Pediatrics

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TRI-Supported Researcher Megha Sharma, M.D., Published in Pediatrics

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By David Robinson

A successful effort at UAMS to reduce the amount of blood taken for lab tests from premature infants has been published in the journal Pediatrics.

The project was led by Megha Sharma, M.D., a neonatologist and associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Her work was conducted in the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) over two years as part of the UAMS Translational Research Institute’s Implementation Science Scholars Program. Her paper, “Reducing Iatrogenic Blood Losses in Premature Infants,” was published in September.

Research has shown that blood loss from repetitive lab testing is a significant contributor to anemia in very low birth weight infants (less than 3.3 pounds). The blood lost from lab tests in the first few weeks of life often equals or exceeds the amount of an infant’s total blood volume, which is only 2-3 ounces. It can lead to a range of poor health outcomes.

TRI-Supported Researcher Megha Sharma, M.D., Published in Pediatrics

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Arkansas Children’s Research Institute receives $3 million to study deadly fungus

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by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

A pair of infectious disease experts are establishing an emerging research program at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) to address a germ considered to be the leading cause of death for patients with weakened immune systems.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded grants worth more than $3 million to ACRI principal investigators Praveen Juvvadi and William Steinbach, who also serves as chief pediatrician at Arkansas Children’s and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. Juvvadi is also an associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at UAMS.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a relatively common fungus found in the environment in places like decaying leaf litter. It is a leading cause of death among people with compromised immune systems, a population that includes children with chronic illnesses. The fungus’ mortality rate exceeds 40%. Health care teams have trouble fighting Aspergillus fumigatus because the germ adapts and becomes stronger against currently available treatments.

Arkansas Children’s Research Institute receives $3 million to study deadly fungus

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UAMS College of Medicine Celebrates Excellence at 2024 Dean’s Honor Day

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By Tamara Robinson

The College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) celebrated the excellence of faculty and staff at its annual Dean’s Honor Day ceremony on April 16, presenting awards for teaching, clinical care, research, administration, humanism and service.

The ceremony culminated with the presentation of the Dean’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award to Eduardo R. “Eddie” Ochoa Jr., M.D., a professor in the Department of Pediatrics who has strived to improve the health and quality of life of children in Arkansas and nationally since joining the faculty in 1999. In addition to pediatrics-focused leadership, Ochoa’s service has included impactful roles such as helping the college identify and select promising future physicians as a multi-term member and chair of the college’s medical student admissions committee.

Ochoa’s nominator, Chenia Eubanks, M.D., MPH, associate professor and chief of the Section of Community Pediatrics, described the former section chief as a “fierce, steely advocate for children, their health and their future.” She noted Ochoa’s work in research, advocacy and policy work, as well as clinical care, to reduce disparities and eliminate barriers to good health.

UAMS College of Medicine Celebrates Excellence at 2024 Dean’s Honor Day