By Tamara Robinson
May 15, 2023 | LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) named Rohit Dhall, M.D., as chair of the Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine, effective July 1.
“Dr. Dhall brings extensive leadership experience to his new role as well as a deep commitment to ensuring exceptional neurological care for Arkansans today and in the years ahead through research, education and clinical innovation,” said G. Richard Smith, M.D., interim dean of the College of Medicine and UAMS executive vice chancellor.
A faculty member since 2016, Dhall has served as professor, vice chair for clinical research and director of neurodegenerative disorders in the Department of Neurology since 2021. He has directed the Cure PSP Center of Care at UAMS since 2017. Dhall has co-directed the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence, with Dr. Tuhin Virmani, since 2021. He also directs the Parkinson’s Foundation Comprehensive Care Center, which obtained designation from the Parkinson’s Foundation Global Care Network under his leadership in 2022.
Dhall succeeds Robert “Lee” Archer, M.D., who announced last year his plans to step down from the role to focus more on his patients at the UAMS Health Neurology Clinic.
“I step into this role with immense gratitude and humility and clear knowledge of the tremendous potential and unwavering dedication of each member of our department,” said Dhall. “It is my privilege to help execute our team’s shared vision: of serving the neurological needs of Arkansans, finding better treatments for neurological illnesses and building our state’s neurology workforce.”
In addition to his leadership roles in neurology, Dhall has served as medical director of the Clinical Trials Innovation Unit, part of the UAMS Translational Research Institute, since 2019. He has been the faculty lead for the UAMS Clinical Research Services (CRSC) since 2022. He is nationally known for his expertise in designing and conducting clinical trials and has led or participated in more than 80 trials since 2006.
Dhall was recruited to UAMS from the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, California, where he served as director of clinical studies and director of the institute’s Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. He previously directed the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dhall received his medical degree at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He earned his Master of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. He interned in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and then completed residency training in neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dhall continued his training as the Francis and Ingeborg Heide Schumann Fellow at UAB.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 main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,240 students, 913 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
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