Aug. 18, 2010 | Two $250,000 gifts, one in honor of Frances Ernareeth (Reese) Adkins Barnes, have been given to the Major and Ruth Nodini Endowed Chair in Neurology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The donors wished to remain anonymous.

The endowed chair was originally established by donations from friends and family members of Robert Leroy “Lee” Archer, M.D., a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology. The chair allows Archer to continue his research of neurological diseases and his treatment of patients with those diseases.

“These gifts will go a long way in helping our Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis programs,” Archer said. “We are extremely thankful for these generous gifts and look to honor the donors by continuing our search for cures.”

Barnes, an Alabama native and mother of C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., of Little Rock, recently lost her four-and-a-half year battle with ALS. After being diagnosed with Bulbar ALS, she became involved in a support group and often met with others who were recently diagnosed. She was dedicated to helping find a cure for ALS, having published “Reese’s Southern Favorites,” a cookbook whose proceeds go to ALS research at UAMS. She was recently honored as the 2010 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Arkansan.

A native of El Dorado, Archer earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a medical degree from UAMS, where he also completed his internship and neurology residency. He has served on the UAMS faculty for 24 years, and achieved the rank of professor in 2007. He has received numerous teaching and humanitarian awards from students and colleagues.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Related Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a 540,000-square-foot hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and six institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. UAMS has 2,775 students and 748 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.