UAFS Earns First National Insititutes of Health Grant

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith has received its first grant from the National Institutes of Health, securing $132,000 for advanced scientific equipment that will expand undergraduate research opportunities across campus.

Dr. Jason Ortega, assistant professor of biological science, serves as principal investigator on the grant, which will support research involving three additional UAFS faculty members in biology, psychology, and geosciences.

The award will fund a Sable Systems Respirometry System, a suite of specialized instruments that measure metabolic activity, including oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, methane production, and water loss. The equipment will allow students and faculty to study how environmental conditions affect living organisms.

"I am thrilled to bring high-resolution metabolic measurement equipment to UAFS," Ortega said. "The equipment suite purchased with this grant will have a massive impact on our teaching and research capabilities. Through these resources, UAFS students will gain experiences on par with R1 institutions."

Ortega plans to use the system to investigate how microplastics affect the metabolism, digestion, and water balance of small terrestrial animals, particularly spiders. Students in his research courses have already earned Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grants to examine microplastic contamination in local spiders, which can encounter airborne particles trapped in their webs. The new equipment will allow researchers to further their study, measuring how exposure to those pollutants affects the animals' physiology.

The system will also support Ortega's research into invasive parasites impacting non-native snake populations. He and his fellow researchers will examine how infection affects the physiology of intermediate hosts, including insects, lizards and frogs.

Other faculty members have identified applications for the equipment across several disciplines, as well.

Dr. Nicha Otero, head of the psychology department, plans to involve students in research examining connections between academic stress, metabolic activity, mental health, sleep quality and physical activity. Dr. Maurice Testa, associate professor of geoscience, will incorporate methane measurements into ongoing student research on groundwater. James Brandli, biology instructor, plans to use the system with student researchers studying mushroom growth and plant physiology. 

The equipment will also support laboratory instruction in courses ranging from animal physiology and physiological psychology to environmental geology and general biology.

Taylor Martinez, director of research and sponsored programs, said the award represents a milestone for UAFS and demonstrates the university’s effort to foster interdisciplinary collaboration on campus

"This grant reflects the best of what campus collaboration looks like, from finding the right opportunity to bringing faculty together from across departments to incorporate this equipment into both their research and teaching," Martinez said.

More than half of UAFS students are Pell Grant eligible, the federal government’s highest indicator of financial need, and close to 60% are first-generation college students. Access to research-quality instruments will provide students with opportunities to develop technical skills and conduct research that can prepare them for graduate education and careers in biomedical sciences, while studying at a university where tuition cost is accessible. 

"UAFS is committed to giving our students hands-on experiences with specialized, state-of-the-art equipment. Equipment like this is typically reserved for large research universities, so having it here opens doors for our students that wouldn't otherwise be available," Martinez said.

The equipment will be available to faculty across campus through the university's research asset database. The College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences have also committed approximately $4,500 over three years for supporting equipment and anticipated maintenance expenses.

UAFS Provost Raymond Green said the award reinforces the relationship between faculty research and undergraduate education.

"What makes achievements like this particularly exciting is that they reinforce how teaching and research complement each other," Green said. "When faculty engage in high-impact research, they not only advance knowledge in their fields, but also bring new discoveries, technologies, and perspectives directly to students in the classroom and laboratory."

Ortega said the investment will also strengthen the university's ability to pursue future research funding, creating additional opportunities for faculty and students.

"Enhancement of our research infrastructure will allow faculty to reach their full potential and increase the likelihood of success in future grants, which will ultimately make our students more competitive on a national level," Ortega said.

"This grant affirms that transformative research can thrive at regional public universities and that our students benefit when they learn alongside exceptional faculty like Dr. Ortega," Green said.