Four UAMS Researchers Receive Inaugural Provost’s Innovator Awards
Gardner
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) today announced four UAMS faculty as recipients of the inaugural Provost’s Innovator Awards.
Established by the Office of the Provost and the Division of Research and Innovation, the grants of $25,000 each support groundbreaking, innovative, high-impact projects that are likely to establish new clinical approaches or achieve rapid commercialization.
Ho
“These awards support truly innovative research that can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer. “These projects also show important integration of our research programs, with three of the four projects building on research supported by the UAMS Translational Research Institute through its Health Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program.”
Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., vice chancellor for Research and Innovation, said the commercial development of academic center-based discoveries creates jobs and fuels economic success in our region and nation.
Selected from 15 applications, the awardees are:
Baldini
Giulia Baldini, M.D., Ph.D., professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine.
Baldini is studying a potential new way to treat obesity. Her research is focused on naturally occurring genetic mutations of a receptor found in people with obesity. The receptor is expressed in the hypothalamus, where it controls food intake and energy expenditure. Baldini is targeting the receptor using nanoparticles to deliver a substance that induces appropriate signaling to help regulate weight.
Bumpass
David Bumpass, M.D., associate professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine.
Bumpass’ research aims to improve outcomes in patients who receive an implanted distal femur fixation plate. He is testing a 3-D-
printed, patient-specific, distal femur fixation plate to address weaknesses in currently available orthopaedic internal fixation options.
Griffin
Robert Griffin, professor, Department of Radiation Oncology College of Medicine.
Griffin’s research aims to overcome the challenge in radiation oncology of applying sufficient radiation to tumors while sparing normal tissue in the radiation beam’s path. His research is testing a way to make tumors more sensitive to radiation using photosensitizers and gold nanoparticles. Griffin hopes to develop a radiosensitizer that will significantly improve the efficacy of radiation therapy in a variety of cancers.
Stolarz
Amanda Stolarz, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy.
Stolarz’s research is focused on solving the problem of vascular graft failure, which costs the U.S. health care system $10 billion annually. She is using patent-pending technology and proprietary microbial-resistant material to offer surgeons a more advanced, infection-resistant graft than is now available on the market.
“We had an outstanding group of applicants, so we have high expectations for the winners,” Ho said. “I hope this support will help them achieve their research goals, and I look forward the results of their hard work and innovation.”