In addition to being the Director, GRECC, Dr. Sullivan is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics and Professor of Geriatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. His clinical and research expertise is in the area of nutrition and rehabilitation of the frail elderly and assessment of health outcomes. For the past 15 years, he has been funded to study the interrelationship between nutrition, physical fitness, and illness in the frail elderly. The results of this research have been published in numerous journals. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatric Medicine. He is a member of the following scientific and professional societies: American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, The Gerontological Society of America, American Federation for Clinical Research and the American College of Nutrition. He also serves on multiple committees and as a reviewer for numerous journals.

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Dr. Griffin focuses on the mechanisms involved in the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. Recently, Dr. Griffin has discovered a link between the presence of a certain immuni-response-generated cytokine, Interleukin-1, and the increased probability of onset of Alzheimer's Disease. This is seen as a significant breakthrough in the early detection and treatment of Alzheimer's, and it has drawn nationwide acclaim for Dr. Griffin, the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics and the Little Rock GRECC.

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Dr. Chernoff has been a prolific author and editor. She has edited 3 books and published 28 abstracts, 29 journal articles, and 98 other publications, including book chapters, invited reviews, and other articles. Her primary interests are in nutrition and aging, pressure ulcers, and health promotion. She is very involved in many activities to educate health professionals to better care for older adult patients. She has given over 430 continuing education presentations, won many professional accolades, and has served on many national, professional, and advisory committees.

As the GRECC Administrative Officer, Mrs. Guthrie is the corporate officer of the GRECC with the primary goal of implementation of all GRECC program requirements as stated by Public Law 96-330 and so required by the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care (VACO), CAVHS and VISN 16. Mrs. Guthrie has been employed by the Veterans Administration since 1972 and has been the AO in the Little Rock GRECC since 1986.

The Barger laboratory studies basic elements of cellular neurobiology, particularly as it relates to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In cultures established from human and rodent brain tissue, the biological activity of an Alzheimer-related protein, beta-amyloid precursor, is examined. The laboratory also seeks to describe more general relationships between innate immunity and neurodegeneration.

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Dr. Bodenner completed his medical school training and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He also obtained a doctorate degree in chemistry at the University of Minnesota. He is Board Certified in Endocrinology having completed his training at the National Institutes of Health. He has a special interest in diseases of the thyroid and bone that afflict the elderly.

His work is currently using an exercise model to identify the molecular and biochemical factors that control muscle loss during aging.  Specifically, he is interested in the factors that regulate muscle repair and growth.  His results indicate that levels of these factors generally decrease in muscle as we age and lose their responsiveness to exercise.  His future studies will seek to determine if exercise training can restore the normal levels and response to exercise for these factors.  He is a native Arkansan and received his PhD in molecular biology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

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Kimberly Garner, MD, JD is a Clinical Instructor at the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a Special Fellow in Advance Geriatrics at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System where she is conducting research in palliative medicine with an emphasis on needs of caregivers.

After completing a dietetics degree at Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport, Dr. Garner received her M.D. from UAMS and then completed a residency in Family Medicine at UAMS-AHEC Pine Bluff. She received her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock - School of Law. She has completed additional training in Geriatrics at UAMS.

Dr. Garner is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association and Baptist Medical Dental Association

A graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ms Johnston completed her dietetic internship at CAVHS/UAMS.  She began her career as a clinical dietitian in Austin, Texas.  After receiving her Master of Science degree from TWU-Houston Campus in 1983, Ms Johnston joined the Nutrition & Food Service staff at CAVHS as a clinical dietitian.  She began in geriatric care in 1993 on the Geriatric Evaluation Management unit at the NLR VA.  She has co-authored two chapters on geriatric nutrition.  In 2002 Ms Johnston transferred to Education & Development Service as the assistant director of the CAVHS/UAMS Dietetic Internship.  For 22 months she served as the Acting Chief of E&DS.  Her current position as Education Specialist in GRECC began in July 2008.  She works as an outreach coordinator to all the VISN 16 facilities and CBOCs to encourage participation in the Little Rock GRECC continuing education programs.  Ms Johnston also develops the geriatric education curriculum for the allied health profession students and trainees at CAVHS.  She is a past president and past state delegate for the Arkansas Dietetic Association.  She was appointed to the American Dietetic Association Education Committee in January 2009.

Richard A. Jones, Medical Research Technician, has been part of the GRECC since 1982. Richard previously worked with Dr. Sam Goldstein using human fibroblasts as an in vitro model to study the aging process at the cellular and molecular levels. Under the leadership of Dr. Sue Griffin, Director of Research for GRECC, Richard is presently part of a global investigative team, whose aging research is addressing the questions associated with the neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Richard coordinates laboratory operations associated with Dr. Griffin’s projects. Funded through the NIA, these exciting and dynamic research studies place this group of investigators at the forefront in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease research.

Todd McKee, MEd is the Director of Instructional Technology for the Arkansas Geriatric Education Center (AGEC) and an Education Specialist for the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) in the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS).  Todd also serves as an Instructional Developer and Evaluator for the Arkansas Aging Initiative (AAI) and Arkansas Empowering Older Adults Project.

William received his MA in Gerontology and RN from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His medical background includes cardiac, acute psychiatry, dementia, nutrition (vitamin D) and mental health. He currently serves as Clinical Demostration Project Coordinator (CDPC) for the GRECC.

Robert J. S. Reis, D. Phil., is a molecular geneticist with extensive experience in studies of aging and longevity, DNA methylation, genomic instability, homologous recombination, telomere attrition, and gene mapping. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and D. Phil. in Genetics from Sussex University (U.K.), and trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the MRC Mammalian Genome Unit in Edinburgh and at UCSD, La Jolla. He has been the mentor of 11 graduate students at UAMS, of which 8 received Ph.D. degrees and 2 M.Sc. degrees. A ninth Ph.D. student is expected to graduate within the next year. Dr. Reis research interests include Homologous recombination and telomerase activity in normal vs. transformed cells, Chromosomal localization of genes affecting longevity and stress-response in the nematode C. elegans, and Genes governing bone density in mice and humans.

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Staff Physician at the GRECC, CAVHS, and Professor and Chair of the Reynolds Dept of Geriatrics, is an experienced gerontologic investigator, teacher, and academic administrator. She has over twenty-two years of experience in gerontologic research, in mentoring of gerontologic fellows and junior faculty, and in developing research and academic programs and initiatives. Dr. Wei obtained the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois. She completed an internal medicine residency and a cardiology fellowship, both at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. She also completed a staff fellowship in the cardiovascular section at the Gerontology Research Center of the National Institute on Aging. She was Director of the Division on Aging at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Gerontology Division at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from 1991-1999, and served as Senior Physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1996-2002. We are interested in enhancing the current understanding of the influence of age on the heart, and why the older person is more vulnerable to poor outcomes following ischemic and hemodynamic stress.

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