Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Scientists Awarded $1.8M from NIH to Launch Next Generation of Discovery

LITTLE ROCK, AR (July 7, 2026) – The Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) is celebrating two prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development awards that will provide more than $1.8 million to help early-career scientists establish independently funded research programs.

These competitive awards show how vital early-career grants are. In addition to creating excellent mentorship opportunities and helping scientists launch their own independent labs, the grants keep top-tier research talent in Arkansas.

The newly secured grants will fund critical research initiatives aimed at improving clinical outcomes for vulnerable pediatric and neonatal populations:

Meagan Scott Kingren, Ph.D., received a K99 Pathway to Independence Award designed to provide more than $961,000 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences over five years. Her project uses specialized models to provide new insights into burn sepsis hypermetabolism and wound healing. The award will allow her to complete advanced training and provide a financial launch pad to lead an independent research lab. Dr. Kingren is a post-doctoral fellow in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

 

Megha Sharma, M.D., a received a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, totaling more than $903,000. Her study explores how skin pigmentation impacts the accuracy of pulse oximeters in critically ill neonates to protect infants from missed hypoxemia. Backed by $184,882 in year-one funding, the grant requires a 75% commitment to structured clinical research and career development. Dr. Sharma is an associate professor of Neonatology in the College of Medicine at UAMS.

“Supporting brilliant young scientists early in their careers is at the heart of our mission. When we back them with strong mentorship and financial support, we help them thrive as independent researchers,” said Dr. Tamara Perry, president of the Arkansas Children's Research Institute and chief research officer for Arkansas Children’s. “More importantly, it means these world-class minds stay right here at Arkansas Children’s, working every day to discover breakthroughs for our kids.”

Both investigators will carry out their work at ACRI, pairing advanced clinical informatics and biostatistics with translational medical science to maximize the rigor and community impact of their discoveries.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only health system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 850,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes the Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus in Little Rock, home to Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), and the Arkansas Children’s Walker Campus in Springdale, home to Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW). The two pediatric hospitals host 361 licensed beds, supported by a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define, discover and deliver unprecedented child health. ACH is a Magnet-recognized facility operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2025-2026): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. ACNW, the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a Level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates an inpatient unit that will expand in 2026; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

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