Department News Archive

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute opened a new Radiation Oncology Center today with expanded capabilities to provide advanced radiation treatments for children and adults with cancer, including the state’s first Proton Center. The $65 million, 58,000-square-foot structure at 3900 W. Capitol Ave. in Little Rock was built…

By Marty Trieschmann July 12, 2023 | Adam Wolfe, M.D., Ph.D., a radiation oncologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has received a $583,200 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to study radiation resistance in pancreatic cancer, a lethal disease with the highest mortality rate of all […]

April Wurtz, the MVP for June. April serves as a medical dosimetrist in the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. In the course of her work, she puts into practice the UAMS values of integrity, respect, diversity and health equity, teamwork, creativity, excellence and safety. Please read what one of her nominators wrote about how she does […]

UAMS, a prominent institution dedicated to cancer research, is thrilled to announce that Dr. Robert Griffin has been awarded a grant from the esteemed UAMS BioVentures Development Award Program. The grant, titled “Targeting HIF1 Regulated Pathways with miRNA Therapeutics to Control Cancer Progression: Comparison Study to Generate Provisional Patent Support,” will propel Dr. Griffin’s research […]

Dr. Gary Lewis, Radiation Oncologist, presented at the 7th Annual Virtual Reality and Healthcare Global Symposium held in Philadelphia March 3-5. His presentation was titled “Virtual Reality (VR) Technology for Gynecologic Cancer Radiation/Brachytherapy”. Brachytherapy is an essential component of standard of care treatment for gynecologic cancers. Unfortunately, many gynecologic cancer patients do not receive brachytherapy […]

Wen Chien Hsi, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as an associate professor of physics specializing in proton beam radiation therapy. Hsi will work in the Proton Center of Arkansas, a partnership of UAMS, Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health and Proton International that will provide…

LITTLE ROCK — Fen Xia, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

Radiation Oncology Department Chair Dr. Fen Xia was recognized at the 2022 ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) Conference and awarded the ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) Designation The ASTRO Fellow designation (FASTRO) is awarded based on ASTRO membership, service to ASTRO, and contributions to the field of radiation oncology. The FASTRO designation has been awarded to […]

What a great day! Excited about this big step towards opening the first Proton Center in the State. Read the full article at UAMS News. Watch the drone coverage of the cyclotron being lowered into the new center:

Completion of a $65 million expanded University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Radiation Oncology Center that will house Arkansas’ first Proton Center marked an important milestone Oct. 20 with the arrival and installation of the Proton Center’s cyclotron, a type of particle accelerator that serves as a key piece of equipment. “UAMS is proud…

Dr. Gary Lewis, Dr. Arpan Prabu, and Melissa Peterman, RN, were awarded first place in the ABR Shark Tank competition with their proposal: “Using Virtual Reality to improve the patient experience during gynecologic brachytherapy.” The judging was a combination of audience reaction and a panel vote. For patients with advanced cervical cancer, radiation therapy using […]

Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) sponsors the annual Educator of the Year Award to recognize outstanding teachers and mentors of radiation oncology residents. Residents from all radiation oncology programs were given the opportunity to select one faculty member from their program for the award. Outstanding educators included faculty from physics, biology, and the […]

The Medical Education Foundation for Arkansas (MEFFA) was established by the Arkansas Medical Society in 1959 to provide grants to support education for medical students in Arkansas. MEFFA has given a series of annual grants to the College of Medicine each year since 1959. The grants are intended to provide support for educational projects/equipment/programs that involve […]

The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Team Science Award supports new cancer-focused research between Cancer Institute members. The funding supports multi-PI teams pursuing new avenues of cancer research that will accelerate the collection of data for NCI grant submissions and cancer-relevant publications. Dr. Adam Wolfe, Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology, and co-investigators Drs. Isabelle Racine […]

Radiation Oncology resident Dr. Arpan Prabhu was awarded a travel grant to attend the 2022 American College of Radiology (ACR) Annual Meeting. This grant is supported by CARROS (the ACR radiation oncology chapter), ACR, and individual members of the CARROS executive committee. This meeting provides an opportunity to develop a national consensus on radiation oncology issues […]

Dr. Fen Xia, UAMS Department of Radiation Oncology, and members of Radiation Oncology sign the final beam for the new $65 million Proton Therapy Center scheduled to be complete in 2023, the state’s first and one of only 40 nationwide. Proton therapy uses high-energy beams to target tumors in hard-to-reach areas without damaging surrounding tissue. […]

Radiation Oncology Resident, Dr. Arpan Prabhu, presented two posters at the American College of Radiation Oncologists (ACRO) national meeting. Dr. Prabhu presented his poster: Re-irradiation of recurrent head and neck cancers using pulsed reduced dose-rate radiotherapy: an institutional series and YouTube as a Source of Information on Radiation Therapy.

Medical student, Caleb Nissen, presented his research on the risk associated with cranial radiation treatment-induced necrosis at the American College of Radiation Oncologists (ACRO) national meeting. Caleb worked with Dr. Jun Ying, Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Gary Lewis, and Radiation Oncology Department Chair, Dr. Fen Xia, to write his research and present his abstract at the […]

Radiation Oncology resident Dr. Arpan Prabhu is one of 10 residents nationwide to receive a Novocure Travel Grant to attend the American College of Radiation Oncology meeting this year. The ACRO Annual Meeting is taking place March 9-12 at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.  ACRO is excited to support resident participation in their signature event […]

By Marty Trieschmann The Radiation Oncology Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received the highest national accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). The center, which is part of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, is the only radiation oncology center in the state to be granted full accreditation by […]

By Marty Trieschmann Jan. 6, 2022 | Kirk West, Ph.D., a Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute researcher, is the first UAMS scientist to be awarded the prestigious American Cancer Society (ACS) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Only 14% of ACS fellowships are funded from a nationwide pool of applicants. The three-year fellowship will help fund West’s research on the […]

A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) research team will use a National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant to study promising new ways to improve the effectiveness of a common cancer treatment for patients lacking beneficial gut bacteria.

Radiation Oncology resident Dr. Arpan Prabhu is one of only 10 residents and fellows nationwide to receive an Alpha Omega Alpha Postgraduate Fellowship Award this year. Dr. Prabhu will use the award from the national medical honor society to further his research into the use of virtual reality technology to improve the patient experience and […]

LITTLE ROCK — Radiation oncologist  Richard Crownover, M.D., Ph.D., and neurosurgeon Analiz Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., and their care team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have performed the state’s first application of GammaTile Therapy.

2020 UAMS graduate Dr. Scarlett Acklin is on a trajectory for great success as a radiation oncologist. After wrapping up her internship at UAMS, she begins her radiation oncology residency at Duke University next month.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) broke ground today on an expanded Radiation Oncology Center, which will be home to Arkansas’ first Proton Center. The Radiation Oncology Center, part of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, already offers cutting-edge technologies to provide the latest radiation treatments. It will continue to provide those…

Four researchers at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute received a funding boost thanks to newly awarded $50,000 grants, which were announced in a virtual ceremony March 11. Presented annually since 2009, the Seeds of Science pilot grant awards assist cancer researchers in collecting data and developing projects that have the potential to result…

LITTLE ROCK — A five-year, $1.47 million National Cancer Institute grant has been awarded to researcher Justin Leung, Ph.D., at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to study DNA repair. Leung’s project is a collaboration with Robert Eoff, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the UAMS College…

LITTLE ROCK — A four-year, $792,000 American Cancer Society Research Scholar grant has been awarded to researcher Justin Leung, Ph.D., at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to study DNA repair mechanisms. “Understanding the molecular processes of DNA repair can help both better diagnose cancer and to progress treatment,” said Leung, an assistant…

Radiation oncologist Richard Crownover, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He sees patients in the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center and specializes in the treatment of gynecological cancers, breast cancer and sarcoma.

The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees today approved joint ventures between the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Baptist Health and Arkansas Children’s to expand access to radiation therapy as well as to establish the state’s first proton therapy center.

A $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Studies (NIGMS) will allow a scientist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to advance his research of DNA damage response (DDR) in cancer and genetic disorders.

The Radiation Oncology Residency program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which reviews all programs annually. When efforts to launch the program began in 2017, there was no residency training for radiation oncology in the state, and Arkansas was one of…

By Amy Widner The Radiation Oncology Residency program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received full 10-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. When efforts to launch the program began in 2017, there was no residency training for radiation oncology in the state, and Arkansas was one of the […]

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health and Proton International (PI) have signed a Letter of Intent to bring proton therapy — an alternative to radiation therapy for treating cancer — to Arkansas.

Dr. Arpan Prabhu, a Radiation Oncology resident, was interviewed in an article published in Medscape en Español that discusses the growing online presence of physicians, as well as patient reviews, around the world. The article, translated as “Can the opinions of patients on the internet be worth more than professional merits?” highlighted Dr. Prabhu’s previously […]

A five-year grant of more than $1.86 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will fund research aimed at reducing long-term neurological damage caused by a common cancer treatment regimen.

Much of Dr. Griffin’s work has involved studying the interactions of normal and tumor microvasculature with tumor cells in the context of blood flow, hypoxia and the tumor microenvironment. Applied studies using various nanomaterials (e.g., nanoliposomes and various nanomedicines) for targeted delivery to the tumor vasculature to improve responses to radiation, thermal treatment, or chemotherapy […]

Dr. Gary Lewis, one of Radiation Oncology’s newest physicians, has been awarded a grant from the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). The New Practitioner Seed Grant award is to help fund the Preop vs Postop SRS trial. This trial is for patients with brain metastases (cancer from somewhere else that has spread to the […]

Radiation Oncology Resident, Dr. Arpan Prabhu was awarded a travel grant to attend the American College of Radiation Oncology’s Annual meeting! This highly coveted grant is awarded to the most inspiring trainees across the country and Dr. Prabhu was one of the recipients from a large pool of applications! The American College of Radiation Oncology […]

By Susan Van Dusen Biomedical research does not exist in a vacuum. To succeed, scientists must work together by combining resources and ideas in new and innovative ways. Many times, these collaborations exist across institutions, where combined strengths provide the perfect combination of skills necessary to undertake complex projects successfully. Such is the case with […]

By Susan Van Dusen Sept. 16, 2019 | LITTLE ROCK – Radiation oncologist Gary Lewis, M.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and sees patients at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. He also serves as assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology. His clinical practice focuses […]

    Faraz Kalantari, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Kalantari received a bachelor’s degree in atomic and molecular physics at Kharazmi University in Iran in 2004 and a master’s degree in medical physics in 2007 at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, where he later earned his doctorate in […]

Radiation Oncology Senior Research Associate, Azemat “AJ” Jamshidi-Parsian, was a collaborator on research that has demonstrated the ability to detect and kill circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood using a noninvasive device called Cytophone that integrates a laser, ultrasound and phone technologies. Read more about the story from UAMS HERE

Congratulations to Dr. Garron Deshazer for receiving the Best Poster Award Friday at the Southwest American Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting.  His poster was titled Analysis of Brainlab Elements vs Eclipse RadpidArc Spine Stereotactic Radiosurgery Platforms.  

By Susan Van Dusen Transforming something frightening into something inspiring isn’t an easy task. But that’s exactly what students at Central Arkansas Christian (CAC) School set out to do for patients undergoing treatment at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. “I love the idea of being able to inspire the patients and bring a little bit […]

Transforming something frightening into something inspiring isn’t an easy task. But that’s exactly what students at Central Arkansas Christian (CAC) School set out to do for patients undergoing treatment at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. “I love the idea of being able to inspire the patients and bring a little bit of light into a…

Artwork produced by local high school students will be on display at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. The project, Paint over Pain, aims to lift patients’ spirits by bringing beauty to a frightening part of treatment: radiation masks. Radiation masks immobilize patients during treatment by holding their head and neck in place for precise radiation […]

It’s common to hear bells at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. When a patient completes their final treatment, they celebrate by stepping up to the large brass bell on the wall and giving it a ring. For 8-year-old Abigail Lewis, however, one ring was not enough. After finishing a milestone 30th radiation treatment, Abigail grabbed the braided […]

It’s common to hear bells at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. When a patient completes their final treatment, they celebrate by stepping up to the large brass bell on the wall and giving it a ring.

Dr. Jian Fang graduated from the Medical Physics Residency program on June 29th, 2018. Dr. Fang has been a Resident with the Radiation Oncology Medical Physics program for 2 years. After graduation, Dr. Fang has accepted a position at Baylor Scott and White Health in Texas. Congratulations and good luck!

George Crocker is up to just about any challenge. A retired Army lieutenant general, Crocker spent the good part of his life defending his country both at home and abroad. From two tours in Vietnam to serving as commander at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, Crocker made a lasting mark through his distinguished military service. […]

May 29, 2018 | George Crocker is up to just about any challenge. A retired Army lieutenant general, Crocker spent the good part of his life defending his country both at home and abroad. From two tours in Vietnam to serving as commander at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, Crocker made a lasting mark through…

Scarlett Acklin, a third-year medical student active in research within the UAMS Department of Radiation Oncology, was awarded the 2018-2019 Eleanor Duncan Oncology Scholarship from the Conway Regional Health Foundation.  Scarlett has been conducting her medical research in Dr. Fen Xia’s research lab. Scarlett’s research project is investigating the underlining molecular mechanism of cancer therapy induced peripheral […]

Mausam Patel, M.D. 2018 Resident We are exited to announce that Mausam Patel will join the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Radiation Oncology Residency Program.  Mausam will be the first Radiation Oncology resident in Arkansas.  He will be joining us in mid-June 2018.

Arpan V. Prabhu 2019 Resident We are excited to announce that Arpan Prabhu, a current fourth-year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will join the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Radiation Oncology residency program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in July of 2019. Prior to matriculating into the […]

Radiation oncology is a complex and competitive field, attracting some of the brightest medical students from across the country. Until now, however, anyone in Arkansas interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology had to leave the state for advanced training. This summer, that will change when Arkansas’ first-ever radiation oncology residency program welcomes its […]

Jerry Moskwiak, pictured with his wife, Sharon, successfully underwent treatment both for mantle cell lymphoma and lung cancer at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Jerry Moskwiak tells his story of how he moved to Little Rock to be close to the excellent care UAMS could provide.  Read Jerry’s story.

  Tina Farber tells her story of the personalized care she received at UAMS.  Read Tina’s story.

LITTLE ROCK – Radiation oncology is a complex and competitive field, attracting some of the brightest medical students from across the country. Until now, however, anyone in Arkansas interested in pursuing a career in radiation oncology had to leave the state for advanced training. This summer, that will change when Arkansas’ first-ever radiation oncology residency…