The April TRIbune newsletter features TRI Research Day 2025, a two-day gathering that drew 169 attendees from across UAMS and its partners at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and the Central Arkansas Veterans Health System.

This fourth annual event, expanded for the first time to two days, included insightful keynote addresses from Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D., from the University of Florida, and Sharla Smith, Ph.D., from the University of Kansas Medical Center. The event also included outstanding oral presentations from TRI-supported faculty and postdoctoral trainees.

The theme for Day 1 of the event was “Integrating Data to Further Translational Science,” and Day 2’s the theme was “Community Engaged Research Day: Impacting Community Health through Translational Science.”  Read The TRIbune.

The March issue of The TRIbune announces exciting changes for TRI’s K12 Mentored Research Career Development Scholar Award Program. These include changes in leadership with Mario Schootman, Ph.D., taking over as principal investigator and director. He is joined by co-directors Josh Kennedy, M.D., a 2015 graduate of the program, and Jason Farrar, M.D., who was named co-director last fall. Other changes in store include a greater emphasis on translational science, communication and community engagement as TRI focuses on meeting the requirements of its new grant and the recommendations of its External Advisory Board.

The newsletter’s Study of the Month features Sisira Yadala, M.D., who is the UAMS principal investigator on a multi-site epilepsy study.

The TRIbune also highlights Research Day on April 10-11, the Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Science program, and it features Spyridoula Maraka’s, M.D., recent success leveraging her TRI Implementation Science Scholar training to secure a VA Merit Award.

Read The TRIbune.

We’re thrilled to invite all UAMS-affiliated faculty and staff to join us for two inspiring days celebrating innovation in translational research! 

Location: Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Conference Center, 10th floor.  

The themes for this year’s expanded TRI Research Day are:

Day 1: Integrating Data to Further Translational Science

Day 2: Community Engaged Research Day: Impacting Community Health through Translational Science

• Dynamic keynote speakers
• Oral presentations from TRI-supported investigators
• A poster session highlighting research from TRI’s funding and training programs
• Community-engaged programming
• Great opportunities for networking! 

Meet Our Keynote Speakers: 

• Elizabeth A. Shenkman, Ph.D., University of Florida
  Presentation: Translating Discoveries to Practice Using Real World Data and Clinical Settings
• Sharla Smith, Ph.D., MPH, University of Kansas Medical Center
  

Register now to save your spot. Registration deadline is Monday, April 7.

NEW: View the agenda here.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Contact: Christi Madden, cmadden2@uams.edu.

The February issue of The TRIbune features a vital partnership with UAMS Regional Programs to bring a national research effort to UAMS family medicine clinics in rural Arkansas. UAMS family medicine physicians Jacquelene Childs, M.D., in El Dorado and Jordan Weaver, M.D., in Batesville bring their crucial rural perspectives to the recently funded NIH initiative Communities Advancing Research (CARE) for Health. 

The TRIbune also includes a story introducing you to members of our Community Engagement Core team, as well as information about our expanded Research Day on April 10-11, and upcoming certified mentor training.

Read The TRIbune.

In this month’s TRIbune newsletter, we highlight Geoffrey Curran, Ph.D., who has made UAMS a national hub for implementation science. Dr. Curran has brought innovative approaches to build capacity in the field through his leadership of the Center for Implementation Research and TRI’s Implementation Science Scholars Program, which equips clinicians with practical tools to enact lasting changes in health care.

Our Study of the Month features John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., the UAMS principal investigator who is utilizing TRI’s services and resources to participate in a multicenter clinical trial related to Long COVID-19.

We also highlight TRI Research Day 2025 and our new Clinical Trials Learning Collaborative Seminar Series, designed especially for clinicians who may be interested in leading clinical trials at UAMS. 

Read The TRIbune.

Kapil Arya, M.D., a  graduate of the TRI Implementation Science Scholar Program, has been selected for the 2025 Viste Patient Advocate of the Year Award from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

Arya will be honored at the AAN annual meeting in April for his outstanding work with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), including his leadership as an Implementation Science scholar to implement statewide newborn screening for the rare disease.

Arya is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Neurology. He directs the SMA and spasticity programs at Arkansas Children’s.

If not detected and treated within a few weeks of birth, SMA can be debilitating and often fatal. The Arkansas General Assembly enacted a law requiring newborn screening for SMA in 2019, but a complex system was still needed for the screening to become routine across the state. Arya developed the system as an Implementation Science scholar in the UAMS Center for Implementation Research in 2020. You can read more about this transformative initiative in this UAMS news story.  In addition to receiving the AAN award, Arya will present the AAN’s priorities to congressional lawmakers as part of the “Neurology on the Hill” advocacy program in 2025.

In this November-December issue of The TRIbune, we highlight the TRI Community Partner Celebration, which honors community partners who play key roles in helping UAMS advance research and improve health, especially for rural communities. 

The celebration on Dec. 6 was a great success, with more than 80 attendees from across Arkansas.

The TRIbune also features Jure Baloh, Ph.D., who received National Institutes of Health funding to support his work related to addiction treatment. He is a 2022 graduate of the TRI KL2 (now K12) Mentored Research Career Development Program and an assistant professor in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.

We also highlight the three new Implementation Science Scholars: Paige Beck, M.D., Ph.D., Tisha Deen, Ph.D., and Saritha Ranabothu, M.D.

In addition, we note the recent meetings of our UM1 and K12 External Advisory Boards. In its report following the November meeting, the UM1 EAB described TRI as a “gem activity” at UAMS.  

Read The TRIbune.

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

The Bonny Hope Wallace Award goes to a UAMS certified research specialist selected by their peers. Wallace worked in research at UAMS for more than 30 years before her death in 2004. The award in her name was presented at the conclusion of the Dec. 11 Certified Research Specialist (CRS) Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the UAMS Office of Research Compliance.

Runnells, who joined the Translational Research Institute in 2017, was nominated by her colleagues.

Her passion for research and work ethic are an inspiration to those who work with Runnells, said Anja Rassmann, BSN, RN, CCRP, a clinical research nurse manager at the Translational Research Institute.

“Gail truly embodies what it means to be an outstanding clinical research professional,” Rassmann said. “She has a true passion for research and our research patients. She displays respect, integrity and professionalism in all aspects of the clinical trial.”

Rory McCoy, BSN, RN, CRS, a clinical research coordinator at the Translational Research Institute, said Runnells’ mentorship has had a profound impact on him.

“Gail’s unwavering support and mentorship have shaped my pursuit of knowledge and inspired my dedication to research,” McCoy said.

Erin Hatcher, a clinical research coordinator, also praised Runnells’ dedication to research participants as well as her less experienced colleagues.

“She always ensures that the participants understand the research process and that they feel comfortable and cared for during the process,” Hatcher said. “She takes on several studies and yet always is available to mentor and teach others. She is patient, nurturing and supportive when teaching others.”

Among Runnells’ significant contributions was her vital role recruiting participants for the breast cancer research project known as “Spit for the Cure.” The groundbreaking initiative, launched in 2007, recruited nearly 26,000 women from all 75 Arkansas counties to participate in breast cancer research through DNA collection. Gail’s recruiting efforts helped establish the robust cohort of volunteers, which continues to impact cancer research today.

“Receiving the Bonny Hope Wallace Award is truly an honor,” Runnells said. “Bonny set a high standard for research professionalism and integrity, and I’m humbled to be recognized in her name. I share this award with my incredible colleagues and mentors, who inspire and support me every day. Most of all, I’m grateful for the research participants who trust us with their care and make our work possible.”

Wallace was an instructor in surgery and laboratory director for surgical research at the Department of Surgery at UAMS as well as clinical coordinator of research at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) Burn Unit. She was instrumental in pioneering ACH’s Burn Unit. Her efforts were focused on cutting-edge research to promote women’s health. She is remembered for her respectful treatment of research participants and her commitment to research integrity.

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 community and academic partnerships to address critical health challenges in Arkansas.

Laura James, M.D., institute director, recognized attendees for their dedication to helping UAMS improve health through research.

“I want to thank everybody for all of your contributions throughout the year to help us be successful as an institution,” said James, also associate vice chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research.

James and Tiffany Haynes, Ph.D., director of the Community Engagement Core, presented awards in five categories. The 2024 awardees are:

Research Partner of the Year: Olly Neal Community Health Center

The Olly Neal Community Health Center, based in Marianna, Arkansas, was celebrated for its work in the Mississippi Delta, one of the state’s most underserved regions. Cassandra Franklin and LaFay Broadway accepted the award on behalf of the center for their successful efforts recruiting Type 2 diabetes participants for the research project “Home Food Delivery for Diabetes Management in Patients of Rural Clinics.”

Franklin said the award is “amazing,” and she has been gratified to see the impact of her work.

“It’s been wonderful to meet the patients who need this service and to see their health improve through education and food delivery boxes,” Franklin said.

UAMS’ Kelsey Bounds, assistant director of research at the Institute for Community Health Innovation, which oversees the National Institutes of Health-funded study, nominated the center for the award.

“The work they do in the Delta and in Lee County is just outstanding,” Bounds said. “Their reach in the rural communities of the Delta is exemplary of how we should be working with our neighbors.”

Chancellor’s Community Engaged Research Partner of the Year: Boys, Girls, Adult Community Development Center

The Boys, Girls, Adult Community Development Center in Marvell was honored for its partnership with Tiffany Miles, Ph.D., an instructor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. Together, they are tackling obesity and diabetes prevention through a community-led research project developed during training in the Translational Research Institute’s yearlong Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Scholars Program.

Miles and the center received a $25,000 pilot grant to support their project to develop a community-led obesity intervention program and to develop ideas for sustaining the intervention.

“We have been a partner of UAMS for a long time and it’s a great honor,” said Beatrice Shelby, the center’s executive director. “UAMS values our partnership, and we just really enjoy working with them. We’re so fortunate to be working with Dr. Tiffany Miles because she is so committed to our project and our goals.”

The research team will assess the community’s perceptions of obesity, maternal health, maternal nutrition and nutrition in general, as well as get the community’s input about potential interventions.

Miles said she has been impressed by the center’s commitment to its community and to the project.

“I’ve been in communication with them for about a year and a half, and they were proactive from the start in pursuing this project,” Miles said. “It’s been beautiful building that relationship.”

1. Kate Stewart Community Engaged Researcher of the Year: Taren Massey-Swindle, Ph.D.

Taren Massey-Swindle, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Medicine departments of Pediatrics and Family and Preventive Medicine. She has built strong partnerships with diverse communities across Arkansas and secured multiple national grants to help improve feeding practices in early childhood care and education settings.

“I couldn’t have received this award without incredible community partners and the dedication that they have every day to doing good work for child health. It’s because of those partnerships that I’m able to do community engaged research,” said Massey-Swindle.

Community Engaged Student/Trainee of the Year: Rachel Hale

Rachel Hale is a Ph.D. student in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health in the college’s Health Promotion and Prevention Research program. She is an instructor and co-director of the Climate, Rural, and Global Health Master of Public Health program. Her award stems in part from her research project “Climate Change and Health Risk Perceptions of Arkansas Small Farmers through the Application of the Health Belief Model.” Hale secured a pilot grant to support her project, and she has demonstrated to her peers and students that community is always at the forefront of her work.

Community Engaged Research Staff Member of the Year: Ason Mohammed

Ason Mohammed is a senior data analyst at the Institute for Community Health Innovation.

He was recognized for his exemplary work on the research project “Comparative Evaluation of Telehealth Multi-Component Optimal Model of Postpartum Care among Rural, Low-Income and Diverse Women.” Mohammed manages databases and performs data analysis for multiple community-based participatory research projects, providing invaluable support to the institute’s research staff and principal investigators. His technical expertise and attention to detail have greatly improved all of the institute’s research projects in his time at UAMS.

Naomi L. Cottoms Community Advisory Board of the Year: Barber Shop Talk Steering Committee

With a new name this year, the award honors the memory of Naomi Cottoms, who died March 5. She was executive director of the Tri-County Rural Health Network, based in Helena-West Helena, and a longtime UAMS community partner. Cottoms was well known for her passionate work on behalf of underserved communities in the Delta.

The Barber Shop Talk Steering Committee is providing guidance on the research project “Barbershop Talk: Reducing Excessive Alcohol Use among Black Men.” The project focuses on reducing unhealthy drinking habits by bringing treatment to a more accessible location for Black men. The steering committee helped shape the research project prior to its implementation and has been instrumental in the positive progress of the study.

The celebration included a keynote address by UAMS’ Nakita Lovelady, Ph.D., MPH, and Joyce Raynor, who leads the Center for Healing Hearts & Spirits. They discussed their NIH-funded

hospital-based violence intervention program, UAMS Project Heal. Lovelady is a recent graduate of TRI’s KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Award program, and she is an assistant professor in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Their successful partnership led to Raynor winning the 2023 Chancellor’s Community Engaged Research Partner of the Year, and Lovelady winning the 2023 M. Kate Stewart Community Engaged Researcher of the Year.

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, told the audience that their dedication embodies what UAMS is striving to achieve: a healthier, more equitable future for everyone in Arkansas.

“It’s only through partnerships like these that we can move the needle on health outcomes, particularly in the rural and underserved communities that need it most,” he said.