Oct. 26, 2017 — Jacquelyn Bailey of West Memphis has been awarded the Arkansas Mutual Medical Student Award, a scholarship for third-year medical students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) who want to practice primary care in rural Arkansas.

Bailey, a first generation college graduate, found her inspiration for primary care as she learned about her grandmother, Beatrice Henderson, who died when Bailey was barely a year old.

“My mother attributes much of my grandmother’s death to the notion that doctors did not provide quality medical care because she was African-American and uninsured,” she said. “However, this was not the only instance of lack of care that she received.”

Bailey keeps a medical record of her grandmother’s that shows she had three children, but also five stillbirths. “As I thought about the period in which she lived, my heart became heavy because I knew this was the fate of many black women like her,” she said.

“My grandmother’s life and death have been my inspiration and motivation to become a primary care physician,” she said. “Although racial discrimination was and continues to be a cause for health disparities, it is now compounded by the inability of many working Americans to afford health care.”

Bailey said that she intends to practice family medicine in West Memphis. With a background in epidemiology from the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, she intends to emphasize disease prevention programs to improve community health.

Corey Little, president of Arkansas Mutual Insurance Co., the only medical liability insurance provider headquartered in Arkansas, said the company is deeply committed to improving rural health care in the state.

“We are so pleased to offer this scholarship to such a deserving student as Jacquelyn Bailey,” Little said. “She will make a very fine physician and is clearly committed to improving the health of citizens in medically underserved areas.”

“Our mission as a company is to protect and serve the health care community of Arkansas and this student award is symbolic of that dedication,” Little said. “The award’s focus on rural health care is especially important at this junction in our state’s history and we are proud to be able to make this contribution to our state’s future physicians.”

More than two-thirds of Arkansas’ counties include federally designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. Primary care physician shortages are projected to increase substantially as the state’s population continues to age and require more medical care, and as more Arkansans, now insured as a result of health system reform, seek primary care services.

“Access to high-quality primary care is a significant issue for rural Arkansas, so we are doing everything we can to encourage outstanding students to practice in smaller communities,” said Pope L. Moseley, M.D., UAMS executive vice chancellor and College of Medicine dean. “Scholarships are a powerful tool in this effort, and we are grateful to the folks at Arkansas Mutual for their ongoing investment in students who plan to dedicate their careers to rural Arkansans.”

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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By Ashley McNatt| October 26th, 2017

Oct. 25, 2017 | Four early career UAMS researchers were recently selected to receive KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Scholar Awards.

The KL2 Scholar program at the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) provides two years of research training to junior faculty. It provides 75 percent salary support and up to $25,000 per year for research, tuition, travel and education. The scholars, all from the UAMS College of Medicine, are:

Lisa Brents, Ph.D.
Instructor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Her research is focused on improving buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy by reducing fetal exposure to an active metabolite of buprenorphine, norbuprenorphine.

KL2 project title: The Metabolic and Pharmacodynamic Profile of Deuterated Buprenorphine

Sufna John, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry.

Her research is examining the impact of early childhood education factors on the effectiveness of therapy services for preschool-aged children who present with disruptive behaviors.

KL2 project title: Improving Outcomes for Young Children with Behavior Disorders: A Coordinated Care Model

Rosemary Nabaweesi, Dr.P.H., M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE).

Her research is focused on injury-related infant mortality prevention and reduction of health disparities for rural and underserved populations.

KL2 project title: Developing Safe Sleep Interventions for Rural Underserved Communities

Carolina Schinke, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Myeloma Institute.

Her research is attempting to determine yet undiscovered pathologic pathways in multiple myeloma and to identify new therapeutic targets.

KL2 project title: The Role of Pl-IF 19 as a Promoter of Tumorigenicity and Therapeutic Target in Multiple Myeloma

Fifteen KL2 Scholar applications were reviewed by a study section (committee) made up of faculty members from UAMS and other research institutions. Five finalists were interviewed by senior members of the panel.

This year’s awards are supported by UAMS institutional funds provided to TRI, and funding from Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute.

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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LITTLE ROCK – Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., has been named chief of Breast Oncology in the College of Medicine Department of Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She sees patients in the second floor clinics at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

Henry-Tillman has served as a member of the UAMS faculty since 1998 and holds the position of professor in the Department of Surgery and co-leader of the Breast Tumor Disease Oriented Committee in the UAMS Cancer Institute.

After earning her medical degree at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Henry-Tillman completed her surgical residency in the UAMS Department of Surgery and fellowship training in the UAMS Fellowship in Diseases of the Breast program.

She previously served as director of the UAMS Cancer Control program and was instrumental in the development of the university’s mobile mammography program.

Her research efforts have focused primarily on colorectal and breast cancer disparities in underserved populations.

In 2016, Henry-Tillman was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission and was voted chairman in 2017. She also is a member of the Breast Cancer Control Advisory Board and is a Pulaski County health officer for the Arkansas State Board of Health.

Her national memberships and professional activities include the American Surgical Association, Society of Surgical Oncology, Southern Surgical Association and multiple committees of the National Institutes of Health. She has served as a board member for the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the national Health Disparities Committee for the American Cancer Society.

Her Arkansas-based professional activities include serving on the advisory board of the Arkansas Cancer Coalition; committee on applicants for the Arkansas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons; and past president of the Arkansas Medical Dental Pharmaceutical Association.

She has received numerous awards and honors including being named to Best Doctors in America and Castle Connolly’s Exceptional Women in Medicine.

By Susan Van Dusen| October 24th, 2017

Whether it’s her first child or her fifth, the postpartum trip to the doctor can be a hassle for a mother. The UAMS Center for Distance Health has started a new program that will make that visit more convenient.

“Some of our patients travel a very long way to deliver here at UAMS,” said Nirvana Manning, M.D., an associate professor in the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UAMS College of Medicine.

“When they come here and have a baby, it’s often very cumbersome for them to travel back six weeks later for a postpartum visit.”

Recently, UAMS has been using telemedicine to make that visit easier for some patients. Women can visit with a doctor through a laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Nikki Talley had her postpartum visit from a sectional sofa inside her Sheridan home. While her newborn son, Levi, rested comfortably in her arms, she dialed in for her appointment with Manning.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m feeling good. We’re pretty much back to our normal activities and getting acclimated to having three kids.”

The Talley family leads a busy life. Nikki Talley said it was a welcome relief to not have to dress Levi and his older brother and sister, load them into the car, and make the 45-minute drive to Little Rock.

During a virtual visit, Manning asks the mother questions about her overall health. She’s also able to call in prescriptions, if needed, and says it’s a good opportunity to talk about postpartum depression if a patient is having symptoms.

“If there is something that would require a face-to-face appointment, we schedule it at that time,” Manning said.

The program is still in its infancy, so providers are targeting women who are at low-risk for pregnancy complications to give them a chance to work out any issues.

Telemedicine was pioneered at UAMS starting in 2003 by Curtis Lowery, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

“Technology has come so far. We’re fortunate to have Dr. Curtis Lowery working in our department. He’s been an innovator and leader in the telemedicine world,” Manning said.

Manning says there is room for growth with this program, including scheduling routine visits during pregnancy.

By Katrina Dupins | October 23rd, 2017

Juliana Bonilla-Velez, M.D., was awarded the Exemplary Senior Trainee Award, by the Women in Otolaryngology section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the recent annual conference. The award is recognition of a senior resident physician or fellow in otolaryngology among all training programs in the United States, and is nominated by the program director to the American Academy of Otolaryngology.

Dr. Bonilla, who has stood out for her research work and leadership activities, was recognized on this occasion as an exemplary trainee. Among the factors that were taken into account for her nomination were the outstanding leadership activities that she has carried out during residency, her role as a mentor to medical students, a CV that shows her achievements as a physician, educator and researcher, and a letter of recommendation by professionals who have praised her commitment as a student and professional.

During her residency, she has been involved in different research projects that were presented at national and international meetings. She joined the American Academy of Otolaryngology and participated in the Section for Residents and Fellows, being selected by her peers to multiple roles in the Governing Council and currently serves as Vice-Chair. Because of her exemplary career, she has also been nominated for and currently serves in the Pediatric Otolaryngology Committee of the Academy and the Task Force on Neural Monitoring for Head, Neck, and Thyroid Surgery. Participation in these committees is by nomination only and the candidates are chosen based on their academic acumen and leadership qualities among all otolaryngologists nationally.

Oct. 20, 2017 | Education today is like training career athletes – professionals with the stamina, strength and flexibility to navigate today’s working world.

“The days of having one career where you work 40 years in the same field and then you retire – that is non-existent now,” said Jeffery H. Moran, Ph.D., CEO of PinPoint Testing and assistant professor of toxicology at UAMS. “Today, it’s about learning how to juggle. You have to be fearless. You have to embrace change.”

Moran was one of six speakers at the 17th annual Career Day for Biomedical Sciences, hosted by the UAMS Graduate School and held Oct. 12 in the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. About 130 people attended the event, which was designed with UAMS students and faculty in mind, as well as undergraduate and graduate students from Arkansas and surrounding states.

“The expectation used to be that the next generation would become clones of you,” said UAMS Graduate School Dean Robert E. McGehee Jr., Ph.D. “All of that has changed. Even back in 2000 when we started Career Day many of us recognized that, especially since a degree in biomedical sciences gives you the tools for a whole host of different things. With Career Day, we hope to give you a variety of examples of people who are successful in their careers, and not necessarily the traditional tracks.”

Moran is a native Arkansan and UAMS alumni. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in toxicology. He has been working at UAMS in various capacities for 23 years, including teaching, managing labs, and conducting and publishing research. He has worked as a toxicological consultant, which is where he learned to take a business-minded approach. And he served as section director and branch chief at the Arkansas Department of Health, which is where he fine-tuned his sense of laboratory management.

Fast-forward to today, and Moran is four years into the venture of starting his own toxicology company. PinPoint Testing LLC offers laboratory services, lab consulting as training for outside laboratories, and a product – a testing kit called ToxBox®. Revenue-wise, they are running a year ahead of their business plan, and Moran was visibly proud when he discussed being able to bring high-paying jobs to Arkansas and recently transferring production of ToxBox® to the state.

Moran said it’s difficult to predict exactly where you might end up or exactly what you might find most interesting. It’s important to go in with an open mind and not base career decisions on what you think will bring in the most money.

“If you enjoy what you do, the money will follow,” Moran said. “No matter how tight the job market, there is always room for good people who are passionate about what they do.”

When it comes to mixing science and business, Moran said not to be afraid to think big. Moran encouraged the audience to think collaboratively, engaging with fellow scientists and professionals from different fields. Above all, he said to develop a thick skin if you want to go into business.

“Be prepared to hear ‘no’ a lot,” Moran said. “But once you get your first investors, have your first successes, it’s amazing how fast those ‘noes’ turn into ‘yeses.’”

Other speakers included:

• Kristen Sterba, Ph.D., associate dean of the UAMS Graduate School – introduction to UAMS Graduate School programming
• Joseph Underwood, J.D., Ph.D., associate director of licensing, Bioventures, UAMS – “Science and the Legal Profession”
• John C. Lipcomb, Ph.D., toxicologist, Cincinnati, Ohio – “Toxicology and Risk Assessment: Who gets to say how much is too much? And … why would they say such a thing?”
• Emily Roberts, Ph.D., owner of Personal Finance for PhDs, Seattle, Washington – “The Solopreneur Ph.D.: Charting My Own Path through Self-Employment”
• Jennifer Konopka-Anstadt, Ph.D., team lead, Vaccine Development Laboratory, Polio and Picornavirus Laboratory Branch, Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia – “Transitioning from Academic Research to Public Health: Working at the CDC”
• Craig Forrest, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UAMS – “The decisions that led me to academic science … and herpes”

The event concluded with a tour of UAMS for undergraduate students and a career development workshop for graduate students and postdoctoral students by Roberts – “The Graduate Student’s Guide to Personal Finance.”

By Amy Widner | October 20th, 2017

Nidhi Kapoor, M.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as its first neurohospitalist, combining advanced training in neurology with a specialized understanding of caring for patients while they are in the hospital.

Neurohopsitalists have advanced training in both hospital medicine and treating neurological conditions that can result in hospitalization, including intractable seizures, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, acute and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and status migranosus.

“Neurological patients who are sick enough to be hospitalized or need to undergo tests that are best done in a hospital will want someone with Dr. Kapoor’s training overseeing their care,” said Robert L. “Lee” Archer, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology. “Neurohospitalists can quickly spot neurological issues as they arise, provide the appropriate care, reduce length of stay, and increase patient safety and convenience while improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness for hospitals.”

Kapoor also serves as an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology. In addition to treating patients, she conducts research and trains residents.

Archer said that adding Kapoor to the neurology team lessens the hospital-based workload of some of her colleagues who specialize in treating particular types of neurological conditions so they can focus on providing specialized care at UAMS’ outpatient Neurology Clinic.

“She is another key piece of the puzzle as we build upon our ability to offer the most complete array of specialized neurological care in the state,” Archer said.

Kapoor cited UAMS’ comprehensive neurology specializations as one of the things that drew her to the position.

“Working in an academic setting is important to me,” Kapoor said. “It is a challenging yet exciting opportunity to treat neurological disorders, as new treatments are constantly emerging. It’s the kind of role where you can have a big impact.”

Kapoor obtained her medical degree from Dr. Vaishampayan Memorial Medical College in Solapur, India. She completed her neurology residency in the Department of Neurology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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By Amy Widner | October 16th, 2017

Oct. 10, 2017 | Researchers with the Myeloma Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have identified one reason myeloma patients respond differently to treatment — the cancer cells can vary in type and intensity depending on where in the bone marrow they are located.

The team headed by Leo Rasche, M.D., and Niels Weinhold, Ph.D., reported these findings in the Aug. 16 edition of the online publication Nature Communications in the article “Spatial genomic heterogeneity in multiple myeloma revealed by multi-region sequencing.”

The study highlights the need to investigate more than the standard biopsy site to obtain correct risk profiles.

For the study, which included 51 patients, the researchers tested several areas of the cancer including specimens from both the pelvis and from so-called focal lesions, which are nodular plasma cell accumulations present in most myeloma patients and which are found through radiology.

The authors, which include Rasche, Weinhold, the institute’s director Gareth Morgan, M.D., Ph.D., and the deputy director Faith E. Davies, M.D., showed that the most aggressive tumors frequently were only found in focal lesions. Weinhold is an assistant professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine, where Morgan and Davies also serve as professors.

“The genomic profiles of the abnormal plasma cells could be very different between the sites of focal lesions and the pelvis, but the pelvis is the standard site where biopsies are taken for diagnostics,” said Rasche.

He added that the disease was not evenly distributed in the bone marrow but was instead a patchy disease with hotspots.

“In our study for the first time we describe that high-risk myeloma could be hidden somewhere in the skeletal system and not necessarily be present at the iliac crest, which is on the upper, outer edge of the pelvis. There’s only one institution in the world that routinely biopsies focal lesions, and that’s at UAMS,” Rasche said. “If there is a lesion that is suspicious in imaging, then it would be checked.”

Future research at the Myeloma Institute will investigate non-invasive techniques such as medical imaging or tests from the peripheral blood to better identify patients with aggressive tumors. Until then, suspicious focal lesions have to be biopsied.

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,870 students, 799 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS and its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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By Linda Haymes | October 10th, 2017

Oct. 12, 2017 | Led by UAMS researchers, a new clinical study called STAMPOUT aims to help a drug user stay in treatment by keeping the effects of the drug from going into the brain.

This month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded the InterveXion/UAMS research team an $8 million, three-year grant to fund STAMPOUT (Study of Antibody for Methamphetamine Outpatient Therapy). This will be the first clinical study in methamphetamine users of a medication developed specifically for patients who are meth users.

The study will be conducted by InterveXion Therapeutics, a BioVentures LLC company housed on the UAMS campus in Little Rock.

The treatment makes use of a monoclonal antibody, IXT-m200, that works to help a drug user stay in treatment. The antibody binds the methamphetamine and keeps it from going into the brain, so users don’t get the high they are expecting. The treatment is planned to be used together with behavioral therapies once approved by the FDA.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to test IXT-m200 in methamphetamine users for the first time,” said Misty Stevens, Ph.D., InterveXion’s operations director and co-principal investigator on the grant award. “By showing that an antibody can change the way meth acts and makes a person feel, we will have strong evidence that this type of treatment will work to reduce drug use.”

Brooks Gentry, M.D., is co-principal investigator on the new grant. He is a professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology in the UAMS College of Medicine and InterveXion’s chief medical officer. Michael Owens, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UAMS College of Medicine, is InterveXion’s chief scientific officer. Ralph Henry is InterveXion’s vice president of biopharmaceutics and Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

The grant includes a sub-award to UAMS and funds researchers who are both founders of the company and also prominent UAMS leaders.

The antibody was tested during an earlier Phase 1 study for safety in healthy, non-methamphetamine users. In 2015, InterveXion received a $5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support production of the monoclonal antibody and to prepare research for the next clinical trial in methamphetamine users.

“The primary goal of this Phase 2a study is to show how IXT-m200 will alter methamphetamine’s effects in users and that it will reduce the reinforcing effects of methamphetamine that perpetuate its use,” Gentry said. “The study could also provide evidence that other immunotherapies can work, potentially changing clinical practice entirely. Understanding how this antibody works and how effective it is will help determine how other similar treatments could be used for substance use disorders.”

Also during the study, InterveXion will work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by planning for a Phase 2b/3 clinical study in larger groups of people who wish to quit using methamphetamine.

“STAMPOUT is a turning point,” Stevens said. “With data from this clinical study, plans can be made to study how effective IXT-m200 can be in the long term in helping meth users quit and move this game changing medication toward the market and the patients who need it.”

By Ben Boulden | October 12th, 2017

LITTLE ROCK — The UAMS Translational Research Institute has received funding for a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) totaling $3,497,558 through Aug. 31, 2018.

The 11 months of funding comes from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It will enable UAMS to continue its mission of accelerating scientific discovery with innovative programs that help researchers translate their findings into new knowledge and treatments, said Translational Research Institute Director Laura James, M.D., UAMS associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational research.

“This is a significant federal research award for Arkansas,” James said. “We are very excited and proud to receive this award so that we can expand translational research at UAMS and improve the health of Arkansans through collaboration with our partner institutions – the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.”

The Translational Research Institute will apply for five years of CTSA funding in May 2018. If the May application is fully funded, the award would likely total more than $25 million. The first CTSA grant was awarded to UAMS in 2009.

Receipt of the $3.5 million award ensures that UAMS remains a member of the national CTSA consortium, made up of 62 academic research institutions across the country.

“In essence, the CTSA is the most important NIH grant an institution can receive,” said James, the award’s principal investigator. “Consortium members work very closely with each other to develop transferable solutions that address many of today’s greatest human health challenges.”

As a CTSA-funded site, UAMS directly helps researchers overcome long-standing obstacles to their work and provides patients tremendous opportunities to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials, in which they receive new medications and/or benefit from new treatments that are not available commercially. In addition, UAMS will continue to harness extremely large data sets, in concert with other institutions, to develop state-of-the-art solutions to health challenges. For example, these types of studies allow UAMS to use available data to understand if one treatment is better than another treatment for complex health care problems, such as mental illness, diabetes and other diseases that are common in Arkansas.

“The UAMS Translational Research Institute has been a significant contributor to the CTSA consortium in helping it meet its goals,” said Lawrence Cornett, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research. “This award ensures that UAMS clinical and translational investigators have ready access to diverse resources and approaches that the Translational Research Institute provides. Moreover, our researchers will benefit from resources available at over 60 other institutions within the consortium.”

In the last three years, the Translational Research Institute has launched or improved several research resources that are now being used by the UAMS research community:

• ARresearch.org, a volunteer research participant registry and website, was established in collaboration with lay members of the community so that researchers have access to a pool of over 3,600 individuals who have indicated an interest in hearing more about research volunteer opportunities.
• Arkansas Clinical Data Repository, a research data warehouse with de-identified patient data that researchers can use to understand patterns in data that will provide a framework to guide future studies testing new research treatments or approaches.
• UAMS Profiles, an online researcher-to-researcher networking/collaboration tool, which gives researchers a user-friendly way to locate potential research partners locally and nationally.
• TRI Portal, a cost-saving electronic request system for researchers, which allows the researcher to select from a menu of over 30 unique services and receive customized help with a research-related task in an efficient manner.

The Translational Research Institute partners with the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health to provide a robust community engagement program to increase public involvement and participation in research at UAMS. Representative components of the program include:

• TRI’s Community Advisory Board, a diverse board whose members represent multiple grassroots segments of the state’s population. The board provides critical viewpoints, including their cultural and logistical perspectives that researchers need to make their studies operational.
• TRI’s Community Scientist Academy, which teaches the public how research is conducted and provides readiness training so that community members can serve as consultants to researchers and help plan the design and tools used in the research.

Additional components of the new CTSA award include funds to start a new informatics research consultation service, a new research subject recruitment program, and statistical services to ensure studies are properly designed to answer research questions. Other new programs that will be provided by the grant are dissemination services, so that the findings of research studies are communicated to numerous audiences, including research participants, the local community, other researchers, treating physicians and national audiences.

“The new grant allows us to get services to researchers, but more importantly, it allows UAMS, and our research partners, to tackle the health challenges we face here in Arkansas,” James said. “Our mission goes beyond research and really helps us as an academic community take better care of patients. The secondary effects of this grant will have a very important impact on Arkansas that includes benefits to our local workforce, economy and productivity as Arkansans.”

The NCATS/NIH award is under Award Number U54TR001629.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,021 students, 789 medical residents and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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By David Robinson | October 11th, 2017