a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Tiffany Weinkopff in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, on being selected to attend and receive a highly competitive travel award for the Molecular Parasitology Meeting at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in September. The award reflects her excellent work in Dr. Weinkopff’s lab, where she studies the pathogenesis of Leishmania, a parasite that is spread by sandflies and causes disease primarily in the tropics and subtropics.

Resident of the Year
Finally this week, very special congratulations to fourth-year General Surgery resident Dr. Tamara Osborn on being voted Resident of the Year by our graduating seniors. This well-earned honor reflects Dr. Osborn’s excellent clinical work and teaching – and so much more. Dr. Katie Kimbrough, Associate Professor and Residency Program Director, sums it up perfectly:

“Dr. Osborn is one of the brightest and most capable people with whom I have worked. I have personally observed her teaching, and she can be consistently found teaching good clinical and operative skills to junior-level residents and students, and she is wonderful at explaining difficult concepts to them. Most importantly, she also models good ethical and moral behavior to junior-level learners. Remarkably, even coping with a family tragedy over the last year, Dr. Osborn has shown a great deal of maturity, poise and resilience throughout this time. She continues to amaze me with her perseverance and dedication to teaching and to our program. I couldn’t be more proud of her. There is no one I can think of more deserving for this award.”

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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!