Friday, December 23, 2016
Trial Results Confirm Ebola Vaccine Provides High Protection Against Disease
An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to a new study that included researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM).
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
First U.S. Babies Treated in Unique Study of Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Congenital Heart Disease
In a first-in-children randomized clinical study, medical researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute (ISCI) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have begun testing to see whether adult stem cells derived from bone marrow benefit children with the congenital heart defect hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Monday, December 12, 2016
Two Prominent Institute of Human Virology Researchers Honored With Robert C. Gallo, MD Endowed Professorships in Translational Medicine
An investiture ceremony was held recently to name Robert Redfield, Jr., MD, and George Lewis, PhD as the Robert C. Gallo, MD Endowed Professors in Translational Medicine.
Thursday, December 08, 2016
UMSOM Receives Grants to Examine Fresh Approach to Promoting Health and Wellness in Maryland Schools
The University of Maryland School of Medicine has received almost $5 million from the Department of Agriculture to develop innovative ways to prevent childhood obesity by promoting healthy eating and exercise in city and state schools. The program takes a new approach, training teachers and students to improve schools themselves.
Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Researchers Combine MERS and Rabies Viruses to Create Innovative 2-For-1 Vaccine
In a new study, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) researchers have modified a rabies virus, so that it has a protein from the MERS virus; this altered virus works as a 2-for-1 vaccine that protects mice against both Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and rabies.
Monday, December 05, 2016
UMSOM Neuroscientist, Dr. Alan Faden, to Lead Research Collaborations Across University Campuses
University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece announced today that Alan I. Faden, MD, the David S. Brown Professor in Trauma and Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), and Director of the UM SOM Shock Trauma and Anesthesiology Research center (STAR), has been appointed to the new position of Associate Dean for Trans-Campus Research Advancement at the UM SOM.
Monday, November 28, 2016
In Memoriam: Dr. Richard Mayer, Longtime Faculty Member, Neurologist, Scientist and Teacher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Richard Mayer, who trained generations of neurologists over nearly 50 years as a teaching physician in Baltimore, and whose pioneering research advanced testing with electromyography, known as EMG, has died at the age of 87.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Young Surgeon-Scientist Receives Prestigious Award from the American Surgical Association Foundation
Joseph R. Scalea, MD, assistant professor of surgery in the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), as well as Director of Pancreas and Islet Cell Transplantation in the Division of Transplantation in the UM SOM Department of Surgery, has received the American Surgical Association Foundation Fellowship. This prestigious award supports gifted young surgeons who choose careers in investigation and academic surgery.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
IHV Awarded $138M to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa & Launches Center for International Health, Education, & Biosecurity
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced today more than $138 million in multiple five-year grants awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to combat HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Nigeria. The Institute concurrently announced the formation of the IHV Center for International Health, Education, & Biosecurity (CIHEB), and its newly appointed director, Deus Bazira Mubangizi, DrPH, MBA, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director, Center for Health, Education, & Biosecurity, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
For the First Time, Scientists Use Precise Imaging to Link Brain Neuronal Activity With Animal Behavior
For the first time ever, scientists have decoded animal behavior using precise imaging data about neuronal activity. The findings represent a leap that could provide researchers with a much clearer understanding of how brain activity translates into behavior, and might eventually be used to help treat some neurodegenerative diseases. The paper appeared in the latest issue of the journal Neuron.
Monday, November 14, 2016
New Mouse Models of ALS More Closely Mimic the Human Disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles. No effective treatments have been found.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Top Cancer Scientists Speak at the Fourth Annual Festival of Science
More than 500 people saw leading cancer scientists discuss their cutting-edge work at the fourth annual University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Festival of Science, a one-day celebration of research at the school held November 10, 2016 the SMC Campus Center. The conference, titled “Cancer Research: Translational Discoveries to Next Generation Treatments,” featured a range of UM SOM’s top cancer researchers, who are working on the front lines of science to unravel crucial problems involving cancer in its many forms.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
International Consortium Receives $36.9 Million Grant to Fight Typhoid
Typhoid fever, a bacterial infection that causes high fever and other disabling symptoms, remains a serious global problem in the developing world: it kills almost a quarter of a million people annually, and infects about 21 million.
Monday, November 07, 2016
White Coat Ceremony Presents Students With Symbol of Future Profession
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) held its annual White Coat Ceremony November 4, 2015 at the Hilton in downtown Baltimore. First-year UM SOM medical students received their welcome to the field of medicine with the presentation of their first white coat.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Dr. William F. Regine is Awarded 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year From the University of Maryland, Baltimore
William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, the Isadore & Fannie Schneider Foxman Endowed Chair and Professor in Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and Executive Director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC) has been awarded the 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Researchers Develop System to Classify Gunshot Wounds and Other Similar Injuries to the Head
Every year, more than 32,000 Americans die from gunshot wounds. A significant proportion of these deaths involve head wounds. Despite this massive public health burden, researchers know little about the variables that determine whether a victim of these injuries will live or die.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
"A Call to End HIV/AIDS in America" IHV Director Dr. Robert Gallo's Op-Ed in the Huffington Post
As the new Administration is presented with great challenges facing the United States, one will be a longtime foe, the U.S. HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, I have publicly called on our country’s leaders to utilize the largest global health initiative in history - the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - as a model to address the U.S. epidemic.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Unveils Center for Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance
The University of Maryland in College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) unveiled ambitious plans for the Center for Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance. The new Center, a signature component of the Cole Field House project, will serve as a treatment facility for a wide spectrum of sports-related injuries, and will also serve as a research center for investigation into the treatment of sports related conditions, including the effects and consequences of traumatic brain injury.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
The Zika Virus Threat and Vaccine Trial is the Focus of a Special Panel Discussion with Dean Reece and UMSOM Faculty Experts
Dean E. Albert Reece was joined by Center for Vaccine Development Director Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, and OB/GYN department chair Dr. Christopher Harman to discuss the threat of the Zika virus and the development of a new vaccine in a panel discussion hosted by Frontline Medical News.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
New Study Reveals Major Racial Bias In Leading Genomics Databases
Led by investigators at the University of Maryland School Of Medicine, a national group of researchers has confirmed for the first time that two of the top genomic databases, which are in wide use today by clinical geneticists, reflect a measurable bias toward genetic data based on European ancestry over that of African ancestry. The results of their study were published today in the journal Nature Communication.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Researchers Identify Novel Mechanism In Combination Drug Therapy For Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Other Cancers
Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism in a combination drug therapy that shows potential as a new approach for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and many other cancers. When combined, these agents cause interactions that significantly disrupt cancer cells’ ability to survive DNA damage, according to a preclinical study published today in the journal Cancer Cell.
Tuesday, October 04, 2016
UM SOM Launches Unprecedented Initiatives to Create New Generation of Research Scientists Among Students, Trainees and Faculty
New and expanded research development programs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will include focus on developing junior, minority and female faculty investigators as well as students and trainees.
Friday, September 30, 2016
New Research Finds New Evidence That Human Senses Are Interconnected From Birth
In humans, senses are intimately entwined. Sight, vision, touch, smell and taste all weave together in the brain, giving us a powerfully dynamic and complex experience of reality. For decades, scientists have debated whether this interconnection is present from birth, or develops through childhood.
Monday, September 26, 2016
New School of Medicine Initiative to Recruit Top Scientists Featured in the Baltimore Sun
The University of Maryland School of Medicine has embarked on the most ambitious recruiting drive of its 210-year history — an effort to hire top scientists with the goal of making its biomedical research programs the best in the country.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Investiture ceremony Installs Dr. Melhem as the Dean John M. Dennis Chair in Radiology
Investiture ceremonies have a way of building connections between the School’s past and present and serving as a bond between faculty, alumni, donors, and mentors across multiple generations. Such was the case on September 21, when Elias R. Melhem, MD, was installed as the Dean John M. Dennis Chair in Radiology before a large audience of family, friends and colleagues of both the benefactor and the recipient.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
University of Maryland School of Medicine Holds Inaugural Global Health Summit
The Institute for Global Health (IGH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) will hold its first Global Health Summit on September 26. The event, which will take place from noon to 6 p.m. in the SMC Campus Center at 621 W. Lombard Street, will seek to foster collaboration among scientists and promote new and innovative global health research at UM SOM, as well as at other schools at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Faculty and staff from UM SOM, as well as other schools are welcome at the event.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Biomedical Researchers Break New Ground in Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis
Researchers from the University of Maryland Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the University of Maryland School of Medicine report a new way to "turn off" the harmful immune attack that occurs during autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), while keeping healthy functions of the immune system intact.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Prominent Virus Researchers Descend Upon Baltimore to Participate in the IHV’s 18th Annual International Meeting
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine commenced IHV’s 18th Annual International Meeting on Monday September 19 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. IHV’s Annual International Meeting attracts hundreds of elite scientists who descend upon Baltimore to share ideas and inspire collaborations.
Thursday, September 08, 2016
Largest-Ever Study to Compare Medications to Prevent Life-Threatening Clots in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients
Is the blood thinner heparin the most effective option to reduce the risk of blood clots for fracture patients? A comprehensive new study involving 13,000 patients, led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), will try to resolve this important question.
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Discover New Potential Genetic Links to Common Brain Disorder
An international group of researchers has for the first time identified a set of 30 inherited recessive genes that play a role in intellectual disability (ID), a neurodevelopmental disorder that, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), affects as many as 213 million people around the world.
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Dean Reece to Participate in National Dean's Panel on Critical Issues in Medical Education
Panel Discussion will be live streamed today via Internet. University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, will be one of four deans participating in a panel discussion to be held today, September 8, 2016 from 12 noon to 1:30 pm at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
New Study Shows Breakthrough Treatment for Essential Tremor Using Focused Ultrasound
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) researchers, along with an international group of investigators, have discovered for the first time that treatment with MRI-guided focused ultrasound can effectively treat patients with essential tremor (ET), a neurological movement disorder that affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. The results, which are published in the forthcoming issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, led to recent approval of the treatment by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA),
Monday, August 22, 2016
Institute of Human Virology (IHV) Awarded $14.4M for HIV Vaccine Research
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) announced a $14.4M grant from NIAID to advance HIV vaccine research to solve a major challenge: produce long-lasting antibodies to protect against HIV infection.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
School of Medicine Graduate Students are Turning a Cancer Test into a Business
Ph.D. students Camilo Vanegas and Elizabeth Weingarter were winners in a competition called the Nanotechnology Startup Challenge in Cancer. Now they are taking a device that detects chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to market.
Monday, August 08, 2016
University of Maryland Mourns the Passing of Hamish Osborne
University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty and Medical System staff mourn the passing of Hamish S. Osborne. His vision and financial support led to the creation of the Program in Lung Healing, and an endowed professorship in his name.
Thursday, August 04, 2016
UM SOM is Center Stage in Testing National Institutes of Health Zika Vaccine
UM SOM'S Center for Vaccine Development, tapped previously for Ebola vaccine, now steps up to help develop first Zika vaccine.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Shed Light on How Neurons Exchange Neurotransmitters
For more than a century, neuroscientists have known that nerve cells talk to one another across the small gaps between them, a process known as synaptic transmission. But the details of how this crucial aspect of brain function occurs have remained elusive. Now, new research has for the first time elucidated details about the architecture that allows brain cells to communicate. The paper was published today in the journal Nature.
Monday, July 25, 2016
UM SOM Launches Unprecedented Initiative to Recruit Scores of Top Scientists
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, today announced the launch of a bold, new and unprecedented faculty recruitment initiative, Special Trans-Disciplinary Recruitment Award Program (STRAP), designed to attract top scientists to the School, and to significantly catalyze UM SOM’s focus on accelerating discoveries, cures and therapeutics for the most serious diseases that cause morbidity, mortality and disability.
Friday, July 22, 2016
UMSOM Researchers Provide New Insight into Deadly Fungal Infections
A new study by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has provided new, crucial insights into how little-known but life threatening fungal infections cause damage in the body. The study was published today in the journal Nature Communication. The researchers delineated several key aspects of the fungus that might help researchers develop treatments.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
New Surgical Tool for Mitral Valve Repair Demonstrates Success in First Human Clinical Study
Researchers investigating a novel device to repair the mitral heart valve report 100 percent procedural success in a safety and performance study, the first such study done in humans. The image-guided device, based on technology developed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is deployed through a tiny opening in a beating heart, avoids open-heart surgery, automates a key part of the valve repair process, simplifies the procedure and reduces operating room time. The research is published in the journal Circulation.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Dr. Charles B. Simone, II Appointed Medical Director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center
William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, the Isadore & Fannie Foxman Schneider Endowed Chairman and Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and the Executive Director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC), along with UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Charles B. Simone, II, MD, a nationally-recognized expert in proton therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, has been named the new Medical Director of the MPTC. Dr. Simone will also be appointed Associate Professor in the UM SOM Department of Radiation Oncology and will begin in his new position in November 2016.
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
UMSOM Begins Malaria Vaccine Trial in Burkina Faso
Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases: it infects hundreds of millions of people every year, and kills about half a million, most of them under five years of age.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Awarded Grant to Use Innovative Alternative to Autopsies to Better Understand Child Mortality
Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), and UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that CVD has been awarded a large grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for research that will help determine why so many children under five are dying in the world’s poorest countries. The grant will fund use of an innovative alternative to traditional autopsy known as minimally invasive tissue sampling. The technique, which involves the collection of tissue samples with fine needles, allows researchers to quickly identify the cause of death, and help illuminate ways to save lives and improve the health of children in these vulnerable areas.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Investiture Celebrates the Courage and Passion of Two University Warriors
In a packed Westminster Hall, with one of the largest audiences to date for any investiture ceremony, Christopher Plowe, MD, MPH, was named the Frank M. Calia, MD Professor of Medicine.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Surgical First: Patient Avoids Dialysis Thanks to Simultaneous Polycystic Kidney Removal and Kidney Transplant During 28-Person Kidney Swap
In a first-of-its-kind procedure in the United States, a patient was able to avoid dialysis when surgeons simultaneously removed two diseased kidneys and also transplanted a kidney from a living donor – all as part of a 28-person paired kidney exchange (PKE). The procedure, performed in May on a patient with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), eliminated the need for the patient to ever undergo dialysis.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Muffins Made With Healthy Fats May Help Patients With Metabolic Syndrome
It's hard to think of the typical muffin, often loaded with saturated fat and a high calorie count, as a healthy food option. But muffins made with healthier fats yielded unexpected health benefits during a first-of-its-kind clinical study at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Friday, June 17, 2016
The Road From Emmaus
Joseph S. Friedberg, MD, who was honored at his investiture ceremony last week, never thought he would become a surgeon. In fact, he never thought he would even go to medical school. Now, the internationally-recognized thoracic surgeon has been presented with the highest honor bestowed on faculty at the SOM: An Endowed Professorship.
Friday, June 10, 2016
FDA Approves Vaccine for Cholera Invented and Developed at University of Maryland School of Medicine
In a milestone that was years in the making, a vaccine to prevent cholera, invented and developed by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for Vaccine Development, was approved today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Wednesday, June 01, 2016
Maryland Proton Treatment Center Celebrates Grand Opening
The Maryland Proton Treatment Center celebrated the grand opening of its new $200 million, 110,000-square-foot facility in West Baltimore on June 1. More than 600 people – faculty members and staff, elected officials, community doctors and cancer survivors – attended the event. June 1 is National Cancer Survivors Day, and the event, which had a 'Survivor' theme, based on the reality TV show, also honored cancer survivors. The new facility is the first proton treatment center in the Baltimore-Washington area.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center Earns National Cancer Institute’s Highest Designation
The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center has been awarded the National Cancer Institute’s highest designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. The prestigious distinction recognizes the cancer center’s high caliber of scientific leadership and robust programs in basic, clinical and population science research, placing it in the top tier of cancer centers nationwide. The new name of the center is the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC).
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Leading Surgeon Scientist and Trauma Chief Dr. Deborah Stein Invested as Inaugural R Adams Cowley Professor at the UM SOM
In a moving speech before a large audience recently at Westminster Hall, Deborah M. Stein, MD, MPH, newly invested as the R Adams Cowley, MD Professor in Shock and Trauma, used those words to reflect on her father’s influence and how proud he is to see the family’s legacy of healing continue. "Becoming a surgeon was all about my father -- I wanted to be him, and to heal with my hands, just as he had done."
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
UMSOM Researchers Develop New Way to Decode Large Amounts of Biological Data
A University of Maryland School of Medicine researcher has helped develop an innovative computing technique that, on very large amounts of data, is both faster and more accurate than current methods. To spur research, a program using this technique is being offered for free to the biomedical research community.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
New Study: Diet During Adolescence Tied to Breast Density, A Risk Factor for Breast Cancer Later in Life
Adolescent girls whose diet is higher in saturated fats and lower in healthier unsaturated fats have higher breast density in early adulthood, which may potentially increase their risk for breast cancer later in life, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The research was published last week in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Mohan Suntha, M.D., Named President and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center
Mohan Suntha, M.D., a physician leader with more than 20 years of medical and administrative experience within the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), has been named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) effective September 1, 2016.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Saying Farewell to the Class of 2016 Graduates
The Class of 2016 received their doctoral hoods in a special graduation ceremony at the Hippodrome Theater on May 19. Hundreds of family, friends and faculty were there to cheer on the 159 graduates as they officially transitioned from students to doctors.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Annual Student Awards Ceremony Recognizes Top Graduates
The events leading up to Graduation 2016 kicked off in a special way the evening of May 18 with the 10th Annual Student Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Held at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center, the awards dinner provided an opportunity to recognize the accomplished graduating students who have received scholarships, awards, and other academic prizes.
Friday, May 13, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Demonstrate Link Between "Jumping Gene" and Colon Cancer
Roving DNA Strands Could Play Key Role in Some Colon Tumors, Perhaps Other Tumors Too. For more than 50 years, scientists have known of the existence of "jumping genes," strands of DNA material that can move from one location in the genome to another.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
2016 University of Maryland School of Medicine Gala Celebrates School's Past, Present and Future
On Saturday May 7, 2016, the University of Maryland School of Medicine hosted its annual gala, with 1,000 alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students, and other special friends of the school in attendance. As in recent years, the gala coincided with the Medical Alumni Association’s Reunion Weekend, and nearly 125 alumni attended the black-tie affair, as well.
Friday, May 06, 2016
Experts Decipher the Disease Behind One of the Nation’s Most Famous Paintings
It is one of the most famous paintings in American history: Christina’s World, by Andrew Wyeth. But this lovely image has a dark side. Find out what it is at our annual Clinicopathological Conference on May 6.
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Identify Potentially Revolutionary Antidepressant Compound
For years, scientists and doctors have known that ketamine can treat depression very rapidly, often working within hours, compared to weeks or months for widely used antidepressants. However, the drug, which is approved as an anesthetic, has major side effects – it is linked to hallucinations and dissociation - a sense of being outside your own body – and for these reasons is abused as a club drug. Not surprisingly, this limits its use in the treatment of depression.
Tuesday, May 03, 2016
UM SOM Identifies Compound That Reverses Symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are the two most common neurodegenerative disorders worldwide, and cause untold suffering to millions of patients and their families. Treatments for these diseases are limited, and no cures exist. Now, a new study describes an innovative strategy that reverses symptoms in these neurodegenerative diseases – at least in fruit flies genetically altered to model the diseases.
Monday, May 02, 2016
What Does The Concept of Health Disparity Really Mean?
In a lecture on April 19 in Taylor Lecture Hall at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), Dr. Paula Braveman, MD, MPH, Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Director of the Center on Social Disparities in Health at the University of California, San Francisco, argued that researchers and practitioners should view health disparities through the lens of social justice.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Speaks at University of Maryland School of Medicine Addiction Conference
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen and other experts recently addressed ways to decrease the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths at a conference on mental health and addiction.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
UM SOM's Primary Care Track Helping to Address National Doctor Shortage
As medical schools continue to look for ways to address the severe shortage of primary care doctors in the U.S., one medical school –the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) --will be graduating its first class of students through an innovative program that encourages medical students to become primary care doctors.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Dean E Albert Reece and SOM Board Member Robert Fischell Inducted into National Academy of Inventors
Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Vice President of Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean at UM SOM and Robert E. Fischell, ScD, a member of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Board of Visitors, were recently honored at the induction ceremony of the 2015 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors at the NAI's fifth annual conference, held this year in Washington D.C. on Apr. 14-15.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Does a Common Parasite Play a Role in Rage Disorder?
In recent years, a common parasitic infection has been linked to a range of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as suicide attempts. Now a new study has linked it to repeated bouts of rage, a disorder known as intermittent explosive disorder (IED).
Thursday, April 14, 2016
UM SOM Research Illuminates Key Aspects of How We Fall Asleep and Wake Up
Falling asleep and waking up are key transitions in everyone’s day. Millions of people have trouble with these transitions – they find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, and hard to stay awake during the day. Despite decades of research, how these transitions work – the neurobiological mechanics of our circadian rhythm – has remained largely a mystery to brain scientists.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Leading Physician-Scientist at University of Maryland School of Medicine Receives Award for Innovative Work in Thermal Treatment for Cancer
Zeljko Vujaskovic, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized physician scientist and Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), will receive the 2016 J. Eugene Robinson Award at the annual Society for Thermal Medicine Meeting in New Orleans, held April 11 to 15. Dr. Vujaskovic, who is also Director of the Division of Translational Radiation Sciences in the UM SOM Department of Radiation Oncology, and Director of the Maryland Proton Alliance at UM SOM, will receive the award in recognition of his contributions to hyperthermic oncology, the use of heat to treat cancer. At the event, Dr. Vujaskovic will also present a lecture on the reemerging role of thermal therapy in cancer treatment.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
IHV Releases Data Supporting Community-Based Treatment Providers in Fight Against Hepatitis C
The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine released data today at The International Liver Congress 2016 in Barcelona, Spain demonstrating that treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be provided safely and effectively within a community-based and non-specialist setting.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Leana Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner, to Deliver Graduation Address to University of Maryland School of Medicine's 207th Graduating Class
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, will welcome Leana Wen, MD, MSc, FAAEM, as the graduation speaker for this year’s graduating class. The UM SOM graduation ceremony will take place at 10 am on May 19, 2016 at the Hippodrome Theater.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
UM SOM Researcher Dr. Kathleen Neuzil Honored by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) has announced that Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), has received the 2016 Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Read the Story: From Tragedy to Saving Lives: The PJ Schafer Cardiovascular Research Fund
Tragically, Paul and Vivian Schafer’s son, PJ, succumbed to sudden cardiac death while playing college lacrosse in 2003. To help cope with their grief, they wanted to educate others about the disease. So they organized an annual golf tournament to raise awareness and money for research to prevent it from affecting other young athletes and their families.
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
New Study Shows Much Longer Survival for Heart Transplants Across Species
A new immune-suppressing therapy has led to the longest survival yet for a cross-species heart transplant, according to new research conducted in part by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM).
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Program in Health Disparities and Population Health at University of Maryland School of Medicine Moving Forward in Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
Jay S. Magaziner, PhD, MS, Hyg, Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that the Program in Health Disparities and Population Health, formerly the Program in Minority Health and Health Disparities in Education and Research (PMHHD) led by the now-retired Dr. Claudia Baquet, has a new home in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
UMSOM Department of Orthopaedics Opens Outpatient Clinical Practice at Camden Yards
When you think of Camden Yards, you probably think of baseball, crab cakes, hot dogs and cold beer. But now the historic baseball stadium/ warehouse complex on West Camden Street also offers outpatient orthopaedic services by University of Maryland specialists at this convenient downtown Baltimore location.
Monday, March 21, 2016
Leading Neuroscientist Dr. Peter B. Crino Appointed Chair of UM SOM Department of Neurology
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Peter B. Crino, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair for research at Temple University School of Medicine’s Shriners Hospital Pediatric Research Center, and an internationally-recognized physician-scientist in developmental brain disorders, has been appointed Chairman of the UM SOM Department of Neurology. Dr. Crino succeeds Interim Chair Barney J. Stern, MD, Professor of Neurology, who had replaced William Weiner, MD, when he passed away in 2012. Dr. Stern will continue as Vice Chair and Professor of the Department of Neurology.
Friday, March 18, 2016
UM SOM Research Gathers New Evidence for Novel Stroke Treatment
New research based on discoveries from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) provides further evidence that an innovative treatment strategy may help prevent brain swelling and death in stroke patients. J. Marc Simard, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, along with colleagues at Yale University and Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital, found that Cirara, an investigational drug, powerfully reduced brain swelling and death in patients who had suffered a type of large stroke called malignant infarction, which normally carries a high mortality rate.
Friday, March 18, 2016
The Envelope Please: Match Day 2016 for the University of Maryland School of Medicine
It was a day filled with emotion at Baltimore’s famed Hippodrome Theater, where fourth year medical students learned where they will continue their training as residents.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
UM SOM Epidemiologist Joanne F. Dorgan Named Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology
Jay S. Magaziner, PhD, MS Hyg, Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH) in the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), along with UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Joanne F. Dorgan, PhD, MPH, Professor in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology within the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, has been appointed Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology. Dorgan succeeds Division Director William A. Blattner, MD, co-founder and associate director of the UM SOM Institute of Human Virology, who retired on January 31, 2016.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
UM SOM Emergency Medicine Physician Dr. Joseph Martinez Appointed Assistant Dean for Clinical Medical Education and Residency Programs Liaison
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs James B. Kaper, PhD, along with Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Joseph P. Martinez, MD, Associate Professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, has been appointed Assistant Dean for Clinical Medical Education, and Residency Programs Liaison. In this new capacity, Dr. Martinez will continue with his prior duties, and will also maintain his current title, of Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.
Monday, March 14, 2016
UM SOM Sleep Experts Explore the Massive Financial Toll of Insomnia
While the benefits of a good night’s sleep can be priceless, and sleeplessness imposes significant costs on the individual and society, little is known about the financial impact of treatment for sleep-related disorders.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
UM SOM Establishes Two Endowed Professorships Through Private Gifts and Matching State Funds
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that the School has been awarded matching funds from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) as part of the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund program. The funds, when combined with private philanthropy, will enable UM SOM to establish two new endowed professorships – one in human virology and vaccine development, the other in surgical science and entrepreneurship.
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Celebrating Diversity Dinner Supports Funding for Student Scholarships
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) held its ninth annual "Celebrating Diversity" reception and dinner on February 27, 2016 at the Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards. The event was attended by nearly 300 guests, who gathered to honor diversity at the school, recognize those who have helped increase its diversity, and to raise money for the Dean Emeritus Donald E. Wilson Endowed Scholarship fund and other UM SOM diversity scholarships.
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
UM SOM Appoints Prominent Physician Scientist Dr. Robert W. Buchanan as New Director of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, along with Bankole Johnson, DSc, MD, MB, ChB, MPhil, Chairman of the UM SOM Department of Psychiatry, announced today that Robert W. Buchanan, MD, has been appointed Director of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC).
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Shock Trauma Model for Critically Ill Patients Cuts Transfer Time in Half, Expediting Access to Lifesaving Diagnostics and Specialty Care When Minutes Count
Using highly specialized units to care for critically ill patients significantly speeds access to specialized care, according to a new study by physician scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
At University of Maryland, First Cancer Patients Receive Proton Therapy at New Maryland Proton Treatment Center
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) announced today that the Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC) has treated its first cancer patients with proton therapy at a new $200 million facility in the University of Maryland BioPark in West Baltimore.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
New Study By UM SOM Researchers Finds Promising Results for MERS Treatment
In a new study, University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have had promising results with a new treatment for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The study, published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, found a new treatment that protected mice from MERS infection.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Consortium Forms Global Task Force to Study Zika, Find Vaccine
A Baltimore-based research consortium is forming a task force of leading scientists from around the world, including renowned AIDS researcher Dr. Robert Gallo, to better understand the Zika virus and quickly develop a vaccine.
Friday, February 12, 2016
To Honor Anna: Memorial Gifts Create a Lasting Tribute
According to a Japanese proverb, if you want to measure a person’s true character just count the number of his or her friends. And in the case of one particular University of Maryland School of Medicine supporter and donor, those friends add up to the thousands.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
NEWS ALERT: Dr. Davila Receives New Grant to Support Science Training for Under-Represented Minorities
Dr. Davila has just been notified that he has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to augment scientific education and research experience of underrepresented minority post-baccalaureates.
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
Maryland House of Delegates Honors University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece and University of Maryland Medical System President & CEO Robert Chrencik
The Maryland House of Delegates and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, has announced that University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA and University of Maryland Medical System President and CEO Robert Chrencik, MBA, are recipients of the “Speaker’s Medallion,” the highest honor given to the public by the leader of the Maryland House of Delegates.
Monday, February 08, 2016
UM SOM Researchers Identify Most Dangerous Strains of Often-Deadly Bacteria
A multi-disciplinary group of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) have for the first time determined the genetic makeup of various strains of E. coli, which every year kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
UM SOM Announces 'Maryland Proton Alliance' to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care and Precision Medicine
William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), along with UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, today announced the establishment of the Maryland Proton Alliance (MPA), a new organizational framework for proton therapy at UM SOM that may serve as a national model for patient-centered cancer care. The Alliance will be led by Zeljko Vujaskovic, MD, PhD, Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology and head of the department’s Division of Translational Radiation Sciences. Dr. Vujaskovic succeeds Minesh Mehta, MBChB, who served as Medical Director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC) during its development from 2012 to 2015.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
UM SOM Board Member and Benefactor Robert E. Fischell, Awarded Presidential Medal
The White House has awarded Robert E. Fischell, ScD, a member of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Board of Visitors, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the president of the United States. Previous recipients have included such luminaries as Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak (Apple Computer, Inc.), Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. (Bechtel Group, Inc.), David Packard (Hewlett-Packard Company), Clarence L. Johnson (Lockheed Corporation), Edwin H. Land (Polaroid Corporation) and Edith Flanigen (Union Carbide).
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
UM SOM Research Leads to FDA Approval of Crucial Drug for Radiation Sickness
As a result of research performed by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of a drug to treat the deleterious effects of radiation exposure following a nuclear incident. The drug, Neulasta®, is one of a very small number that have been approved for the treatment of acute radiation injury.
Friday, January 15, 2016
UM SOM to Participate in Expanded Medical Countermeasures Research Project
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Department of Radiation Oncology Chair and Professor William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FACRO, and UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that researchers at the UM SOM have been selected as key contractors by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), for its Radiation Nuclear Animal Model Development program. BARDA is part of the Office of the Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
UM SOM's Dr. Andrew Pollak Receives health Services Leadership Award from Boy Scouts of America
Andrew N. Pollak, MD, the James Lawrence Kernan Professor & Chair, Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) and Chief of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland Medical System, has been awarded the 22nd Annual Health Services Leadership Award by the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
Monday, January 11, 2016
UM SOM to Collaborate with Industry to Develop a Vaccine to Prevent Common, Deadly Infection
The Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) will participate in a partnership with industry to develop a vaccine to prevent a group of deadly bacterial infections that occur commonly among hospital patients
Thursday, January 07, 2016
UM SOM Names Dr. Samuel Tisherman as Director of the Division of Critical Care and Trauma Education
Stephen T. Bartlett, MD, the Peter Angelos Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Chair, Department of Surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), and Executive Vice President and Surgeon in Chief for the University of Maryland Medical System, and Thomas M. Scalea, MD, FACS, the Honorable Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor of Trauma Surgery at UM SOM, in conjunction with Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today that Samuel A. Tisherman, MD, FACS, FCCM, has been appointed as the Director of the Division of Critical Care and Trauma Education at the Program in Trauma at UM SOM.
Monday, January 04, 2016
R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Showcased in Discovery Life Series - Shock Trauma: Edge of Life
Discovery Life’s new unscripted docudrama series Shock Trauma: Edge of Life follows a team of medical professionals at the world-renown University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center (“Shock Trauma” UM School of Medicine (SOM) faculty physicians and trauma surgeons, alongside University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) residents, fellows, nurses, patient care technicians, and an array of specialists, perform lifesaving medical care in the first and highest volume trauma center of its kind in the United States.