Pediatric Asthma Expert and NIH-Funded Scientist Dr. Tamara T. Perry Named President of Arkansas Children’s Research Institute

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas native and pediatric allergy expert Tamara T. Perry, M.D., FAAP, FAAAAI, will serve as the new president of Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI). She will also serve as senior vice president and chief research officer for the Arkansas Children’s system.

She assumes leadership July 1, as ACRI experiences pivotal growth and accelerates innovative research to improve health outcomes for children in rural and underserved communities.

“Dr. Perry has been an integral part of Arkansas Children’s and ACRI for nearly two decades and is a highly respected leader in pediatric research and academic medicine,” said Arkansas Children’s President & Chief Executive Officer Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “Throughout her career, she has remained deeply committed to advancing innovative research that improves outcomes for children, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. Her leadership, collaborative approach and passion for discovery make her exceptionally well-suited to lead ACRI into the future.”

Arkansas Children’s opened a new Pediatric Clinical Research Unit, more than doubling the number of beds dedicated to caring for children in trials for innovative treatments including gene therapy. The institute is also building the National Center for Opioid and Addiction Research (NCOAR), a first-of-its kind center with majority funding from opioid and vaping settlement dollars.

An esteemed leader in healthcare and clinical research, Dr. Perry serves as a professor of Pediatrics and recently held the title of Chief of the Allergy and Immunology Division at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Arkansas Children’s.

Dr. Perry will also hold the Whipple Family Distinguished Research Scientist Endowed Chair. She has authored numerous scientific publications and serves as a reviewer for some of the field of allergy and asthma’s most influential journals. She was nationally elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, where she served from 2020 to 2024, and has also held multiple national committee roles within the organization since 2004. Her research, including National Institutes of Health-funded work focused on improving care for children with asthma, has helped advance pediatric medicine and strengthen Arkansas Children’s national research reputation.

In 2020, Perry was recognized with the Dr. Robert H. Fiser, Jr., Research Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to pediatric research. She was also recognized as the Arkansas Biosciences Institute’s Established Investigator of the year in 2022.

Perry earned her medical degree at UAMS and completed her undergraduate degree at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

In the role, Perry follows Dr. Pete Mourani, who left Arkansas Children’s in 2025.