Dr. Kimbrell received his M.D. from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and then completed his residency in psychiatry at UAMS. He then spent 3 1/2 years as a Senior Staff Fellow in the Biological Psychiatry Branch at the National Institute of Health where he studied brain imaging and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). He was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UAMS and a Staff Physician at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in December 1997.

Dr. Kimbrell’s research focus is the neuroanatomy of emotions. Using functional brain imaging that measures brain activity, he is working to understand which areas of the brain participate in the generation, expression and maintenance of healthy and pathological mood states. Determining the "circuits" of the brain involved in these processes may allow clinicians to better diagnoses and treat neuropsychiatric disorders. Using a hand held magnet that is the strength of a MRI machine: rTMS is being investigated as a method to influence the brain circuits that are involved in the generation and maintenance of emotional states.