Department of Laboratory Sciences | UAMS College of Health Professions

About the Department

The Department of Laboratory Sciences in the College of Health Professions is dedicated to providing students with the education necessary to meet entry-level competencies for medical laboratory science and cytology.

Degree Programs

Medical laboratory scientists are highly educated professionals who are involved in all aspects of clinical laboratory testing. With the use of a microscope, cytologists apply specific criteria to decide whether the cells in a sample are normal, inflamed, pre-cancerous or malignant.

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Department of Laboratory Sciences News & Announcements

Nathan Johnson, Ph.D., Named President-Elect of NAACLS

Nathan Johnson, Ph.D., chair, professor, and program director in the College of Health Professions’ Department of Laboratory Sciences, has been selected as president-elect of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Nathan Johnson, center, holds his Patriotic Employer Award certificate. Congratulating him are left to right, Sarah Parker, Cherika Robertson, Rebecca Bird, (Johnson), retired Col. Tom Anderson, Corinne Hollingsworth and Thao Vu. Except for Anderson, all are faculty members of the Department of Laboratory Sciences.

Department of Defense Recognizes UAMS’ Nathan Johnson, Ph.D.

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program in the U.S. Department of Defense recently recognized Nathan Johnson, Ph.D., with the Patriotic Employer Award.

MLS Extended students get hands on training in affiliated hospitals while taking UAMS classes online, helping to fill positions in small and rural hospitals.

New MLS Extended Program Seeks to Fill the Gap in Rural Medical Laboratories

A silent hiring crisis exists in the medical laboratories of rural, small-town hospitals in Arkansas and nationwide, and a new program in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) College of Health Professions seeks to help. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unfilled positions in all medical laboratories average 7-10%, but in rural…

Shayla Stinnett, far left, and Andrew Prince, far right, stand with the Cytology Program's Class of 2025 after they put on their white coats for the first time.

Cytology Students Don White Coats in Ceremony

Cytology students in the Class of 2025 donned their white coats for the first time March 21 and celebrated the completion of academic, classroom study and the start of their clinical learning in working laboratories.

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Cytology Program Accreditation

The cytology program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 113th Street N., #7709, Seminole, Florida 33775. Telephone: 727-210-2350.

Medical Laboratory Sciences Program Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 5600 North River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois 60018; Phone: 773-714-8880.

Contact Information

Primary Contacts

General Information
Phone: 501-686-5776
Fax: 501-526-6563

Nathan H. Johnson, Ph.D., DLM(ASCP), MASCP, MLS(ASCP), SC, SLS, CC(NRCC)
Department Chair; Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences Program Director
Email: NJohnson2@UAMS.edu

Shayla Stinnett, M.Ed., CT(ASCP)
Bachelor of Science in Cytology Program Director
Email: SDStinnett@UAMS.edu

Gloria Johnson
Executive Assistant I
Email: JohnsonGloriaA@UAMS.edu

Mailing Address

Department of Laboratory Sciences
College of Health Professions
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 West Markham St., Slot 597
Little Rock, AR 72205