Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently.
Newly Invested Endowed Chair
Congratulations to Dr. Brian Kirkpatrick, Professor of Psychiatry, on his investiture in the Dr. John Emmett Peters Endowed Chair in Psychiatry at UAMS on June 13. An internationally renowned expert in schizophrenia and related diseases, Dr. Kirkpatrick serves as Medical Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Odyssey Clinic, which treats patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and other psychotic disorders. He joined the faculty in 2022 after holding key leadership posts at other institutions including Chair of Psychiatry at Scott & White Hospital and the Texas A&M School of Medicine, and at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine. The endowed chair was established with an anonymous gift in honor of the late Dr. John Emmett Peters, a distinguished child psychiatrist who served at UAMS and in central Arkansas for more than 30 years. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Breakthrough Treatment for Major Depression
The UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute (PRI) is drawing national attention after becoming the first in the country to implement an innovative therapy for adults with major depressive disorder. The SAINT neuromodulation system, developed by Magnus Medical Inc., was approved by the FDA to treat adults with depression that has not improved through antidepressant medications. The breakthrough inpatient therapy uses the resources of the Interventional Psychiatry Program, the Helen L. Porter and James T. Dyke Brain Imaging Research Center, and inpatient and outpatient resources in PRI. A shout-out to Dr. Laura Dunn, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and PRI Director, Interventional Psychiatry team members Drs. Lou Ann Eads, Jeffrey Clothier, Amy Grooms, Chris Cargile and Andy James, and all who were instrumental in this initiative. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Statewide Initiative Aims to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies
Kudos to Dr. Nirvana Manning, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and colleagues for their work to implement a statewide initiative to help reduce unintended or closely spaced pregnancies. The Arkansas Immediate Postpartum Long-acting Reversible Contraceptive (LRAC) Initiative provides training and other support for hospitals across the state to begin offering contraceptives such as intrauterine devices and birth-control implants in the immediate postpartum period. Unplanned and closely spaced pregnancies can contribute to poor maternal and neonatal health outcomes, and Arkansas ranks among the worst states for maternal mortality. The LRAC initiative will help to improve those outcomes. Read more in the UAMS Newsroom.
Emergency Medicine in Spotlight at National Meeting
The Department of Emergency Medicine was well represented at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) meeting in Phoenix. Congratulations to residents Dr. Ashley Boshe, Dr. Ethan Clement and Dr. Brett James on finishing in the top 20 out of 105 teams from across the country in the “SonoGames” test of knowledge. Faculty contributors to the competition included Associate Professors Dr. Jason Arthur, who served on the SonoGames Executive Committee and co-emceed the event, and Dr. Zachary Lewis. Associate Professor Dr. Carly Eastin wrapped up a three-year term as Chair of the SAEM Evidence-Based Healthcare and Implementation Interest Group. Associate Professor Dr. Michael Wilson was named Chair of the SAEM Behavioral Interest Group. Several faculty and trainees presented posters and/or at didactic sessions.
Showcase Highlights COBRE Achievements
The Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Inflammatory Responses has played an enormous role in mentoring and supporting early-career UAMS researchers since its inception in 2012. The center, led by Dr. Mark Smeltzer, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, is UAMS’ longest-running COBRE (Centers for Biomedical Research Excellence), and it recently was the focus of the first in-person Showcase of Medical Discoveries event at UAMS since the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded more than $27 million to the center during its three funding phases. Researchers supported by the center have, in turn, secured more than three times that amount in external funding over the years. Read more about the center’s impact in the UAMS Newsroom.
Breast Imaging Leader Named FACR
Congratulations to Dr. Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, Division Director of Breast Imaging in the Department of Radiology and Director of the Breast Center in Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, on being named a Fellow of the American College of Radiology (FACR). This is a well-earned honor for Dr. Bryant-Smith, whose leadership has significantly enhanced breast cancer screening and the care of breast cancer patients in Arkansas. As Cancer Institute Director Dr. Michael Birrer noted in a UAMS news release, Dr. Bryant-Smith is also a champion for expanding access to screening for women in rural areas and reducing cancer disparities.
Students Present Anatomy Research
Medical students Nicole Occidental, Emily Tran and John Lee did a great job presenting their anatomy-related research in poster presentations at the annual conference of the International Association of Medical Science Educators in Minneapolis this month. Nicole, a rising M2, presented “Student Observations of Ipsilateral Missing Psoas Major and Iliacus Muscles and Downstream Effects of Surgical Intervention.” Her poster reported findings that a five-member anatomy dissection team discovered during the Human Structure course. Emily, now an M3, presented “A Comparison Study of the Efficacy of Artistic and Non-Artistic Approaches on Learning Retention and Stress Levels in an Advanced Anatomy Course.” John, who is now an M4, presented “ChatGPT Lecture Preparation for Introductory Anatomical Courses.” John’s poster reported the collaborative work of five students who served as Anatomical Scholar teaching assistants in the Fall 2023 Human Structure course. Click here for photos. The students’ travel was supported by the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences.
Congratulations, Retirees and Emeritus Professors
Finally this week, I want to take a moment to thank our colleagues who are retiring this summer or who retired earlier in 2023-2024, with special gratitude for the longstanding service of those receiving the distinction of Professor Emeritus. This status is achieved following the recommendation of a retiring faculty member’s department Chair, approval by the college’s Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Dean, and ultimately through a resolution of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. Emeritus status is granted to faculty who have contributed significantly through research, education, clinical care and leadership.
Our newest Emeritus Professors include the Department of Psychiatry’s Dr. Clint Kilts and Dr. Linda L.M. Worley, who retired earlier this year with Emeritus status effective June 1; and three faculty members who will gain Emeritus status on July 1: Dr. Nicholas Long (Pediatrics), who retired in January; along with Dr. Michael Jennings, who served as Chair of Physiology and Biophysics in 1995-2020, and Dr. Jeannette Lee, Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics, who are both retiring this month.
At Dean’s Honor Day in April, we recognized several colleagues who became Emeritus Professors in June 2023-January 2024, including Dr. Janice Church (Pediatrics); Dr. Peter Kohler and Dr. Paulette Mehta (Internal Medicine); Dr. Donald Mock (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology); Dr. Frank Simmen and Dr. Rosalia Simmen (Physiology/Cell Biology); and Dr. Puru Thapa (Psychiatry).
It is an understatement to say that our faculty are essential to our mission to improve health through medical education, biomedical discovery and world-class health care. We are grateful to our Emeritus faculty and other retiring faculty, and to all COM faculty, for their contributions to our college and those we serve.
