UAMS Names Inaugural Research Academy Scholars
| An inaugural class of six UAMS faculty has been selected as Research Academy Scholars, a joint initiative of the UAMS Division of Research and
Innovation and UAMS Translational Research Institute.
The new scholars program includes the Mentored Grant-Writing Program, with training from a nationally recognized grant-writing expert and mentorship from UAMS faculty with strong track records of federal funding.
The Research Academy Scholars are:
• Jin-Ran Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine
Chen
• Brendan Frett, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy
Frett
• Sara Jones, Ph.D., APRN, Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing Science, College of Nursing
Jones
• Mohammed Orloff, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health
Orloff
• Nirmala Parajuli, D.V.M., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Medicine
Parajuli
• Kristin Zorn, M.D., Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology, College of Medicine
Kristen Zorn
The goal of the grant-writing initiative is to help researchers become more successful grant applicants. The Research Academy
invited applicants who are planning to submit National Institutes of Health R01 grant applications in October.
“It is critical that our researchers continue and even expand on their success obtaining outside funding,” said Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for Research and Innovation. “I am very excited that we could join with the Translational Research Institute to offer this unique opportunity.”
The scholars will receive weekly online training, April 14 – June 2, from a nationally known grant writing expert, Peg AtKisson, Ph.D.
“Dr. AtKisson visited UAMS for one of our grant writing workshops, so we know that she is very effective as a teacher,” said Laura James, M.D., director of the Translational Research Institute and associate vice chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research. “I think the scholars will benefit tremendously from her knowledge and guidance.”
Laura James
Researchers who will mentor the scholars in the program are:
- Sean Adams, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Developmental Nutrition Section, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine; Director, Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center
- Ben Amick, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health
- Alexei G. Basnakian, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine
- Timothy Chambers, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
- Geoffrey Curran, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy
- Robert Eoff, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
- Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, ; Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine
- Yuet-Kin “Ricky” Leung, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine
- Jean McSweeney, Ph.D., RN, Women’s Cardiovascular Health Professorship, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, College of Nursing
- Steven Post, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine
- Jessica Snowden, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine
The Translational Research Institute is supported by a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, grant UL1 TR003107.