UAMS announces new eye institute director and breast cancer research grants

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has announced two significant developments in medical leadership and research funding.

Ophthalmologist Omair Ali, M.D., has been appointed as the Director of Global and Community Outreach for the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute. In this role, Dr. Ali will oversee initiatives such as the “Gift of Sight” cataract program for Marshallese and Pacific Islander patients, as well as the GoVision mobile screening unit for school children in central Arkansas. His position will also facilitate medical mission trips for residents and students.

Additionally, the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, through the Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program (ABCRP), has awarded $400,000 in grants to support statewide research. Amit K. Tiwari, Ph.D., received a $250,000 Principal Investigator Award to study strategies for overcoming chemoresistance in triple-negative breast cancer. Other researchers, including Amit K. Tiwari, Donald J. Johann Jr., Zhiqiang Qin, and Shelbie D. Stahr, were part of the funding cycle aimed at improving breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.