The Future of Health Care

Our experts are working to change the future of health care, addressing critical issues such as cardiovascular health, pain and neuroscience, HIV/AIDS research and other infectious and emerging diseases, genomics, and telemedicine.

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Susan L. Bindon, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, CNE-cl, FAAN

Developing Nurse Educators

Dr. Bindon has special interest and expertise in teaching, learning, and developing nurse educators in academic and practice settings. She has an ability to translate complex concepts and convey them in a meaningful and accessible way. She leads a statewide grant to prepare new and novice clinical nursing faculty — an urgent need as the nursing faculty shortage intensifies. She directs the School of Nursing Institute for Educators and its graduate teaching certificate program and mentors other faculty in her role as associate dean. She is immediate past-president of the Association for Nursing Professional Development and served as editor of the Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. She is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and was awarded the University System of Maryland Board of Regents award for teaching excellence. She maintains a faculty practice as an education consultant in the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Office of Clinical Practice and Professional Development.

Maureen M. Black, PhD

Global child development

Nutrition and child development

Health disparities

Dr. Black is a pediatric psychologist who has made significant contributions to the intersection of child development and nutrition. Dr. Black’s training is in developmental science and pediatric psychology. She is a licensed psychologist, chaired the Division of Growth and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics from 2003-2021, and directed an interdisciplinary Growth and Nutrition Practice for children with growth and /or feeding problems for 25 years. She spearheaded advances in child development by co-authoring three series of papers on early child development, published in The Lancet (2007, 2011, and 2017), including leading the first paper of the 2017 Lancet series, Advancing Early Childhood Development: from Science to Scale. That paper provided the scientific basis for the Nurturing Care Framework, which has been adopted by the World Health Assembly (2018) and advanced globally by WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank Group. In recent work, she demonstrated that the principles of Nurturing Care apply from pre-conception through adolescence. Dr. Black has been instrumental in the development of the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED), a WHO-led, population-based scale to evaluate children’s development globally.

Man-Kyo Chung, DMD, PhD

Pain and Neuroscience

Pain

Dr. Chung received his DMD and PhD degrees from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea. After completing postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University, he joined the School of Dentistry in 2008. Since then, he has studied the neurobiological mechanisms of craniofacial muscle and neuropathic pain focused on the roles of trigeminal nociceptive afferents. Dr. Chung is an expert in the electrophysiological, biophysical, and genetic analysis of nociceptors and nociceptive ion channels including transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, a receptor for capsaicin. He studies the molecular mechanisms of how the capsaicin receptor produces and alleviates craniofacial pain. Dr. Chung also is interested in how pain-sensing nerves modulate the remodeling of bone surrounding teeth. His research has been supported by federal, state, and industry entities. In particular, the innovation and merit of his projects was recognized by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and Dr. Chung received an NIDCR Award for Sustaining Outstanding Achievement in Research. Through his role as co-director of the Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, he works to promote multidisciplinary research and education about chronic pain.

Kimberly Claeys, PharmD

Infectious Diseases

Antimicrobial Stewardship

Dr. Claeys completed her PharmD at Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Detroit, Michigan. She then completed her Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital and Health Sciences System. After residency, she completed a two-year Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy and Health Outcomes Fellowship at the Anti-Infective Research Laboratory at Wayne State University. She is currently completing a PhD in Epidemiology with a focus on Health-Care Associated Infections and Diagnostic Stewardship at University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research interests include: infectious diseases epidemiology; antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship, translation research involving rapid diagnostic testing; optimization of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of antibacterial agents; and development of predictive/prognostic models and decision analysis to improve antimicrobial stewardship and patient outcomes.

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS

Pain Research

Pain Modulation

Over the last few decades, Dr. Colloca has conducted studies on the behavioral, neural, and pharmacological mechanisms of pain modulation related to placebo and nocebo effects. Her lab has also developed an interest in virtual reality as a non-pharmacological approach to relieve pain and other symptoms. She has published in top-ranked international journals including Biological Psychiatry, Pain, Nature Neuroscience, JAMA, Lancet Neurology, Science and NEJM. As a result, Dr. Colloca has developed an international reputation as a leading scientist in advancing knowledge of the neurobiological mechanisms of descending pain modulation and placebo and nocebo effects with an integrative approach that includes psychopharmacological, neurobiological, and behavioral approaches.

Heather Congdon, PharmD, BCPS, CDE

Interprofessional Education

Ambulatory Care

Dr. Congdon received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a pharmacy practice residency with emphasis in community care from the University of Maryland. Her teaching focuses on interprofessional education, diabetes, and the abilities lab series. She has a clinical practice at Mercy Health Clinic, providing care for underserved, uninsured patients on multiple medications and with various chronic conditions. Dr. Congdon’s research interests relate to her practice at Mercy Health Clinic. She has evaluated the impact of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) on clinical outcomes, such as hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Furthermore, her team has demonstrated the importance of interprofessional, coordinated care on clinical outcomes for patients with poorly controlled diabetes.

Catherine Cooke, PharmD, BCPS, PAHM

Outpatient Medication Management of Chronic Diseases

Geriatrics

Health Technology

Dr. Cooke is a board-certified pharmacist with experience in the clinical, business, and research arenas of different health care settings. She has provided direct patient care in ambulatory care environments for patients with chronic medically managed diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and other prevalent conditions found in primary care populations. She has also provided medication therapy management, completing comprehensive medication reviews (CMR) for eligible Medicare beneficiaries. In addition to direct patient care, she has published research on primary non-adherence and continues to study ways to improve patient-centered outcomes. Her work with the School’s Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging focuses on the quality of medication-related care for older adults. In collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we were able to refine the Standardized Format (i.e., summary document that a patient receives after a CMR), and evaluate it in real-world settings after it was mandated for use in January 2013. Additional quality initiatives at the Lamy Center include the integration of medication-related information within healthcare practices through the use of health information technology standards and systems and assisting with the development and implementation of metrics to improve medication-use for older adults.

Andrew Coop, PhD

Drug Design

Dr. Coop received his PhD from the University of Bristol (England) in the area of chemistry of drugs of abuse, followed by a Fogarty postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has been a School of Pharmacy faculty member since 1999, serving as a department chair from 2007 to 2015. His NIH-funded research focuses on the design and synthesis of new opioid analgesics with reduced tolerance and the development of novel antidepressants. He has developed the compound UMB 425 preclinically as an opioid analgesic with attenuated tolerance development. He has published 130 manuscripts and was the recipient of the 2003 Joseph Cochin Young Investigator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD). In 2014, he was named a fellow of CPDD and presented CPDD’s President’s Lecture. In 2014, he received the inaugural Dr. James E. Wynn Memorial Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Chemistry Section.

Steven J. Czinn, MD

Child Health

Infant Health

Pediatric Vaccinations

I have been the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland for the last 17 years. In addition to a very robust Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, my Department has developed creative programs to provide our local community with access to medical care. Examples include two mobile units providing free asthma care to children at their public schools of Baltimore, and the second provides counseling, testing and treatment for STI’s and HIV for teenage population. We also provide healthcare and immunizations in a newly created community Center in Baltimore. To address the mental health crisis in children, I am a member of the Mayor’s “Trauma informed Taskforce” and we have also just completed an expansion of an adolescent inpatient treatment center for adolescents. The progress we are making in Baltimore with creative programming may stimulate similar efforts on a national scale.

Sarah Dababnah, PhD, MPH, MSW

Autism

Developmental Disabilities

Parenting

Sarah Dababnah, PhD, MPH, MSW is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Social Work (United States), a Faculty Affiliate at Yonsei University School of Social Welfare (South Korea), and a recent US Fulbright Scholar at the American University in Cairo (Egypt). She specializes in practice, policy and research related to the health and well-being of families of individuals with intellectual and developmental differences. Dr. Dababnah’s research focuses on family-centered, community-engaged and culturally relevant strategies to address racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in autism services. Dr. Dababnah received specialized training in early childhood and disability practice, research, and policy at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Chapel Hill, NC), the Kennedy Krieger Institute (Baltimore, MD), the Columbia University National Center for Children in Poverty (New York, NY), and the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health (Washington, DC). She earned advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Johns Hopkins University.

Amy L. Daniels, PhD, RN, CHSE-A

Simulation-Based Education in Health Care

Psychological Safety in Simulation

Simulation Program Leadership and Management

Dr. Daniels serves as the director of the Debra L. Spunt Clinical Simulation Labs, a Society for Simulation in Healthcare-Accredited site for Teaching and Learning. As an assistant professor, she provides simulation-based education in all clinical programs. Dr. Daniels has been a faculty member in the School of Nursing since 2012. In her role as simulation director, she is involved in curriculum integration, faculty development in simulation, debriefing, and psychological safety. Dr. Daniels is involved in simulation professional organizations and engaged in research around psychological safety. She has experience with simulation program growth and development as well as collaboration and consultation with external programs in both administrative and curricular areas. She has published in the areas of debriefing and psychological safety as well as integrating simulation-based education into curriculum.

Sandeep Devabhakthuni, PharmD, BCCP

Cardiology

Critical Care

Dr. Sandeep Devabhakthuni received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He then completed a pharmacy practice residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He returned to Pittsburgh to complete a specialty residency in cardiology and critical care at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist with a clinical practice on the inpatient cardiology and medical intensive care services at the University of Maryland Medical Center. His current research interests involve evaluation of appropriate use of cardiovascular medications and sedation in mechanically ventilated patients.

Crystal DeVance-Wilson, PhD, MBA, PHCNS-BC

Nursing Workforce

Community/Public Health

Black Men's Health

Dr. DeVance-Wilson is a board-certified public health clinical nurse specialist with 30 years of experience working in acute and community settings with diverse populations. She is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, where she teaches in the graduate and undergraduate programs. Dr. DeVance-Wilson is the vice chair of the University of Maryland School of Nursing at the Universities at Shady Grove and also serves as the director of the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center, through which she and her team work to address issues affecting Maryland nurses, nursing students, schools of nursing, and healt hcare organizations. Dr. DeVance-Wilson has also held leadership positions in several community organizations and is currently the immediate past chair of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission on Health.

Vineet Dhar, BDS, MDS, PhD

Pediatric Dentistry

Early Childhood Caries, Nutrition

Equity in Access to Dentistry for Children

Dr. Dhar is a board-certified pediatric dentist who serves on the councils on Scientific Affairs and Post-Doctoral Education at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the Council of Scientific Affairs of the American Dental Association (ADA). He also serves on the ADA guideline panels on restorative care and caries prevention and has served on the pit and fissure sealants panel. He is on the AAPD guideline panel on vital pulp therapies in primary and immature permanent teeth and behavior guidance and has served on the AAPD panel to produce clinical practice guidelines on non-vital pulp and vital pulp therapies in primary teeth. He received the 2018 ADA Evidence Based Dentistry Mid-Career Faculty Award and the 2017 AAPD Jerome B. Miller/Crest-Oral-B/For The Kids Award. He also co-authored manuscripts that received the AAPD Paul Taylor Award in 2016, 2017, and 2020. Dr. Dhar has been involved in multiple research projects and has directed thesis work for master's degree candidates as an advisor or co-advisor.

Susan G. Dorsey, PhD, RN, FAAN

Chronic Pain

Pain Research

Genetics of Pain

Dr. Dorsey is a principal investigator for multiple NIH-funded R01 and R21 grants related to the development and persistence of chronic pain. Her group studies the molecular, cellular, and genetic factors associated with this and identifies biomarkers of the transition from acute to chronic pain in rodent and large animal models and in human participants. More people suffer from chronic pain than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. Although people who suffer from chronic pain cost the United States more than $600 billion annually, there are few effective treatments that can reduce or eliminate chronic pain without significantly disrupting a person’s quality of life. Dr. Dorsey’s team seeks to solve this problem.

Susan dosReis, BSPharm, PhD

Pediatric Mental Health

Pharmacoepidemiology

Dr. dosReis is professor and co-vice chair for research in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She received a bachelor of science in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy and a doctorate in pharmacoepidemiology from the University of Maryland Graduate School. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in child mental health services from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She was previously on faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. dosReis works closely with the state Mental Hygiene Administration on policies and programs that impact child mental health services. She is a core faculty of the Maryland Child Mental Health Advisory group within the Center for Child Mental Health Innovations at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In this role, she advises the state on child psychopharmacologic treatment of youth in the public mental health system with a specific focus on psychotropic medication use among youth in the child welfare system. Through several federally-funded research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dr. dosReis has developed a profile of research on psychotropic medication use among children and adolescents, examining disparities in psychotropic use by age, race, and foster care involvement, characterizing psychotropic treatment by combined use with psychotherapy for ADHD, and use of multiple psychotropic medications, and assessing longitudinal patterns in antipsychotic treatment for adults with schizophrenia. She developed two surveys - the ASK-ME survey, which assesses parental perceptions of stimulant treatment for their child’s ADHD, and a survey to assess pediatricians’ identification and screening of autism spectrum disorders in young children. Using qualitative research methods, she has investigated parental perspectives of their child’s ADHD and developed a conceptual model of how parents approach mental health care for their children.

Alison Duffy, PharmD, BCOP

Medical Oncology

Dr. Alison Duffy graduated from the University of Rhode Island School of Pharmacy and completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY2 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Residency at University of Cincinnati (UC) Health in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy/University of Maryland Medical Center. She is PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Practice Residency Director and is a board certified oncology pharmacist with a practice site at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center within inpatient and outpatient oncology. Dr. Duffy has interest in clinical outcomes and practice based research specifically related to patients with cancer, interprofessional education, patient safety, and educational methods and outcomes.

Allison Dunn, PharmD, MS

Clinical Pharmacology

Applications of Pharmacometrics in Clinical Practice and Clinical Development

Allision Dunn received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a MS in Pharmacometrics degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She holds a BS in bioengineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research interests are precision medicine, pharmacometrics, and the utilization of real-world data for treatment optimization. Dr. Dunn's current project include evaluation of the indotecan-neutropenia relationship in patients with solid tumors using population pharmacokinetic modeling and Bayesian regressions and quantifying the effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetic disposition of belinostat and its five metabolites using population pharmacokinetic modeling.

Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FAAPS, FCP

Entrepreneurism

Medical Cannabis Education

Regulatory Affairs

Dr. Eddington became dean of the School of Pharmacy (SOP) in August 2007. An alumna of the school, she was formerly chair of its Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Eddington graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Howard University. She later earned her PhD from SOP and, after working as assistant director of new drug development at Pfizer Inc., joined the faculty in 1991. She was appointed director of SOP’s Pharmacokinetics/Biopharmaceutics Laboratory in 1999 and became chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2003. As chair, she guided the launch of the Bio- and Nano-Technology Center, which brings together scientists to find new and better ways of providing pharmaceutical treatment. It was SOP’s first organized research center. Dr. Eddington is a nationally known expert in drug delivery and pharmacokinetics, the movement of drugs in the body. Her research focuses on cancer therapy and treatments for disorders of the central nervous system. Her work has been supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the pharmaceutical industry. In 2014, she was named executive director of University Regional Partnerships at UMB, a position she assumes while maintaining her leadership of SOP. In this role, Dr. Eddington assists UMB’s senior leadership, working collaboratively with the deans on issues related to the expansion of the University’s academic and research programs in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. In 2017, she was appointed co-decanal lead of the Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service (CARES), UMB’s interprofessional effort to address the adverse impact of addiction on individuals, families, communities, and society. Under Dr. Eddington’s leadership, SOP has established a number of centers and programs including the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions; the Patients, Pharmacists, Partnerships (P3) Program; the Patient-centered Involvement in Evaluating the effectiveness of Treatment (PATIENTS) Program; the Bio- and Nano-Technology Center; the Center for Translational Medicine; the Mass Spectrometry Center; and the FDA-supported Maryland Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation, a collaborative agreement with the FDA to promote innovation in support of the development and evaluation of safe and effective products. She also has envisioned and launched a transformational pharmapreneurism initiative, which seeks to position the school’s world-class faculty, wonderful students, and exceptional staff to achieve their career aspirations and address our nation’s health care, research, policy, and societal needs.

Robert K. Ernst, PhD

Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens

Sepsis

The Ernst laboratory been at the forefront of innovative research studying the molecular basis and adaptive significance of modifications to the structure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Its focus is on the elucidation of the molecular basis by which Gram-negative bacteria modify the lipid A component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and how these alterations affect or circumvent normal host innate immune system responses. LPS is the major surface molecule and pathogenic factor of Gram-negative bacteria. Host immune detection of LPS is extremely sensitive -- such that bloodstream infections can cause a severe complication called endotoxic shock, a major clinical problem leading to about 200,000 deaths in the United States per year. The lab also developed a practical method, bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC) that can be used to engineer functionally diverse lipid A molecules for use as vaccine adjuvant. This project is supported through a $6.2M NIH NIAID contract to bring one of our BECC molecules to pre-investigational drug status. The work is important given the urgent need for new and more effective vaccines against infectious diseases worldwide. Finally, the Ernst laboratory focuses on the development of new antimicrobials that enhance innate immunity or inhibit bacterial resistance and the establishment of a clinical diagnostic platform for the rapid identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens directly from complex biological fluids. Our diagnostic work led to the establishment in 2016 of Pataigin LLC, which is developing a low-cost, rapid identification platform (BACLIB) that can identify a wide range of bacteria and fungi directly from clinically relevant samples, including blood and urine. In total, since moving his lab from the University of Washington in 2008, he has received more than $20 million in research funding. This work has resulted in over 190 peer-reviewed manuscripts with 17,000 citations. In recognition of his work, Dr. Ernst was named UMB’s 2017 Founders Week Researcher of the Year, as well as UMB’s 2019 Founders Week Entrepreneur of the Year. He was the recipient 2017 UMB Researcher of the Year, 2018 Dr. Mark E. Shirtliff PhD Student Mentor Award (UMB Graduate Program) winner, and 2019 UMB Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the inaugural Dr. Paul and Mrs. Jean Corcoran Professorship, and, in 2021, he earned a University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary faculty members. Additionally, in 2014, he won the Maryland-John Hopkins Alliance Ventures award for his lipid-based bacterial diagnostic platform and 2016 he again won the Maryland-John Hopkins Alliance Ventures award for his anti-sepsis therapeutic platform and Pataigin won the Maryland Department of Commerce Life at the same competition for their advancements in the development of a lipid-based microbial diagnostic platform.

Alan I. Faden, MD

Head Injury

Spinal Cord Injury

Neuroinflammation

Dr. Faden is a neurologist who is an internationally recognized leader in neurotrauma. As the director of the Center for Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research for 10 years, Dr. Faden oversaw multidisciplinary research focusing on brain injuries, critical care, organ support, resuscitation, surgical outcomes, patient safety, and injury prevention. His present research focuses on the pathobiology and treatment of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, mechanisms of cell death, neuroinflammation, neuroimmunology, dementia and brain systemic interactions.

Agnes Ann Feemster, PharmD, BCPS

Pharmacy Practice Management

Experiential Learning

Interprofessional Education

Dr. Agnes Ann Feemster is an associate professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and the medication safety officer for oncology with the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She received a bachelor’s degree in pre-professional health studies from Clemson University, a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of South Carolina. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She has more than 15 years of clinical, leadership, and management experience in health-system pharmacy practice at large teaching hospitals. Before joining the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, she served as interim director of pharmacy at the University of Maryland Medical Center and assistant director of clinical pharmacy, investigational drug, and central production services. She leads the School’s pharmacy practice management and health-system pharmacy course and coordinates the international training program for the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research. Dr. Feemster also manages a practice laboratory for first year pharmacy students. Dr. Feemster’s research interests include pharmacy practice management and leadership, medication safety, educational methods and outcomes, pharmacy informatics, global health, and interprofessional education.

Shani Fleming, MSHS, MPH, PA-C

Language, Literacy, and Culture

Health Professional Workforce Diversity

Professor Fleming has devoted her career to promoting social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the health care community. She serves as an associate professor in the Graduate School’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program and Intercultural Leadership Certificate Program. She also is an executive team member of the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy. She has significant clinical, academic, and leadership experience as a PA, practicing primarily in underserved communities and advocating for and coordinating curricula addressing social determinants of health, LGBTQ+ care, and cultural humility within PA education programs. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and earned master’s degrees in public health and health science from George Washington University. She is a diversity and inclusion leader within national and state organizations, reaching thousands of underrepresented racial and ethnic high school and college students and advocating for increased representation in the health professional workforce. She encourages, leads, and fights for inclusive and just environments for faculty, staff, and students. She is pursuing her PhD in language, literacy, and culture from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, completing a dissertation examining the impact of advancing academic credentials on health professional workforce diversity.

Jodi J. Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP

workplace

behavioral health

suicide prevention

Dr. Jodi J. Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP is a full Professor with tenure at University of Maryland, School of Social Work. She serves as Associate Dean for Research and chairs the Social Work in the Workplace & Employee Assistance Sub-specialization. She is the Founder and Faculty Executive Director of the Behavioral Health and Well-Being Lab (BHWell Lab). For 10 years (until 2022), she chaired the Financial Social Work Initiative. Dr. Frey’s research focuses on adult and emerging adult behavioral health and well-being with an emphasis on suicide prevention, mental health, substance use and the workplace. She has published over 100 articles, books and book chapters, in addition to presenting research at international conferences and receiving numerous awards for her research and teaching. Dr. Frey co-chairs the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee where she is working to disseminate the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention.

Matthew Frieman, PhD

Virology

Coronaviruses

Therapeutics

I am the Alicia and Yaya Professor of Viral Pathogen Research in The Department of Microbiology and Immunology in The University of Maryland School of Medicine. My laboratory focuses on the pathogenesis of Coronaviruses to better understand how they cause disease. For the past 17 years, I have studied the highly pathogenic SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 via genetic, molecular, virological, immunological, and cell biological techniques. We focus on identifying viral proteins that control replication and host protein pathways as well as assessing those viral proteins and host proteins in animal model systems. In addition, we have investigated other human respiratory viruses including seasonal coronaviruses, rhinovirus, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus. We have used the combination of in vitro (air-liquid-interface, Lung Chip, human immortalized lung cells) and in vivo models (mouse models of SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, Influenza virus) to identify host factors that affect multiple viruses and for the development and evaluation of therapeutics for these important respiratory viruses.

Joga Gobburu, PhD

Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research

Pediatrics

Pharmacometrics

Dr. Gobburu is a world-renowned scientific leader in the area of quantitative disease models and their applications to decisions. He is best known for transforming the field of pharmacometrics into a decision-supporting science. His experience as a senior biomedical research scientist and director of pharmacometrics at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives him unique insight into the technical, regulatory, and decision-making aspects in all phases of drug development. He obtained his BPharm and MSc in chemistry from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, his PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from North Dakota State University, and his MBA from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Gobburu’s research interests include pediatrics, clinical pharmacology and translational research, comparative effectiveness, and pharmacometrics.

Mathangi Gopalakrishnan, MS, PhD

Pharmacometrics

Bayesian Applications in Drug Development

Innovative Clinical Trial Designs

Dr. Gopalakrishnan earned an MS and PhD in statistics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She holds a BPharmacy and a MPharm from Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India Her research focuses on pharmacometrics, precision therapeutics, predictive analytics, real world data, and drug development. She utilizes fundamental principles of clinical pharmacology (pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamics (PD)), advanced statistical (frequentist and Bayesian) methods (modeling and simulation), and artificial intelligence (AI/ML) techniques to improve clinical and therapeutic outcomes for patients, especially vulnerable populations. Dr. Gopalakrishnan's lab has designed and conducted prospective, real-world clinical pharmacokinetic trials for anti-epileptics/anti-microbials in continuous renal replacement therapy patients with the goal to develop individualized antiepileptic regimens. She has worked on using real world data (electronic health records, prospective pragmatic clinical trials) in the areas of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, and anti-coagulants in pediatrics to inform optimal dosing. She is involved in design and analysis of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic studies for nutritional supplements and low-calorie artificial sweeteners in pregnant and postpartum women to answer questions on optimal dosing of the nutritional supplements. Her additional areas of research include models for disease progression (e.g: schizophrenia, binge-eating disorders), AI/ML approaches to identify biomarker-endpoint relationship in medical countermeasure development, innovative quantitative methods for trial design/analysis, and predictive analytics in transfusion decision making. Her lab works collaboratively with academic medical institutions across the country.

Mojdeh Heavner, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Critical Care

Medication Safety

Dr. Heavner received a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Maryland College Park and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Subsequently, she completed a pharmacy practice residency and critical care and solid organ transplant specialty residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. She is board certified in pharmacotherapy and critical care. Following her residency training, Dr. Heavner practiced as a clinical pharmacy specialist in the medical intensive care unit, served as the residency director of the critical care pharmacy specialty program, and spent several years as the supervisor of clinical pharmacy services at Yale-New Haven Hospital before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Heavner is active in professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels, including the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She served as secretary on the board of the Connecticut Society of Health-System Pharmacists for several years and was recognized as Pharmacist of the Year by that organization in 2016. Dr. Heavner’s practice and research interests include performance management and quality improvement, delirium, medication safety, and antibiotic pharmacokinetics and stewardship in the intensive care unit.

Cheri Hendrix, DHEd, MSBME, PA-C, DFAAPA

Physician Assistant Education

Dr. Hendrix is responsible for the overall management, development and implementation strategies regarding program rankings, residency programs, facilities development, and scholarship of physician assistant (PA) education for the UMB/Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) collaboration. She earned her doctorate in health education from A.T. Still University in 2011 and her Master of Science in engineering and applied physics of biomedicine from Johns Hopkins University in 1998. Dr. Hendrix’s first career was as an engineer, earning four U.S. patents in medical imagery device design. Deciding to pursue her PA education, she became a 2003 graduate of AACC’s PA program and completed a postgraduate PA residency in general surgery at Duke University Medical Center in 2004. Her practice as a certified PA spans a multitude of specialties including general, vascular, and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, and urgent care. Dr. Hendrix has spent the last 16 years in higher education; her passion in developing students’ critical thought processes at the graduate and postgraduate levels has allowed her to excel in her roles in PA education. She is a highly sought-after lecturer on the national stage and has earned a solid reputation for curriculum development that cultivates critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in PA and medical residents. She is a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and a member of the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants, the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Physician Assistant Education Association.

Charles C. Hong, MD, PhD

Cardiovascular Genetics

Inherited Heart Diseases

Stem Cells

Charles (Chaz) Hong is a physician-scientist whose research, which functions at the intersection of developmental biology, chemical biology, stem cell biology, and cardiovascular medicine, has led to new biological insights and therapeutic opportunities. Dr. Hong’s work includes innovative chemical genetic studies in zebrafish as well as the use of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) to better understand human heart diseases at the cellular level. His scientific contributions include the first small molecule inhibitor of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, which has led directly to a clinical stage therapeutic program for devastating human diseases. Additionally, his small molecules are key components of the “Dual Chemical SMAD Inhibition,” the most widely used strategy to generate neurons and neural organoids from human stem cells. Moreover, his chemical genetic studies elucidated the roles of mitogen-activated kinase in artery-vein specification during development. Finally, he has made important contributions toward the utilization of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) as an in vitro model for the study of human cardiomyocyte physiology. Dr. Hong edited one of the first books focused on the role of chemical biology in stem cell and regenerative medicine, and a book covering the latest methods and protocols in chemical biology. He serves on editorial boards of number of scientific journals and is inaugural Chief Editor of Frontiers in Drug Discovery overseeing Hematologic and Cardiovascular domains. His ongoing basic investigations include the elucidation of the novel role of centrosome proteins in cardiac structure and function, and therapeutic targeting of a novel pro-oncogenic pathway activated downstream of the Warburg Effect. His clinical expertise is in cardiovascular genetics. Finally, Dr. Hong is a key member of the West Baltimore RICH (Reducing Isolation and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health) Collaborative, an interdisciplinary team of community leaders, churches, local charities, 2 local hospitals, the University of Maryland, and federally qualified health centers to develop sustainable strategies to overcome health disparities in West Baltimore.

Lauren Hynicka, PharmD, BCPS

Internal Medicine

Hepatology

Dr. Hynicka received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. She went on to complete both a PGY-1 general practice and PGY-2 internal medicine residency at the Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia Health System. She served as a clinical pharmacy specialist on a general internal medicine team at the University of Maryland Medical Center for six years before transitioning into her current role, where she manages treatment of HCV infected patients enrolled in Maryland Medicaid. Her teaching, research, and patient care activities focus on the care of patients with chronic liver diseases including chronic HCV infection. Recent areas of research include streamlining the prior authorization process for HCV medications at a large academic health system and evaluating HCV treatment interruptions. Dr. Hynicka has a variety of research interests including transitions of care, infectious diseases, viral hepatitis C, chronic liver disease, provision of care to underserved patients, and global health.

Shannon K. Idzik, DNP, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN

NP Scope of Practice

Endocrine and Diabetes Management

Dr. Idzik is an expert in nurse practitioner practice, education, and policy. She has led numerous legislative initiatives related to the full scope of practice and removing scope-of-practice barriers for nurse practitioners. She is a past president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland and has represented the profession as a member of the Chesapeake Regional Information System for Our Patients clinical advisory board. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice. Dr. Idzik also is an expert in endocrine and more specifically diabetes management. She was elected to serve for the past three years on the National Clinical Care Commission, a federal advisory board that made recommendations to Congress on improving diabetes care in the United States. She has practiced in a variety of settings including endocrinology, bariatric surgery, primary care, and chronic disease management. She was awarded the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Award for Excellence in 2012 and was selected as a fellow of the AANP in 2014 and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2017.

Amy Ives, PharmD, BCPS

Internal Medicine

Practice-Based Research

Educational Methods and Outcomes

Dr. Amy Ives is an assistant professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and an internal medicine clinical pharmacy specialist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Ives received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from Rutgers College of Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and has completed a medical education research certificate sponsored by the American Medical Association. Dr. Ives has more than 25 years of hospital pharmacy practice experience. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland, she was a clinical pharmacy specialist in critical care and anticoagulation at the VA Maryland Health Care System. During her 17 years there, Dr. Ives developed the PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency Program, with 15 residents completing this program under her direction. She remains active in pharmacy residency training through precepting and mentoring research projects at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. In addition, she precepts Georgetown University medical students on their independent study projects. Dr. Ives is active in professional organizations at the regional and national level. She is a past secretary for the AACP Laboratory Special Interest Group and former chair for the Eastern States Residents and Preceptors Conference. She has been an active member of the Eastern States Residency Advisory Board since 2012. Before joining the faculty full time, Dr. Ives served as co-course manager for Therapeutics I and II in the Non-Traditional PharmD program. Since becoming a full time faculty member, Dr. Ives has developed training modules in medication reconciliation, therapeutic drug monitoring, and renal dosing for the PharmTechX program. She has been co-course manger in Abilities Labs 1 and 3, and is currently co-director for the Pharmacy Practice Laboratories. Dr. Ives’s practice and research interests include medication safety, transitions of care, anticoagulation, and medical education research using electronic health record technology.

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS

Surgery

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, was selected as the seventh president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) on Sept. 10, 2020, after serving as interim president for eight months. During the interim period, Dr. Jarrell guided the University’s efforts to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic once it unfolded in March 2020. The appointment as president was the latest in a long line of upward moves by Dr. Jarrell at UMB, where he has served as chief academic and research officer, senior vice president, executive vice president, and dean of the Graduate School. Named chief academic and research officer and senior vice president in April 2012, Dr. Jarrell served as the focal point for all academic matters at UMB and was responsible for facilitating the research mission of the University by working closely with UMB administrators, deans, research leadership of the schools, and others. Through and with the deans and vice presidents, Dr. Jarrell worked to further the University’s core values among faculty, staff, and students in the leadership, management, and promotion of the institution’s education, research, clinical, and community engagement agendas. Dr. Jarrell was named executive vice president and provost in December 2017, expanding his already wide-ranging duties. In this role, Dr. Jarrell had the authority to act on behalf of the president in a variety of matters and settings. Dr. Jarrell, who was dean of the Graduate School, also oversaw many of the University’s most critical institutional relationships, such as the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, UMB’s innovative and structured collaboration with the University of Maryland, College Park, and worked to build and maintain academic interactions with all USM institutions. Dr. Jarrell arrived at UMB in 1997 as chair of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s (UMSOM) Department of Surgery. He expanded UMSOM’s surgical programs and developed innovative research studies and clinical trials, leading to its ranking as 11th nationally in total research funding from the National Institutes of Health. In 2003, he moved to the UMSOM Dean’s Office, where he served as executive vice dean, directing the school’s education and research enterprises. Dr. Jarrell also served as the institutional official for human research protection and animal research protection, and he has remained actively involved in research and medical student education throughout his career. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He completed a general surgical residency and renal transplantation fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia and held faculty positions at Jefferson, where he performed kidney and liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery for 10 years, and the University of Arizona, where he was a professor and chair of its Department of Surgery.

Chad Johnson, PhD

Medical Cannabis

Drug Addiction

Dr. Johnson received his PhD and completed his post-doctoral research in medicinal chemistry/pharmacology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. His research interests include the synthesis of novel, fast-acting antidepressants targeting the muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) for major depressive disorder and opioid analgesics with reduced reinforcement for treatment of drug addiction. Dr. Johnson is the co-director of the MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics program.

Gerald Kayingo, PhD, MMSC, PA-C

Education Leadership

Clinical Practice

Global Health

Professor Kayingo has extensive experience in scholarship, education, leadership, clinical practice, and global health. As assistant dean of research, Dr. Kayingo seeks to advance the research mission by nurturing scholarship and the growth of extramural research funding for physician assistant education and practice. His research interests relate to health professions education, health care delivery science, and the intersection of infectious diseases and substance use disorders/addiction. His clinical interests are in primary care settings as well as advancing rural health. Nationally, Professor Kayingo has served as a board member for various organizations and as associate editor of BMC Health Services Research. He has co-authored three books on health professions education and published extensively on health systems science and infectious diseases in peer-reviewed journals. He is a recipient of several awards, including a university book prize, the 2016 American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) PA Student Academy Mentor Award, the 2015 AAPA Research Publishing Award, and the 2014 Jack Cole Society Award from Yale University.

Raya E. Kheirbek, MD, MPH, FGSA

Geriatrics

Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Internal Medicine

Dr. Kheirbek is a Professor of Medicine and the inaugural Division Head of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Her clinical work focuses on offering comprehensive care and support to individuals and their families facing serious and advanced illnesses. Her research centers on the oldest segment of the population, particularly centenarians as expert survivors. Dr. Kheirbek is an advocate for social justice and a writer who provides expert testimonies addressing the unique needs of marginalized and vulnerable individuals, including elders within the criminal justice system. Her work has been featured in academic journals as well as the Baltimore Sun, New York Times, Washington Post, and US World and News Report.

Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA

Immunizations

Medication Therapy Management

Pharmacy Education

Dr. Cherokee Layson-Wolf received her PharmD from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She completed a community pharmacy residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and Ukrop’s Pharmacy. She is associate dean for student affairs, the residency program director for the PGY-1 Community Pharmacy Residency Program, and is board-certified in ambulatory care pharmacy. Dr. Layson-Wolf is also a faculty member of the American Pharmacists Association's Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery certificate course. Dr. Layson-Wolf’s research interests include evaluations of immunization programs, point of care testing, medication adherence, and innovative patient care program implementation.

Radi Masri, DDS, MS, PhD

Prosthodontics

Oral Health Technologies

Advanced Education - Prosthodontics

Dr. Masri received his first dental degree from the University of Jordan Dental School in 1997 and completed a prosthodontic residency at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 2001. He also holds a master's degree in oral biology and a PhD in biomedical sciences/pain. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, a fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists, and a member of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics. In addition to expertise in fixed, removable, and implant dentistry, Dr. Masri is a dedicated academician and researcher. He is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Masri lectures nationally and internationally and serves as an external examiner for international dental schools in the field of prosthodontics. He is the editor in chief of the Journal of Prosthodontics, a past president of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and a past president of the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics. Dr. Masri currently supervises a federally funded research laboratory that studies the etiology and treatment of chronic pain.

Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, BCPS

Pain and Palliative Care

Health Professions Education

Dr. McPherson has maintained a practice in both hospice and palliative care throughout her career. She teaches extensively in the School’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program on pain management and end-of-life care, including didactic and experiential content. She also developed one of the first palliative care pharmacy residency programs in the United States and is executive program director of the School’s online graduate studies in palliative care, including a Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and graduate certificates. Dr. McPherson currently serves as the first pharmacist selected for the board of the American Association of Hospice and Palliative Care and is a founding trustee and board member of the Society of Pain Management and Palliative Care Pharmacists. She has received many honors for her work, including the American Pharmacists Association Distinguished Achievement Award in Specialized Practice, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching, the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Founders Week Teacher of the Year Award, the Maryland Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists W. Purdum Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Robert K. Chalmers Distinguished Pharmacy Educator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. She has written five books, including the best-selling Demystifying Opioid Conversion Calculations, A Guide to Effective Dosing, 2nd ed.

Jill Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FNAP

Pediatrics

Dr. Jill A. Morgan is professor and chair of the Department of Practice, Sciences and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.  She practices at the Interprofessional Pediatric GI Clinic at the University of Maryland Midtown in Baltimore.  She received her PharmD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed pharmacy practice and pediatric pharmacy specialty residencies at the University of Maryland Medical Center. For a number of years, Dr. Morgan has been teaching pediatric and neonatal pharmacotherapy to nursing and pharmacy students as well as medical residents. Dr. Morgan served as director for the PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency program for several years. She is also board certified in pharmacotherapy and pediatric pharmacy. In, 2017, Dr. Morgan became a fellow of the National Academies of Practice (NAP). Dr. Morgan has been involved with several professional organizations. She served as chair of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Administrative Services Section and the Student Services Special Interest Group, as president of the Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists (MSHP), as chair of the Research Committee for the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA), and chair of the NAP's Pharmacy Academy. Dr. Morgan serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. She is the co-advisor for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Pediatric Pharmacy Association.  Dr. Morgan received the AACP Administrative Services Section Award for Sustained Contribution to Administrative Practice in Pharmacy Education, the Excellence in Innovation Award and the Mentor of the Year Award from the Maryland Pharmacists Association, the Purdum Award from MSHP, and the University of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Mentoring. In 2021, Dr. Morgan received the State of Maryland Governor’s Citation for her teamwork in the University of Maryland, Baltimore's Community Mass Vaccination Site. Her research interests include asthma, constipation, care of pediatric patients in community pharmacy, taste and flavoring of liquid medications for children, nutrition, immunizations, pediatric dermatology, transitions of care for pediatric patients, and interprofessional education.

Jason Noel, PharmD, BCPP

Mental Health

Dr. Jason Noel received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees at Rutgers University College of Pharmacy. He completed a residency in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Noel’s clinical practice focus is in mental health and intellectual/developmental disabilities. He teaches therapeutics of psychiatric and neurologic disorders in UMB’s PharmD and Nursing graduate programs as well as to audiences of training and practicing clinicians, including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and social workers. He is a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist and serves as the administrator for the School’s ACPE-Accredited Continuing Education Program. Dr. Noel’s area of scholarly focus is in the integrated psychopharmacologic and behavioral treatment in people with co-occurring intellectual disability and behavioral/psychiatric concerns.

Neha Pandit, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP

Infectious Diseases

HIV

Dr. Pandit is a clinical pharmacy specialist at the HIV ambulatory care clinic at the University of Maryland Medical System's Evelyn Jordan Center and the Oncology Infectious Diseases Clinic. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia and completed her pharmacy practice residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She also completed an HIV/Infectious Diseases Specialty Residency at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Pandit is credentialed as an HIV pharmacist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine and a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. She is a member of the Drug Utilization Board of Maryland Medicaid and the Board of Directors of Chase Brexton Health Services in Baltimore. Dr. Pandit’s research interests include adherence, HIV treatment outcomes, HIV complications, antiretroviral drug-drug interactions, education, and other chronic diseases.

Kristine Parbuoni, PharmD, BCPPS

Pediatrics

Dr. Parbuoni obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 2005. She then completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY-2 Pediatric Residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Following residency training, Dr. Parbuoni obtained a position as the clinical pharmacy specialist in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital, where she later also took on administrative roles. Dr. Parbuoni then moved to California and joined the faculty at Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Dr. Parbuoni was also the Residency Program Director of the PGY2 Pediatric Residency Program at Loma Linda University. She was excited to return to her alma mater in 2018. Dr. Parbuoni is a Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist. She has a clinical practice site at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital. She is also the Residency Program Director of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy PGY2 Pediatric Residency. Dr. Parbuoni has been actively involved in professional organizations throughout her career. She served as president of the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy from 2012 to 2013, and is currently on its Board of Directors. She was a delegate for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), on ASHP’s Council on Education and Workforce Development, and the SCSS’s Preceptor Development SAG and Pediatrics SAG. Dr. Parbuoni served as chair of the Research Committee of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association from 2019 to 2020. Since becoming faculty, she has been a member of the American Academy of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), has served as a delegate to its House of Delegates, and is chair-elect of the AACP Pediatric Special Interest Group. Dr. Parbuoni’s research interests include clinical outcomes in pediatrics (infectious diseases, critical care), pediatric pharmacokinetics, educational methods and outcomes in simulation, and post-graduate training.

Michelle Pearce, PhD

Spiritual Competency in Mental Health Care

Dr. Pearce is a clinical psychologist who researches the relationship among religion/ spirituality, coping, and health as well as the integration of spirituality into the practice of psychotherapy. She has developed a national online training program for spiritual competency in mental health care and directs the Integrative Health and Wellness graduate certificate program. She also teaches several Graduate School courses on mind-body interventions, health coaching, self-care for professionals, and writing for the public. She is the author of the books “Night Bloomers: 12 Principles for Thriving in Adversity” and “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Christians with Depression: A Practical, Tool-Based Primer.” She also co-authored the book “Religion and Recovery from PTSD.” Her areas of clinical expertise include cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body stress reduction methods, existential issues, and behavioral medicine to address the intersection of mental and physical illness.

Ryan M. Pearson, PhD

Nanotechnology

Immune Engineering

Dr. Pearson is an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences and molecular microbiology & immunology at the University of Maryland. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy and was a postdoc at the University of Michigan prior to starting his independent career in 2018. Dr. Pearson’s laboratory focuses on developing nanotechnology-based strategies for treating dysregulated immune responses specifically focusing on infectious disease, autoimmunity, and cancer. He has published over 35 peer-reviewed articles on his research in top journals including Biomaterials, Journal of Controlled Release, ACS Nano, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Advanced Functional Materials. Dr. Pearson’s significant scientific contributions relate to his development of nanoparticle-based inverse vaccines to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance and his studies evaluating the inherent immunomodulatory properties of polymeric nanomaterials. Dr. Pearson been recognized with several awards and recently received the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Investigator Award, American Association of Immunologists Early Career Travel Award, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education Rising Star Award, and the Shock Society Faculty Research Award. Dr. Pearson is an active member of the Bio- and Nano-technology center and the Computer-Aided Drug Design Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and a member of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Pearson serves on the editorial board of Pharmaceutical Research, as faculty advisor for the AAPS UMB Student Chapter, and as the Chair of the Immuno Delivery Focus Group for the Controlled Release Society.

Eleanor Perfetto, PhD, MS

Comparative Effectiveness Research

Health Care Quality Performance Measurement

Patient-Focused Drug Development and Reimbursement

Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Perfetto was with Pfizer for more than seven years, most recently as senior director of federal government relations. A pharmacist and health services researcher, she holds BS and MS degrees in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, concentrating in health policy and epidemiology. Currently, she serves as a Pharmacy Quality Alliance and Health Industry Forum board member. In recent years, she has served on boards and committees for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Quality Forum, and the Center for Medical Technology Policy, among others. Early in her career, Dr. Perfetto served in the U.S. Public Health Service, initially as an Indian Health Service pharmacist and later as senior pharmacoepidemiologist, Agency for Health Care Policy & Research (now AHRQ). Dr. Perfetto is an advocate for patients with head trauma-related dementias, receiving wide recognition for her advocacy efforts. She is president of the Board of Directors for the Sports Legacy Institute. Dr. Perfetto’s research interests include comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research, patient-focused drug development, quality performance measurement, and measurement of patient-reported outcomes, especially as part of clinical development plans.

Kathleen Pincus, PharmD, BCPS

Family Medicine

Transitions of Care

Kathleen Pincus, PharmD, BCPS, is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist and an associate professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is the Residency Program Director for the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency Program. An alumna of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (’09), Dr. Pincus completed her Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and her Pharmacotherapy Specialty Residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Dr. Pincus is an ambulatory care specialist at the University of Maryland Family and Community Medicine practice and a clinical pharmacy consultant with the Governor’s Wellmobile Program. Dr. Pincus’ research interests include transitions of care, integrating clinical pharmacy services in primary care practices, patient motivators for medication adherence and chronic disease state management, including asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hepatitis C.

Danya Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH

High-Risk Medications in Vulnerable Populations

Health Disparities

Pharmacovigilance

Dr. Danya M. Qato is a practicing pharmacist, epidemiologist, and health services researcher. She holds a PhD in health and pharmaceutical services research from the Brown University School of Public Health, a PharmD from the University of Illinois, and a MPH with a concentration in international health and humanitarian studies from Harvard University. In 2020, she was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader. Her research is currently funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. At Brown, Dr. Qato was funded as an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and National Institutes of Health doctoral and postdoctoral research fellow in comparative effectiveness research. Dr. Qato’s substantive areas of research pertain to improving regulatory and policy tools to reduce use of high risk medications in vulnerable populations, substance use and women’s health, risk management and post-marketing surveillance, drug pricing and access to essential medicines, environmental and global health systems development, pharmacovigilance, and global health equity. She was previously a Schweitzer Fellow, a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow (for support of her MPH at Harvard), and a U.S. research fellow of the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) and the Arab Council for the Social Sciences funded by the Swedish International Development Agency. In the 2015-2016 academic year, Dr. Qato was based at the Institute for Community and Public Health at Birzeit University in Palestine, where she was a Fulbright Scholar and served as an expert consultant to the World Health Organization. In addition to her role as an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy, Dr. Qato holds a secondary appointment in the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, is a faculty affiliate at the University of Maryland Institute for Global Health, and a faculty member of the joint UMB/UMBC PhD Program in Gerontology. She is former chair of the Drug Policy and Pharmaceutical Services Committee of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association and is a member of the Public Health subcommittee of the Maryland State Taskforce on Reconciliation and Equity.

William F. Regine, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FACRO

GI and CNS Malignancies

Dr. Regine, ranked in the top five in National Institutes of Health research funding, is recognized nationally and internationally in the areas of gastrointestinal and sympathetic nervous system malignancies and in the use of stereotactic radiosurgery. At the Maryland Proton Treatment Center, he leads the first and most advanced facility of its kind in the Baltimore-Washington region, providing nearly 2,000 cancer patients a year with precise “pencil-beam” technology to treat solid tumors. UMB’s 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year, Dr. Regine has served as principal or co-principal investigator on at least four National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored cooperative group clinical trials. He has also been the Radiation Oncology Principal Investigator/Study Chairman of at least 2 additional Institutional clinical trials published in JAMA and the Lancet which defined new standards of care for patients with brain metastases and malignant spinal cord compression. He is co-editor "Principles and Practices of Stereotactic Radiosurgery," the first comprehensive textbook of its kind. His department ranks top 5 in NIH funding for Radiation Oncology. Dr. Regine was named a "Top Doctor" in the specialty of Radiation Oncology by Baltimore Magazine and "Super Doctor" in Mid-Atlantic by Washington Post Magazine multiple years.

Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA

Dentistry

Dental Education

Dental Health Equity

A distinguished academic dentist, Dr. Reynolds has been a professor at the School of Dentistry (SOD) since 2009 and served for one year as interim dean before being named dean in 2014 after a national search. He has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles with more than 11,000 citations and serves on the editorial boards of journals including Biomaterials, Clinical Advances in Periodontics, the International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, and the Journal of Periodontal Research. Dr. Reynolds is a diplomate and past director and co-chair of the American Board of Periodontology. He has served on the board of organizations such as the American Academy of Periodontology and LifeNet Health. He is past president of the National Dental Honor Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Supreme Chapter, and a fellow of the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists, and Pierre Fauchard Academy. Dr. Reynolds has participated in more than 40 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections, serving as a regular member of the Skeletal Biology Development and Disease Study Section from 2006 to 2010. He was a consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation and Naval Postgraduate School and served two four-year terms as a voting member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee, Dental Products Panel, including as chair during the second term. He began his NIH funding in 1992, when he earned a competitive five-year NIH Individual Dentist Scientist Award to support his residency and PhD studies. His research focuses on bone and periodontal regeneration. In 2004 and 2016, Dr. Reynolds received the American Academy of Periodontology R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award. Most recently, he serves as co-chair of the Task Force on Oral Health in Maryland. In 1999, Dr. Reynolds earned his PhD in oral and experimental pathology from the University of Maryland Graduate School. In 1995, he earned a certificate in periodontics from SOD, where he had earned his DDS in 1986. Dr. Reynolds also earned a master’s degree in community-clinical psychology in 1982 and a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1978, both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Scott J. Riley, PhD

Drug Discovery

Machine Learning

Dr. Riley serves as an instructor and MS internship coordinator in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He earned his PhD in bioinspired materials engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and completed his postdoc with the APHL-CDC Ronald H. Laessig Newborn Screening Fellowship. His research interests include development of machine learning algorithms focused on predictive models for drug discovery/delivery and microelectronic control of drug delivery using biocompatible platforms.

Charmaine Rochester-Eyeguokan, PharmD, CDE, BCACP

Diabetes Management

Dr. Rochester-Eyeguokan graduated from Howard University College of Pharmacy in 1996 and subsequently received her Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY1) training at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1997 and her Post graduate Year 2 (PGY2) Primary Care Residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1998. She is associate director of clinical services at the School of Pharmacy's P3 eHealth Services. She also serves as an ambulatory care preceptor for the Ambulatory Care Residency Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She is a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist and a certified diabetes educator.

Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, PharmD, BCPS, CDE, FAPhA

Chronic Disease Management

Diabetes

Cultural Competency

In addition to serving as the Felix Gyi Endowed Memorial Professor in Pharmapreneurship and associate dean for clinical services and practice transformation at the School of Pharmacy, Dr. Rodriguez de Bittner is the director of the Maryland P3 Program — a patient-centered comprehensive medication therapy and chronic disease management program provided by pharmacists throughout the Mid-Atlantic region — and executive director of the School’s Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions (CIPS). She engages in legislative advocacy and state and national leadership to expand the role of pharmacists in chronic disease management. She is an innovator who has implemented many new health care delivery models particularly in community pharmacies and received many grants and contracts to develop innovative programs. She is a member of the Maryland Health Care Reform Council Health Care Delivery Reform Subcommittee, subcommittee of the Maryland Patient-Centered Medical Home pilot, a past-president of the Maryland Pharmacists Association (MPhA), past board member and president of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation, and member of the Pan-American Commission for Pharmaceutical Education. She has provided presentations and authored/co-authored many publications. She has received numerous awards including: the APhA Pinnacle Award and its Community Pharmacy Residency Excellence in Precepting Award; the Distinguished Achievement in Pharmacotherapeutic Practice Award; the LKS/Merck Vanguard Leadership Award; the MPhA Bowl of Hygeia Award; the APhA Merit Award; MPhA's Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award; Baltimore’s Magazine Best of Baltimore Pharmacist of the Year, and the APPM Merit Award. Her research interests include chronic disease management; clinical outcomes in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; medication therapy management and practice-based research; vulnerable populations; collaborative practice; cultural competence

Paul Sacco, PhD

substance use

gambling

aging

Paul Sacco received his MSW from Arizona State University in 1995 and practiced for 10 years as a psychiatric social worker. In 2005, he returned to complete his PhD in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and joined the faculty of the School of Social Work in 2009. His research focuses primarily on behavioral health and addictions with a focus on life course development, alcohol use disorders, problem gambling, tobacco use, and behavioral health integration. Sacco combines his behavioral health research with an interest in the training of social work students in evidence-supported behavioral health interventions. He served as the Project Director of a SAMHSA-funded Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral for Treatment (SBIRT) Training program (2014-2017) and continues to provide training in this public health approach. He also directs the BHWISE-Lifespan Fellows Program, a HRSA-funded workforce development project focused on integrated behavioral health training. Sacco teaches in the foundation and clinical practice areas. He also teaches structural equation modeling in the PhD program. As an educator, he endeavors to support students in learning the latest from research while helping them to recognize the core elements of effective social work practice.

Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS

Palliative Care

Medical Cannabis

Dr. Sera received her PharmD from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 2010. She completed a pharmacy practice residency at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., and a specialty residency in pain management and palliative care at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. She earned a master’s in instructional systems development at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2017. Dr. Sera's clinical specialties are pain management and palliative care. Dr. Sera is co-director for the nation’s first MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics (MCST) program at the School of Pharmacy. She teaches in several courses in the MCST program, including an introduction to medical cannabis history, culture, and policy; a course introducing students to patient care and the clinical uses of medical cannabis; she also mentors students in their capstone projects. In the Doctor of Pharmacy program, Dr. Sera teaches a variety of topics in required and elective courses. Additionally, she holds an associate faculty position at the University of Maryland Graduate School. Dr. Sera maintains an active clinical practice in the Transitional Care Center at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Md. Dr. Sera has been invited to speak on pain management, palliative medicine, and cannabis therapeutics topics at professional pharmacy conferences and at medical centers such as the National Institutes of Health. She received a Leader in Healthcare Award in the category of medical cannabis from the Baltimore Business Journal in 2020.

Paul Shapiro, PhD

Chemical and Biological Discovery

Dr. Shapiro received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987, and his doctorate in molecular physiology and biophysics from the University of Vermont in 1995. He completed post-doctoral training from 1995-1999 in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Dr. Shapiro’s research focuses on protein kinases and their role in regulating signaling pathways that control cellular functions and dysregulation of protein kinases during disease. Specific areas of research focus on the discovery and development of novel small molecules that inhibit the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and p38 MAP kinases and provide the rationale for clinical applications of these molecules in treating cancer or inflammatory disease.

Yan Shu, MD, PhD

Drug Transport and Metabolism

Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics

Dr. Yan Shu is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He received his medical degrees (MB/MD) from Hunan Medical University (now Xiang Yia Medical School, Central South University) in China. He then completed a clinical pharmacology fellowship between 2000 and 2002 in the University of California San Francisco, where he later received his PhD degree in pharmaceutical sciences & pharmacogenomics in 2006. He worked at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at Los Angeles as a faculty scientist in 2007. He joined the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in 2008. Research in Dr. Shu’s group is to understand the genetic mechanisms of drug response and the roles of membrane transporters in pharmacokinetics and clinical drug response. In particular, research is focused on genetics and epigenetics of drug effects on body metabolic homeostasis. Research is also specifically directed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of drug transporters and their clinical implication. The key aspect of the group’s effort is to translate laboratory findings to clinical outcomes by integrating research approaches of molecular, cellular, animal, and human studies.

Julia Slejko, PhD

Medication Adherence and Decision-Analytic Modeling

Cost Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Research

Dr. Slejko’s research is focused on innovative approaches for decision-analytic modeling for economic and health outcomes assessments. She has applied these methods to modeling medication adherence and translating pharmacometric findings to cost-effectiveness analyses. She holds a BA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her PhD training at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research was focused on pharmacoeconomics. Her postdoctoral training was completed at the Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program in the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. Prior to her PhD training, she had a seven-year career in drug discovery at Array BioPharma. Dr. Slejko is very active in the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and maintains close connections with industry and academic partners. Her research focuses on assessing economic and comparative value of medications and health care. Current efforts include informing decision-analytic models with real-world evidence on effectiveness, in particular patients’ adherence to medications as a determinant of value, how adherence affects economic evaluations and how predicting and improving adherence may increase value. As co-director of the School of Pharmacy's Patient-Driven Values in Healthcare Evaluation (PAVE) Center, she leads research on incorporating patient-driven value elements into cost-effectiveness analyses and other components of value assessments.

Audra Stinchcomb, PhD

Drug Delivery

Translational Research

Dr. Audra Stinchcomb’s research is focused on transdermal prodrugs, microneedle-enhanced delivery, and translational research models for public-private partnerships. She has developed a research program in transdermal drug delivery in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy that revolves around the examination of the mechanisms and optimization of prodrug skin permeation and microneedle-enhanced skin permeation. This research has studied the influence of prodrug physicochemical properties on skin flux, distribution, and metabolism. The results of this prodrug knowledge fueled the genesis of F6 Pharma, LLC, a transdermal specialty pharmaceutical company. Transdermal prodrugs are in development for treatment of cancer chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, alcoholism, drug addiction, and pain. Transdermal cannabinoid delivery has also been a major research focus, with new prodrugs developed to improve aqueous solubility, chemical stability, as well as skin permeation. The microneedle research focus has been on formulations for improved permeation rate and micropore lifetime, utilizing animal studies translated to human subject studies.

Deanna Tran, PharmD, BCACP

Family Medicine

Community Pharmacy

Immunizations

Deanna Tran, PharmD, BCACP, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and subsequently completed a PGY-1 community pharmacy residency at Virginia Commonwealth University and Martin’s Pharmacy. She is co-director of the School's Pharmacy Practice Laboratories and co-advisor of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) student chapter. She practices as an ambulatory care specialist at the University of Maryland Family and Community medicine practice. From 2017 to 2019, she was a clinical pharmacist at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health – Family Health and Wellness at Cheverly’s Inter-professional Care Transition Clinic. Prior to that, she was a clinical pharmacist for the University of Maryland Anticoagulation Clinic and the Clinical Programs Consultant for the Landover division of Giant Pharmacy, serving 158 pharmacies in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. She assisted in the development and implementation of Giant Pharmacy’s patient care services, including medication therapy management, travel health clinics, and outreach programs such as chronic disease management classes. She was also a faculty clinical specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Anti-thrombosis Center. Dr. Tran's focuses are the scholarship of teaching, point-of-care testing, travel-health, and immunizations. She is active in a number of professional pharmacy organizations, including the American Pharmacists Association, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and the Maryland Pharmacists Association.

James Trovato, PharmD, MBA, FASHP

Hematology and Oncology

James A. Trovato, PharmD, MBA, FASHP, is a professor and co-vice chair of academic affairs at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore. He completed a BS in pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, a PharmD degree from Purdue University, and an American Society of Health System Pharmacists-accredited oncology residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Trovato has a demonstrated history of leadership and management in pharmacy higher education. He is skilled in oncology therapeutics, instructional design, and curricula development and assessment. His research interests include treatment and survival outcomes in cancer patients, instructional design, and student academic success.

Kathryn Walker, PharmD, BCPS, CPE

Pain and Palliative Care

Dr. Walker is an associate professor at the School of Pharmacy and assistant vice president for palliative care at MedStar Health, where she creates palliative care strategy, demonstrates its value within the health system, and leads and collaborates on interdisciplinary research focused on health services related to telehealth and appropriate medication use. She teaches in both the School’s PharmD program and its MS in Palliative Care program. She also serves as site director for the pain/palliative care residency program that is shared between the University of Maryland and MedStar Health. At MedStar, she serves as the clinical co-leader for the health system and oversees inpatient palliative care consultation teams at nine hospitals as well as the community-based Palliative Telehealth Connecting to Home (PATCH) program, which she started in 2015. Dr. Walker completed one of the only specialty residencies at the time in palliative care at University of Maryland after completing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She is the past president of the Maryland Pain Initiative (MPI) and served on the Board of Directors for MPI and the Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists.

Gary Warburton, DDS, MD, FACS

Dental Implantology

Maxillofacial Trauma

surgical management of temporomandibular joint disease

Dr. Warburton earned his dental surgery and medical degrees at Manchester University in the United Kingdom and completed his training at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and the American Academy of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgeons; and is a member of the American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Maryland Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, and American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons. He holds a faculty appointment at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and he is the chief of Maxillofacial Trauma at Sinai Hospital. Dr. Warburton's clinical interests include dental implantology, orthognathic surgery, maxillofacial trauma, and the surgical management of temporomandibular joint disease.

Roger J. Ward, EDD, JD, MSL, MPA

Institutional Effectiveness

Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Dr. Ward was named UMB provost and executive vice president in October 2021 after serving in interim roles since January 2020, when he also was named dean of the Graduate School. These are the latest in a series of upward moves for Dr. Ward at UMB. He was promoted to senior vice president for operations and institutional effectiveness in January 2018, serving as UMB’s chief operating officer and directing departments and initiatives that promote institutional effectiveness and assure accountability including human resources, strategic planning, enterprise risk management, and institutional accreditation. In addition, he oversaw areas that promote University compliance and transparency, including the offices of research integrity, conflict of interest, human research protections, and education and equal access. On the academic side, Dr. Ward is dean of the Graduate School after serving as vice dean, where he was responsible for building graduate programs that are self-sustaining and responsive to evolving needs of the health and human services workforce in the state. Dr. Ward joined UMB in March 2009 as the associate vice president for academic and student affairs. He served as chief academic officer and interim dean of the Graduate School during the 2011-2012 academic year. In June 2012, Dr. Ward was named UMB’s first chief accountability officer and was promoted to vice president for academic affairs in October 2013 and to vice president of operations and planning in June 2015. He served as interim chief human resources officer from October 2014 to November 2015. Before joining UMB, Dr. Ward served as assistant vice president for student affairs at the New School in New York and also held senior administrative positions in the City University of New York system. Dr. Ward holds an associate’s degree in data processing/computer programming from Kingsborough Community College, a bachelor’s degree in government and a master’s in public administration, both from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He holds a Doctor of Law degree from New York Law School and a Master of Science in Law (cybersecurity) from Maryland Carey Law. Dr. Ward also holds a Doctor of Education degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been teaching on-site, online, and in a blended environment since 2004 and has taught graduate courses in ethics, the history of higher education, leadership and organizational behavior, legal issues in higher education policy, and cybersecurity policy, among others.

Linda Wastila, BSPharm, MSPH, PhD

Health Services Research in Mental Health

Substance Use Disorders in Geriatrics

Dr. Linda Wastila is professor and Parke-Davis Chair in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research and director of research for the Peter Lamy Center for Drug Therapy and Aging. For more than two decades, she has conducted research focusing on prescription drug policy, quality, and outcomes. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also completed a Master of Science in Public Health. In 1993, she received her doctorate in health policy from Brandeis University, where she served as a Pew Health Policy Fellow. From 1994–2001, she served as senior scientist at the Schneider Institute for Health Policy and was a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. With a focus on older adults and other vulnerable populations, Dr. Wastila examines issues such as: prescription drug use, abuse, and diversion; intended and unintended policy impacts on prescription drug utilization and outcomes; psychopharmacological medication use, quality, and outcomes in community- and residential-residing older adults; innovative methods addressing multi-morbidity and poly-pharmacy; mental health disorders and impact on medication use, adherence, and outcomes; and medication quality and falls prevention. Dr. Wastila’s current research portfolio includes papers on psychopharmacological treatment and quality of treatment in long-term care beneficiaries, substance use disorders epidemiology, and co-morbidity of psychiatric and physical health conditions. She has received grants and contracts from the National Institute of Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Health Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Research Retirement Foundation, the Maryland Department of Health, and other sources.

Chanel Whittaker, PharmD, BCPS, CGP, FASCP

Geriatrics

Nephrology

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Dr. Chanel Whittaker received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Rutgers University. She completed a managed care pharmacy practice residency with Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic States and a primary care specialty residency at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, focused on chronic disease state management. Dr. Whittaker is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist and certified geriatric pharmacist. She is residency program director for the PGY2 – Geriatrics Residency Program. Her practice and teaching specialties include geriatric pharmacotherapy and chronic kidney disease. She has practiced in a number of ambulatory and community settings providing services to older adults in the Baltimore area. Her current practice sites include the Geriatric Education and Medication Management Clinic and the ambulatory nephrology clinic at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Whittaker’s research interests include health literacy, health communication, interprofessional education, and improving medication related outcomes in diverse older adults. She completed an interprofessional faculty development program in ethnogeriatrics with the Stanford Geriatric Education Center to develop educational programs to equip health care professionals to address the health care needs of culturally diverse older adults. She is currently conducting research in the community to evaluate knowledge of medication safety and poison prevention in culturally diverse older adults with low health literacy. In 2022, she was named the School of Pharmacy's inaugural assistant dean of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). In this role, Dr. Whittaker oversees the development and implementation of the School's EDI strategic plan and initiatives.

Graeme F. Woodworth, MD

Neurosurgery

Neuro-Oncology

Image-Guided Interventions

Graeme Woodworth, MD, FACS is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He also serves as the Director of the Brain Tumor Program and the Translational Therapeutics Research Group in the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Maryland. Dr. Woodworth completed medical school and neurosurgical residency training at Johns Hopkins. He also completed fellowships in cancer nanomedicine at Johns Hopkins and cranial endoscopy at Cornell with Dr. Ted Schwartz. His clinical subspecialty areas of interest are Neurosurgical Oncology and Skull base and Stereotactic surgery. Dr. Woodworth’s research focuses on developing new therapeutic strategies to improve the treatments and outcomes for patients with malignant brain tumors. These efforts include (1) leveraging the diverse interstitial effects of transcranial focused ultrasound and hyperthermia, (2) developing advanced nano-therapeutics to improve treatment efficacy, and (3) expanding the suite of patient-derived and genetically engineered models of human brain tumors to improve predictive therapeutic testing. A core component of the research has been centered on the concept of using the operating room as a portal for discovery and opportunity to improve our understanding of and therapeutic delivery to brain cancers. Dr. Woodworth’s team is leading the first-in-human clinical trials of MRI-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) and Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) combined with radiation in the United States. Dr. Woodworth will provide insights into the emerging role and impact of image-guided focused ultrasound in neurosurgery.

Michael E. Woolley, MSW, DCSW, PhD

School Social Work Practice

Family Relationships

Social Environment Influences on Educational Outcomes

Michael E. Woolley, PhD, MSW, DCSW, is Professor University of Maryland School of Social Work and earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Woolley’s interest include social work practice in schools and his scholarship focuses on understudied extended family relationships and how social environments and relationships in families and schools influence educational outcomes for vulnerable groups of students. Dr. Woolley has received awards for his teaching and scholarship and has published two books and more than fifty journal articles and book chapters.

Fengtian Xue, PhD

Chemical and Biological Discovery

Dr. Xue is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. He completed his PhD in chemistry at Brown University before completing his postdoc in medicinal chemistry at Northwestern University. His research interests include pre-clinical development of small molecule therapeutics for bacterial infections, alcohol use disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.

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