View Larger Image Shuk Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for Research and Innovation, said the lengthy list of influential UAMS faculty is a testament to the institution’s high priority for research.
Shuk Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for Research and Innovation, said the lengthy list of influential UAMS faculty is a testament to the institution’s high priority for research.

Study Puts More Than 50 UAMS Faculty Among Top 2% of Influential Researchers

By David Robinson

| LITTLE ROCK — A study by Stanford University lists over 50 current and retired UAMS faculty among the top 2% of most influential researchers. The study is based on an analysis of Scopus, the largest database of peer-reviewed research literature.

To determine the most influential researchers, the study authors used a combination of citation metrics to rate a researcher’s influence in their subfield over the course of their career, through 2019 – the most recently available data. Citation metrics included the h-index, a measure of a researcher’s productivity and impact; and hm-index, which accounts for the researcher’s co-authorships. The metrics were used to establish a composite indicator, or score.

The publicly available database ranks the top 100,000 researchers (out of nearly 7 million who had published at least five papers) across 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields, according to the composite citation index when self-citations were or were not included. The database also includes researchers not in the top 100,000, according to the composite index, but who were still within the top 2% of scientists in their subfield and had published at least five papers.

Shuk Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for Research and Innovation, said the lengthy list of faculty is a testament to the institution’s high priority for research.

“UAMS is very attractive to high-caliber investigators like we see on this list,” said Ho, who made the list. “Our strong and supportive research environment is what allows investigators to achieve this kind of distinction and excellence.”

Ho said the supportive research climate was an important factor in her decision to join UAMS, and it helped recruit top tier research leaders, such as:

  • Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, chancellor
  • Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director and vice chancellor, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
  • Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine
  • Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine
  • Andrew J. Morris, Ph.D., professor,* Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine
  • William J. Steinbach, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine

Below is the complete list of researchers and their subfields:
*Indicates Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System affiliation.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Michael J. Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., professor (Oncology and Carcinogenesis)
Donald M. Mock, M.D., Ph.D., professor* (Nutrition and Dietetics)

Biomedical Informatics
David Ussery, Ph.D., professor (Microbiology)

Geriatrics
Steven W. Barger, Ph.D., professor* (Neurology and Neurosurgery)
Cornelia Beck, Ph.D., RN, professor, retired (Nursing)
Arny A. Ferrando, Ph.D., professor (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Sue T. Griffin, Ph.D., professor* (Neurology and Neurosurgery)
Dennis H. Sullivan, M.D., professor* (Gerontology)
Jeanne Y. Wei, M.D., Ph.D., professor (Geriatrics)
Robert R. Wolfe, Ph.D., professor (Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Internal Medicine, Cardiology
Paul L. Hermonat, Ph.D., professor, retired (Virology)
Jawahar L. “Jay” Mehta, M.D., Ph.D., distinguished professor (Cardiovascular System and Hematology)
Cam Patterson, M.D., professor (Cardiovascular System and Hematology)
Barry Uretsky, M.D., professor* (Cardiovascular System and Hematology)
Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D., professor (Cardiovascular System and Hematology)

Internal Medicine, Endocrinology
Stavros C. Manolagas, M.D., Ph.D., distinguished professor* (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Robert L. Jilka, Ph.D., basic science professor,* retired (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Charles A. O’Brien, Ph.D., professor* (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Robert S. Weinstein, M.D., professor (Endocrinology and Metabolism)

Internal Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, Myeloma Center
Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., professor (Immunology)
John D. Shaughnessy, Ph.D., professor (Immunology)
Guido Tricot, M.D., Ph.D., professor (Immunology)

Internal Medicine, Urology/Nephrology
Sudhir Shah, M.D., professor emeritus* (Urology and Nephrology)

Microbiology and Immunology
Richard P. Morrison, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Microbiology)
Roger G. Rank, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Microbiology)
Kevin D. Young, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Microbiology)

Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences
Gwen V. Childs, Ph.D., distinguished professor (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Edgar Garcia-Rill, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Neurology and Neurosurgery)

Neurology
Gerald A. Dienel, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Neurology and Neurosurgery)
Sami I. Harik, M.D., professor emeritus (Neurology and Neurosurgery)

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Everett F. Magann, M.D., professor (Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine)

 Orthopaedic Surgery
James Aronson, M.D., professor, professor emeritus (Orthopedics)

 Otolaryngology
John L. Dornhoffer, M.D., professor* (Otorhinolaryngology)
Ekaterina I. Galanzha, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., associate professor (Optoelectronics and Photonics)
Vladimir P. Zharov, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor (Optoelectronics and Photonics)

Pathology
Thomas Kelly, Ph.D., professor (Oncology and Carcinogenesis)
Jeffrey R. Sawyer, Ph.D., professor (Immunology) 

Pediatrics
Thomas M. Badger, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Nutrition and Dietetics)
John L. Carroll, M.D., professor (Physiology)
Patrick H. Casey, M.D., professor emeritus (Pediatrics)
Debra H. Fiser, M.D., professor emeritus (Emergency and Critical Care Medicine)
Richard Jacobs, M.D., professor emeritus (Pediatrics)
Laura P. James, M.D., professor (Pharmacology and Pharmacy)
William J. Steinbach, M.D., professor (Infectious Disease)

College of Pharmacy
Peter A. Crooks, Ph.D., professor (Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry)
Martin Hauer-Jensen, M.D., Ph.D., professor* (Oncology and Carcinogenesis)

Pharmacology and Toxicology
John P. Crow, Ph.D., professor, retired (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Jack A. Hinson, Ph.D., distinguished professor emeritus (Pharmacology and Pharmacy)
Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., professor (Oncology and Carcinogenesis)
Philip R. Mayeux, Ph.D., professor emeritus (Pharmacology and Pharmacy)
Andrew J. Morris, Ph.D., professor* (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
William Slikker, Ph.D., adjunct basic science professor (Toxicology)

Physiology and Cell Biology
Teresita Bellido, Ph.D., professor* (Endocrinology and Metabolism)
Michael L. Jennings, Ph.D., professor (Physiology)
Jerry Ware, Ph.D., professor (Immunology)

Psychiatry
Clinton D. Kilts, Ph.D., professor (Psychiatry)
Richard Smith, M.D., distinguished professor emeritus (Psychiatry)

Surgery
Nicholas P. Lang, M.D., professor*, retired (Oncology and Carcinogenesis)

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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