The Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) recognizes that the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows represents enormous potential for scientific innovation and economic return at the highest levels. ARA is launching the second round of ARA Impact Grants to identify 12-month projects that support the Academy with competitive grants in any amount up to $75,000i to address specific challenges and opportunities identified by Academy members. A 50% match is provided by the university (for example, a $75,000 project receives $37,500 from ARA and $37,500 from the host institution). Interested Academy members may review the guidelines in the request for proposals (RFP) and submit the required proposal through their office of research and sponsored programs to Douglas Hutchings via e-mail no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on January 11, 2021.

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting is the world’s largest and most diverse meeting in the bone, mineral and musculoskeletal research field. The 2020 Annual Meeting was held virtually September 11-15, 2020, attracting more than 3,000 attendees from over 70 countries. The platform included clinicians and researchers ranging in many career levels specializing in various disciplines and served as a forum for young researchers to network. The meeting agenda included a symposium, discovery hall, and educational programs consisting of over 1,100 poster presentations. 

Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., President of ASBMR 2020, and other colleagues from UAMS participated in the oral and poster presentations. 

“UAMS Physiology faculty participation at the 2020 ASBMR meeting highlighted the high level of research taking place in our department,” Dr. Bellido said. “That along with the participation of other departments and divisions from UAMS, demonstrate the commitment of our  institution to the advancement of research in bone and cancer.”  

Faculty members who presented are: Roy Morello, Ph.D., Associate Professor; Melda Onal, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; Jesús Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor; and Amy Sato, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Bellido’s lab. Learn more about their presentations below.

Dr. Frank A. Simmen with co-authors Iad Alhallak (M.Sc. Public Health, UAMS) and Dr. Rosalia C.M. Simmen recently published an invited review in the Journal of Molecular Endocrinology entitled “ Malic Enzyme 1 (ME1)in the Biology of Cancer: It’s Not Just Intermediary Metabolism’.

Hayley Sabol, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jesus Delgado-Calle’s group, gave an oral presentation during the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Pre-Meeting Symposium The Seed and Soil: Therapeutic Targets.  The title of her presentation is ‘Autocrine and paracrine Notch receptor 3 signaling in the myeloma niche stimulates tumor growth and bone destruction.’ Hayley presented the same work at the ASMBR Plenary Poster session.

Jesus Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has received one grant of $1.7 million to study new bone-targeted therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma, the second-most common blood-related cancer.

This National Health Institute-National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded study will examine the efficacy of novel therapeutics directed to the bone to decrease tumor growth, control dormant cancer cells, and repair damaged bone. Successful completion of this project could provide new approaches to guide development of new therapies that prevent or delay disease relapse and improve bone health in myeloma patients.

This project, which will run through 2025, has been awarded a MERIT Award (R37). The goal of R37 awards is to provide long-term grant support to investigators whose research competence and productivity are distinctly superior and who are highly likely to continue to perform in an outstanding manner. Under this mechanism, Dr. Delgado-Calle is eligible to obtain up to seven years of support in two segments: an initial award of up to five years and an opportunity for an extension of up to two additional years, based on an expedited NCI review of the accomplishments during the initial funding segment.

“Keep going, Physiology! COVID is not stopping us!” – Dr. Bellido

Physiologists wearing masks

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Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., Chair of Physiology and Biophysics, held the first Annual Town Hall meeting for the Department. She discussed goals and methods to reach them and held a question and answer session. The meeting was held in the Walton Auditorium as well as virtually for social distancing

Dr. Bellido presented her predecessor Michael Jennings, Ph.D., with an appreciation plaque from the department.

Chair Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., is the president of The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. The ASBMR just launched its new website. Visit the site to read the President’s Letter from Dr. Bellido and watch the video that includes Amy Sato, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow and member of Dr. Bellido’s lab.

We are proud of the work UAMS is continuing to do during this pandemic, and we want to set a good example and encourage other Arkansans to do the same.

Winners of the #MaskUpUAMS challenge for Friday, July 24, were:

• Jesus Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., assistant professor of Physiology & Biophysics
• Naomi Crume, R.N.
• Yavonda Chase, Internal Communications manager
• Monica Kimbrell, R.N.

The College of Medicine awarded the inaugural Michael Jennings and Paula Jennings Endowed Scholarship to Bukola Odeniyi.

“I am very happy and grateful to be the first recipient of the Dr. Michael Jennings and Paula Jennings Endowed Scholarship. Thank you so much for your generous support as I complete my M.D./Ph.D. education. With this award, you are investing in my goals of making health care more accessible to underserved populations. I plan to accomplish this goal through my clinical practice and research, especially in the area of cardiovascular health.

Once again, I am very thankful to Dr. Jennings and his wife Mrs. Paula Jennings for this generous financial support, and also to have had Dr. Jennings as a professor”

Bukola Odeniyi