Medical News

Delayne Campbell, Luana Bracy

Volunteers Earn MVP Honors from Myeloma Patients

Myeloma patients are not alone as they go through their first day of appointments at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). A group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers known as Most Vital Pals (MVPs) help guide new patients around UAMS’ campus. The MVP program is part of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute…

Fenghuang "Frank" Zhan

Myeloma Center Research Director Invested into Endowed Chair

Fenghuang “Frank” Zhan, M.D., Ph.D., research director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Myeloma Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), is the initial holder of the Dr. Bart Barlogie Chair for Myeloma Research. Zhan, a tenured professor of medicine whose research focuses on identifying treatment approaches to overcome drug resistance…

Sandy Mattox

Reflections on a Long and Wide-Ranging Career in Myeloma

After more than 25 years, Sandy Mattox, MNSc, RN, personifies the term “institutional knowledge” when it comes to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Myeloma Center, part of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Mattox’s extensive career at UAMS covers two periods, first from 1991-2000 and then from 2008 to July 2025, when…

Angelia Hood

Persistence Leads Myeloma Patient to UAMS

Angelia Hood didn’t let her initial multiple myeloma diagnosis and treatment keep her from looking for other ways to battle this disease. “Get a second opinion and continue to do your research,” she said. That determination to remain in control of her care led Hood to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Myeloma Center at…

Frits van Rhee

Q&A with the Myeloma Center Clinical Director

Myeloma Center clinical director Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., answers questions about multiple myeloma and its treatment at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Van Rhee also is a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine, the associate director of Clinical Science at the Cancer Institute and holds…

Don and Melissa Wilson

When Words Are Not Enough: 20-Year Myeloma Survivor Gives Back to UAMS

By Shannon Perna “Thank you.” These heartfelt words are often all that’s needed to express sincere gratitude, but after 20 years of life-saving treatment at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Myeloma Center, Don Wilson, DVM, and his wife, Melissa Wilson, wanted to do more. So more than a decade ago, they began to…

Frits van Rhee

From the Clinical Director

It is my pleasure to present the Winter 2025-2026 issue of Myeloma magazine. Myeloma care continues to advance with the advent of novel immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and bispecific antibodies. The new treatment methods are transformative for the outcome of patients with myeloma who have experienced a relapse. The Winthrop P….

Michael Birrer

From the Director

I am pleased to present the latest issue of Myeloma magazine as we highlight the outstanding work of the Myeloma Center staff and bring you inspiring stories from wonderful patients who trust the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) with their care. UAMS Myeloma Center clinical director…

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