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Translational Research Institute

Laura James

Five UAMS Researchers Receive Translational Research Training Awards

The UAMS Translational Research Institute has awarded five early-career UAMS researchers with KL2 Mentored Research Career Development Program Scholar Awards.

The program provides two years of instruction and mentored research training. Scholars receive 75% salary support and up to $25,000 per year for research, tuition, travel expenses and education materials.

The KL2 Scholars were chosen from 11 applicants, and six finalists were interviewed by an independent faculty review committee.

“All of the applications had significant strengths,” said W. Brooks Gentry, M.D., co-director of the institute’s KL2 program. “The awardees are a very strong group with broad representation across disciplines at UAMS.”

He noted that the scholars’ work includes two child health projects, one geriatric project, three clinical trials and one basic science study.

“All of their projects are translational,” Gentry said. Research that is translational seeks to produce more meaningful, applicable results that directly benefit human health. The goal of translational research is to move science discoveries more quickly and efficiently into everyday practice.

Below are the new scholars, their college, department and title of their KL2 project:

  • Tara Johnson, M.D.; College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Neurology; “Implementation and Quantification of the General Movement Assessment for Early Detection of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in Infants”
  • Stefanie Kennon-McGill, Ph.D.; College of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health; “Fetal Exposure to Cannabinoids: Exposure, Methylation and Neurodevelopmental Effects”
  • Pearman Parker, Ph.D., M.P.H., RN; College of Nursing, Department of Nursing Science; “An exploration of the mental health needs of young women with breast cancer and implications for developing patient educational materials”
  • Isabelle Racine Miousse, Ph.D.; College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry; “Decreasing Methionine Intake to Improve Survival in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma”
  • Jennifer Vincenzo, Ph.D., M.P.H., PT; College of Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy; “Development of a Falls Prevention Self-Management Plan to Improve Older Adults Adherence to Prevention Strategies after Community-Based Falls Risk Screenings”

Vincenzo is the first KL2 Scholar from the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus and first from the College of Health Professions.

 Including this group, a total of 26 UAMS researchers have received KL2 Scholar Awards since 2009. Those who have completed the program have raised more than $43 million in funding outside UAMS to support their research projects and help jump-start their careers.

The KL2 Program is supported by the Translational Research Institute’s Clinical and Translational Science Award, funded by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, grant UL1 TR003107. Funding support for this group of KL2 Scholars also came from the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (Johnson), and the Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program (Parker).

NIH Awards Five-Year, $24.2 Million Grant to UAMS Translational Research Institute

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Translational Research Institute announced July 3 it will receive five years of federal funding totaling $24.2 million to accelerate research that addresses Arkansas’ biggest health challenges.

University of Arkansas System President Donald R. Bobbitt, Ph.D., front left, and Jimmy Harris, front right, Little Rock field representative for U.S., Sen. John Boozman, applaud the announcement.
University of Arkansas System President Donald R. Bobbitt, Ph.D., front left, and Jimmy Harris, front right, Little Rock field representative for U.S., Sen. John Boozman, applaud the announcement.

The Translational Research Institute helps researchers turn their ideas and findings into new medical treatments and other health interventions. Its focus is on rural Arkansas populations, where health and health care disparities persist. A major emphasis of the award is research partnerships with Arkansas communities to ensure that research supported by the institute aligns with the priorities and needs of Arkansans.

“This funding recognizes the outstanding research occurring right here in Arkansas,” said U.S. Senator John Boozman. “It will help UAMS researchers build on their successes and develop new therapies and medical procedures that will improve lives in Arkansas and beyond. I was pleased to support the efforts of UAMS to secure this funding, but this award truly is a testament to the body of work produced by UAMS. Arkansans can be proud of all UAMS has accomplished and its bright future that lies ahead.”

The new funding, called a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), comes from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). UAMS is one of more than 50 CTSA Program sites in the United States. The institute first received CTSA funding in 2009.

“Competition for these awards is fierce, so having a CTSA means we’ve shown UAMS to be among the country’s leading research innovators,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “For Arkansans, this award is significant because it will translate to improved health and health care. The university also thanks Sen. Boozman for his important help in achieving this result.”

Patterson, left, and James finish unveiling a poster announcing the grant award.
Patterson, left, and James finish unveiling a poster announcing the grant award.

The CTSA award includes a main grant and two training grants. Laura James, M.D., is the principal investigator on the primary Translational Research Institute grant, which totals $20.6 million, and provides research infrastructure and oversite for the entire CTSA program.

“A CTSA is among the most significant NIH awards an institution can receive,” said James, also institute director and UAMS associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational research.  “We are thrilled over this award because it represents the collective effort of numerous faculty members working across diverse research programs. This award demonstrates the synergy and strengths of research talents at UAMS. In addition, the CTSA will harmonize our efforts as health care providers and researchers to improve the health outcomes of Arkansans through research innovations.”

“We are also very proud that this opportunity allows us to work closer with our partner institutions, Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS), as well as the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, to expand the impact of research throughout the state,” James said.

The institute is supporting novel research that addresses significant health issues in Arkansas, such as opioids and pain management, diabetes and obesity, mental health and rare diseases. It is also expanding opportunities for UAMS researchers to participate in multisite clinical trials, including cross-CTSA research opportunities.

“The Translational Research Institute has created a collaborative cross-campus and cross-CTSA environment that enables our researchers to thrive,” said Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research. “The funding is important, and the prestige of being part of the CTSA Program helps us recruit the best researchers nationally.”

The two other grants that are part of the award include the Institutional Career Development Core grant totaling $2.3 million, led by Mary Aitken, M.D., and Brooks Gentry, M.D.; and the National Research Service Award Training Core, $1.3 million, led by Nancy Rusch, Ph.D., and Curtis Lowery, M.D.

“Supporting the development of our early stage translational researchers is critical to ensuring that UAMS and Arkansas have the capacity to meet health challenges of the future,” Aitken said. “The KL2 program has been an central part of the TRI’s efforts to identify and cultivate our research pool and launch the careers of our faculty, and plans for the next phase of TRI to further refine the program make it likely to have continued success.”

The new funding will enable important new and existing efforts to continue, including:

  • Providing the public with easier access to cutting-edge clinical trials.
  • Increasing the number of clinical trials offered at UAMS, ACH, and CAVHS.
  • Pilot grants for the best translational research ideas for improving health and health care.
  • Education and translational science training for early career researchers.
  • Entrepreneurship training to help researchers commercialize their ideas.
  • Implementation science training to identify and adopt the most successful approaches and the latest medical advances.
  • Supporting team-based collaborations at the local and national level.
  • Increasing partnerships with diverse communities to ensure the most meaningful clinical and translational research is conducted with rural populations.
  • Streamlining translational research processes and enhancing research quality with state-of-the-art informatics approaches and methods.
  • Adopting “plain language” communications to ensure research opportunities and findings are disseminated broadly to the public.

In preparation for the award, UAMS developed a number of new research approaches that will help expand research opportunities in the future, including:

  • ARresearch.org, a volunteer research participant registry and website, providing researchers a pool of nearly 6,000 potential research volunteers.
  • Expanding researcher access to de-identified patient data that can be used to understand disease patterns and that provide a framework to guide studies testing new research treatments or approaches.
  • Expansion of cross-institutional collaborations with multiple other CTSA programs across the U.S.
  • Expansion of study management tools and resources, to ensure that research is conducted according to the highest standards of quality and reproducibility.
  • Creation of a Community Scientist Academy, to provide in-depth training for the public on clinical research and to provide service and decision-making opportunities for the public.
  • Expansion of its Community Advisory Board, ensuring that its diverse, grassroots stakeholders have a voice in the institute’s efforts.
  • An efficient, cost-saving electronic service request system for researchers, which allows them to select from a menu of over 30 unique services and receive customized help with research-related tasks.

In addition to partnerships with ACH/ACRI and the CAVHS, the institute fosters research collaborations across all UAMS colleges – Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health, as well as the UAMS Graduate School. The National Research Service Award Training Core, led by Rusch, involves a training partnership with the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

The NCATS/NIH award is under Award Number U54TR001629.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

The TRIbune Features UAMS Neurosurgeons’ Research

The latest TRIbune features the research of neurosurgeons J.D. Day, M.D., and Thomas W. Morris III. The co-principal investigators hope to help determine if a relatively new surgical procedure is better than standard medical management in certain cases of intracerebral hemorrhage. We also highlight the work of our Community Engagement program and its Community Scientist Academy, which has been adapted for the first time to teach students in the Little Rock School District’s Excel Program. We include news that TRI’s innovative methods for incorporating community members into the grant review process will be studied at five institutions (including UAMS) with support from the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The newsletter has our new study of the month led by Clare Nesmith, M.D., and recently cited publications by researchers who received TRI support.

Read The TRIbune

UAMS Opioid/Pain Pilot Awardees Named

Six UAMS faculty have received pilot awards in opioid addiction and pain research. The one-year awards of up to $25,000 each were made possible through the UAMS Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and are being administered by the UAMS Translational Research Institute. The pilot projects will provide important preliminary data for these research teams to submit future federal grants to expand opioid addiction and pain research at UAMS.

Below are the awardees, their research titles and their video summaries of their projects:

Johnathan Goree, M.D., Video-based, Patient-Focused Opioid Education in the Perioperative Period: A Feasibility Study; https://youtu.be/QB9f_E9AOG0

Corey Hayes, Pharm.D., MPH, Linking the Arkansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Data with the Arkansas All-Payer Claims Database; https://youtu.be/ScgtR2OLZWE

Linda Larson-Prior, Ph.D., Impact of Buprenorphine-Assisted Treatment on Sleep, Mood and Cognition among Opioid Use Disorder Patients; https://youtu.be/sRWujnCwnOQ

 Issam Makhoul, M.D., The Development and Implementation of a Standardized Pain Management Protocol for Adult Sickle Cell Patients; https://youtu.be/rpkW7TqqUVU

Clare Nesmith, M.D., Quantitation of Opioids in Neonates with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal; https://youtu.be/WA8nL6fucoM

Alison Oliveto, Ph.D., Gamified Intervention to Prevent Adolescent Opioid Misuse; https://youtu.be/uCdG2L3fNN8

The awardees were selected from a diverse and competitive pool of applicants. Seventeen Letters of Intent were submitted, and 12 were invited to submit a full application. Ten full applications were reviewed and scored by a study section of 29 faculty and community reviewers.

The project start date is Jan. 1, 2019.

November-December TRIbune

The November–December TRIbune newsletter features the unique community engaged research of Keneshia Bryant-Moore, Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC. Bryant-Moore, a TRI KL2 Scholar graduate, has secured five Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) awards. The funding supports her research in partnership with faith leaders to address depression and other health issues in underserved populations.

We also highlight the work of Andrew Burrow, M.D., a rare diseases researcher who has found TRI to be vital in helping him achieve his goals. Our TRI New Study of the Month features an industry-sponsored clinical trial, led by Seth Berney, M.D., of a possible drug for systemic lupus erythematosus.

ARresearch.org Registry Hits 5,000 Volunteer Milestone

A registry that matches people’s health interests with research studies at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) now has more than 5,000 Arkansans signed up.

Nathaniel Noble of Little Rock joined the ARresearch.org registry and participated in a UAMS research study coordinated by Research Associate Dusio Giuseppina, Ph.D. (right).
Nathaniel Noble of Little Rock joined the ARresearch.org registry and participated in a UAMS research study coordinated by Research Associate Dusio Giuseppina, Ph.D. (right).

The milestone was reached just two years after the registry was created to help address the critical need for research study volunteers.

“Five thousand is significant because now we are reaching a critical mass of volunteers needed to help our researchers meet their study enrollment targets and produce high-quality findings,” said Laura James, M.D., director of the UAMS Translational Research Institute, which established the registry. “We appreciate the tremendous support of our fellow Arkansans. They tell us wherever we recruit that they love UAMS and enthusiastically support our research mission.”

The registry is at ARresearch.org, a UAMS website created by the Translational Research Institute with input from its Community Advisory Board and UAMS patient advisory groups. Registrants select from a list of 29 health interest areas (allergy, heart disease, skin disorders, etc.) so that researchers know who to contact when they have studies in those health areas. Registrants can select as many of the categories as they want.

Studies at UAMS range from clinical trials (investigational drugs and devices) to health-related surveys and tests of health interventions.

One researcher who has found the registry invaluable is John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of nephrology in the UAMS College of Medicine. Arthur was able to find 31 participants for his research studying bacteria in the gut of chronic kidney disease patients.

Using the ARresearch.org registry, John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., found 31 Arkansans to participate in his kidney disease study.
Using the ARresearch.org registry, John Arthur, M.D., Ph.D., found 31 Arkansans to participate in his kidney disease study.

“We really couldn’t have conducted this research without the ability to find fairly large numbers of healthy volunteers, and ARresearch has been fabulous for that,” said Arthur, also associate director of the Translational Research Institute. In addition to helping UAMS researchers, the registry is also popular with Arkansans.

Nathaniel Noble, of Little Rock, joined the ARresearch.org registry last year after hearing about it at a Rotary Club luncheon. He checked the “Healthy Volunteer” option on the form and soon received an email from UAMS asking if he would be interested in participating in Arthur’s kidney research study.

“It hit home because my dad was on dialysis the last years of his life,” Noble said. “I felt that I needed to do my part so maybe someone else’s dad won’t have to go through the same experience.”

Noble said his participation was a good experience. “They were very personable and walked me through the tests they were running. Mine was in three parts and they did whatever it took to work around my schedule.”

Anita Rose, of North Little Rock, helped put the registry over the 5,000 mark when she joined during the Back to School Bash at North Little Rock Academy on Aug. 11. She said the word “research” immediately got her attention when she saw the

Anita Rose, of North Little Rock, said her mother's breast cancer inspired her to join the ARresearch.org volunteer registry.
Anita Rose, of North Little Rock, said her mother’s breast cancer inspired her to join the ARresearch.org volunteer registry.

ARresearch.org booth.

“My mom had breast cancer and we need that researched more,” Rose said, adding that as an African-American, she wants to be sure her race is represented. “It needs to be done with people of color, Hispanics, and others because everybody is different.”

Jean McSweeney, Ph.D., R.N., who led development of ARresearch.org, noted that the registry’s diversity compares well to Arkansas census data. In fact, it has a higher percentage of African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders than is reflected in Arkansas census data.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure that we are recruiting a diverse pool of registrants, and we are proud to have registrants from all 75 Arkansas counties,” said McSweeney, professor and associate dean for research in the College of Nursing. “I think our success can be attributed in part to the early involvement of diverse community representatives when we were developing ARresearch.”

Nationally, up to 48 percent of research studies fail to meet their enrollment goals and most require twice the amount of time to meet their recruitment goals than originally planned, according to a 2013 Tufts University study. As a result, increasing public participation in research has become a priority for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Translational Research Institute represents UAMS as part of a national consortium of Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program institutions supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the NIH.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and six institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

Seeking Five Years of Funding, TRI Submits Application to NCATS

One year of bridge funding was great news last year for the Translational Research Institute (TRI), but it set the stage for a big challenge.

While the September 2017 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) allowed TRI time to strengthen its next application for five years of funding, it meant producing a fourth CTSA application in four years, a mammoth undertaking for TRI Director Laura James, M.D., and numerous faculty and TRI staff.

Work on the application began almost immediately after the bridge award was announced, said James, also UAMS associate vice chancellor for clinical and translational science.

“We dedicated ourselves to the application, but we also remained committed to our ongoing initiatives and innovative plans in collaboration with research leaders across our hub [UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS)],” she said.

1,864 Pages

“Until you’ve been in the middle of this type of grant application, it’s hard to understand the amount of work involved in weaving together a consistent and compelling story that clearly explains the incredible progress achieved at UAMS since our first CTSA grant in 2009, as well as the exciting vision we have for the future,” James said.

The latest journey concluded on May 24, 2018, when James and 32 other UAMS faculty submitted the 1,864-page document to the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). TRI is seeking five years of funding – $26.1 million – in an application with three funding components: the main component, an Institutional Career Development Core (KL2 Program) and National Research Service Award Training Core (the Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program).

The application describes numerous core strengths at UAMS and how various research champions at UAMS, ACH, and CAVHS will work as a team to enhance the health of Arkansans through transformative research.

Challenges and Opportunities

TRI’s strategy for the application was to craft a story that reflected the unique challenges and opportunities in Arkansas.

“Our clinical and education footprint around the state is very strong, as reflected by the numerous outreach clinics and expansive telemedicine program,” she said.

The application emphasizes plans for not just strengthening UAMS’ research footprint, but also for addressing the needs of Arkansas’ underrepresented communities.

“For our research to be relevant for Arkansans, it really needs to engage those who traditionally have not been in the center of clinical and translational research,” James said. “It needs to align with the health care needs of special populations, including children and older adults, as well as underrepresented minorities, and individuals with low health literacy.”

The quality partnerships that TRI has developed with other CTSA sites over the last four years strengthens the application. “We have partnerships that are centered on research itself, as well as partnerships that address research processes, such as grant reviews, or that are building off our successes in engaging community members to help us with decision-making,” James said.

Washington Delegation

UAMS and TRI leaders were buoyed by the May 7 visit from a delegation that included NCATS Director Christopher Austin, M.D., staff from U.S. Sen. John Boozman’s office and the Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee.

The day began with welcomes from James and Donald R. Bobbitt, Ph.D., president of the University of Arkansas System, followed by 17 faculty and a community representative giving brief presentations highlighting individual scientific programs and/or TRI programs. Faculty from informatics, pharmacy, public health, pediatrics, psychiatry, family and preventive medicine, pharmacology and toxicology, biochemistry, and internal medicine gave presentations, as did research leaders from ACRI and CAVHS. The day concluded with a small-group discussion that included new UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, and Lawrence Cornett, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research.

Congressional staff attending were:

  • Laura Friedel, staff director/clerk, HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
  • Mackensie Burt, Legislative Director, Office of U.S. Senator John Boozman

NCATS representatives attending with Austin were:

  • Adrienne Hallett, associate director, Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis, NIH
  • Pamela McInnes, D.D.S., M.Sc., deputy director, NCATS, NIH
  • Michael Kurilla, M.D., Ph.D., director, Clinical Innovation, NCATS, NIH
  • Mary Purucker, M.D., Ph.D., director, CTSA Program Hubs, Clinical Innovation Division, NCATS, NIH
  • Samantha Jonson, MPS, special assistant to the director, NCATS, NIH

“We were encouraged with the nature of the questions from NCATS as well as their comments about our programs,” James said. “It was clear that we are on the right path.”

While “third time’s a charm” is the best known maxim, James said she would be happy to make it “four’s a charm” for this CTSA application.

“I feel confident that we’ve delivered a competitive application,” she said.

First TRI Open House Draws More than 100

Sarah Rhoads, Ph.D., D.N.P., visits with TRI’s Nia Indelicato and Amy Jo Jenkins.

The first Open House for the UAMS Translational Research Institute (TRI) drew more than 100 attendees from UAMS’ research community interested in learning about the resources and services offered by TRI.

TRI held the open house as a fun way to introduce itself to new researchers and for others to learn more about what all TRI has to offer. In addition to the 19 featured research services, the event included food and wine, as well as door prizes.

Both new and veteran UAMS researchers echoed their approval.

Hari Eswaran, Ph.D., a long-time professor in the College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said he was familiar with many of TRI’s offerings, but he discovered more during the open house.

TRI-supported services and resources on display included those of its Clinical Trials Innovation Unit, community engagement, participant recruitment, pilot awards, KL2 scholar awards, biostatistics, biomedical informatics, implementation science and entrepreneurship initiatives.

“Everybody knows TRI but probably not the whole gamut of what they do,” Eswaran said. “For example, I didn’t know about their implementation science function.”

Carolyn Greene, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry who is new to UAMS, said she was pleasantly surprised by the event.

“I’m really impressed by all the resources in one place,” she said. “Everything I need is right here.”

Sarah Rhoads, Ph.D., D.N.P., was also happy with the event. “I like how I can see everything that TRI offers, from A to Z, in one place.”

TRI’s Kate Stewart, M.D., M.P.H., and Anna Huff, (seated) speak with attendees about TRI’s Community Engagement Program.

TRI Director Laura James, M.D., said she plans to hold the Open House annually.