HJAR May/Jun 2024

26 MAY / JUN 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs UAMS Awarded $11.48Million Federal Grant to Establish Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute received a five-year, $11.48 million federal grant to create the Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer (CMIC). The grant was awarded by the National Insti- tute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Cen- ters of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program. COBRE grants are awarded to estab- lish centers of research excellence around a spe- cific scientific theme that will ultimately become self-sustaining. The UAMS Center for Molecular Interactions in Cancer and its researchers will study the molecu- lar features and properties of biomolecules that drive cancer using structural biology and high- resolution imaging with precise, quantitative analysis. “The center will create a critical mass of researchers who are able to gain deep molec- ular-level insights into the mechanisms that gov- ern the initiation, progression and treatment of cancer,” said Robert Eoff, PhD, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biol- ogy in the UAMS College of Medicine. Eoff is the principal investigator and will lead the center. “Essentially, we’re digging down to the level beneath the body’s organs to study the compo- nents of the cell — the molecules and even the atoms within them— to understand what makes a cancer cell cancerous.” The grant will strengthen the UAMS cancer research infrastructure with the creation of two research cores, each with highly specialized equipment for cancer research. They are: • Structural Biology Core led by Eric J. Ene- mark, PhD, associate professor in the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This area will assist CMIC research project leaders with high quality sample preparation, world class instrumentation and computational resources required for 3D high resolution structural studies. • Biomolecular Interactions Core led by Kevin Raney, PhD, professor and chair of the UAMS Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This core will pro- vide quantitative analysis of macromolecu- lar interactions and dynamics down to the level of single molecules. The research grant of $11,475,000 is funded by NIH National Institute of General Med- ical Sciences (NIGMS), award number 1P20GM152281-01. JodieMahony Center Recognized for Efforts Promoting STEMEducation Employees at the UA Little Rock Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education have received national recognition for a project that is bring- ing STEM education to thousands of Arkansas students. The National Association for Gifted Chil- dren (NAGC), the nation’s leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented chil- dren, awarded the Jodie Mahony Center employ- ees with the 2023 Professional Learning Network Award. The award recognizes an individual, insti- tution, or organization for planning and imple- menting sustained professional development on gifted education given to educators and service providers in PreK-12 or higher education. Cancer Center in El Dorado Secures Funding for Completion CARTI has secured funding through the Ameri- can Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to finalize the devel- opment of its cancer center in El Dorado. “Three years ago, CARTI began a Phase I proj- ect of the CARTI Cancer Center with a $12 million investment. Seeing the remainder of the project being funded is an unbelievable testament to the impact CARTI has on the lives it serves, including mine,” said Jim Sheppard, MD. The Phase II expansion includes components such as radiation oncology, breast services, and CT technology, aiming to provide comprehensive care options closer to home for Arkansas citizens. Spine Surgeon Gannon B. Randolph, MD, Joins UAMS Orthopaedics in Northwest Arkansas Gannon B. Randolph, MD, has joined the Uni- versity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as an orthopaedic spine surgeon practicing at UAMS Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. He will see patients at the UAMS Health Ortho- paedics and Sports Medicine Clinic in Lowell. Randolph is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon with 18 years of experience. His special interests are complex cervical surgery, nerve pain, oncol- ogy, surgery to treat spinal degeneration and arthritis, minimally invasive spinal surgery, and peripheral neurological surgery. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Oregon, he graduated magna cum laude from the Oregon Health Science University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopae- dic residency training at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center in Salt Lake City, fol- lowed by fellowship training in comprehensive spinal surgery at the University of California Los Angeles. Randolph has lived and practiced medicine in Northwest Arkansas for 15 years, previously work- ing at Ozark Orthopaedics and serving as the director of the Mercy Hospital spine program. He is an emeritus president of the Arkansas Ortho- paedic Society. Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Towson NowOpen Mercy leaders, along with officials from the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, city of Fort Smith and others, were on hand Jan. 29 to celebrate Mercy Fort Smith’s expansion to Tow- son Ave. Fareed Kannout, MD, internal medicine special- ist with Mercy, is moving his practice from Zero Street to the Towson Avenue clinic, with up to Gannon B. Randolph, MD