Research


July 25, 2023

UAMS Awarded $1.6 million to Continue Research into Mechanisms Governing Intracellular Membrane Traffic in Human Cells

Linda Satter

Vladimir Lupashin, Ph.D., at his desk surrounded by his team of graduate assistants. Standing from left to right: Amrita Khakurel, Farhana Taher Sumya and Zinia Dsouza

The National Institutes of Health recently awarded an additional $1.6 million to researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to continue a 14-year effort aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles governing intracellular membrane traffic — a crucial process occurring in every human cell. Intracellular traffic plays a pivotal…


June 27, 2023

UAMS Bone Research Center Secures Second NIH Grant of Over $11 Million

David Robinson

Team members of the UAMS Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research include:, front row: Jinhu Xiong M.D., Ph.D., Amy Sato, Ph.D., Jesus Delgado-Calle, Ph.D.; second row: Janeelle Whitfield, Melda Onal, Ph.D., Qiang Fu, M.D., Ph.D.; third row: Charles O’Brien, Ph.D., Maria Almeida, Ph.D., Roy Morello, Ph.D.; back row: Intawat Nookaew, Ph.D., Ha-neui Kim, Ph.D., and Elena Ambrogini, M.D., Ph.D.

LITTLE ROCK — A federal grant of more than $11 million will provide five additional years of support to the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research led by Charles O’Brien, Ph.D., at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The $11.5 million Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase 2 grant from the National Institute…


June 19, 2023

JAMA Health Forum Publishes UAMS Researcher’s Novel Model for Ranking Biomedical Research Priorities

David Robinson

Laura Gressler, Ph.D., is first author on the JAMA publication.

LITTLE ROCK — In a new study led by UAMS’ Laura Gressler, Ph.D., researchers presented a novel model to help research funding agencies and groups prioritize their funding for various health conditions. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Health Forum and included co-authors from the U.S. Department of…


June 14, 2023

UAMS Provides Look at Bone Disease Research for Arkansas Undergraduates

Linda Satter

Jesus Delgado-Calle, an assistant professor of physiology and cell biology at UAMS, discusses his research with undergraduates and his team.

Twenty-eight undergraduates from colleges across the state recently visited the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) campus to learn about potential careers in bone disease research. The Arkansas-IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) sponsored the event. The students gathered May 23 in the Active Learning Center in the UAMS Library, where they listened…


June 1, 2023

Six Early-Career UAMS Researchers Receive KL2 Scholar Awards

David Robinson

The 2023-2024 KL2 Scholars are (l-r, clockwise from top): Mary “Katy” Allison, Michail Mavros, Brian D. Piccolo, Megha Sharma, Ankita Shukla and Alicja Urbaniak.

Six early-career researchers have been selected to receive two years of funded translational research training and support in the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Scholar Awards Program. The promising junior faculty researchers were selected for the 2023-2024 program through a competitive application process. KL2 scholars receive two years of mentored…


May 24, 2023

UAMS-TRI Training Program Helps Postdocs Develop Entrepreneurial Spirit, Form Competition-Winning Pharmaceutical Startup

David Robinson

Megan Reed, Ph.D. (left), and Julia Tobacyk, Ph.D., formed the company Pediatrica Therapeutics.

Only two years ago, the idea of commercializing their future research discoveries was a novel concept for Julia Tobacyk, Ph.D., and Megan Reed, Ph.D. Today they can say they created a startup company as postdoctoral fellows in the Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HSIE) training program, which is the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National…


May 16, 2023

BioVentures Introduces New Leadership, Expanded Resources at Commercialization Retreat

David Robinson

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, said having a great team is the key to success as an entrepreneur.

The first BioVentures Commercialization Retreat drew 65 attendees to a full-day of  presentations packed with helpful information and inspirational stories. The presenters included keynote speaker Kevin Sexton, M.D., president of BioVentures LLC, and UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, whose 2016 book, “Research to Revenue: A Practical Guide to University Start-Ups,” was available for free…


May 15, 2023

American Cancer Society Funds UAMS Study of ACA’s Impact on Breast Cancer Treatment

David Robinson

Chenghui Li, Ph.D., said findings from her study should provide important insights into how the Affordable Care Act has impacted racial disparities in breast cancer treatment.

LITTLE ROCK — An American Cancer Society grant will support a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) study of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) influence on racial disparities in the use of a common, life-saving treatment for Arkansas breast cancer patients. The two-year, $222,000 grant is led by Chenghui Li, Ph.D., an associate professor…


May 2, 2023

UAMS Researchers Find Financial Burdens for Cancer Survivors Vary by Insurance Type

David Wise

Cancer Patient Looking Stressed

FAYETTEVILLE — Rural women cancer survivors are more likely to experience financial strain related to basic household needs rather than medical debt, according to researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Office of Community Health & Research. The study, “It was kind of a nightmare, it really was:” Financial Toxicity Among Rural…


May 1, 2023

UAMS, NIH Study Finds Consoling, Other Techniques Better Than Drug Therapies for Newborns with Opioid Withdrawal

David Robinson

UAMS’ Jessica Snowden, M.D., said the study’s findings provide the first strong evidence needed to help end hospitals’ widely varying treatments of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.

LITTLE ROCK — A groundbreaking nationwide clinical trial in which the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) played a key role has confirmed an effective way to wean newborns from opioid withdrawal symptoms that substantially reduces hospital stays and the traditional use of drug therapies. Using an “Eat, Sleep, Console” (ESC) care approach resulted…



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