Post doctoral fellow in the department of epidemiology, Patrick Apopa, recently won an award for his scientific poster at the 14th annual MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Conference, March 23-25. Apopa’s poster was titled, “Cyanobacteria Colonization in the Lung Exhibit Innate Inflammatory Response Leading to Lung Adenocarcinoma.” He won $150 for his work. Other UAMS authors on the abstract include Rosalind Penney, Ph.D., Konstantinos Arnaoutakis, M.D., Matthew A. Steliga, M.D., Susanne Jeffus, M.D., Nishi Shah, M.D., Orloff Mohammed, Ph.D, Emine Bircan, Ph.D. student, and Jing Jin, Ph.D. student.
MPH Student Presents Grand Rounds at Arkansas Department of Health
Jonathan Aram, MPH student and epidemiologist at the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), presented at ADH grand rounds July 6 on the Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP).
The PMP is a database that collects and stores prescribing and dispensing data for controlled substances and other drugs specified by Arkansas law. Aram, along with Denise Robertson, PMP Administrator, discussed how far the program has come since it was established by Act 304 in 2011.
Pharmacies input prescriptions for controlled substances into the system. Doing this allows the prescriber to see how many times an individual has filled a prescription. Since implementation in 2013, the PMP has been voluntary, but that will change in the fall when prescribers will be required to check the PMP before prescribing certain drugs.
PMP authorized users include pharmacists, physicians, advanced practice nurses, optometrists, dentists, law enforcement, and licensing board members.
Despite a recent reduction in the number of prescriptions written, per captita, opioid use in Arkansas remains high.
Along with an increase in prescribing, Arkansas has seen rising drug overdose death rates beginning in the late 1990’s. Drug overdose deaths occur more frequently among non-Hispanic whites, adults with low educational attainment and people living in certain counties in Arkansas.
For more information, visit https://www.arkansaspmp.com/.
COPH Graduates Present Grand Rounds at Arkansas Department of Health
COPH graduates and Delta Omega inductees, Melissa Clemens and Shelbie Stahr, presented grand rounds on June 22 at the Arkansas Department of Health. They each presented research from their culminating experience projects in the MPH program.
Clemens looked at the effects of nicotine and tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) from e-cigarettes on pregnant women. The study, which was the first of its kind, specifically looked at the effects of the biomarkers, nicotine, cotinine, and the TSNAs NNK and NNL, which are carcinogens and what most people assume are not in ENDS, by sampling the hair of 81 pregnant women who use Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).
Results showed that dual users (or those who smoke cigarettes and are ENDS users) and smokers expose themxelves to the same amount of nicotine. Nicotine i also only paritally responsible for adverse birth outcomes; therefore, cigarettes must contain additional toxins. Lastly, dual users expose themselves to more NNK than smokers, which may affect them down the road.
Stahr’s research looked at the biomarker SULT1A1 and its capabilities for cancer. She aimes to identify a biomarker that could ultimately reduce invasive procedures and large costs that a cancer diagnosis brings.
SULT1A1 is a drug-metabolizing enzyme, expressed in the liver, that engages in modifying metabolites and neutralizing toxins. Stahr looked at 288 liver samples to see if there was a correlation between SULT1A1 expression and activity levels and the methylation status. Ultimately, she couldn’t make a correlation, but if work like this continues, eventually a biomarker will be found that can reduce the cancer burden in our health care system.
Clemens and Stahr will both continue their education at UAMS in the fall by pursuing Ph.D.’s, one in Toxicology and the other in Epidemiology, respectively. Congrats to both ladies on all their hard work.
Mentorship Program Encourages Careers in Public Health
Eliminating tuberculosis, preventing violence, and improving health for people worldwide.
A mentoring program provided jointly by the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and the Arkansas Department of Health has inspired students to study and make an impact in these areas of public health — areas they may not have thought about before participating in the program.
The Stead Scholars Mentorship Program is in its seventh year.
Students receive a $2,200 stipend to complete a public health project while working with a mentor for eight weeks. They get an introduction to public health, including exposure to science by public health professionals, clinical practice and health policy development. Students learn about topics such as Zika and Lyme disease, the opioid epidemic and climate change.
This year’s Stead Scholars are James Abraham, Kristin Donadeo, Jared Goff, Rachel Parker, Sarah Munro, Katherine Darden, and Aaron Underhill.
“This is an opportunity to show students what public health entails, and perhaps we can encourage them to consider a professional career in public health,” said Joseph Bates, M.D., professor and associate dean for public health practice in the College of Public Health. Bates recently retired as deputy state health officer and chief science officer at the Arkansas Department of Health.
The program, named for William “Bill” Stead, M.D., began in 2012 as a way to attract younger people to the public health field. Stead, who was an internationally recognized physician, scientist, educator and humanitarian, served as the Tuberculosis Control Officer for 26 years at the Arkansas Department of Health until his retirement in 1998. He is credited for developing innovative measures in tuberculosis treatment and control such as short course chemotherapy for tuberculosis and making groundbreaking contributions in tuberculosis control among the elderly and prison system. After his death in 2004, his friends created an endowment to memorialize his work.
The Stead endowment provides funds for two students, while the College of Public Health funds additional students each summer. Twenty-one students have completed the program.
Katy Allison, Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant in the College of Public Health, was among the first class of Stead Scholars in 2012.
“The Stead Scholars Program was my first introduction to public health after graduating college. I am grateful for the opportunity the program gave me because it jump-started my career in public health,” said Allison. “I knew very little about public health or the potential for a career in the field before the Stead program, but the experience exposed me to an area I fell in love with, Trauma and Injury Prevention.”
Allison developed a report on the Arkansas Trauma System, which is readily accessible and still used by public health professionals. After the program, Allison enrolled in the UAMS College of Public Health and earned a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree and is pursuing a doctorate in health promotion and prevention research because of her interest in injury and violence prevention.
Sydney Haldeman, who went through the program in 2014, recently finished her M.P.H. at Boston University. Prior to the Stead Scholars Program, Haldeman wanted to pursue a career in biology, but now she is pursuing a career in global health because of her experience in the program.
“Because of this program, I’m now genuinely excited about public health and I hope to work in this field one day,” said Haldeman.
Heather Prowse, who is entering her senior year at Hendrix College, completed the program in 2016.
“I was able to work with Dr. Lori Fischbach at the College of Public Health when I was in the program,” Prowse said. “I even co-authored a paper that’s in process of being published.”
Prowse credits her guidance from Bates in encouraging her to go into the public health field, which led her to an internship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination. After graduation, Prowse plans to pursue an M.D./M.P.H. degree.
“The Stead Scholars program has been in place for several years now and it has served to introduce promising college undergraduates to the many and varied career opportunities in public health” Bates said.
July 6 ADH Public Health Grand Rounds; “The Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program: The Opioid Crisis in Arkansas”
Thursday, July 6th 2017
8:00am – 9:00am
Public Health Grand Rounds
Arkansas Department of Health
Auditorium
“The Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program: The Opioid Crisis in Arkansas”
Presented By
Denise Robertson, P.D.
Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program Administrator
Arkansas Department of Health
and
Jonathan Aram, B.A., M.P.H. Student
Epidemiologist
Prescription Monitoring Program
Arkansas Department of Health
June 27th ADH Public Health Grand Rounds; “A Check Up on Unplanned Pregnancy –Trends, Innovations, and Next Steps”
Thursday, June 27th 2017
8:00am – 9:00am
Public Health Grand Rounds
Arkansas Department of Health
Auditorium
“A Check Up on Unplanned Pregnancy –Trends, Innovations, and Next Steps“
Presented By
Andrea Kane, MPA, BA
Vice President for Policy and Strategic Partnerships
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Washington, DC
July 19th Dissertation Defense; “Conceptualizing Depression in African-American Churches: Exploring Beliefs and Attitudes about Depression from Pulpits to Pews”
Wednesday, July 19th 2017
12:00pm – 2:00pm
COPH 2280
The Health Promotion and Prevention Research Program
Presents:
Stephanie McCoy, MPH, MPS, CHES
Doctoral Candidate
“Conceptualizing Depression in African-American Churches: Exploring Beliefs and Attitudes about Depression from Pulpits to Pews”
Karen Yeary, PhD
Chair
Doctoral Advisory Committee
&
Tiffany Haynes, PhD
Chair
Doctoral Advisory Committee
June 2017 Student News
Rebecca Pope Raciborski successfully defended her dissertation, Use of the Emergency Department and Time Spent Waiting for Treatment: A Health Systems Perspective on Care for Individuals with Mental Illness, on April 25. Her committee included J. Mick Tilford, (chair), Carly Eastin, M.D. (COM), Holly Felix, Teresa J. Hudson (COM), and Chenghui Li (COP). Congrats Rebecca!
Xiaocong Li, a student in our Ph.D. in Health Systems and Services Research (HSSR) program, developed, submitted, and received pilot research funding from the Translational Research Institute (TRI) for her dissertation research, Development, Validation, and Implementation of an Opioid Risk Prediction Tool. Co-authors include: Brad Martin, Ph.D., from the UAMS College of Pharmacy and Mick Tilford, Ph.D. and Holly Felix, Ph.D. from the College of Public Health.
June 22 ADH Public Health Grand Rounds; The Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society Presents: Effects of Nicotine and TSNA’s from E-Cigarettes on Pregnant Women And SULT1A1 and its Biomarker Capabilities
Thursday, June 22th 2017
8:00am – 9:00am
Arkansas Department of Health Auditorium
“The Delta Omega Public Health Honorary Society Presents: Effects of Nicotine and TSNA’s from E-Cigarettes on Pregnant Women And SULT1A1 and its Biomarker Capabilities”
Melissa Clemens MPH, MLS
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
and
Shelbie Stahr, MPH
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
June 22th Interprofessional Education: Faculty Focused Events: 201E: Facilitator Skills and IPE Event Design
Thursday, June 22th 2017
9:00am – 12:00pm
Northwest UAMS Campus
“201E: Facilitator Skills and IPE Event Design”
Presented By
Wendy L. Ward, Ph.D., ABPP College of Medicine