Psychiatric Research Institute


December 9, 2024

UAMS Researcher Receives $3.3 Million Grant to Study PTSD Therapies in Prisons

Tim Taylor

Melissa Zielinski, Ph.D.

LITTLE ROCK — A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researcher has been awarded a grant worth $3.3 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study the effectiveness of two therapeutic options in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in prison populations.


December 2, 2024

UAMS to Host Northwest Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference to Examine Complex Issues Surrounding Mental Illness

Tim Taylor

UAMS is hosting the Northwest Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference on Jan. 30, 2025, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is hosting a conference, the first of its kind in Northwest Arkansas, dedicated to raising awareness about schizophrenia and the issues that accompany the mental illness.


November 20, 2024

Arkansas Attorney General Provides $600,000 Grant to Support Women’s Mental Health Fellowship

Tim Taylor

Jessica Coker, M.D., serves as the medical director of the Psychiatric Research Unit’s inpatient units.

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a $600,000 grant from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin to support a women’s mental health fellowship in an effort to address the impact of the opioid epidemic on women and to help reduce the state’s maternal mortality rate.


November 19, 2024

UAMS Invests Ashley Acheson, Ph.D., in Wilbur D. Mills Distinguished Chair in Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Prevention

Andrew Vogler

Ashley Acheson

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine invested Ashley Acheson, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for research for the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, in the Wilbur D. Mills Distinguished Chair in Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Prevention during a Nov. 12 ceremony. “This chair is especially meaningful to me…


November 13, 2024

UAMS Center for Addiction Services Employs New Technology to Treat Opioid Addiction

Tim Taylor

Sonara Health Business Operations Manager Kshitij Verma (right) demonstrates how to use the online repository to Jere Brewer of UAMS’ Center for Addiction Services and Treatment.

LITTLE ROCK — The drug methadone, commonly used to treat opioid addiction by detoxification and maintenance, requires daily visits to an outpatient clinic as well as countless counseling sessions and drug screenings. Recognizing the barrier that daily visits can pose, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Addiction Services and Treatment is rolling out a hybrid care program designed to better meet the needs of its patients and improve their chances of overcoming their dependence on opioids.


October 15, 2024

‘Drugified’ Depictions Everywhere in America, Says Author Sam Quinones

Tim Taylor

Author Sam Quinones, sitting with Department of Psychiatry Chair Laura Dunn, M.D.,, said an estimated 100,000 Americans will overdose on fentanyl this year. “That is a staggering amount of people.”

The American public is “assaulted” with addictive images every day, according to award-winning author Sam Quinones, so it should come as no surprise that so many people are drawn to the abundance of illicit drugs available throughout the country.


October 10, 2024

UAMS Neurodiversity Conference Provides Vibrant Platform for Discussion

David Wise

Jeffrey Clothier, M.D., medical director of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, gives the keynote address at the UAMS neurodiversity conference

In a world increasingly focused on inclusivity, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ “2024 Neurodiversity Conference: Bridging Health Care Gaps into Adulthood” provided a vibrant platform for discussing the importance of neurodiversity in workplaces, schools and communities. Held at the UAMS Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale, the Sept. 27 event…


October 3, 2024

Schizophrenia Conference Offers Education, Optimism

Tim Taylor

Brian Kirkpatrick, M.D., discusses some of the misconceptions about schizophrenia at the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference.

The more than 250 people who attended the Arkansas Schizophrenia Conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Psychiatric Research Institute, left the Sept. 27 event with information about the latest treatment approaches and promising findings.


September 5, 2024

‘Dreamland’ Author Sam Quinones to Discuss Impact of Substance Use on America on Oct. 9

Tim Taylor

Author Sam Quinones

LITTLE ROCK — Award-winning author and journalist Sam Quinones will offer an in-depth look at the world of substance use and its disruptive effects on the United States in a presentation hosted by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Psychiatric Research Institute.


July 31, 2024

UAMS’ Addiction Training Program Renewed for Five More Years

Tim Taylor

Melissa Zielinski, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, co-directs the Addiction Research Training Program with William Fantegrossi, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Addiction Research Training Program was recently awarded $2.4 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to renew the program for another five years.



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