UAMS

,

College of Pharmacy Honors Pilar Murphy, Pharm.D., with Memorial Scholarship

,

By Benjamin Waldrum

The UAMS College of Pharmacy has established the Pilar Murphy Memorial Scholarship to honor the beloved alumna and faculty member who died Nov. 2.

Murphy, a 2010 College of Pharmacy graduate, returned to UAMS in 2021, joining the Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty as an associate professor. She is survived by her mother, Patricia Ann Murphy, son, Zion Vincent Murphy and sister, Erica Pleshette Murphy.

“Dr. Pilar Murphy’s life was full of impact that extended to the lives of her colleagues, students and patients,” said College of Pharmacy Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D. “She cared deeply for and about others and stayed committed to challenging herself and those around her to be better and do better. Dr. Murphy brought energy and hope to every room she entered — it was palpable. This memorial scholarship honors her legacy and impact by supporting student pharmacists who exemplify her same commitment to caring about patients, colleagues and the broader community.”

College of Pharmacy Honors Pilar Murphy, Pharm.D., with Memorial Scholarship

, ,

Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan Pledge $1 Million to Create Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience at UAMS

, ,

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan pledged $1 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to establish the Cathy Cole Seilhan and Denton Seilhan Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience in the College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

“I want to thank the Seilhans for their visionary gift to UAMS that establishes the Cathy Cole Seilhan and Denton Seilhan Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “With the assistance of these funds, we will be able to help many children throughout our state who have experienced trauma and mental health issues.”

The gift was made in honor of Nikki Edge, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for research in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and director of the department’s Research and Evaluation Division, who will be invested in the chair later this year.

Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan Pledge $1 Million to Create Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience at UAMS

,

UAMS Receives $2.5 Million for Family Medicine Residency Programs in South Arkansas

,

By Philip Allison

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will expand its residency programs in south Arkansas thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Arkansas State Legislature.

The state’s PEER Joint Budget Committee recently approved a request for $2,550,225 in funding from the restricted reserve fund to support the development of family medicine residency programs in El Dorado and Crossett. The funds will help create 22 new residency slots in hospitals in the two cities as well as one new family medicine obstetrics fellowship.

“Expanding the number of physicians starting their careers in Arkansas through their medical residency increases the chance they will remain in the state to practice, so partnering with hospitals around the state to increase the number of residency slots is a pathway for addressing physician shortages in rural Arkansas,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer. “We are grateful for the State of Arkansas providing startup funds for these new family medicine residency programs in Crossett and El Dorado.”

UAMS Receives $2.5 Million for Family Medicine Residency Programs in South Arkansas

,

UAMS and Walmart Work Together to Address Food Insecurity and Improve Wellness

,

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Walmart are collaborating to increase access to nutritious food across Arkansas.

Through the collaboration, participants in select research projects at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation will receive Walmart Wellness Benefit cards to be specifically used at Walmart stores for various health-related items, including healthy foods and baby care items.

The statewide program begins in March. The number of cards and card amounts will be determined on a project-by-project basis. Various research projects within the institute will participate in the program, including CenteringPregnancy and Delivering HOPE, a new program that will include nutritional counseling, case management and grocery deliveries.

UAMS and Walmart Work Together to Address Food Insecurity and Improve Wellness

, ,

UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

, ,

By David Robinson

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., has been awarded a Veterans Affairs (VA) Merit Award of $830,000 over four years to address the widespread overprescribing of levothyroxine (LT4), one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States.

LT4 is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid produces too few hormones. However, many patients are prescribed LT4 based solely on a single abnormal test, even when thyroid function is normal, Maraka said, which can lead to unnecessary treatment and financial burden, disruptive lifestyle changes, cardiovascular risks and even death.

About 20 million people in the United States receive LT4. Among those starting LT4, about 31% have normal thyroid function, meaning LT4 should not have been prescribed, according to a 2021 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine that Maraka co-authored.

UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

, ,

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Scientist Awarded $1.9 Million to Study Air Pollution, Breast Cancer

, ,

By Marty Trieschmann

A researcher at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to study the role of environmental exposures in the development of early onset breast cancer in Arkansas women.

Ping-Ching Hsu, Ph.D., an associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and a member of the Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Research Group, is the first UAMS researcher to receive federal funding for a large, population-based study on environmental exposure and cancer in rural Arkansas communities.

The five-year NIEHS grant will advance Hsu’s study of 26,000 Arkansas women, all study participants in the UAMS Arkansas Rural Community Health (ARCH) Study since 2007. ARCH is a large cohort of women ages 18 to 95 from all 75 counties in Arkansas that began as Spit for the Cure. In leading the study, Hsu has already discovered that the cohort has high proportions of women younger than 50 who were healthy when they enrolled and later developed breast cancer.

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Scientist Awarded $1.9 Million to Study Air Pollution, Breast Cancer

,

Professor Sponsors High School, Undergrad Students in 2 UAMS Health Career Programs

,

By Chris Carmody

A pair of community engagement programs in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division for Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships will be able to accept more students this year thanks to support from a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.

David Becton, M.D., a pediatric hematologist and oncologist who treats patients at Arkansas Children’s, has agreed to provide $45,000 in endowed chair discretionary funds to sponsor students in the Pre-Medical Summer Scholars and Summer Research Internship programs over a two-year period.

Becton is the inaugural recipient of Arkansas Children’s Lawrence H. Schmieding Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, which was established in 2015. He said the UAMS programs are the first of their kind that he’s supported through Arkansas Children’s endowment funds.

Professor Sponsors High School, Undergrad Students in 2 UAMS Health Career Programs

,

Visitors Get Look at New, Full-Service UAMS Plastic Surgery Center

,

By Linda Satter

Sunlight streamed through full-length glass windows into the sixth-floor reception area of the new University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Plastic Surgery Clinic in the Freeway Medical Tower, adding an element of warmth on an otherwise cold day.

It was Feb. 13, the perfect day for a three-hour Open House that provided members of the public and UAMS employees with an up-close look at the newly refurbished, light-filled space.

Visitors toured the seven exam rooms, the large procedure room and the consult and triage spaces while nibbling on snacks and visiting with two of the three surgeons who work at the clinic as well as advanced practice providers and staff members.

The clinic opened without fanfare Dec. 18, 2024, occupying 4,365 square feet on the sixth floor and cementing UAMS’ heavy presence in the building, which also houses other UAMS clinics and offices.

Visitors Get Look at New, Full-Service UAMS Plastic Surgery Center

,

UAMS-led Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative Launches Congenital Syphilis Initiative

,

By David Wise

PxHere Image

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ARPQC), a partnership started last year between the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and 34 birthing hospitals across the state, has launched an initiative to rapidly address a congenital syphilis problem in Arkansas.

Twenty-two hospitals in Arkansas are participating in this new initiative, which started in January and will run for six months.

“Syphilis is an infection that we used to rarely see,” said William “Sam” Greenfield, M.D., MBA, a professor in the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, medical director for Family Health with ADH and medical director of ARPQC. “Unfortunately, it’s making a resurgence, not just in Arkansas, but across the United States and globally. We need to update our clinical practices to address this problem.”

UAMS-led Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative Launches Congenital Syphilis Initiative

,

Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

,

By Kev' Moye

The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention took center stage in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division of Research and Innovation’s latest Showcase of Medical Discoveries.

The center in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health aims to understand the causes of birth defects and to reduce the number of babies born with birth defects. Conducting extensive research and developing community partnerships is key to the center fulfilling its mission.

The Feb. 5 showcase spotlighted 16 of the center’s research projects.

Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

, ,

UAMS College of Public Health to Offer New Doctoral Program

, ,

By Kev' Moye

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will offer an Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) doctoral program beginning in the fall 2025 semester. Students in the multidisciplinary program will learn how the environment impacts human health.
According to Gunnar Boysen, Ph.D., associate professor in the college’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, students will receive in-depth training in a spectrum of disciplines such as:
• Environmental Toxicology
•Environmental Origins of Cancer Exposure Science
•Exposure Assessment
•Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
•Public Health Microbiology
•Geographical Information Systems
•Biomarkers of Exposure
•Climate Change and Public Health

“Environmental Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that bridges studies of the environment with human health — specifically population health and behavior,” Boysen said.
The department conducted surveys among academic institutions, government agencies and public health industries, which confirmed the need for more environmental health specialists in Arkansas. Currently, no comparable doctoral program exists in the state, forcing employers to self-train or recruit out-of-state personnel for specialized positions.
Undergraduate and master’s level Environmental Health Science programs have seen a steady increase in enrollment in recent semesters. “Those developments demonstrate a demand for this doctoral program,” Boysen said.
UAMS College of Public Health to Offer New Doctoral Program
Page 2
The program will position students for a career in the environmental health sciences while also training them on how to conduct original research, analyze their findings and contribute to the advancing environmental health sciences knowledge.
“Our doctoral program will be targeted to the field of environmental health sciences’ needs, thereby complementing other Ph.D. program at UAMS and in the state,” Boysen said.
“The EHS program will give young Arkansans an additional educational opportunity in-state that can lead to a high paying job that itself will have a positive impact in the state for generations to come,” he added.
For more information about the program visit publichealth.uams.edu/academics/doctoral/phd-in-environmental-health-sciences/.

,

UAMS, AR Children’s brace for Trump administration cuts to medical research funding

,

KUAR | By Lara Farrar

From the Arkansas Times:

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s are preparing for the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health, a policy change that would upend grant-funded research at universities, medical schools and other scientific institutions in Arkansas and across the United States.

On Friday, the NIH announced that it would set a cap of 15% on payments for “indirect costs” related to research. Those costs include “general administration and general expenses such as the director’s office, accounting, personnel” and other expenditures. The change in indirect cost coverage applies to existing grants and for any new grants issued, NIH’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration said Friday.

On Saturday, UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson sent a memo to research faculty and staff, warning the NIH policy change “would have a significant effect on UAMS and other research institutions across our state and country.”

UAMS, AR Children’s brace for Trump administration cuts to medical research funding

UAMS

,

UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care

,

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas mothers who live in rural areas and/or who have a Medicaid-covered birth are less likely to receive early prenatal care or receive an adequate number of prenatal care visits, according to a study published recently by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation.

The study, “Sociodemographic factors associated with prenatal care utilization in Arkansas, United States,” analyzed prenatal care utilization among women in Arkansas. Researchers found that mothers with a Medicaid-covered birth were more likely to have fewer than the recommended number of prenatal care visits, more likely to initiate prenatal care late, and more likely to have no prenatal visits at all.

Researchers also found that some minority groups — specifically Black and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations — were more likely to experience late or less than the recommended number of prenatal care visits compared to white mothers.

UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care

,

Northwest Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference Examines Complex Issues Surrounding Mental Illness

,

By David Wise

Hundreds of health care professionals, caregivers and family members of people with schizophrenia gathered at the Fayetteville Town Center on Jan. 30 to learn about the symptoms, misconceptions and treatment of the illness, as well as the experiences of the nearly 3 million American adults with schizophrenia.

The conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Psychiatric Research Institute, was the first of its kind in Northwest Arkansas and was dedicated to raising awareness about schizophrenia and the issues that accompany the mental illness.

Ryan Cork, MSHA, vice chancellor of the Northwest Arkansas Region, welcomed attendees to the conference.

“The Northwest Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference is a significant step forward for our region,” Cork said. “By bringing together leading experts, health care professionals and families, this event has the potential to transform how we address mental health challenges locally. It reinforces our commitment to building a stronger, more informed community and ensuring that Northwest Arkansas remains a leader in advancing mental health care and support.”

Northwest Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference Examines Complex Issues Surrounding Mental Illness

, ,

UAMS Names Deanna Sasaki-Adams, M.D., as Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery

, ,

By Tamara Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine named Deanna Sasaki-Adams, M.D., MBA, as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, effective March 1.

A noted vascular and skull base neurosurgeon, Sasaki-Adams currently serves as the Department of Neurosurgery’s vice chair of Quality and Clinical Operations, medical director of UAMS neurosurgery services and associate program director for the Neurosurgery Residency program. She also holds a professor faculty appointment in the department.

“Dr. Sasaki-Adams will provide strong and innovative leadership for our clinical, educational and research programs in neurosurgery,” said Steven Webber, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and executive vice chancellor. “She has already excelled in many leadership roles at UAMS and the University of North Carolina.”

UAMS Names Deanna Sasaki-Adams, M.D., as Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery

Deanna Sasaki-Adams, M.D. Image by Bryan Clifton

, ,

Ashley Booth Norse, M.D., Joins UAMS as Chair of Emergency Medicine

, ,

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — Ashley Booth Norse, M.D., has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as chair of the College of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

Norse comes to UAMS from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, where she was professor and associate chair of operations in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

“Dr. Norse is known nationally and in Florida as an ardent emergency medicine physician, leader and patient advocate who has strived to improve standards and performance in her field and medicine more broadly,” said Steven Webber, M.D., dean of the UAMS College of Medicine. “She will be an outstanding leader for our excellent programs, faculty and staff in Emergency Medicine.”

Ashley Booth Norse, M.D., Joins UAMS as Chair of Emergency Medicine

, ,

UAMS Intervention Sees Significant Decrease in HbA1c, BMI Levels Among Marshallese Communities

, ,

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — Participants in a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) study to determine the effectiveness of culturally-adapted, family-based diabetes education and management programs for Marshallese families saw significant reductions in HbA1c and BMI (Body Mass Index) levels, according to researchers at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.

The study examined 185 individuals, including 99 diabetics and 86 family members. Building on research conducted with Marshallese community members in Arkansas, the study was implemented in church settings in Hawaii and Washington state, using trained, bilingual community health workers (CHWs) to administer the family-based Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program. The program was implemented in partnership with Washington State University and the Hawaii Island Community Health Center.

According to previous studies, more than 90% of Marshallese adults reported regular church attendance.

UAMS Intervention Sees Significant Decrease in HbA1c, BMI Levels Among Marshallese Communities

, ,

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

, ,

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK —The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently earned echocardiography accreditation for its cardiac noninvasive laboratory from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

Echocardiography is a noninvasive procedure that uses ultrasound to create images of the heart for use in examining its structure and diagnosing heart conditions. UAMS was awarded accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal, stress and transthoracic echocardiography — procedures that diagnose various conditions of the heart including infections, blood clots and heart artery blockages. UAMS is the only adult-care hospital in central Arkansas to earn accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal and stress echocardiography.

“This prestigious recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication and excellence of our entire faculty and staff,” said Paul Mounsey, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Cardiology in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine. “Achieving IAC accreditation underscores our commitment to providing high-quality education and continuous improvement in all aspects of our program.”

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

, ,

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

, ,

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — John R. Montgomery, M.D., and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D., have joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeons. Both will also serve as assistant professors in the College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

Montgomery comes to UAMS from New York City, where he completed a two-year fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Previously, he completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Michigan Medicine, which is a research university in Ann Arbor, and a research fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy (CHOP).

Nakamura joins UAMS from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he completed fellowships in transplant surgery and transplant surgery research, and performed numerous liver and kidney transplant surgeries, including robotic-assisted surgeries.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

, ,

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

, ,

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A discovery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) that a viral protein helps a cancer-associated herpesvirus evade the immune system has led to a five-year, $2.9 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., will use the grant to help reveal functions of the viral protein known as latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). The research is focused on LANA’s roles during infection by the gamma herpesvirus known as Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).

Forrest, a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, hopes the work will someday lead to a vaccine for Kaposi sarcoma and other cancers caused by gamma herpesviruses.

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers