March 2002

Accolades

Jehad I. Albataineh, M.D., recently joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an assistant professor. He earned his medical degree and began residency training in Jordan. At the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Dr. Albataineh completed a residency in anesthesiology; did fellowship training in surgical critical care and cardiothoracic anesthesia; and served as a clinical associate in cardiothoracic anesthesia.

The Department of Anesthesiology welcomes Maria A. Bustillo, M.D., as an assistant professor. She graduated from medical school in Venezuela and completed an anesthesiology residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and a neuroanesthesiology fellowship at Columbia University in New York.

Paul Drew, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, was invited to present a lecture in the symposium “Glial Cells as a Target for Steroids” at the Second International meeting on “Steroids and Nervous System” in Torino, Italy held February 2003.

Edgar Garcia-Rill, Ph.D., was one of only four neuroscientists from across the U.S. invited to participate in a National Science Foundation (NSF) workshop in Washington, D.C., earlier this year. The workshop, “Nanotechnology Applications for Improving Human Performance,” was a follow-up to a 2001 meeting that focused on the engineering aspects of nanotechology. Recommendations from these workshops will be used by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which in turn advises the White House.

Leo M. Gehring, CHFM, executive director of Campus Operations, was recognized as a certified health-care facility manager (CHFM) by the American Hospital Association (AHA) Certification Center. The CHFM is a national credential that distinguishes an individual as being among the elite in a critical field of health-care management. Gehring has invested more than 30 years in managing the environment of health care. He is a member of the chancellor’s cabinet and leads the Campus Operations unit of UAMS.

Richard A. Harper, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, is the new chairman of the Graduate Medical Education Committee at UAMS. This College of Medicine committee monitors and advises on all issues of residency education. Dr. Harper also serves as the director of the UAMS Ophthalmology Residency Program and the director of the Jones Eye Institute’s Low Vision Services.

Studies by John Houle, Ph.D., professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, about neural tissue transplants following spinal cord injury are featured in a research update in The Scientist, “Plugging up the Injured Spinal Cord,” by Douglas Steinberg. The study featured in the article was carried out in collaboration with Charlotte Peterson, Ph.D., Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics, Center on Aging at UAMS, and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. Dr. Houle’s pioneering work in spinal cord injury was also featured in a recent book, “In Search of the Lost Cord, Solving the Mystery of Spinal Cord Regeneration,” by Luba Vikhanski.

Research by Cindy Kane, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, was included in a press release at the meeting of the American Society for Cell Biologists. The release generated a number of national news articles. She has been asked by the U.S. State Department to serve as a reviewer for the International Science Technology Centers Grant Program and by the National Institute on Aging to serve on a site visit team for review of a program project grant.

Tammy Kielian, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, has been asked to serve as an ad hoc member of the Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience-4 (BDCN-4) study section, February 28 to March 1, 2002 in Washington, D.C.

Anne-Marie Maddox, M.D., professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, has been appointed to serve as a member of the Clinical Oncology Study Section at the Center for Scientific Review in the National Institutes of Health. She was selected for this honor based on her demonstrated competence and achievements in medical research, published work in scientific journals and other scientific activities. Dr. Maddox’s special clinical interests are lymphoma and cancers of the breast, lung, head and neck.

Swati V. Medhekar, M.D., recently joined the Department of Internal Medicine as assistant professor in the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology. Her special clinical interests include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome and Wegener’s granulomatosis. She sees patients primarily at the Outpatient Center.  Dr. Medhekar earned her medical degree in India and completed an internal medicine residency and a rheumatology fellowship at UAMS.

Gary T. Moore, D.V.M., director, Laboratory Animal Medicine, received a major research grant entitled “Improvement of Animal Research Facilities at UAMS” from the National Institutes of Health. The award, granted on a competitive basis, was given because of recognition received from his peers in the national and international scientific community. The award will enable Dr. Moore to improve animal research facilities at UAMS.

Raja R. Palvadi, M.D., has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as an instructor whose clinical interests are cardiothoracic and neurological anesthesia. He graduated from medical school in India and did anesthesiology residency training in India and at UAMS. Dr. Palvadi has experience as a staff anesthesiologist at Grey Hospital in Greymouth, New Zealand, and as an anesthesiology registrar at Hutt Hospital in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

Cheryl L. Payne, M.D., radiation oncologist at CARTI/Searcy, has been named chief of staff for the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI). Payne received her undergraduate degree in 1986 from ASU in Jonesboro and attended medical school at UAMS, where she graduated in 1991. Payne joined CARTI/Searcy in 1996. She is certified by the American Board of Radiology.

Tina Pennington, R.N., is the nurse of the month for March. Pennington has worked in the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Nurseries for four years. Her coworkers nominated her because of the kindness she shows to both patients and their families. Pennington and her husband have two boys.

Gary W. Schroeder, Ph.D., recently completed a two-year term as director-at-large for the Arkansas Psychological Association (ArPA) and was presented a Service Award at the ArPA fall conference. During his term, he served as ArPA Continuing Education Coordinator and as ArPA Legislation Chair.

Carmelita Smith, M.Ed., diversity manager for UAMS, was selected to serve a two-year term as director of diversity for the Arkansas State Council for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). SHRM is the world’s largest human resource management association and is the leading voice of the profession. As state director, Smith will serve as consultant to local SHRM chapters within the state.

The Department of Anesthesiology welcomes W. Bryan Watkins, M.D., as an assistant professor whose subspecialty is pediatric anesthesiology. He is also a staff physician at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Watkins received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine at Memphis and completed a residency in anesthesiology at UAMS. Most recently, he worked at Anesthesiology Consultants of Arkansas, P.A.