Kent D. McKelvey, M.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of Adult and Cancer Genetics Services at UAMS where he is the inaugural recipient of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Chair in Clinical Genetics. He is a Fellow of the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics and a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine.
He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and his medical degree from UAMS. He has two completed two residencies. After Family Medicine residency, he worked as a private practice physician before pursuing a second residency in Genetics. He is interested in tailoring medical care by applying the genome into the practice of medicine – particularly in preventive medicine and treatment.
Dr. McKelvey leads the cancer genetics team at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and heads a multidisciplinary clinic which provides comprehensive services for adolescents and adults with genetic syndromes - with a special emphasis on Down syndrome. He is interested in public health issues which take into account the growing number of people with genetic syndromes and the complex interplay of medical and social needs across lifespan. Dr. McKelvey has published original research investigating the etiology of osteoporosis in individuals with Down syndrome and has worked as Principal Investigator on clinical trials involving cognitive aspects of Down syndrome. He is actively researching nutrition, autoimmunity and the role of inflammation as it relates to dementia. He is interested in actionable molecular and genetic markers which predict the early onset and potential treatment of disease.
