Tuesday, June 09, 2020
UM School of Medicine Researchers Identify New Genetic Defect Linked to ALS
Researchers at the UMSOM have identified how certain gene mutations cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The pathway identified by the researchers may also be responsible for a certain form of dementia related to ALS. The finding could offer potential new approaches for treating this devastating condition, which causes progressive, fatal paralysis and sometimes mental deterioration similar to Alzheimer’s disease. Their discovery was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and included collaborators from Harvard University, University of Auckland, King’s College London, and Northwestern University.
Wednesday, June 03, 2020
UM School of Medicine's Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Receives Endowment Gift from Pivot Health Solutions; Will Advance Research and Train Next Generation of Scie
Victoria G. Marchese, PhD, PT, Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS), University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), announced that Pivot Health Solutions has given $250,000 to fund the Pivot Health Solutions Physical Rehabilitation Science PhD Education Endowment. This important gift will be used as a critical resource for PhD students in Physical Rehabilitation Science in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) at UMSOM.
Tuesday, June 02, 2020
UM School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology Awarded Grants to Strengthen COVID-19 Response in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity (Ciheb) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology was awarded $4 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response activities in Botswana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Monday, June 01, 2020
In A COVID-19 World, Another Threat to the Health of Our Children
In the U.S., our children rarely fall ill to grave infections because they are protected by vaccines. Serious illnesses like measles, mumps, congenital rubella syndrome, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, rotavirus diarrhea, hepatitis (A and B), polio and bacterial meningitis are all preventable through routine childhood vaccinations.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
UM School of Medicine Researchers Develop Experimental Rapid COVID-19 Test Using Innovative Nanoparticle Technique
Scientists from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) developed an experimental diagnostic test for COVID-19 that can visually detect the presence of the virus in 10 minutes. It uses a simple assay containing plasmonic gold nanoparticles to detect a color change when the virus is present. The test does not require the use of any advanced laboratory techniques, such as those commonly used to amplify DNA, for analysis. The authors published their work last week in the American Chemical Society’s nanotechnology journal ACS Nano.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
UM School of Medicine Researchers Find No Benefit for Treatment Used to Avoid Surgery for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
A new landmark study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found that patients with a vascular condition, called abdominal aortic aneurysm, received no benefits from taking a common antibiotic drug to reduce inflammation. Patients who took the antibiotic doxycycline experienced no reduction in the growth of their aneurysm over two years compared to those who took a placebo, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The finding could lead doctors to stop prescribing the drug as a way to prevent small aneurysms from growing larger and bursting.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
UM School of Medicine Begins First Innovative Trial of Experimental Stem Cell Therapy to Reduce Deaths in Sickest COVID-19 Patients
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have begun testing an experimental stem cell therapy developed by Mesoblast Limited to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who are on ventilators to help them breathe. The trial, which is being conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and additional sites across the U.S, will involve a total of 300 patients randomized to receive either the drug remestemcel-L or a placebo in addition to the recommended standard of care to manage severe COVID-19 infections. The first patient in this national trial was treated at UMMC.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Dr. Nancy Ryan Lowitt, Longtime UMSOM Medical Education Leader, Administrator and Beloved ‘One of a Kind’ Colleague; Remembered for Her Extraordinary Compassion and Kindness
Nancy R. Lowitt, MD, EdM, FACP, a longtime University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) educator and national leader in faculty affairs and professional development, who was known across the UMSOM community for her gentle kindness, collaborative spirit and selfless demeanor, has passed away.
Monday, May 18, 2020
In Memoriam: Jane Kroh Satterfield, PT ’64, 1942-2020
The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) are mourning the death of Jane Kroh Satterfield, PT ’64, who passed away on May 10, 2020 at the age of 78. Mrs. Satterfield, a native Baltimorean who received her BS in Physical Therapy from the UMSOM in 1964, was a lifelong advocate for the field of pediatric physical therapy, especially in the care for children with special needs.
Friday, May 15, 2020
UMSOM Holds Virtual Commencement to Celebrate Class of 2020
For the first time in the school’s 211-year history, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) held a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the Class of 2020 on May 14. The ceremony marked the culmination of at least four years of studies for the 166 newly minted physicians, who earned medical degrees as well as combined MD/PhD and MD/Masters degrees.