When Stephanie M. Lopez-Neyman, Ph.D., MPH, RD, spotted a poster at UAMS for Research Expo 2025, she scanned the QR code and registered. A new faculty member in the College of Health Professions, she saw the event as a chance to discover the resources that could help launch her research career.
“It was a good opportunity to find out what’s available,” said Lopez-Neyman, an assistant professor in the college’s Department of Dietetics and Nutrition. “There are quite a few things I didn’t know about that will be helpful as I develop my research program.”
Lopez-Neyman was one of 128 faculty, staff and trainees who attended the Expo and the UAMS Research and Innovation New Research Faculty Orientation on Sept. 10 at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.
The afternoon began with the orientation, where leaders from across UAMS gave brief overviews of the many research services available to faculty. TRI Director Laura James, M.D., concluded the orientation with a brief summary of key TRI training and funding opportunities, and she announced the winners of TRI’s Summer Writing Challenge (story below). The Expo then offered attendees a chance to meet one-on-one with representatives from nearly every research support program at UAMS. The event included food and drinks, giving participants a chance to visit in a relaxed setting.
James said the back-to-back events provided an efficient way for faculty to learn about research resources, network with colleagues, and connect with the experts who can support their work.
“It was wonderful to see so much energy in the room,” she said. “Everyone seemed to enjoy the chance to network and walk away with resources to help their research.”
Johnny Rider, Ph.D., associate professor of occupational therapy in the College of Health Professions, made the trip from the UAMS Northwest Campus in Fayetteville to Little Rock. He said the event delivered exactly what he was hoping for.
“Totally worth it,” said Rider, who joined UAMS this year from Touro University in Nevada. “As a researcher, it’s overwhelming in a good way to see how many services are available and to learn about the different programs for grants, such as the (TRI) K12 (Mentored Research Career Development Scholars) program. It was also helpful to hear the presentations and then immediately talk with everyone at the Expo.”
Lopez-Neyman said she left the Expo with new connections to the TRI STARs research training program for early-career faculty, the TRI Clinical and Translational Science Pilot Awards program, and the Rural Research Network. She also shared ideas with BioVentures LLC and the Institute for Digital Health Innovation representatives.
Clay Jackson-Litteken, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology, said he left with plans to attend an upcoming information session for the TRI K12 Scholars program.
College of Public Health doctoral students Wilberforce Twinamatsiko and Melissa Walker said they came to learn more about implementation science opportunities and to meet peers outside the classroom.
Tamer Kaoud, Ph.D., a new assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, described the Expo as “everything we need in one place.”