NIH Awards UAMS Researchers $2.27 Million to Study Estrogen’s Role in Preventing Bone Loss

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will use a $2.27 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to answer key questions about the cellular mechanisms used by estrogen to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.

The five-year NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) R01 grant is led by co-principal investigators Maria Schuller Almeida, Ph.D., and Ha-Neui (Hans) Kim, Ph.D. Almeida is a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, as well as the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Kim is an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Aging and estrogen deficiency are major causes of osteoporosis and lead to a higher risk for bone fractures particularly in women.

NIH Awards UAMS Researchers $2.27 Million to Study Estrogen’s Role in Preventing Bone Loss

UAMS’ Maria Schuller Almeida, Ph.D. (left), and Ha-Neui (Hans) Kim, Ph.D., will use new funding from the National Institutes of Health to answer key questions about estrogen’s important role in preventing bone loss.