UAMS Neurology

12/06/2025

Part 2 of our Leadership Course for Future Neurologists took place this Friday!

We were honored to host Dr Jonathan Goree as our guest speaker for the day. Dr Goree is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Chief of Staff for UAMS Health, and Director of the Neurosciences Service Line at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

He gave some excellent leadership advice to our residents and they in turn had an engaging discussion with him after the talk.

Dr Humaira Khan, Program Director of the Neurology Residency Program, then led a 2 hour session on Leading Others (leading teams, dealing with conflict, Identifying and dealing with bias, communication, and feedback). Breakout sessions and role play activities helped residents understand complex concepts.

Looking forward to Part 3 in Jan 2026 with Dr Sahaya!

11/06/2025

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out for the first UAMS Parkinsonism Walk — a true celebration of community, support and the power of coming together to make real change. 🌟 Together, we took steps not just for awareness, but for hope, for connection, and for impact. Here’s to many more moments like this — one step at a time, moving hope forward. 💪 UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

10/30/2025

🌎💜 World Stroke Day 💜🌎
Yesterday, on World Stroke Day, our UAMS Stroke Team had the opportunity to partner with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission to raise awareness about stroke prevention and symptom recognition. The Arkansas Minority Health Commission offered FREE health screenings — including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, height, and weight checks — helping our community take steps toward better health.

Knowing the signs of stroke can save a life — maybe even your own.
Remember BE FAST:
🧠 Balance – sudden loss of balance or coordination
👁️ Eyes – sudden vision changes
😕 Face – facial drooping on one side
💪 Arm – weakness or numbness
🗣️ Speech – slurred or strange speech
⏰ Time – call 911 immediately

10/25/2025

Catching up with former UAMS co-resident on a chilly Saturday morning!

Dr. Orwa Aboud is a board- certified neuro- oncologist and physician- scientist at the University of California, Davis. He is a UAMS neurology residency graduate (2017) who went to Johns Hopkins for his Neuro-oncology fellowship. His clinical and research expertise lies in the management of gliomas and the development of translational diagnostic platforms using metabolomics and non- invasive biomarkers. Dr. Aboud leads multiple federally funded studies and clinical trials, and his work focuses on bridging lab discoveries with real- world tools that improve patient care. He also plays an active role in national neuro- oncology initiatives through the AAN and SNO and is a dedicated mentor to students and trainees.

He gave a very informative Grand Round at UAMS on Translational Neuro-Oncology: Advancing Non-Invasive Diagnostics for Glioblastoma.

10/18/2025

All fun (and games) at Caverns & Forests Board Game Cafe!

10/15/2025

ED Residents choice for Consultant of the Month Award: PGY-3 Neurology resident, Dr Bayan Alqtishat!

Congrats Dr Alqtishat!
Keep up the good work!

10/04/2025

Quarterly resident awards recognizing the hard work and commitmentment to excellence our residents demonstrate each and every day! Awards presented by Dr Tuhin Virmani, Vice Chair for Education (except as noted below):

Best Senior: Dr Hira Zafar (PGY-4 and Administrative Chief Resident)

Best Peer PGY-2: Dr Jennie Burns (was on night float and was not present to receive her award)

Best Peer PGY-3: Dr Ethan Echols

Best Peer PGY-4: Dr Hira Zafar

Best TNK time: Dr Talha Javed (presented by Shelbie Quenga)

Best Neurology Consultant (voted for by IM / Hospitalist/ ED teams): Dr Sama Almasri

Congratulations! We also shared with the residents the wonderful comments they all received from co-residents, faculty, off service teams.

09/15/2025

09/14/2025

Our first leadership session (for residents) on emotional intelligence has concluded. Dr Virmani (Vice Chair for Education) hosted this final event.

09/12/2025

Residents attend the inaugural session of the Leadership Course for Neurology trainees developed by Dr Humaira Khan (current PD) and Dr Kinshuk Sahaya. Dr Sahaya is an epileptologist, a former PD of the UAMS Neurology Residency Program, and has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. PGY-1 through PGY-4 Neurology residents attended the program.

We were also honored to have the interim Chancellor of UAMS, Dr C. Lowry Barnes join us. He spoke to the residents about emotional intelligence at the workplace and the residents had the opportunity to have a detailed discussion with Dr Barnes about what leading by example looks like.

Leah Timmons, GME Education Manager, led the residents through their DiSC assessment results and helped them learn about themselves and others to communicate better in the workplace.

The residents also had the opportunity to discuss case studies and participate in role play involving leadership positions.

The first session will conclude tomorrow with a debriefing and dinner at the house of Dr Virmani, who is the Vice Chair for Education.

09/10/2025

We’re proud to recognize Jessaca Hope, DNP, APRN, on her selection as a 2025 Fellow of the American Epilepsy Society (AES), a prestigious honor awarded to only 105 clinicians nationwide, including just five nurse practitioners.

As part of the AES Fellowship cohort, she will engage in advanced education, mentoring, and professional development, culminating at the AES Annual Meeting in Atlanta this December.

This recognition reflects Jessaca’s steadfast commitment to neurological care, especially epilepsy, and highlights the exceptional talent within our team.

Special thanks to Dr. Sisira Yadala for her mentorship and support. Please join us in congratulating Jessaca on this outstanding achievement!

09/10/2025

Join us November 1, from 9–11 a.m., at the Little Rock Zoo (1 Zoo Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205) for the UAMS Parkinsonism Walk 2025. Doors open at 8:15 am.

Walk with us to show your support and stand alongside our Parkinsonism community. Donate if you can’t join us in person—every gift helps fuel local initiatives! Spread the word—share this post to raise awareness and invite friends and family.

Together, we can make a difference. Learn more and register or donate: https://go.uams.edu/parkinsonism-walk/

Move Hope Forward – One Step at a Time!