Translational Research Institute


June 18, 2025

UAMS Postdoc Competes on Global Stage with Lifesaving Technology

David Robinson

Henry Palfrey, Ph.D., speaks during the playoff round of the competition as Victoria Bourgeois, MBA, stands by.

Henry Palfrey, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and his business startup team, PulseArk Technologies, reached the semifinals and earned a Best Presentation Award in the Bangkok Business Challenge, one of the world’s leading student startup competitions. Palfrey is a third-year postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of John…


May 30, 2025

UAMS Chancellor Praises Research Staff, Participants at Clinical Trials Day Celebration

David Robinson

Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, praised research staff and participants for their critical roles in bringing better treatments to patients.

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, recently visited the hospital lobby to thank researchers and clinical trial participants during UAMS’ Clinical Trials Day celebration, emphasizing the critical role that clinical trials play in advancing patient care. “Clinical trials are designed to determine whether we are treating patients better or not,” Patterson told staff and visitors…


May 29, 2025

UAMS Leaders Spotlight AI Innovation at TRI AI Research Symposium

David Robinson

(L-R) Mathias Brochhausen, Ph.D., Steven A. Webber, MBChB, MRCP, Laura James, M.D., and Fred Prior, Ph.D., gathered for a photo prior to the symposium.

UAMS College of Medicine Dean Steven A. Webber, M.D., joined other UAMS leaders and researchers April 29 for the Translational Research Institute (TRI) AI Research Symposium, highlighting the use of artificial intelligence in biomedical research. “Many of our faculty are already leading the way in several areas of AI-driven research, and that’s clearly something we…


May 27, 2025

UAMS, MEMS to Participate in Study for Early Treatment of Trauma Patients

David Robinson

UAMS Emergency Department

LITTLE ROCK — Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) are partnering with the University of Pittsburgh to study whether calcium, vasopressin, or both, will help severely injured patients survive life-threatening blood loss early in treatment. The CAlcium and VAsopressin following Injury Early Resuscitation (CAVALIER) trial will include approximately 1,050 people, ages…


March 13, 2025

UAMS Joins NIH Effort to Increase Rural Health Research

David Robinson

Physicians at UAMS Regional Campuses, including Jacquelene Childs, M.D., at the UAMS Family Medical Center in El Dorado, will play key roles in expanding rural research as part of the CARE for Health™ program.

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has joined a network of institutions funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand research in rural primary care clinics. Through the NIH CARE for Health™ initiative, UAMS will help lead innovative research to address health disparities in Arkansas’ rural areas. UAMS,…


March 12, 2025

UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

David Robinson

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., will implement strategies that she hopes will reduce overprescribing of the common thyroid medication levothyroxine (LT4).

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., has been awarded a Veterans Affairs (VA) Merit Award of $830,000 over four years to address the widespread overprescribing of levothyroxine (LT4), one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States. LT4 is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid produces too few hormones. However, many patients are…


February 12, 2025

How Geoffrey Curran, Ph.D., Forged a National Implementation Science Hub at UAMS

David Robinson

Geoffrey Curran, Ph.D., discusses implementation science opportunities with attendees of the 2024 Translational Research Institute Research Expo.

In biomedical research, some leaders not only advance their field but also build communities around it. Geoffrey Curran, Ph.D., is one such leader. Since joining the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 1999, his name has become synonymous with implementation science, not just within Arkansas, but across the globe. Curran’s journey into implementation…


January 24, 2025

UAMS Researchers Look at Challenges Faced by Cancer Survivors

David Wise

A nurse speaks to a cancer patient in the hospital

Beating cancer is always the goal, but surviving cancer can come with its own set of unique challenges, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). From quality of life, survival, managing side effects, and managing economic impacts, the researchers explored the biggest cancer-related challenges faced by…


December 26, 2024

Gail Runnells, RN, Wins 2024 Bonny Hope Wallace Award

David Robinson

Gail Runnells, RN (left), receives the Bonny Hope Wallace Award from Jennifer McClusky, UAMS research compliance manager.

Gail Runnells, RN, a clinical research nurse manager at the UAMS Translational Research Institute, recently received the 2024 Bonny Hope Wallace Award for her outstanding work as a research coordinator, mentor and manager.


December 17, 2024

Community Partner Celebration Honors Efforts to Address Critical Health Challenges

David Robinson

The Olly Neal Community Health Center, represented by (l-r) LaFay Broadway and Cassandra Franklin, received the Research Partner of the Year Award. Laura James, M.D., TRI director, and Tiffany Haynes, Ph.D., director of TRI’s Community Engagement Core, presented the award.

The Ninth Annual Translational Research Institute Community Partner Celebration on Dec. 6 brought attendees from across Arkansas to recognize the pivotal role of community partnerships in advancing research and improving health. Organized by the institute’s Community Engagement Core, the event at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock drew more than 80 attendees representing…



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