Two UMSOM Professors Receive Board of Regents Faculty Awards

Dr. Graeme Woodworth and Dr. Moran Roni Levin receive the highest honor from the University System of Maryland Board of Regents

Two distinguished University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) professors were honored with prestigious University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Faculty Awards on April 11.

Graeme Woodworth, MD, Chair of Neurosurgery at UMSOM, was awarded for his excellence in the category of “scholarship or research” and Moran Roni Levin, MD, Director of Medical Student Education in Ophthalmology, received a faculty award for excellence in the category of "teaching".

Board of Regents Faculty Awards are the highest honor presented annually to exemplary faculty within the University System of Maryland (USM). This year, 18 faculty members across eight USM institutions were selected based on their extraordinary contributions in teaching, mentoring, public service, scholarship or research, and creative activity.

Every year a faculty nominating committee at each USM institution makes award recommendations to its university president, who forwards candidates to USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD. The Regents Faculty Review Committee then makes the final selections on recipients.

Board Chair Linda Gooden, MBA, and Chancellor Perman presented Dr. Woodworth and Dr. Levin with a commemorative plaque and a $2,000 prize provided by the universities and the USM Foundation.

Pioneering Discoveries in Treating Glioblastoma

Dr. Woodworth is an award-winning scientist, scholar and neurosurgeon who is highly regarded internationally for pioneering discoveries in treating glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. He is the Howard M. Eisenberg, MD Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Chair and Chief of Neurosurgery, as well as the founding Director of the Brain Tumor Program at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Dr. Woodworth’s work is largely driven by the idea that the operating room serves as a gateway for discovery —advancing our understanding of brain tumors and the delivery of targeted therapies. His research team led a first-of-its-kind clinical trial exploring MRI-guided focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier, a protective network that impedes lifesaving drugs from reaching brain tumors. Currently, 98 percent of drugs can’t reach the brain because of this protective network of blood vessels. During his time with University of Maryland, he has helped raise over $16 million in philanthropy enabling UMSOM and UMMC to deliver the highest quality of research and clinical care. For his transformational impact and dedication to finding cures, Dr. Woodworth has also been honored with election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He has also received the Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society, the Ferenc Jolesz Memorial Award and Andrew J. Lockhart Memorial Prize from the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, and the University of Maryland Research and Innovation Award from the University’s M-Powering the State Program.

Educational Methods that Blend Research, Mentorship and Community Service

Dr. Levin is a nationally recognized ophthalmology educator, specializing in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. She serves as an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of Medical Student Education in Ophthalmology at UMSOM. For her excellence in education, she is also President Elect of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology Directors of Medical Student Education Council. A role model for faculty, Dr. Levin is tirelessly dedicated to both medical students and the resident education program that have helped her build her national reputation. She created a nationally recognized novel virtual ophthalmology rotation to address and overcome the health challenges associated with COVID-19. Her numerous publications are centered on advancing innovative methods for educating future scholars and leaders. As Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Virtual Medical Student Education Committee, she currently leads a team in creating innovative online ophthalmology educational materials including educational videos and interactive cases. As a passionate clinician-educator, Dr. Levin enjoys blending teaching with research/scholarship, mentorship, and community-service to educate future leaders, patients and families about ocular conditions. For her excellence in the field, she has been named a Top Doctor by Baltimore Magazine for five consecutive years. She is also a member of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

The University of Maryland School of Medicine, established in 1807 as the first public medical school in the U.S., continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world.  The School has nearly $500 million total research funding, 46 departments, centers, and institutes, more than 2,200 student trainees and over 3,000 faculty members, including notable members of the National Academy of Medicine.  As the largest public medical school in the DC/MD/VA region, faculty-physicians are working to help patients manage chronic diseases like obesity, cancer, heart disease and addiction, while also working on cutting-edge research to address the most critical generational health challenges. In 2024, the School ranked #12 among public medical schools and #27 among all medical schools for R&D expenditures by the National Science Foundation. With a $1.3 billion total operating budget, the School partners with the University of Maryland Medical Center to serve nearly 2 million patients annually.  The School's global reach extends around the world with research and treatment facilities in 33 countries.  In Maryland, the School of Medicine is spearheading new initiatives in AI and health computing and partnering with the University of Maryland BioPark to develop new medical technologies and bioengineering ventures. For more information, visit medschool.umaryland.edu.