At UAMS Research Delivers Hope
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ach day, research at UAMS leads
to better care and new ways to prevent disease. Over the years, developments have provided life-saving cancer treatment, allowed parents to bond with their newborns in intensive care, and many other wonders. This consequential research across Arkansas is what defines an academic medical center. “Simply put, research is part of UAMS’ DNA,” said Larry Cornett, Ph.D., UAMS vice chancellor for research, noting that UAMS faculty have a passion for discovering new medical treatments and solving public health issues.
Angel Eye Such passion is evident in the UAMS neonatal intensive care unit, where Sarah Rhoads led development of the web-based Angel Eye Camera System to address concerns about out-of-town parents unable to bond with their babies. Rhoads, a doctor of nursing practice and advanced practice nurse, has continued improving the camera system design after it was first introduced in 2006.
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giving.uams.edu
The camera is integrated into infant isolettes and allows parents to see and speak to their babies on mobile and desktop devices. First supported through a gift from the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation, Angel Eye today is a commercial success, with purchases by hospitals in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. Its success in the marketplace was aided by UAMS BioVentures, which guided licensing of the intellectual property to a spin-off company, Angel Eye Camera Systems LLC, in 2013.
Lung Cancer Research Raye Rogers, of Little Rock and Batesville, provides one of the best examples of cutting-edge genetics discoveries that can mean the difference between life and death. Only a few years ago someone diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at age 92, like Rogers, probably would have been offered hospice care. Instead, through a clinical trial, researchers identified a genetic mutation that responds favorably to the drug Crizotinib. Doctors found the same mutation in Rogers’ lung cancer cells and prescribed the drug.
For a Better State of Health