Three UAMS Researchers Awarded BioVentures LLC Accelerator Grants
| BioVentures LLC at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has announced three researchers as recipients of grants from the 2025 AR Health Ventures Accelerator (ARHVA), a program that supports the development of innovative drugs, diagnostics and devices.
The 2025 grant recipients are:
- John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., a professor and chief of the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Internal Medicine.
- Marie Burdine, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research.
- Zachary Waldrip, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Research.
Each ARHVA recipient receives $50,000 to support their research and discovery development as well as individualized administrative support and guidance from ARHVA’s Advisory Board and BioVentures staff.
“There were many high-quality proposals submitted by this year’s applicants. Everyone at UAMS can be proud of the incredible research advances that are happening here,” said ARHVA Director John D. Imig, Ph.D., also vice president of Technology Acceleration at BioVentures LLC. “With programs at BioVentures like ARHVA, we aim to take these innovations beyond the walls of UAMS — and to the public — making new drugs, therapeutics, clinical innovations and health tech accessible on an accelerated timeline.”
Innovative Projects
- John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D.
Arthur is developing a lab test to predict whether a patient with a kidney injury is likely to develop severe acute kidney injury (AKI), a more serious and often life-threatening condition, by detecting the presence of specific proteins in a urine sample. This technology, for which he has already filed a patent, would be an improvement on current tools that do not predict AKI outcomes and would provide clinicians with better information for assessing treatment options. This work is also supported by a federal grant from the Small Business Technology Transfer program.
- Marie Burdine, Ph.D.
Burdine is working to address a significant issue in kidney transplantation — delayed graft function, which affects 30% of patients and can result in the body rejecting the new kidney. Burdine has identified a particular gene that in some patients can be overactive and lead to a chain reaction of post-surgery complications resulting in delayed graft function. She has developed a new drug, patent pending, that blocks the negative effects of this gene. Co-inventors include Lyle Burdine, M.D., Ph.D., surgical director of the UAMS Solid Organ Transplant Program; and Brendan Frett, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAMS College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Science.
- Zachary Waldrip, Ph.D.
Waldrip aims to address gastrointestinal conditions caused by bacterial infections, which are common in parts of the world without adequate access to clean drinking water or medical care. Once in the body, these bacteria secrete toxic proteins that damage the GI tract. Waldrip is targeting these proteins with a probiotic yeast carrying an antibody that neutralizes their damaging toxic effects.
For more information about ARHVA and this year’s grant recipients, visit the BioVentures website.