UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging

08/31/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Jeanne Wei for being selected by Little Rock Soirée magazine as a Little Rock Top Doc 2026 in the field of cardiology!

08/27/2026

On this episode of The Wei to Wellness, Dr. Jeanne Wei discusses maternal mental health.

Be sure to watch weekly, as host Nichole Niemann sits down with Dr. Wei to discuss timely health topics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei is a triple-board certified M.D. and Ph.D. She is the Executive Director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics.

UAMS cardiologist, Dr. Jeanne Wei, discusses postpartum depression and psychosis.

08/24/2026

Computational Drug Discovery Leads to Experimental Validation of a Potential Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Strategy

One of our Reynolds Institute on Aging researchers, Dr. Meenakshisundaram Balasubramaniam recently collaborated with a researcher at Harvard on this discovery. All computational predictions were performed by Dr. Balasubramaniam at UAMS.

Article Title: Zolpidem restores sleep and decreases amyloid in a mouse model Yu L, Yokomizo S, Doan TH, Zhao Q, Ganne A, Balasubramaniam M, Kastanenka KV. Zolpidem restores sleep and decreases amyloid in a mouse model. Alzheimers Dement. 2026 Mar;22(3):e71175. doi: 10.1002/alz.71175. PMID: 41810694; PMCID: PMC12976976.

Link: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.71175

A key strength of this study was the integration of advanced computational drug-discovery approaches by Dr. Balasubramaniam with rigorous in vivo experimental validation by Dr. Kastanenka at Harvard Medical School. The computational component employed an unbiased screening strategy to search approximately 2,300 FDA-approved drugs for compounds capable of modulating the GABAA receptor, an important regulator of inhibitory neuronal signaling and sleep. The workflow combined structure-based high-throughput virtual screening, molecular mechanics–based binding free-energy calculations, machine learning and neural-network classification, and molecular dynamics simulations of the intact GABAA receptor embedded within a virtual lipid membrane. This multistep strategy identified zolpidem as a leading candidate and further predicted that its interaction with the receptor could facilitate chloride-ion transport, providing a structural and mechanistic rationale for enhancing GABAergic signaling and restoring sleep-associated neuronal activity.
Importantly, these computational predictions were subsequently validated experimentally in Dr. Kastanenka’s lab at the MassGeneral Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Harvard Medical School using an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. The experimental studies demonstrated that zolpidem improved NREM sleep stability, restored the sleep-dependent cortical slow oscillations predicted to benefit neuronal function, and, following chronic treatment, significantly reduced cortical amyloid plaque burden and neuronal calcium overload. Zolpidem treatment also improved sleep-dependent contextual memory without adversely affecting locomotor activity. Together, the study demonstrates the power of integrating computational drug repurposing with experimental neuroscience: computational modeling identified and mechanistically prioritized a clinically available compound, while independent in vivo studies provided biological validation that the predicted intervention could improve sleep-associated brain function and reduce key Alzheimer’s disease–related pathologies.

INTRODUCTION Deficits in non–rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep facilitate Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) signaling can restore sleep. Unbiase...

08/21/2026

Happy GME Education Coordinator Day! Our coordinators and directors are truly the backbone of our education program, managing daily operations, accreditation, and providing incredible support to our learners.

A special shout-out to Dr. Priya Mendiratta, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Director; Dr. Julie Windholz, Assistant Director; Joni Pharis, Fellowship Coordinator; and Shikara Allmon, Education Coordinator.

We also want to recognize our clerkship Directors, Dr. Elizabeth Eoff and Dr. Shami Nandy, and extend a warm welcome to Dr. Olivia Anderson, our new VA Education Site Director!

Thank you all for moving mountains every day to make sure our fellows, students, residents, and PA students have the support and resources they need to succeed. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful team!

Pictured below: Shikara Allmon and Joni Pharis, looking sharp!

08/20/2026

Sciatic pain? Tune in to this week's episode of The Wei to Wellness for insight and tips on this pain in the behind.

Be sure to watch weekly, as host Nichole Niemann sits down with Dr. Wei to discuss timely health topics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei is a triple-board certified M.D. and Ph.D. She is the Executive Director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics.

UAMS cardiologist, Dr. Jeanne Wei, talks about sciatic nerve pain.

08/13/2026

The UAMS Centers on Aging always have free programming for the public. There are eight Centers on Aging, across the state, covering large regions.

Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Center on Aging - Little Rock
South Arkansas Center on Aging - El Dorado
Delta Center on Aging - Helena
West Central Center on Aging - Fort Smith
Center on Aging-Northeast - Jonesboro
South Central Center on Aging - Pine Bluff
Schmieding Center for Senior Health & Education - Springdale
Texarkana Regional Center on Aging - Texarkana

For information about the center in your area, please visit the link: https://aging.uams.edu/centers-on-aging/about-us/

A program of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging In 2001, the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging created the Arkansas Aging Initiative, known as the Centers on Aging.  The Centers on Aging established eight centers across the state using $1.3 to $2 million dollars annually from the s...

08/12/2026

Did you know that you can view free content online through the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative? They have multiple free community programs, which we often share, but they have a host of online materials as well, for older adults as well as healthcare professionals.

Free wellness and educational programs for seniors, caregivers, and geriatric health professionals throughout the state of Arkansas.

08/10/2026

Coming up in October, our annual Geriatrics Updates conference. Please join us in person or virtually!

Registration is required and can be found at this link:

Save the date for the 2026 Geriatrics Updates - Living in Health and Harmony.

08/06/2026

On this episode of The Wei to Wellness, Dr. Wei discusses heart problems and warning signs. Knowing these signs could help save a life.

Be sure to watch weekly, as host Nichole Niemann sits down with Dr. Wei to discuss timely health topics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei is a triple-board certified M.D. and Ph.D. She is the Executive Director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics.

Senator lindsay graham seemed perfectly fine. then, suddenly, chest pain changed everything. uams cardiologist dr jeanne wei is talking about the warning signs of a heart emergency and why knowing them could save a life.

07/29/2026

We are happy to welcome the incoming 2026-2027 class of UAMS Geriatrics Fellows! A fellowship is intensive training in a specialty field.

From R-L, sitting: Tariq Alamin, Chuka Ikediashi, Supriya Peshin, and Jaya Vanjani.

Standing: Dr. Julie Windholz, Assistant Program Director, Geriatrics Fellowship Program; Dr. Priya Mendiratta, Vice Chair of Education and Geriatrics Fellowship Program Director; Dr. Jeanne Wei, Executive Director Reynolds Institute on Aging; and Joni Pharis, GME Program Coordinator.