ARA Project Scope: Bringing the World Closer to Arkansas’ Innovation and Discovery

Our nation’s fishing industry is threatened by a microscopic invader. Dr. Grace Ramena of University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is leading the research that can save the industries millions of dollars.

Wounds that refuse to heal, such as foot sores associated with diabetes, can cost the health care industry billions while severely effecting quality of life. Dr. Kyle Quinn of the University of Arkansas is developing new tools to help physicians diagnose and treat this condition.

What if you survived the rigors of cancer only to be told you have significant heart damage? Dr. Edward Yeh and his team at UAMS is working on a preventative treatment for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.

How do you build a science community? Dr. Antiño R. Allen of UAMS starts with Arkansas' underserved community, introducing research and discovery to talented young people.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Jianfeng Xu of Arkansas State University shares his research in genetically engineering plants for biofuel and therapeutic benefits.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Laura Schnackenberg of the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research discusses her team’s research in alternative methods of drug testing, including tissue chips.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Hong-yu Li of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences discusses his quest to locating and eliminating cancer-causing proteins.

ARA Academy Member Dr. John Imig of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences shares recent research conducted by his team.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Jingyi Chen of the University of Arkansas shares her research into the potential (and the reality) of nanomaterials.

Dr. Ranil Wickramasignhe of the University of Arkansas explains how membranes are an emerging stream of research in Arkansas.

Dr. Alan Tackett of UAMS joins ARA Project Scope to discuss his research in using the body's own immune system to fight cancer.

At the Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) at A-State, one ARA Academy researcher, Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, and his team have found very promising results in novel organic compounds that have a particularly positive effect for cancer treatments.

Dr. Mansour Mortazavi of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff introduces Sanjay Behuru, who discusses UAPB's successful foray into 2D materials and its impact on quantum computing.

Dr. Hugh Churchill, a member of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows, is internationally recognized as a leading researcher on nanofabrication with quantum transport and optoelectronic characterization. He heads a team that investigates how the physical properties of materials change when reduced to the atomic scale in one or more directions. The change in material properties is then employed to address challenges in quantum technologies with applications like machine learning.

As the toxicology community and regulatory agencies are moving towards reduction, refinement and replacement (3Rs principle) of animal studies, Dr. Tong and his team are exploring an Artificial Intelligence (AI) approach to learn from the existing animal studies so that it can generate the animal data without conducting animal experiments.

Dr. Steven Foley of the FDA National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) shares a lifetime of dedication to identifying and preventing foodborne pathogens like Salmonella. Dr. Foley, a Supervisory Research Microbiologist and Deputy Director of the Division of Microbiology at NCTR, is a member of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows. He and his team works diligently to protect the nation's food supply – including Arkansas' $16 billion agriculture industry.

Dr. Mark Smeltzer, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and a member of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows. He has dedicated his research and professional career to dueling with a microscopic killer that causes the death of nearly 20,000 Americans every year, and he believes he can exploit this “not wanting to die” to a therapeutic advantage in this battle.

What does a difference of +0.5ºC make on rice, Arkansas’ $6B industry? Climate change is increasing night time temperatures, which is threatening crop yields essential to the nation’s economy and food security. Dr. Argelia Lorence explains how her team is seeking solutions.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Tansel Karabacak of UA Little Rock share his team’s latest innovations in nanomaterials.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Clint Kilts shares his work regarding brain imagery and its impact on social challenges.

ARA Academy Member Dr. Min Zou of the University of Arkansas takes us on a tour of the nano-verse and all the possibilities of nanomaterials.

Dr. Alan Mantooth, ARA Fellow and professor at the University of Arkansas, shares his work in improving the nation’s power grid and creating extreme-environment electronics.

Dr. David Ussery, ARA Scholar and UAMS professor of bacterial genomics, shares his efforts in better understanding COVID-19.

Dr. Nitin Agarwal, ARA Fellow and UA Little Rock professor of information science, shares his efforts to make cyberspace a safer place.
Arkansas State University professor and ARA Academy Member Dr. Xiuzhen Huang presents are ARA Project Scope, where she discusses Artificial Intelligence, the Arkansas AI Campus, and the Center for No Boundary Thinking.
ARA Academy Member Dr. Rebecca Lochmann shares her work as the director of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Center at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

ARA Academy Member Dr. Morten Jensen of the University of Arkansas discusses his work as a biomedical engineer and research regarding COVID-19 and more.