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

Senior male patient having ultrasound examination of the heart in medical clinic

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

John R. Montgomery, M.D., (left) and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.

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

UAMS researcher Craig Forrest, Ph.D. (center), and his lab team hope their work will ultimately lead to a cancer vaccine. With Forrest are (l-r) Sheldon Zeltner, Chandra Penthala, Shana Owens, Ph.D., and Steven Murdock, Jr. Image by Bryan Clifton

UAMS Receives $1.9 Million Department of Justice Grant for Emergency Response Program in Little Rock Schools

Dec. 30, 2024 | LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Institute for Digital Health & Innovation has received a three-year, $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a community-based emergency response program in Little Rock schools.

“We are grateful to have been awarded these funds by the Department of Justice and look forward to improving safety infrastructure for our partner schools,” said Joseph Sanford, M.D., the institute’s director.

The Little Rock Violence Intervention and Safety Innovative Outreach Network (LR VISION) will implement advanced safety technologies, including behavioral threat assessments, to manage and intervene in potential threats early. It will provide campus digital mapping to enhance emergency responses, anonymous reporting systems that are safe and confidential, and comprehensive site assessments to identify and address safety concerns within school infrastructures.

UAMS Receives $1.9 Million Department of Justice Grant for Emergency Response Program in Little Rock Schools

The UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation is working on a community-based emergency response program for the Little Rock School District.

Rampy Foundation Relays $65,000 Donation to UAMS Department of Neurology for MS Research

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Neurology in the College of Medicine received $65,000 for multiple sclerosis research from the Rampy MS Research Foundation during a ceremony today.

This is the third year the Rampy MS Research Foundation has conducted the run. Jo and Scott Rampy, along with other runners and walkers, relayed a check from Bentonville to Little Rock. The run was organized as part of the foundation’s Giving Tuesday fundraising efforts. The foundation made an initial pledge of $30,000 to UAMS, with donations made during the run added to the total amount.

“The Rampy Check Run is quickly becoming a favorite tradition at UAMS because it truly is inspiring to see all the participants give it their all every year for such a noble cause,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “I am very thankful for all the advocates who shine a light on MS and help support the doctors and researchers tackling this problem.”

Rampy Foundation Relays $65,000 Donation to UAMS Department of Neurology for MS Research

Scott and Jo Rampy, with other members of the Rampy Relay team, presented a check for $65,000 to Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, and Rohit Dhall, M.D. Image by Evan Lewis

Healthgrades Awards UAMS Five Stars for Cardiac, Critical Care

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received five-star ratings for its treatment of heart failure and sepsis from Healthgrades, the leading resource used by consumers to find a health care provider.

The 2025 ratings for clinical excellence are based on data collected from about 4,500 hospitals nationwide on all Medicare patients who used hospital in-patient services in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Paul Mounsey, M.D., professor and chair of the UAMS Division of Cardiology in the Department of Internal Medicine, said he appreciated the recognition — for the second consecutive year — of UAMS’ treatment of heart failure.

Healthgrades Awards UAMS Five Stars for Cardiac, Critical Care

UAMS Earns ‘Most Wired’ Recognition from CHIME for Use of Technology

By Chris Carmody

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently garnered recognition as a 2024 Digital Health Most Wired organization from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

CHIME’s Digital Health Most Wired program conducts annual surveys that serve as a comprehensive “digital health check-up,” evaluating the adoption, integration and impact of technology in health care organizations. Participating organizations received certification based on their overall performance, with Level 10 being the highest.

This year, the program awarded UAMS a Level 9 rating in the category of acute care. Among the more than 47,000 facilities represented in the surveys, UAMS ranked above many of its peers in areas such as cybersecurity, data visualization and analytics, infrastructure, and patient engagement.

UAMS Earns ‘Most Wired’ Recognition from CHIME for Use of Technology

CHIME’s Digital Health Most Wired program awarded UAMS a Level 9 rating in the category of acute care.

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

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

Megha Sharma, M.D., poses with a poster about her Implementation Science Scholars project.

UAMS Chancellor’s Circle Awards Grants to 17 Programs

Image by Evan Lewis

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) awarded 17 grants totaling $350,000 at the annual Chancellor’s Circle Grant Awards ceremony held Oct. 23 at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum.

The Chancellor’s Circle is UAMS’ premier annual giving society, which marks its 40th anniversary in 2024. Through its unrestricted annual giving, this group of dedicated members donates more than $200,000 a year that funds grants to address the institution’s highest priorities. More than 250 household and corporate members make up the Chancellor’s Circle.

“I want to thank all the donors who support the Chancellor’s Circle, the funds of which will continue to have an impact on the lives of the people of our state,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Your partnership with us as members of the Chancellor’s Circle makes a critical difference in our ability to advance and grow the mission of UAMS to improve the health of all Arkansans.”

UAMS Chancellor’s Circle Awards Grants to 17 Programs

UAMS and UA Distribute Electric Ride-On Cars to GoBabyGo Families in Northwest Arkansas

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the University of Arkansas (UA) today distributed electric ride-on cars to families participating in GoBabyGo, a national program that promotes the use of modified electric ride-on cars as a solution for independent mobility during early childhood.

The event is part of the capstone project of Brenna Ramirez, a UAMS/UA occupational therapy doctoral student whose goal was to make Northwest Arkansas a GoBabyGo branch. UA faculty member Amanda Troillett, OTD, is overseeing the project.

GoBabyGo has formally recognized 25 branches in the United States, with the closest branches to Northwest Arkansas being in Lincoln, Nebraska, and St. Louis. This means that local families seeking GoBabyGo aid were being referred to branches over 300 miles away.

UAMS and UA Distribute Electric Ride-On Cars to GoBabyGo Families in Northwest Arkansas

UA professor to study bias with $3.4 million federal grant

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

Anastasia Makhanova, a psychology professor at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. She will use the money to lead a five-year study on how stress and illness may cause bias in healthcare workers.

“Most people tend to focus on individual differences when it comes to looking at bias,” Makhanova said. “There’s been a lot less attention to the fact that the same people can make more biased decisions in particular situations.”

Research shows that, on average, patients from racial and ethnic minority groups receive worse care than white patients. By identifying situations that could cause a medical provider to act with increased bias, Makhanova’s research can show health care workers the more effective times to use existing anti-bias strategies. The results could also lead to systematic changes that reduce burnout and encourage health care providers to not work when they are sick.

UA professor to study bias with $3.4 million federal grant

UAMS Researchers Find Ground Beef Packs Bigger Muscle-Building Punch than Soy-Based Alternative

By News Staff

LITTLE ROCK — When it comes to building muscle, not all proteins are created equal.

New research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) reveals that 100% ground beef packs a bigger punch for muscle protein synthesis than a soy-based counterpart. In fact, the study suggests that a person would need double the amount of soy-based protein to achieve the same results.

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study examined the anabolic response — how the body builds muscle — after consuming a 4-ounce beef patty versus one or two 4-ounce patties of a soy-based product. The results? Just one serving of beef did the job, while two servings of the soy-based alternative were necessary to see the same muscle-building benefits.

For those counting calories, the difference is striking: Beef delivered these results with fewer calories — 279 compared to 462.

UAMS Researchers Find Ground Beef Packs Bigger Muscle-Building Punch than Soy-Based Alternative

New research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) reveals that 100% ground beef packs a bigger punch for muscle protein synthesis than a soy-based counterpart.

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Named Center of Excellence by MDS Foundation

By Marty Trieschmann

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has been designated as a Center of Excellence by the MDS Foundation, making it the only center in Arkansas to become part of the foundation’s referral network of the top bone marrow disorder treatment centers in the world.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of diverse bone marrow disorders that can progress to acute myeloid leukemia and primarily affect the elderly. In the United States, 20,000 new cases are reported every year, making MDS one of the most common blood cancers. A stem cell transplant is the only curative treatment option for certain types of high risk MDS.

A pioneer in the treatment of blood disorders and cancers, UAMS has been home to Arkansas’ only adult bone marrow transplant center since 1994, performing 12,731 transplants for conditions including lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myeloma.

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Named Center of Excellence by MDS Foundation

UAMS Establishes Proteomics Center of Excellence in Little Rock with Thermo Fisher Scientific

By Marty Trieschmann

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced the launch of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Center of Excellence for Proteomics at UAMS — the first and only academic-industry partnership of its kind in the United States.

The world leader in serving science, Thermo Fisher Scientific, entered into a formal agreement with the IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics, which was founded in 2020 with a $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as the only NIH-funded proteomics service provider in the United States, providing the most cost-effective access to proteomics for any researcher in the U.S. performing biomedical research.

Proteomics allows researchers and clinicians to rapidly identify novel disease biomarkers, new drug targets and unique mechanisms driving human diseases. IDeA National Resource for Quantitative Proteomics is equipped with multiple Thermo Fisher advanced Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ mass spectrometers, including the most recent installed state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technology, Thermo Scientific™ Orbitrap™ Astral™ mass spectrometer, to provide premium quantitative proteomics services to researchers.

UAMS Establishes Proteomics Center of Excellence in Little Rock with Thermo Fisher Scientific

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced the launch of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Center of Excellence for Proteomics at UAMS — the first and only academic-industry partnership of its kind in the United States. Image by Bryan Clifton

Symposium Showcases Promising Research Aimed at Reducing Cancer Therapy Side Effects

By Marty Trieschmann

Ask any patient treated with chemotherapy, and the answer may be the treatment. Common side effects of chemotherapy include pain, fatigue, hair loss, mouth sores, bowel issues as well as nerve, muscle, cell and organ damage.

And that’s just chemotherapy. Conventional X-ray radiation, a treatment needed by half of all cancer patients, can cause scarring of the lungs and other injuries to any organ in the radiation field.

“Cancer treatments are much better than they used to be, and patients are living longer,” said Marjan Boerma, Ph.D., director of the Center for Studies of Host Response to Cancer Therapy at UAMS. “But patients and survivors can still experience physical suffering, both during and sometimes years after treatment.”

Symposium Showcases Promising Research Aimed at Reducing Cancer Therapy Side Effects

UAMS cancer researcher, Amanda Stolarz, Ph.D., discusses her lymphedema study with colleagues at the UAMS Showcase of Medical Discoveries

Marius Nagalo, Ph.D., First at UAMS to Receive NIH New Innovator Award

By Marty Trieschmann

LITTLE ROCK — A researcher at the Winthrop P Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Marius Nagalo, Ph.D., has received the prestigious New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Granted directly from the NIH Director’s Office “this award supports early career investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative research projects with the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important areas relevant to the NIH mission,” according to the NIH.

Nagalo is the first UAMS researcher to receive the New Innovator Award from the NIH, joining an elite group of previous award recipients from Stanford University, Harvard, Cornell, MIT, Penn, Duke, Yale, and the Cleveland Clinic.

Marius Nagalo, Ph.D., First at UAMS to Receive NIH New Innovator Award

Marius Nagalo, Ph.D., (left) is the first UAMS researcher to receive the prestigious New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health. Image by Evan Lewis

Schizophrenia Conference Offers Education, Optimism

By Tim Taylor

Oct. 3, 2024 | The more than 250 people who attended the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Psychiatric Research Institute, left the Sept. 27 event with information about the latest treatment approaches and promising findings.

With an audience of clinicians, therapists and support staff as well as law enforcement officials and family members of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, the event, held at the City Center in Little Rock, offered insight into a mental disorder that’s often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, welcomed attendees to the conference, while Laura Dunn, M.D., director of the Psychiatric Research Institute and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, recognized the conference participants and organizers.

Schizophrenia Conference Offers Education, Optimism

Brian Kirkpatrick, M.D., discusses some of the misconceptions about schizophrenia at the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference. Image by Tim Taylor

UAMS College of Pharmacy Awards Scholarships to Record 181 Students

By Benjamin Waldrum

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Pharmacy awarded nearly 200 scholarships to a school-record 181 students at a Sept. 20 ceremony. The college also announced the creation of three new scholarships.

“This year is especially significant, as we celebrate recognizing over 180 students, which is a record for the College of Pharmacy,” said Brendan Frett, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair of the College of Pharmacy Awards Committee. “This remarkable milestone is a testament to the dedication of our students, the generosity of our donors, and our ever-growing impact within the pharmacy community.”

The annual ceremony, held at the UAMS Little Rock campus, recognizes pharmacy students for their hard work and allows some the chance to meet the donors supporting their education. Donor contributions through scholarships and awards help pharmacy students continue their education and provide financial assistance during their time in school. Students fulfill various criteria to be considered for scholarships, including submitting applications and letters of recommendation, writing essays and meeting in-person with the awards committee.

UAMS College of Pharmacy Awards Scholarships to Record 181 Students

Jon Wolfe (far left) and Donna Wolfe (far right) flank students (from left) Ciarra Helms, Tykiya Rankin, Marissa Bones, Ma'Kyah Goodlow and Addyson Schwartz, who were awarded this year's Robert N. and Robert H. Manley Endowed Scholarship. The College of Pharmacy awarded scholarships to 181 students this year. Image by Evan Lewis

NIH Awards UAMS $3.7 Million in Quest for More Effective Tuberculosis Vaccine

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — UAMS researcher Lu Huang, Ph.D., has received a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support his pursuit of a more effective tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, a feat that has eluded scientists for more than 100 years.

The five-year grant from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will allow Huang to explore new ways to help the body fight TB based on his recent findings.

Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only approved vaccine available today and has been used since 1921. Although protective for children, its effectiveness when given to adults remains uncertain, and it is not commonly used in the United States.

NIH Awards UAMS $3.7 Million in Quest for More Effective Tuberculosis Vaccine

Lu Huang, Ph.D., center, with his lab team at UAMS (front, l-r): J. Tucker Andrews and Ananya Ranaraja; and (back): Grant Dawson and Jilliyn Jeu.

Inspiring and Empowering the Next Generation of Women Orthopaedic Surgeons

By Andrew Vogler

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Orthopaedic Surgery welcomed female students from the College of Medicine and Arkansas high schools for the Perry Outreach Program, an annual program to teach and inspire young women to become orthopaedic surgeons.

It is the 11th year that the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has hosted the program.

The program is part of The Perry Initiative, a nonprofit committed to inspiring young women to be leaders in the fields of orthopaedic surgery and engineering, two fields in which women are drastically underrepresented.

Hosted in The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS, the workshop included a Friday evening session with 17 medical students and a day session with 40 high school students.