Friday, September 12, 2025
In Memoriam: Sanford Stass, MD, Longtime Chair of the Department of Pathology and the Department of Medical & Research Technology
The University of Maryland School of Medicine Community mourns the passing of one of its most distinguished long-time faculty members and department chairs, Sanford “Sandy” A. Stass, MD. A former chair of the Department of Pathology and Department of Medical & Research Technology, Dr. Stass stepped down in early 2024 from his leadership roles but continued as a Professor of Pathology until his retirement in November 2024. He passed away on September 9 at age 82.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
UM School of Medicine Researchers Join Partnership to Establish New Center to Study Resilience and Aging
With the percentage of Americans ages 65 and older projected to increase by 47 percent by 2050, there’s an urgent need to close the large healthcare gap between those who age well into their 80’s and those who suffer long term disabilities from chronic illnesses like diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. To address these important research questions, the National Institute of Aging will fund a new center—that will be led by faculty at the University of Maryland--to identify the most important factors in the population that lead to healthy aging or aging resilience.
Monday, September 08, 2025
Internationally Recognized Malaria Researcher Stefan Kappe, PhD, Appointed New Director of the UM School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health
University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean, Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today the appointment of distinguished parasitologist and immunologist Stefan Kappe, PhD, to be the new Director of the school’s Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD). Known for his landmark research on the early phases of malaria parasite infection in the liver, Dr. Kappe is a Professor and the Associate Vice Chair of Basic Science Research in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also a senior principal investigator at the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute where he until recently also served as an Associate Director.
Monday, August 25, 2025
Internationally-Recognized Emergency Medicine Pioneer Dr. Brian Browne to Step Down as Department Chair at UM Medicine
Dr. Brian J. Browne, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, longtime Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and award-winning pioneer in the field of emergency care, today announced his decision to step down as Department Chair effective September 1, 2025. Dr. Michael E. Winters MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Vice Chair for Clinical and Administrative Affairs, as agreed to serve as Interim Department Chair beginning on that date. Dr. Browne will remain on the faculty until the end of 2025, when he plans to retire.
Monday, August 25, 2025
University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Detail Reliable Measurement for Blood-Brain Barrier Opening Using Focused Ultrasound
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and other North American institutions, have provided the first technical description for using focused ultrasound to reliably open the blood-brain barrier. The findings, recently published in Device, pave the way for expanding the use of this experimental device to open the blood-brain barrier to improve treatments and diagnostics for patients with brain tumors and other neurological disorders.
Monday, August 25, 2025
Generative AI Uncovers Undetected Bird Flu Exposure Risks in Maryland Emergency Departments
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine developed a new and highly effective application of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to quickly scan notes in electronic medical records and identify high-risk patients who may have been infected with H5N1 avian influenza or “bird flu”, according to findings published this week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
29th Annual White Coat Ceremony Welcomes Class of 2029
In a highly anticipated annual ritual for incoming medical school students, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Class of 2029 received their first white coats on August 8. The 173 new students gathered at the historic Hippodrome Theatre along with family, friends, faculty, and staff to take part in the decades old tradition of the White Coat Ceremony.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
New Protein Therapy Shows Promise as First-Ever Antidote for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, along with their colleagues, engineered a new molecule that appears promising as an effective antidote for carbon monoxide poisoning with fewer side effects than other molecules currently being tested, according to a new study published in the journal PNAS.
Friday, August 08, 2025
Student Research Forum Highlights Value of Mentorship Programs
In a moment when proposed Federal budget cuts threaten the future of biomedical research and training, more than 150 student interns—from middle school through medical school—presented their scientific abstracts last month at the annual summer Student Research Forum. Headed by the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Office of Student Research, the event highlighted the value of investing in the next generation of biomedical innovators.
Thursday, August 07, 2025
Get to Know: Dr. Peter Manza
Peter Manza, PhD, joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in January 2025. He’s also a faculty member at the UMSOM Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, which UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, established in 2023 to pursue innovation in addiction treatments and research.