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UAMS College of Medicine 2024 Golden Apple, Gold Sash and Red Sash Honorees

Each year, students in the UAMS College of Medicine vote for the faculty members they consider to be the most outstanding educators. The honorees are recognized during the college’s Honors Convocation ceremony on the eve of UAMS Commencement.

Red Sash winners in attendance at the May 17, 2024 ceremony were entitled to wear red sashes over their regalia robes. These honorees were named as outstanding teachers by members of the senior class. Gold Sash honorees are the faculty members who received the highest number of votes.

The person voted by each of the four medical school classes as the best teacher of the year receives that class’s prestigious Golden Apple Award.

In the list of faculty honorees below, the Gold Sash and Golden Apple Honorees are noted and in bold type. The others in this list are Red Sash winners selected by the senior class. All faculty members are listed in their primary department. These exemplary faculty members teach and practice at the UAMS campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the Central Arkansas Veterans Health System, and Baptist Health. Congratulations to all!

Anesthesiology

Daniel Bingham, M.D.
Jarna Shah, M.D.
Matthew Spond, M.D.
Kyle Stoner, M.D.

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Alan Diekman, Ph.D. Gold Sash, Freshman (M1) Golden Apple. Dr. Diekman also was selected by seniors to deliver the Faculty Address at Honors Convocation.

Dermatology

Megan Evans, M.D.
Sara Shalin, M.D., Ph.D.
Vivian Shi, M.D.

Emergency Medicine

Lauren Evans, M.D.
Joel Mosley, M.D.
J.R. Warix, D.O.

Family/Preventive Medicine

Stephen King, M.D.
Diorella López-González, M.D.
Amber Norris, M.D.
Leslie Stone, M.D., MPH

Geriatrics

Olivia Ahrendsen, M.D.
Gohar Azhar, M.D.

Internal Medicine

Olivia Ahrendsen, M.D.
Robert Bradsher Jr., M.D.
Sheena CarlLee, M.D. Gold Sash
Matthew Deneke, M.D.
Nicholas Gowen, M.D. Gold Sash
Robert Hopkins, M.D.
Sindhu Malapati, M.D.
Nikhil Meena, M.D.
Caroline Miles, M.D.
Hakan Paydak, M.D. Gold Sash
Kristen Shealy, M.D.
Manisha Singh, M.D.
Thomas “Ples” Spradley, M.D. Gold Sash, Junior (M3) Golden Apple
Srikanth Vallurupalli, M.D.
Tobias Vancil, M.D.
Anand Venkata, M.D.
Keyur Vyas, M.D.
Taylor Washburn, M.D.

Congratulations also to Internal Medicine Resident Mason Harper, M.D., on his selection as Resident of the Year by the senior class!

Medical Humanities/Bioethics

Micah Hester, Ph.D.

Microbiology/Immunology

Martin Cannon, Ph.D.

Neurobiology/Developmental Sciences

Noor Akhter, Ph.D.
David Davies, Ph.D.
Kevin Phelan, Ph.D.
Laura Stanley, Ph.D.
Mohsin Syed, Ph.D.

Neurology

Rohit Dhall, M.D., MSPH
Neil Masangkay, M.D.
Hillary Williams, M.D.

Obstetrics/Gynecology

Katie Beal, M.D.
Joel Dickens, M.D.
Renee McGraw, M.D.
Luann Racher, M.D.
Adam Sandlin, M.D.
Lindsey Sward, M.D. Gold Sash, Senior (M4) Golden Apple. Dr. Sward also was selected by seniors to participate in donning their doctoral hoods at Honors Convocation.
Alexis White, M.D.

Otolaryngology-Head/Neck Surgery

Jeffrey Kirsch, M.D.
Gresham Richter, M.D.
Jumin Sunde, M.D.

Orthopaedic Surgery

Chelsea Mathews, M.D.
Jeffrey Stambough, M.D.

Pathology

Charles Matthew Quick, M.D.

Pediatrics

Michael Angtuaco, M.D.
Lauren Appell, M.D.
Jared Beavers, M.D.
Elijah Bolin, M.D.
Carla Brown, M.D. Dr. Brown also was selected by the class to assist in donning their doctoral hoods at Honors Convocation.
Joshua Dailey, M.D.
Rachel Ekdahl, M.D.
Jacob Filipek, M.D.
Lawrence Greiten, M.D., Ms.C.
Kristyn Jeffries, M.D.
Rebecca Latch, M.D.
Joana Mack, M.D.
Robert McGehee, Ph.D.
Steven McKee, M.D. Gold Sash
Angela Scott, M.D., Ph.D.
Megha Sharma, M.D.
Lydia Washer, M.D.
Gwenevere White, M.D.

Psychiatry

Jessica Coker, M.D.
Margaret Ege-Woolley, M.D.
Lewis Krain, M.D. Gold Sash
Samidha Tripathi, M.D.
Lindsey Wilbanks, M.D.

Radiology

Joshua Eichhorn, M.D., Ph.D.

Surgery

Benjamin Davis, M.D.
Hanna Jensen, M.D., Ph.D. Gold Sash, Sophomore (M2) Golden Apple
Mary Katherine Kimbrough, M.D.
Melissa Kost, M.D.
Jonathan Laryea, M.D.
Joseph Margolick, M.D.
Mikhail Mavros, M.D.
Mohammed Moursi, M.D.
Anna Privratsky, D.O.
Matthew Roberts, M.D.
Rachel Slotcavage, M.D.
Esther Teo, M.D.
James Yuen, M.D.

UAMS College of Medicine Celebrates Excellence at 2024 Dean’s Honor Day

Eduardo Ochoa Jr., M.D., at podium at ceremony — Eduardo R. “Eddie” Ochoa Jr., M.D., winner of the Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award, thanks colleagues and congratulates fellow award recipients at the UAMS College of Medicine 2024 Dean’s Honor Day ceremony.

The College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) celebrated the excellence of faculty and staff at its annual Dean’s Honor Day ceremony on April 16, presenting awards for teaching, clinical care, research, administration, humanism and service, and recognizing faculty members who are receiving promotion and/or tenure in 2024.

The ceremony culminated with the presentation of the Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award to Eduardo R. “Eddie” Ochoa Jr., M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics who has strived to improve the health and quality of life of children in Arkansas and nationally since joining the faculty in 1999. In addition to pediatrics-focused leadership, Ochoa’s service has included impactful roles such as helping the college identify and select promising future physicians as a multi-term member and chair of the college’s medical student admissions committee.

Chenia Eubanks presenting commemorative art glass bowl to Eddie Ochoa on stage — Nominator Chenia Eubanks (left) presents a commemorative art glass bowl to Eduardo Ochoa Jr., M.D., the 2024 Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award honoree (right). Eubanks also was an honoree, receiving the Clinical Excellence Award for Service & Professionalism.

Ochoa’s nominator, Chenia Eubanks, M.D., MPH, associate professor and chief of the Section of Community Pediatrics, described the former section chief as a “fierce, steely advocate for children, their health and their future.” She noted Ochoa’s work in research, advocacy and policy work, as well as clinical care, to reduce disparities and eliminate barriers to good health.

“Dr. Ochoa understands that the future of his daughters is inextricably tied to that of the poorest child in Arkansas,” Eubanks said when presenting the award. “Behind his unassuming demeanor lies a passionate advocate whose dedication is fueled by a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all children’s futures.”

After accepting the award, Ochoa congratulated and thanked Eubanks and other fellow 2024 honorees and colleagues for their contributions to academic medicine including efforts to reduce health disparities.

“We are all here for the same thing – to improve the health of all Arkansans, wherever they come from, wherever they are, wherever they live,” Ochoa said. “We – all together – help move that forward with all of the work that we do.”

Ochoa received his medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Sciences in Lubbock and El Paso. He completed his pediatric internship and residency at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital and joined the faculty as an instructor in 1999. He led the Section of Community Pediatrics from 2014 to 2022, when he was appointed as the inaugural vice chair for diversity and health equity in the Department of Pediatrics.

Ron Robertson and Ronda Henry-Tillman with award on stage — Ron Robertson, M.D., presents the Clinical Excellence-Physician of the Year Award to Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D. (right).

Ochoa was instrumental in advocating for and developing Arkansas Children’s Latino Clinic and later Arkansas Children’s Southwest Little Rock Community Clinic. He has served as executive director of the UAMS Head Start/Early Head Start program since 2017.

Ochoa has served on numerous national panels addressing children’s health. He has provided invited testimony before the U.S. Congress twice, advocating for federal child nutrition programs in 2015 and 2019. He has been nationally recognized for his advocacy of children’s vaccinations and has worked extensively to expand access to vaccinations in Arkansas through legislative advocacy, school and community clinics, teaching and other initiatives.

Renee Bornemeier, M.D., emceeing ceremony at podium — Renee Bornemeier, M.D., associate dean for faculty affairs and development in the College of Medicine, served as master of ceremonies for the celebration.

The College of Medicine established Dean’s Honor Day in 2011 to recognize the accomplishments of faculty and staff. At this year’s ceremony, awards were presented in 18 categories in addition to the Distinguished Faculty Service Award, with nominators describing each honoree’s impact on areas of the college’s mission.

Renee Bornemeier, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and associate dean for faculty affairs, served as master of ceremonies. Bornemeier presented video tributes to faculty members who have been approved for promotion and/or tenure this year. In keeping with a college tradition, the videos feature favorite family, casual or professional photos of the faculty members.

Steven Webber, MBChB, executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine, said after the ceremony that two things have stood out to him since he arrived at UAMS on March 1.

“The first is the high level of excellence of faculty and staff working across our mission areas,” he said. “And the second is their collegiality. Warmest congratulations to this year’s honorees. I look forward to working with them and faculty and staff across the college in service to UAMS and Arkansas in the years ahead.”

The College of Medicine is proud to recognize the 2024 honorees!

Click here to read all of the stories about the recipients below, or click on the award titles in the list to go directly to the individual profile.

Staff Excellence Awards

Staff Excellence – Education
Jessica Bursk
Program Education Manager
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Staff Excellence – Research
Caroline Miller Robinson, B.S.
Program Financial Manager
Arkansas INBRE

Staff Excellence – Clinical
Chris Cathcart, DPT, MBA
Physical Therapist
Trauma Program

Staff Excellence – Administration
Robin Rogers, B.A.
Associate Chair, Finance and Administration
Department of Biomedical Informatics

Graduate Medical Education (GME) Educator Awards

GME Educator – Program Coordinator
Angela Warr
Program Coordinator
Pain Medicine Fellowship

GME Educator – Program Director
Priya Mendiratta, M.D., MPH
Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship
Professor, Department of Geriatrics
Alexa and William T. Dillard Distinguished Endowed Chair in Geriatrics

Faculty Awards in Education, Research and Humanism

Master Teacher Award
Steve Schexnayder, M.D.
Professor, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
Executive Vice Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Morris and Hettie Oakley Chair in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Educational Innovation
Ahmed Abuabdou, M.D., MBA
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Chief Clinical Officer, UAMS Medical Center

Educational Research
Karen Dickinson, MBBS, M.D., MBA
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
Director of IPE Simulation and Clinical Skills Training

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine
Presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
David Kelley, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
Director, DFPM Division of Undergraduate Education
Co-Course Director, Practice of Medicine II

Excellence in Research
Lorraine McKelvey, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
Developmental Psychologist, Research and Evaluation Division

Clinical Excellence Awards

Outstanding Advanced Practice Provider
Ashley Wilson, DNP
APRN Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery

Excellence in Quality and Safety
Tabasum Imran, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
UAMS West Regional Campus

Excellence in Service & Professionalism
Chenia Eubanks, M.D., MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Section Chief, Community Pediatrics

Best Consulting Physician
Sarah Cobb, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics-Child Neurology
Director of Neonatal Neurocritical Care

Collaborations & Teamwork
Lyle Burdine, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Director, Solid Organ Transplant Surgery

Rising Star Clinical Faculty
Dinesh Edem, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine-Endocrinology
Director, Medical Weight Management

Physician of the Year
Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D.
Professor and Executive Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
Division Chief, Breast Surgical Oncology
Muriel Balsam Kohn Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology

Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award

Eduardo R. “Eddie” Ochoa Jr., M.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics-Community Pediatrics
Vice Chair of Diversity and Health Equity, Department of Pediatrics

Watch the video tribute to associate professors.
Watch the video tribute to professors, distinguished professors and emeritus faculty.
Download a list of the 2024 promotion and tenure honorees.
Watch the video recording of the ceremony.

All photos by Bryan Clifton

UAMS Host-a-Hive Initiative is the “Bee’s Knees” for Students and Community

students lift a honeycomb frame from a hive. They are wearing protective beekeeping gear over their heads. — Medical student Blaire Taggart (center) lifts a frame of honeycomb during an inspection of a beehive at UAMS. The bees are subdued using smoke and are being gently brushed from the frame by Professor Andrew Morris, Ph.D. (far left), Justin Stanley (behind Dr. Morris) and Liam Alderson (right). *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

On the south edge of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Little Rock campus, a community is thriving with the help of College of Medicine faculty and medical students.

A community of honeybees.

UAMS is home to two healthy hives through a “host-a-hive” partnership with a local apiary initiative that benefits both bees and people. The hives give the local bee population a boost, and educational activities raise awareness in the human community about the crucial work of bees.

The project was initiated by Andrew Morris, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology who holds the Mehta/Stebbins Chair in Cardiovascular Research and is a Research Career Scientist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (CAVHS). Morris connected UAMS with the local beekeeping community and Calm+Confidence founder and apiary manager Lauren Anderson. Medical students in the College of Medicine’s Tank Academic House were the first to get involved with the beekeeping endeavor as a community service project.

“Honeybees are critical pollinators to support reproduction of plants and trees as well as commercial crops, but this has been impacted by declines in bee populations,” Morris said. “Hosting hives at UAMS, where we have large areas of land, is something we can do to help.”

College of Medicine Tank House students and faculty hold frames of honeycomb produced by bees at UAMS. From left: Liam Alderson, Rachel Lance, Lindsey Sward, M.D., Jacob Siebenmorgen, Manit Munshi, Justin Stanley and Blaire Taggart. *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

“Beekeeping is fascinating,” he said. “And learning to handle bees is good practice for remaining calm under stressful situations, which is certainly something medical students can benefit from.”

On a warm September evening, six students and Lindsey Sward, M.D., a Tank House faculty advisor, assistant dean for clinical education and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, joined Morris at the UAMS hives to inspect the bees and prepare for the first harvest of honey under Anderson’s guidance. Wearing protective veils, participants used a device called a smoker to harmlessly subdue the bees – as many as 50,000 in a hive – before opening the stacked hive boxes. Then they lifted rectangular frames from the boxes, revealing honeycomb laden with honey.

“It was a lot different than I expected,” said fourth-year medical student and Tank House Leadership Committee member Blaire Taggart. “I didn’t expect the bees to be so docile.”

Medical student works with elementary students scraping wax off a honey frame — Tank House student Rachel Lance (left) guides children as they scrape a thin layer of wax, called cappings, from full cells of honey in a frame in preparation for extracting the honey. The honeycomb structure remains intact and will be returned to the hive. *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

The following Saturday, several Tank House students and Morris joined Anderson for a “Honey Harvest” educational event at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center, located on 10^th Street south of campus. The air was thick with the sweet, floral scent of honey as excited children and their parents, along with other library and beekeeping community volunteers, helped extract honey from frames. Visitors learned about bees and honey production and compared the taste of honey from UAMS and the nearby Hillcrest neighborhood.

Morris was stationed at one of two cylindrical stainless steel “spinners” that extract honey from frames, leaving the honeycomb intact so it can be returned to the hive. Two frames holding honeycomb are placed inside the container, the lid is clasped shut, and a crank is turned to release the honey through centrifugal force.

Student urns a crank on a honey extractor to release honey from a honeycomb while talking with visitors at an educational event at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center. — Tank House Community Service Committee Chair Justin Stanley (center) turns a crank on a honey extractor to release honey from a honeycomb while talking with visitors at an educational event at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library & Learning Center. *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

“See how this works?” Morris asked as he encouraged 8-year-old Charlotte Sims and her 5-year-old brother, Aiden, to take turns spinning the crank as fast as they could. Morris opened the lid and lifted one of the frames of honeycomb, still heavy with honey.

“Whoa!” the siblings exclaimed in unison.

“This is yummy business,” declared Charlotte, licking fingers that had become sticky in the process.

College of Medicine senior Justin Stanley, who chairs the Tank House Community Service Committee, organized students for the hive inspection and the event at the library. During a pause from working with children, he explained how the COVID-19 pandemic had limited the ability to do in-person community outreach.

“During the pandemic, everything went virtual, so it was really hard to have events like this,” Stanley said. “Now that we’re on the other side of the pandemic, we are trying to do more community service activities. We knew this would be a great way to start the academic year. It is nice to work with the kids, and honeybees are so vital to our ecosystem and health in general.”

Karina Clemmons, Ed.D., a Tank House advisor, assistant dean for medical education and associate professor in the Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, brought her 10-year-old son Julian to the library event. Weeks earlier, she had heard about the new UAMS project from Morris and helped Tank House student leaders connect and become involved.

“This is such a wonderful service project for UAMS and our students,” Clemmons said. “It supports people who live in this area directly by generating more bees to pollinate gardens. And Tank House students are serving as community educators, helping kids and families understand the importance of supporting a healthy bee community literally in their backyards.”

Tank House faculty advisor Karina Clemmons, Ed.D., watches as her son, Julian, prepares a frame of honey for the extraction process. *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

Long interested in beekeeping, Morris tapped into the Little Rock beekeeping community about a year and a half ago and hosts a hive at his house in Hillcrest. He said Anderson’s expertise has been indispensable in maintaining a healthy hive. Morris is also working with CAVHS to place hives at the Eugene J. Towbin VA Healthcare Center in North Little Rock.

The world of bees also meshes with Morris’ interests as a scientist. “Despite how important bees are, there is a huge amount about them that we don’t understand,” he said. “I have been tempted to do bee-related research.”

The two worlds are not without parallels. Some of Morris’ research has centered on how lipids – fats – affect heart disease. Bees don’t hibernate, he noted. They change their metabolism to store fat while wintering in the hive. Finding ways to switch fat storage on and off could have important implications for human health.

At the end of the library event, Anderson weighed UAMS’ first harvest – 25 pounds of honey, which filled a five-gallon bucket. Through the partnership, half of the sweet harvest will go to UAMS.

Meanwhile, the bees will have another month or so to supplement the honey that was left in their hives, so they will have plenty to live on as they spend the winter keeping warm in their hive and get ready to start work again in the spring.

Calm+Confidence apiary manager Lauren Anderson jars a sample of UAMS honey for participants at the “Honey Harvest” educational event. *Photo by Bryan Clifton*

College of Medicine 2023 Red Sash, Gold Sash and Golden Apple Honorees

Each year, students in all four classes in the UAMS College of Medicine vote for the faculty members they consider to be the most outstanding educators. The honorees are recognized during the college’s Honors Convocation ceremony on the eve of UAMS Commencement.

Red Sash winners in attendance at the May 19, 2023 ceremony were entitled to wear red sashes over their regalia robes. These honorees were named by students as outstanding teachers. Gold Sash honorees are the faculty members who received the highest number of votes by students across all four classes. The person voted by each class as the best teacher of the year receives the prestigious Golden Apple Award. In the list below, the Gold Sash and Golden Apple Honorees are noted and in bold type. The others are Red Sash winners. All faculty are listed in their primary department.

Congratulations to all of these exemplary College of Medicine faculty members!

Anesthesiology

Shannon Dare, M.D.
Riley Lide, M.D.
Jill Mhyre, M.D.
G. Lawson Smith, M.D.
Matthew Spond, M.D.
Kyle Stoner, M.D.
Sushma Thapa, M.D.

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Giulia Baldini, M.D., Ph.D.
Alan Diekman, Ph.D. Gold Sash, Freshman Golden Apple
Samantha Kendrick, Ph.D.

Dermatology

Megan Evans, M.D.
Thomas Jennings, M.D., Ph.D.
Sara Shalin, M.D., Ph.D.
Henry Wong, M.D., Ph.D.

Emergency Medicine

Meryll Bouldin, M.D.
Carly Eastin, M.D.
Lauren Evans, M.D.
Rachael Freeze-Ramsey, M.D.

Family/Preventive Medicine

Scott Dickson, M.D.
Michael Gann, M.D.
Stephen King, M.D.
Sharon Reece, M.D.
Julia Rouiler, M.D.
Leslie Stone, M.D., MPH
Patrick Sullins, M.D.
William Ventres, M.D., M.A.
Jordan Weaver, M.D.

Internal Medicine

Alice Alexander, M.D.
Ahmed Abuabdou, M.D.
Ramez Awad, M.D.
Robert Bradsher, M.D.
Jose Caceres, M.D.
Sheena CarlLee, M.D.
Ryan Dare, M.D.
Steven Deas, M.D.
Katie DeFore, M.D.
Matthew Deneke, M.D.
Harmeen Goraya, M.D.
Nick Gowen, M.D. Gold Sash, Junior Golden Apple
Yusef Hassan, M.D.
Robert Hopkins, M.D.
Sumant Inamdar, M.D.
Krishna Kakkera, M.D.
Robert Lavender, M.D.
Riley Lipschitz, M.D.
Michael Lowry, M.D.
Caroline Miles, M.D.
Hakan Paydak, M.D. Gold Sash
Juan Carlos Rico, M.D.
Michael Saccente, M.D.
A. Mazin Safar, M.D.
Kristen Shealy, M.D.
Manisha Singh, M.D.
Kalaivani Sivakumar, M.D.
Ples Spradley, M.D.
Sara Tariq, M.D.
Ramakrishna Thotakura, M.D.
Tobias Vancil, M.D.
Taylor Washburn, M.D.

Microbiology/Immunology

Karl Boehme, Ph.D.

Neurobiology/Developmental Sciences

Noor Akhter, Ph.D.
David Davies, Ph.D. Gold Sash
Kevin Phelan, Ph.D.

Neurology

Lee Archer, M.D.
Tarek Bakdash, M.D.
Dale Carter, M.D.
Rohit Dhall, M.D., MSPH
Neil Masangkay, M.D.
Walter Metzer, M.D.
Hillary Williams, M.D.

Obstetrics/Gynecology

Melissa Helmich, M.D.
Laura Hollenbach, M.D.
Renee McGraw, M.D.
Luann Racher, M.D.
Maria Ruiz, D.O.
Dora Smith, M.D.
Kate Stambough, M.D.
Lindsey Sward, M.D. Gold Sash, Senior Golden Apple

Ophthalmology

Paul Phillips, M.D.

Otolaryngology-Head/Neck Surgery

Ozlem Tulunay-Ugur, M.D.

Orthopaedic Surgery

Robert Martin, M.D.
Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D.

Pathology

Jennifer Forsyth, M.D.
Murat Gokden, M.D.
Susanne Jeffus, M.D.
Vijay Patel, M.D.
Charles Matthew Quick, M.D.
Nicholas Zoumberos, M.D.

Pediatrics

Megan Baber, D.O.
Elijah Bolin, M.D.
Carla Brown, M.D.
Joshua Dailey, M.D.
Rachel Ekdahl, M.D.
Jacob Filipek, M.D.
Stacie Jones, M.D.
Rebecca Latch, M.D.
Joana Mack, M.D.
Safia Nawaz, M.D.
Steven McKee, M.D. Gold Sash
Cindy Nguyen, M.D.
Robbie Pesek, M.D.
Amna Qasim, M.D.
Angela Scott, M.D., Ph.D. Gold Sash
Amy Scurlock, M.D.
Maxwell Taylor, M.D.
Julie Tate, M.D.
Tara Venable, M.D.
Gwenevere White, M.D.
Dustin Williford, M.D.

Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation

Tory Hunton, M.D.

Physiology/Cell Biology

Michael Jennings, Ph.D.
Jerry Ware, Ph.D.

Psychiatry

Jessica Coker, M.D. Gold Sash
Margaret Ege-Woolley
Amy Grooms, M.D.
Lewis Krain, M.D.
Michelle Ransom, M.D.
John Spollen, M.D.
Lindsey Wilbanks, M.D.

Radiology

Sateesh Jayappa, M.D.
Ruizong Li, M.D.

Surgery

Avi Bhavaraju, M.D.
Nolan Bruce, M.D.
Emmanouil Giorgakis, M.D.
Hanna Jensen, M.D., Ph.D. Gold Sash, Sophomore Golden Apple
Eveline Klenotic, M.D.
Melissa Kost, M.D.
Joe Margolick, M.D.
Jason Mizell, M.D.
Conan Mustain, M.D.
Anna Privratsky, D.O.
Matthew Roberts, M.D.
Kevin Sexton, M.D.
Christian Simmons, M.D., Ph.D.
Rachel Slotcavage, M.D.
Matthew Steliga, M.D.
Keith Wolter, M.D., Ph.D.
Deidre Wyrick, M.D.
James Yuen, M.D.

Urology

Timothy Langford, M.D.
Michail Mavros, M.D.
Julie Riley, M.D.

Dean’s Honor Day 2023: Meet our Honorees

The UAMS College of Medicine is proud to honor the recipients of the 2023 Dean’s Honor Day Awards. The outstanding team members highlighted on this page were recognized in an April 25 ceremony in the Fred Smith Auditorium on the UAMS campus.

Capping the ceremony was the presentation of the Distinguished Faculty Service Award to David L. Davies, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences who has served on the faculty for 38 years and continues to lead key educational activities for the college. The award is just the latest for Dr. Davies, who has been long recognized as an exceptional educator.

Drs. Smith, Davies and Childs on stage at award presentation — COM Dean G. Richard Smith, M.D., (left) presents the Distinguished Faculty Service Award to David L. Davies, Ph.D., (center). They are joined by Dr. Davies’ chair and nominator, Gwen Childs, Ph.D.

Read more about Dr. Davies and the ceremony overall in the 2023 Dean’s Honor Day main feature story. (Link coming soon!)

Watch the video recording of the ceremony here.

View the video tribute to faculty being promoted to associate professor.
View the video tribute to faculty being promoted to professor or distinguished professor, and new emeritus faculty.

See a list of the 2023 promotion & tenure honorees.

Congratulations to the following 2023 award winners!

Staff Excellence Awards

Staff Excellence Award – Education
Kelly Hamman, LCSW
Trauma Treatment Training Specialist
Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST)
Department of Psychiatry

Kelly Hamman, LCSW, has dedicated her career to serving and advocating for some of the most vulnerable Arkansans as a trainer with Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute.

Dr. Sufna John and Kelly Hamman, LCSW — Sufna John, Ph.D., presents the Staff Excellence Award in Education to Kelly Hamman, LCSW, (right).

ARBEST develops and carries out initiatives in clinical care, training, advocacy and evaluation to improve mental health outcomes for children who have experienced trauma. Hamman is integral in disseminating evidence-based treatments to clinicians throughout the state. She also teaches community volunteers how to facilitate a specialized parenting curriculum developed by ARBEST called Managing Youth Trauma Effectively. After training, these volunteers provide education and support for parents, many of whom are waiting to be able to reunite with their children.

In her nomination letter, Lindsey Roberts, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry, shared some of the praise Hamman has received. “Kelly holds the best interests of children and families in mind all the time, so it is not surprising that she goes above and beyond to ensure their needs are met,” said a colleague. “When she’s not thinking about children or families, she’s thinking about the best interests of the ARBEST team or ways to include the voices and perspectives of those whose voices have traditionally been left out of discussions around mental health.”

Staff Excellence Award – Research
Angela Kyzer, B.A.
Program Manager, Research and Evaluation Division
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Angela Kyzer, B.A., has provided stellar support for researchers in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine for 19 years. She currently serves as the program manager for multiple community-based intervention studies involving efforts to support young children’s social-emotional development, including interventions in early care and education settings.

Dr. Nikki Edge and Angie Kyzer, B.A. — Nikki Edge, Ph.D., presents the Staff Excellence Award in Education to Angela Kyzer, B.A. (right).

“It immediately became clear that Angie has an outstanding work ethic, strong initiative, a desire to learn and grow, and an ability to work effectively and respectfully with a wide range of colleagues and study participants,” said Nikki Edge, Ph.D., professor and associate director of the Research and Evaluation (RED) Division. Edge nominated Kyzer on behalf of numerous faculty and staff as well as community and national partners.

Early in her career, Kyzer worked on a series of studies involving mothers in substance abuse treatment with their children. She went on to volunteer extensively in prevention efforts, serving for 14 years on the statewide Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force.

“Angie regularly contributes to scholarly activity and has a growing national reputation,” Edge wrote in her nomination. A research colleague from Georgetown University was quoted, explaining that Kyzer “has been integral to the process of disseminating findings from UAMS early childhood research to the larger scholarly community.”

Staff Excellence Award – Administration
Mark Mosby, B.S.
Division Administrator, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Department of Internal Medicine

Mark Mosby, B.S., has served in administrative, research and regulatory-focused positions at UAMS for 24 years. As administrator for the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism since 2011, he is responsible for the daily administration of faculty and staff, management of division budgets that include seven National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, and more.

Dr. Elena Ambrogini and Mark Mosby, B.S. — Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., presents the Staff Excellence Award in Administration to Mark Mosby, B.S.

Nominators Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and division director, and Charles O’Brien, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research, said that among many accomplishments, Mosby was instrumental in the preparation of the center’s NIH Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant and subsequent renewal.

“In addition to these major efforts, Mr. Mosby is also an effective problem solver,” they wrote in their nomination. “He takes responsibility even for assignments that are not his formal duty. In doing so, he sets an outstanding example for his administrative team and the rest of us in the Division. In our collective more than 40 years of time at UAMS, we have not known or worked with any administrator with a greater level of dedication and effectiveness.”

“Mr. Mosby is an exceptional employee, who builds a climate of comradery, positivity and cooperation, while displaying genuine caring and respect for his coworkers.”

Residency Educator Awards

Residency Educator – Program Coordinator
Stephanie Veach, B.A.
Program Coordinator, Pediatric Fellowship Programs:
Hematology Oncology, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Child Abuse, Hospital Medicine

Dr. Molly Gathright and Stephanie Veach, B.A. — Molly Gathright, M.D., Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, presents the Residency Educator – Program Coordinator Award to Stephanie Veach, B.A. (right).

Stephanie Veach, B.A., makes life smoother for trainees and faculty alike in five pediatric fellowship programs, including Hematology-Oncology, where nominator Joanna Mack, M.D., said she is indispensable.

“I could not do my job as a physician and program director without her,” Mack, assistant professor and fellowship program director, wrote in Veach’s nomination letter. “She is my partner in providing the best experience for fellows in graduate medical education.”

“Stephanie has been instrumental to my success in my first year as a pediatric hematology-oncology fellow,” Paige Strebeck, M.D., wrote in a supporting letter. “She is a great communicator and constantly reminds me of deadlines knowing that I have a busy first-year schedule. She checks in with me frequently just to make sure I’m doing alright.”

Mack said Veach seamlessly coordinates applicant interviews for the fellowship programs, scheduling interviews with more than 30 faculty and current fellows and ensuring that more than 60 applicants feel welcome. She noted that Veach also has done outstanding work as Fellows Day coordinator for several years across pediatric fellowship programs. “She truly goes above and beyond what is in her job description to help make fellowship easier for all fellows.”

Residency Educator – Program Director
Mollie Meek, M.D.
Professor, Department of RadiologyDirector, Interventional Radiology Integrated Residency

Mollie Meek, M.D., has excelled in numerous educational and clinical leadership roles in the Department of Radiology, including Division Director of Interventional Radiology since 2012 and Program Director for the Interventional Radiology Integrated Residency since its inception in 2016.

Molly Gathright, M.D., Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, presents the Residency Educator – Program Director Award to Mollie Meek, M.D.

Several residents wrote in support of Meek’s nomination, citing her dedication to helping the next generation of physicians grow and learn both personally and professionally.

“Dr. Meek is passionate about teaching residents and has a unique ability to make complex medical concepts easy to understand, while also challenging residents to think critically and develop their problem-solving skills,” the residents wrote. “She always welcomes students and residents to do simple and complex cases with her believing there is always something to learn.”

Arabinda Choudhary, M.D., MBA, professor and chair of the Department of Radiology, lauded Meek’s service as program director and more broadly, including her work as a member of the UAMS Graduate Medical Education Committee and her recent appointment to the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Radiology Review Committee.

Faculty Awards in Education, Research and Humanism

Master Teacher Award
Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D.
Professor and Co-Vice Chair of Education
Director, Graduate Program Cell Biology and Physiology Track
Department of Physiology and Cell Biology

Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D., is highly regarded for her commitment to educational excellence in the classroom and for providing outstanding mentorship for graduate and medical students as well as early career scientists in the fields of endocrinology, physiology, and cell and cancer biology.

Dr. Teresita Bellido and Dr. Rosalia Simmen — Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., presents the Master Teacher Award to Rosalia C.M. Simmen, Ph.D. (right).

“Dr. Simmen is a dedicated and inspiring educator who has demonstrated excellence in education during her 37 years as an academician, including 20 years at UAMS,” Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, said in her nomination letter. “Her educational contributions at UAMS exhibit a remarkable breadth, covering teaching in the classroom and in the laboratory, mentoring and leadership, and teaching administration.”

Simmen’s internationally recognized research group has made significant contributions to the understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying women’s reproductive health issues including infertility, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, abnormal labor and breast cancer. “Rosie’s passion for research mobilizes students in the classroom and the lab, and her research laboratory provides optimal teaching opportunities,” Bellido wrote.

Simmen has served as track director for the Cell Biology and Physiology track in the UAMS Graduate School’s Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences program since 2018. She has taught in the endocrine and reproduction module for second-year medical students since 2016, earning praise for her lectures and making complex information understandable.

Educational Innovation Award
Leslie Stone, M.D., MPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
William Ventres, M.D., M.A.
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine

Family and Preventive Medicine colleagues Leslie Stone, M.D., MPH, and William Ventres, M.D., M.A., developed and implemented Philosophies of Family Medicine, an innovative and well-received curriculum for third-year medical students completing their clinical rotations in family medicine.

Drs. Richard Turnage, Leslie Stone and William Ventres — Richard Turnage, M.D., (left) presents the Educational Innovation Award to Leslie Stone, M.D., (center) and William Ventres, M.D.

The curriculum highlights the important role of family medicine in the health care system, including the centrality of the bio-psycho-social model to family medicine, the therapeutic nature of the doctor-patient relationship, the importance of robust primary-care practice to health equity, and the necessity of working together in systems-based care. The “flipped curriculum” model of learning has students read key articles prior to each session, which has prompted lively discussions among students.

“It encourages student involvement in a supportive, engaging, and thoughtful manner around topics that are useful for student physicians entering any discipline,” wrote nominator Richard Turnage, M.D., interim chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and vice chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses. Turnage noted that Stone, Ventres and colleagues recently published an article on the effectiveness of the curriculum in PRiMER (Peer-Reviewed Reports in Medical Education Research).

“The Philosophies of Family Medicine curriculum is a wonderful example of the creativeness and innovation I have come to know exists within family medicine,” Turnage wrote. “We should all learn from this curriculum and celebrate the efforts of Drs. Stone and Ventres.”

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award
Presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Deidre Wyrick, M.D.Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery
Department of Pediatrics, Section of Critical Care Medicine
Trauma Medical Director, Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Deidre Wyrick, M.D., is just a few years into her career as a faculty member, but the pediatric surgeon is proof that you do not need years of experience as faculty to be recognized as among the best. She proves that every day with the standard of care she provides.

Jennifer York, APRN, and Dr. Deidre Wyrick — Jennifer York, APRN, presents the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award to Deidre Wyrick, M.D. (right).

“When it comes to compassionate patient care, I can honestly say that in my 22 years of clinical experience, I have yet to encounter someone better at the role than Dr. Wyrick,” Jennifer York, APRN, wrote in her nomination letter. “She is wise, considerate, kindhearted, and cares deeply for her patients and their families.”

Wyrick graduated from the College of Medicine in 2010 and stayed at UAMS for her general surgery residency and pediatric surgery fellowship. She continued her training with a surgical critical care fellowship at Oregon Health and Sciences University and was recruited to UAMS and Arkansas Children’s in 2020. Wyrick holds a number of leadership roles in pediatric trauma and surgical critical care. She is highly respected for her teaching and mentoring, as well as for providing exceptional patient- and family-centered care.

“She recognizes that trauma, surgical and critically ill patients have complex medical needs that can feel overwhelming to family members,” York wrote. “Dr. Wyrick has an innate ability to connect with patients and families in difficult situations.”

Excellence in Research Award
Paul Drew, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences
Professor and Director of Research, Department of NeurologyAssistant Dean for Research, College of Medicine

Paul Drew, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized neuroscientist who has contributed substantially to the research enterprise at UAMS for the past 26 years through scholarly work, teaching and mentoring, and numerous research leadership roles.

Dr. Gwen Childs and Dr. Paul Drew — Gwen Childs, Ph.D., presents the Excellence in Research Award to Paul Drew, Ph.D.

“Dr. Drew is a well-rounded researcher who attracts graduate students and collaborators and has established an outstanding record of publications and service to his field,” said nominator Gwen Childs, Ph.D., distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences. “He is both a leader in his field and has served us well as a leader in research on campus.”

Drew’s research has focused on neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases with a focus on multiple sclerosis (MS), alcohol use disorders (AUD) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Through seminal discoveries, his research team has significantly advanced the understanding of central nervous system cell population responses to alcohol exposure at all ages.

His work has been steadily funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, and private funding agencies including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Rampy Foundation for MS Research. He frequently reviews grants for the NIH, the Department of Defense and the National MS Society.

As Assistant Dean for Research, Drew facilitates collaborative research initiatives across the College of Medicine. He co-leads a “creativity hub” focused on neurodegenerative disease research. He has served on numerous college and university committees.

Faculty Awards for Clinical Excellence

Outstanding Advanced Practice Provider
Jennifer York, APRN, MNsc, CPNP-AC
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
Division of Pediatric Surgery and Trauma
Arkansas Children’s Hospital and UAMS

Jennifer York, APRN, is so highly respected and appreciated by clinical colleagues, learners and others at Arkansas Children’s that if you are walking through the hospital with her and are in a hurry, it might be difficult making your way to your destination with so many stopping for her advice.

Dr. Deidre Wyrick and Jennifer York, APRN — Deidre Wyrick, M.D., presents the inaugural Clinical Excellence – Outstanding Advanced Practice Provider Award to Jennifer York, APRN (right).

“Amazingly, when she is stopped, she makes the person she is talking to feel like they are the most important thing she is doing at that moment,” Deidre Wyrick, M.D., wrote in her nomination of York. “While this might seem like ‘fluff,’ it is crucial to why she is such a great APRN. She has fostered this trust and respect from her colleagues because she is excellent.”

Wyrick said York provides outstanding patient- and family centered care, is a skilled communicator, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and teaches across the spectrum of care providers. She has served as an APRN in Pediatric Surgery and Trauma for five years and previously held positions in other areas.

York currently serves on the APRN Council at Arkansas Children’s and has been recognized for her work through multiple honors. She is also active in the field at the national level, currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Steering Committee of the Pediatric Trauma Society.

Excellence in Quality and Safety
Zachary Lewis, M.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Emergency Ultrasound
Department of Emergency Medicine

Zachary Lewis, M.D., is dedicated to ensuring the quality and safety of care for patients in the Emergency Department now and in the future through education, quality assurance activities and other measures.

Dr. Jason Arthur and Dr. Zachary Lewis — Jason Arthur, M.D., MPH, presents the Clinical Excellence – Quality and Safety Award to Zachary Lewis, M.D. (right).

“Since joining the faculty, he has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of education and clinical care regarding point-of-care ultrasound both within UAMS and throughout the emergency medicine community,” Jason Arthur, M.D., MPH, wrote in his nomination of Lewis. Lewis was the first fellow trained in emergency ultrasound at UAMS. He currently serves as co-director of Emergency Ultrasound Education, the Pediatric Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship, and the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship.

Lewis has performed quality assurance on over 17,000 point-of-care ultrasounds at UAMS since joining the faculty in 2017. Lewis and colleagues in the Division of Emergency Ultrasound perform quality assurance on all ultrasound studies performed in the Emergency Department, to ensure excellent care, foster quality improvement, and add an additional layer of safety for patients. Lewis also has served on task forces to develop and implement multiple state-of-the-art applications of point-of-care ultrasound.

“Beyond ultrasound, Dr. Lewis has a passion for ensuring efficient and compassionate care,” Arthur said, noting his collaborations with others to make improvements in the electronic health record system that will increase clinical efficiency, safety and provider satisfaction.

Excellence in Service and Professionalism
Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Program Director, Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program
Department of Internal Medicine

Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D., brings excellent clinical skills, leadership and a strong commitment to service to his work with patients, fellows and other learners in the Division of Hematology/Oncology.

Dr. Rang Govindarajan and Dr. Konstantinos Arnaoutakis — Rang Govindarajan, M.D., presents the Clinical Excellence – Service and Professionalism Award to Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D. (right).

Arnaoutakis joined the faculty in 2009. He served as associate program director for the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program from 2011 to January 2021, when he was named program director.

“Dr. Arnaoutakis has significantly contributed to the service and growth of our division,” Division Director Rang Govindarajan, M.D., said in his nomination letter. “He is a great teacher, very collegial, and liked by all his peers, nurses and patients.”

Govindarajan said Arnaoutakis provides excellent care for patients as well as outstanding consultation services for clinical colleagues. “He is compassionate and takes personal responsibility and pride in providing individual patient care, Govindarajan wrote. “I see him following through on his patients’ needs by staying late at work, and sometimes coming in very early in the mornings prior to inpatient rounds. His patients feel that Dr. Arnaoutakis treats them like a family member.”

“As Hematology/Oncology Program director, he does an excellent job managing and mentoring fellows,” Govindarajan said. “He is approachable and takes great care to guide them. Dr. Arnaoutakis is a great advocate for the fellows, residents and medical students.”

Best Consulting Physician
Samidha Tripathi, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director, Consultation-Liaison Service
Psychiatric Research Institute

Samidha Tripathi, M.D., was formally appointed as director of the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service at UAMS last year in recognition of her outstanding collaborative work as a psychiatrist and consulting physician.

Dr. Laura Dunn and Dr. Samidha Tripathi — Laura Dunn, M.D., presents the Clinical Excellence – Best Consulting Physician Award to Samidha Triphathi, M.D., (right) a few days before the formal Dean’s Honor Day Ceremony, which Dr. Tripathi was unable to attend.

“Dr. Tripathi has skillfully demonstrated that building effective collaborative relationships across different groups can help address the mental health needs of Arkansans and help improve the quality of care delivered to our patients at UAMS,” Laura Dunn, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute, said in her nomination letter.

Consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry that focuses on the care of patients with co-existing psychiatric and general medical conditions. The care of these patients can be complex, and C-L psychiatrists must work closely with clinicians across a wide range of primary and specialty care teams.

Dr. Tripathi has collaborated with other clinical teams to improve care and reduce boarding times of patients with mental health needs in the Emergency Department, and to implement a collaborative care model for improving access to mental health treatment for Arkansans at several primary care clinics. She continues to work in additional areas to further integrate mental health services.

Collaborations and Teamwork
Patient Care, Laboratory Diagnostic and Antimicrobial Stewardship Project Team
Eric R. Rosenbaum, M.D., MPH
Katherine T. Lusardi, Pharm.D., BCIDP
Ryan K. Dare, M.D.
Juan Carlos Rico, M.D.
Nicole M. Emery, M(ASCP)
Brett J. Bailey, Pharm.D.

In 2017, an interdisciplinary team of laboratory specialists, pharmacists and infectious disease experts came together to help address the medical, financial and public health burdens that bloodstream infections impose in hospitals such as UAMS.

Five team members on stage — The Clinical Excellence – Collaborations and Teamwork Award was presented to colleagues (from left) Eric Rosenbaum, M.D., MPH, Ryan Dare, M.D., Katherine Lusardi, Pharm.D., BCIDP, Nicole Emery, M(ASCP), and Brett Bailey, Pharm.D., (not pictured).

Together, the team pioneered the introduction of a completely new type of laboratory diagnostic technology that has improved care of UAMS patients with life-threatening bloodstream infections. The work has subsequently received significant international attention for successfully demonstrating substantial downstream cost savings through the technology.

The project team includes Eric Rosenbaum, M.D., MPH, associate professor in the Department of Pathology and medical director of UAMS Clinical Microbiology; Division of Infectious Disease faculty members Ryan Dare, M.D., and Juan Carlos Rico, M.D.; Katherine Lusardi, Pharm. D. (UAMS Hospital Pharmacy); Nicole Emery, M(ASCP) (Pathology); and Brett Bailey, Pharm.D. (UAMS Clinical Informatics).

The team initially convened to evaluate newly available laboratory systems capable of rapidly identifying pathogens and determining the appropriate antibiotic treatment using blood samples collected from patients suspected of having serious bloodstream infections. After selecting the FDA-approved Accelerate Pheno^TM technology, the team tested and validated the system and introduced it for patient testing. The team continued to work together in the following years, analyzing and quantifying the positive impacts of the new system. The results have been highlighted in numerous journal articles and presentations at national and international conferences.

Rising Star Clinical Faculty
Joseph Henske, M.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Director, UAMS Diabetes Program
Department of Internal Medicine

Joseph Henske, M.D., has quickly garnered recognition as an outstanding, extremely dedicated and effective diabetes-focused clinician and educator who has made fundamental contributions to the UAMS mission.

Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., presents the Clinical Excellence – Rising Star Award to Joseph Henske, M.D.

“Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes himself at the age of 15, Dr. Henske has committed his life to helping others better manage their disease,” Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, said in her nomination of Henske, who joined the faculty in 2019. “In his brief time here, Dr. Henske has greatly impacted the care of patients with diabetes in our institution as well as the state of Arkansas at large.”

“He always goes the extra mile and spends endless hours to identify the optimal and latest approach to treatment,” Ambrogini wrote. “He never gives up on anyone.”

Henske, director of the UAMS Diabetes Program, also has advocated publicly for the needs of patients with diabetes. His testimony and work with Arkansas legislators helped to secure the 2021 law mandating that the Arkansas Medicaid program cover a continuous glucose monitor for individuals with diabetes. At UAMS, he has been active in teaching and mentoring of students, residents and fellows, and has presented extensively on diabetes topics for colleagues in other specialties.

Physician of the Year
Thomas Kiser, M.D., MPH
Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Thomas Kiser, M.D., MPH, has dedicated his career to providing stellar care for Arkansans with spinal cord injuries and other conditions requiring highly specialized physical rehabilitation.

Dr. Kevin Means and Dr. Thomas Kiser — Kevin Means, M.D., presents the Clinical Excellence – Physician of the Year Award to Thomas Kiser, M.D., MPH, (right).

“Over the past 26-plus years, Dr. Kiser has distinguished himself locally and nationally as an outstanding clinician and teacher, Professor and Chair Kevin Means, M.D., wrote in his nomination. “He has demonstrated excellent leadership within our department, within the hospital where we at UAMS Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) primarily practice, the Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute (BHRI), within Arkansas, and within our specialty.”

“Dr. Kiser has demonstrated subspecialty knowledge, expertise, and substantial practice experience dedicated to the care of the most vulnerable, most complex, and most severely disabled subpopulations of persons requiring medical rehabilitation,” Means wrote.

Kiser received his medical degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia and came to UAMS for his internship and residency training in PM&R. In addition to his certification by the American Board of PM&R, he was among the first group of physiatrists nationally to earn additional certification in spinal cord injury medicine. He received a Master of Public Health from the Arkansas MPH Program and Tulane University in 2000.

Kiser has served as Medical Director of the Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission since 1998. He recently was appointed UAMS Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service Line medical director at BHRI. Previous leadership roles included three two-year terms as chief of staff at BHRI.

“Creativity Hubs” Established in UAMS College of Medicine to Boost Research Collaborations in Key Areas

Creativity Hubs - graphic depicting hubs and ideas

Four interdisciplinary groups of researchers in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have been named as inaugural “Creativity Hubs” in an initiative to develop and expand collaborative, thematic research programs with high potential.

Each hub will receive $300,000 over the next 18 months to jumpstart efforts to increase research, building on existing expertise of researchers across UAMS, Arkansas Children’s and other partnering institutions. The hubs also will use the funding from the college and UAMS Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation to develop mentorship and pipeline programs to bring new and diverse investigators into the fold. The efforts are expected to position the teams to obtain additional external grant funding to support comprehensive, elite research programs.

“We are incredibly excited to see what these hubs can accomplish in the months and years ahead,” said Susan Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine. “These are all relevant and timely areas for expanding research to support our mission to improve health in Arkansas and beyond.”

The hubs and their leaders are:

Neurodegenerative Diseases – Co-led by Steven Barger, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Geriatrics; and Paul Drew, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences.

Musculoskeletal Health and Disease – Led by Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Cell Biology.

Lifespan Research to Improve Cardiometabolic Health – Led by Elisabet Borsheim, Ph.D., professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Geriatrics and associate director and research leader in the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Health – Led by Fred Prior, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Smyth initiated the Creativity Hubs concept late last year in coordination with the College of Medicine Office of Research, led by Vice Dean Nancy Rusch, Ph.D. Research groups were invited to submit “visionary briefs” to help identify signature research areas and emerging research concepts that, with an additional modest investment of seed funding, have strong potential to expand with future external funding.

“We received 23 applications and many really great ideas from across our basic science and clinical departments,” Rusch said. “Our researchers have a strong record of collegiality already, but they clearly recognized the opportunity for more focused, interdisciplinary work with the support of the college and UAMS.”

Rusch noted that some of the hubs are extensions of well-established research areas that already receive substantial federal and other grant funding. In contrast, the Artificial Intelligence for Health hub represents an emerging area of research that will be central to health care in the years ahead. She said all of the hubs will benefit from the internal funding boost and greater collaboration.

Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research and innovation, said her office is pleased to support the Creativity Hubs initiative. “We often think creativity is innate, but it is essentially a learned trait,” Ho said. “When a group of innovative minds interacts on a regular basis, they are more likely to find creative solutions to a problem. That is team science at its best.”

Steven Barger, Ph.D., is a Co-Leader of the Neurodegenerative Diseases Creativity Hub.

The Neurodegenerative Diseases hub is the result of two separate proposals – one from Barger with a strong focus on Alzheimer’s disease and one from Drew that emphasized other neurodegenerative conditions. With overlapping issues, researchers and expertise in the two areas of focus, they look forward to leading the combined hub.

Paul Drew, Ph.D., is a Co-Leader of the Neurodegenerative Diseases Creativity Hub.

“I think that exemplifies the unifying nature of the Creativity Hub initiative – it is inclusive and collaborative,” said Barger. “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.”

“Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people and have devastating personal and societal consequences,” said Drew. “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.”

Musculoskeletal Health and Disease Hub Leader Teresita Bellido, Ph.D.

The Musculoskeletal Health and Diseases hub will leverage the expertise of longstanding, internationally recognized research groups at UAMS and its partners to expand work in osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, developmental skeletal abnormalities, poor nutrition, and cancers that negatively impact the skeleton such as multiple myeloma and breast cancer, hub leader Bellido explained.

“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,” she said.

Lifespan Research to Improve Cardiometabolic Health Hub Leader Elisabet Borsheim, Ph.D.

Hub funding for the Lifespan Research to Improve Cardiometabolic Health group will help bring together researchers at the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the UAMS campus who work along a spectrum of health issues in pre-pregnancy, gestation, childhood, adolescents, young adults and older adults, said hub leader Borsheim.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Arkansas and in the U.S. as a whole,” Borsheim said. “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.”

AI for Health Hub Leader Fred Prior, Ph.D.

Through the Artificial Intelligence for Health Hub, Prior will lead efforts to establish a framework for future research and grant funding in the area and, ultimately, guide the integration of new AI tools into clinical practice.

“Artificial Intelligence is being embedded into almost everything we deal with – from TV sets to cars,” said Prior. “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.” Learn more about each of the hubs in Q&A interviews with the hub leaders. Click here to read all of the interviews, or go directly to the Q&As for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Musculoskeletal Health and Disease, Lifespan to Improve Cardiometabolic Health, and Artificial Intelligence for Health.

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.

UAMS College of Medicine Team Member Goes to Great Lengths to Serve Country

Brian Barnett in front of Camp Lemonnier signage in Djibouti, Africa

The call to serve our country is strong across UAMS, with many veterans, active duty, Guard and Reserve members of the Armed Forces on our team. For Brian Barnett, MHSA, Associate Chair in the departments of Family and Preventive Medicine and Radiation Oncology, it meant never giving up hope.

As a member of the 404^th Civil Affairs Unit of the U.S. Army Reserve, Brian was excited and grateful to receive his first overseas deployment, to Djibouti City in the Horn of Africa, early last fall.

Unfortunately, not long into his stateside training for the mobilization, he suffered a tibia/fibula fracture in his right leg during a Midnight parachute jump. The injury required surgery and physical therapy, but Brian was determined. He made it to Fort Bliss, Texas, for mobilization on Dec. 5, 2020, and caught up with his unit in in Dijibouti in early January. He completed the deployment and returned to UAMS in September.

But Brian’s determination to serve our country didn’t start there. “My father and grandfather served, and it was the only thing I considered through high school,” Brian explained. “I was planning on attending the Air Force Academy, but was disqualified because I only have one kidney. My father was a combat engineer in Vietnam and dealt with Agent Orange. Birth defects such as I had were a common side effect of the exposure.”

Instead, the Texas native made his way to the University of Central Arkansas to play football and study physical therapy. He later obtained a Master’s in Health Services Administration and moved into administrative leadership roles such as those he has held at UAMS for over 15 years.

“That desire to serve in the military never went away, though, and I attempted to join again when the military recruiters came to UCA before graduation,” Brian said. “Unfortunately, I still only had one kidney and was told I didn’t qualify. “ I attempted to join again in 2001 after the Trade Center attacks and even wrote a letter to my Congressman and the Secretary of the Army. I still only had one kidney, though, and the recruiter dismissed me again.”

“It took another 10 years, but I finally had to try again. Miraculously, the recruiter I randomly ended up with was married to a UAMS nephrologist. This recruiter took me seriously, and his wife assisted in obtaining extra tests. So on my fourth attempt over 20 years, I was finally approved for a medical waiver and was accepted into the Army Medical Department. I later transferred to Civil Affairs.”

The College of Medicine salutes Brian and all dedicated veterans and service members. Thank you for answering the call to serve.

Off and Running! New 1-2-3 GO Grants Support Team Research

Nancy Rusch, Ph.D., College of Medicine executive associate dean for research, assists as Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., executive vice chancellor and dean, draws the name of a team that will receive a 1-2-3 GO grant. Joining them are Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research and innovation, (back left) and Nancy Gray, Ph.D., president of BioVentures.

“1-2-3 GO” is off and running with seven teams selected to receive grants in the new funding program for researchers from the College of Medicine and other colleges at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and in the University of Arkansas system.

The program provides rapid distribution of $75,000 in seed funding for interdisciplinary teams of three faculty members plus a student or trainee. The “GO” in the program’s name stands for grant opportunity, and “1-2-3” reflects the program’s aim of providing a fast, simple approach to obtain funding to bring new research ideas to life.

Seven project teams were selected in a random drawing of qualifying applications on March 12. Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., UAMS executive vice chancellor and College of Medicine dean, conducted the drawing with Nancy Rusch, Ph.D., executive associate dean for research in the college. They were joined by Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research and innovation, and Nancy Gray, Ph.D., president of BioVentures, LLC.

For fun, Westfall pulled the winning names from a magician-style top hat.

“Congratulations to our inaugural 1-2-3 GO grant recipients,” Westfall said after the drawing. “The real magic will happen when these teams use their creativity and collaborative expertise to address research questions that could lead to significant discoveries, federal funding for additional studies, and potential commercialization of biomedical advances.”

1-2-3 GO was initiated in the College of Medicine by Richard P. Morrison, Ph.D., who served as executive associate dean for research prior to his retirement at the end of 2020. Rusch, who succeeded Morrison, completed development and launched the program in collaboration with Ho and Gray.

1-2-3 GO grants are supported with funding from the college, BioVentures, the UAMS Office of Research and Innovation, UA system campuses with faculty members receiving the grants, and philanthropic contributions.

“We received applications from 40 teams representing 120 faculty members and 12 departments from UAMS and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville,” Rusch said, adding that the trainees on the proposed projects included medical and graduate students and postdoctoral and clinical fellows. “This strong response shows that our faculty are very willing to collaborate across disciplines to explore new research projects and share discoveries.”

Teams came together through the 1-2-3 GO website, where leaders posted project ideas and additional faculty were able to join the proposals. Applications were reviewed by Rusch’s office to ensure program criteria were met, and by BioVentures to confirm that the proposed research had the potential to generate intellectual property and lead to commercialization. Eighteen projects met those requirements and were included in the drawing for the first round of funding.

“One of the goals when we launched BioVentures, LLC four years ago was to establish funds from intellectual property revenue that could be re-invested in UAMS for the development of new intellectual property,” said Gray. “The 1-2-3 GO award is the first program to use those funds to generate new collaborative research that has this potential.”

1-2-3 GO team members will participate in BioVentures’ fastPACE course in April to help build skills in evaluating early-stage biomedical discoveries for commercialization potential.

As UAMS vice chancellor for research and innovation, Ho is working closely with her counterpart at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, John English, Ph.D., to build strong research collaborations across the two institutions.

“The 1-2-3 GO mechanism is an exciting opportunity to accelerate translation of research discoveries into marketable clinical practice,” Ho said. “One of the selected projects will be funded through the two vice chancellors’ offices, bringing together top clinical researchers in orthopaedics and biomedical engineering on a project to develop patentable interventions for osteoarthritis from Arkansas to benefit patients from across the nation and around the globe.”

The projects and teams selected to receive funding on April 1 are:

Dr. Teresita Bellido — Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., Project Lead

One-targeted Pyk2 inhibitors for prevention of bone fragility.
Teresita Bellido, Ph.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Physiology and Cell Biology, UAMS
Alexei Basnakian, M.D., Ph.D.: Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UAMS
Hong-Yu Li, Ph.D.: Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UAMS
Amy Sato, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow): Dept. of Physiology and Cell Biology, UAMS

Improving accuracy of SpO2 in children with chronic hypoxemia by buccal reflectance pulse oximetry.
Destiny Chau, M.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Anesthesiology, UAMS
Rupal Bhakta, M.D.: Dept. of Pediatrics, UAMS
Lawrence Greiten, M.D.: Dept. of Surgery, UAMS
Felipe Medeiros, M.D. (fellowship, cardiac anesthesia): Dept. of Anesthesiology, UAMS

Delineating dysbiosis-induced multimodal biomarker signatures to optimize precision medicine.
Ruud Dings, Ph.D., M.Sc. (Project Lead): Dept. of Radiation Oncology, UAMS
Renny Lan, Ph.D.: Dept. of Pediatrics, UAMS
Kimberly Stephens, Ph.D.: Dept. of Pediatrics, UAMS
Samir Jenkins, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow): Dept. of Radiation Oncology, UAMS

Development of an infection-resistant hemodialysis access graft.
Kalenda Kasangana, M.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Surgery, UAMS
Kevin Sexton, M.D.: Dept of Surgery, UAMS
Mark Smeltzer, Ph.D.: Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, UAMS
Astha Malhotra, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow): Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UAMS

Improving arterial bleeding cessation by modulating thrombus formation.
Sung Rhee, Ph.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UAMS
Avi Bhavaraju, M.D.: Dept. of Surgery, UAMS
Jerry Ware, Ph.D.: Dept. of Physiology and Cell Biology, UAMS
Hunter Rose (medical student): UAMS

Epigenetic modulation of mesenchymal stem cells as therapeutic interventions for osteoarthritis.
Rebekah Samsonraj, Ph.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, UA Fayetteville
Lowry Barnes, M.D.: Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, UAMS
Ryan Porter, M.D.: Dept. of Internal Medicine, UAMS
Luke Childress (graduate student): Dept. of Physiology and Cell Biology, UAMS

Monoclonal antibody internalization rates as diagnostic indicators for the immunotherapy of cancer.
Alan Tackett, Ph.D. (Project Lead): Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UAMS
Yong-Chen Lu, Ph.D.: Dept. of Pathology, UAMS
Ginell Post, M.D., Ph.D.: Dept. of Pathology, UAMS
Brian Koss, Ph.D. (postdoctoral fellow): Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UAMS

Nancy J. Rusch, Ph.D., Named Executive Associate Dean for Research in UAMS College of Medicine

Nancy J. Rusch, Ph.D., has been appointed executive associate dean for research in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine.

“Dr. Rusch will provide strong leadership for the College of Medicine research enterprise, as she has done while serving as interim executive associate dean since Dr. Richard Morrison’s retirement at the end of last year,” said Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., executive vice chancellor of UAMS and dean of the College of Medicine.

Rusch will continue to lead the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, where she has served as professor and chair since 2005. As chair, she has overseen growth in research funding and the development of nationally recognized faculty who are major contributors to research at UAMS and leaders in medical and graduate student education.

Rusch’s contributions to UAMS extend well beyond her department. She is a key leader in the Translational Research Institute, where she developed and co-leads TRI’s Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) Postdoctoral Scholars Training Program and serves as TRI co-director of Translational Workforce Development. In her recent role as interim executive associate dean for research, she oversaw the launch of 1-2-3 GO, a new grant program for research teams from multiple departments and colleges.

She has served in numerous other leadership roles, including chair of the College of Medicine Council of Department Chairs, chair of the Basic Science Chairs and founder of the Cardiovascular Interest Group. Rusch has also contributed to numerous search committees for department chairs, UAMS chancellors and other leadership positions, including the next College of Medicine dean, Susan Smyth, M.D., Ph.D.

A leading expert in vascular ion channel remodeling in hypertension, Rusch has been a member of numerous study sections and special review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. She is a longstanding member and leader in the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and a past president of the organization’s Cardiovascular Pharmacology Division.

Rusch received her doctorate at the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in pharmacology at the University of Iowa and in physiology and biophysics at the University of Cincinnati. She served on the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin from 1987 until her recruitment to UAMS. Rusch has received numerous honors since joining UAMS, including the Chancellor’s Teaching Award in 2011, the Graduate School Best Faculty Award in 2014, and the College of Medicine Educational Innovation Award last year.