HJAR Jan/Feb 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2026 41 J. Thaddeus Beck, MD Medical Director, Clinical Research Highlands Oncology clinical trials and approximately 10,000 patients enrolled and in follow-up. To ex- pand access statewide, a project was initi- ated several years ago to embedWPRCI staff into private practices, such as at Highlands Oncology and CARTI, providing access to NCTN clinical trials, with management by WPRCI. This approach addresses the most significant barrier to cancer care in Arkan- sas: its rural nature and the travel burden on patients. Northwest Arkansas benefits from the expansive clinical research program at Highlands Oncology, which offers nearly 150 clinical trials, including first-in-human novel cancer treatments, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiopharmaceuti- cals. It has additional assistance through Hope Cancer Resources, which offers free transportation extending 60 miles beyond the central I-49 corridor. With locations across the state, CARTI and the Genesis Cancer and Blood Institute are bringing research trials closer to where pa- tients live and where their support system is. As you can see, cancer research inArkan- sas is active and expanding at all levels. And if the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Insti- tute is successful in its pursuit of attaining NCI designation, more research opportu- nities and increased patient access are on the way. n J. Thaddeus Beck, MD is a founding physician and medical director of Highlands Oncology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed residency train- ing there in internal medicine. He also completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Duke University.He is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology. research providers in the state. Let’s take a closer look at some of the spe- cific research with the potential to expand cancer care in Arkansas: • UAMS is advancing the use of CRIS- PR, a gene editing tool. Its Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research was recently awarded a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project led by Mark Manzano, PhD, which uses CRISPR to study Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus and its mechanism for evading im- mune surveillance. • UAMS received a five-year, $10.5 mil- lion NIH grant to expand proteomics research led by Alan Tackett, PhD, in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The goal is to de- velop biomarkers for human diseases, including cancer. Biomarker research like this can lead to more personalized treatments and improved screening for patients at higher risk of cancer. • At Arkansas State University, Jason Zhou, PhD, and his lab are studying how cancer cells spread, particularly in breast cancer. He received a grant in 2022 from theArkansas Breast Can- cer Research Program to study cell behavior. • At the University of Arkansas in Fay- etteville (UAF), Jun Fan, PhD, and his lab are linking protein chemistry with cancer biology to target bacterial connections to tumors and using syn- thetic biology to create new therapies. The university’s Arkansas Integrative Metabolic Research Center is investi- gating howmetabolism contributes to cancer, obesity, and diabetes. In Sep- tember, the NIH awarded a $1.8 million grant to the chemical engineering lab of Jian Zhang, PhD, to study how physical forces affect cell movement and cancer metastasis. • Highlands Oncology is collaborating on two projects with UAF: one study- ing gait mapping as a marker of mus- cle strength and cancer cachexia, and another testing the ability of high-fre- quency lasers to detect biomarker sig- nals that may predict tumor behavior. Advancing Cancer Science Across the State Cancer research in the state relies on a network of national and local institutions. Here’s what that looks like. The National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) is a network of five main adult research groups, such as the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and the South- west Oncology Group (SWOG). Funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), these groups pool resources from thousands of sites, including hospitals and private clin- ics, to test new treatments. Last year, NCTN enrolled over 25,000 patients in trials. This network is the primary way Arkansans ac- cess cancer research. Sadly, NCTN’s research strength inArkansas has weakened over the past 20 years due to physician shortages and increased clinical demands. As the flagship cancer research institute, WPRCI has 90 staff members managing