University of Maryland School of Medicine

10/23/2026

Join us in congratulating the School of Medicine’s 2026 Founders Week Award winners! 👏

Every fall during Founders Week, University of Maryland, Baltimore honors faculty, staff, and students whose work stands out in education, public service, research, entrepreneurship, and academics.

🎓 Anum Zehra, Student of the Year, is a fourth-year medical student, award-winning cardiology researcher, and founder of KindKin, which supports families of hospitalized children. She also volunteers as a NICU “cuddler”!

💡 Dr. Graeme Woodworth, Entrepreneur of the Year, led the first U.S. trials using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier for brain tumor treatment, work that led to a new company, Lotus Neuro.

🍎 Dr. Leah Millstein, Educator of the Year, has been teaching at UMSOM since 2008 and leads the Rural-MD Scholars Program, preparing students to care for patients on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

And a big congratulations to our UMB colleagues Dr. Ramsay Koury (School of Dentistry), Public Servant of the Year, and Professor Natalie Ram (Carey School of Law), Researcher/Scholar of the Year! 🎉

10/22/2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

About 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Chances are, it has touched someone you love. That’s why researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine are working to find better ways to detect, treat, and live beyond this disease.

Some of the most important progress in breast cancer treatment started right here in Baltimore.

The late Dr. Angela Brodie, a UMSOM pharmacology professor, pioneered aromatase inhibitors, a class of drugs that cut off the estrogen that fuels many breast cancers. Today, patients around the world benefit from her work.

Her legacy lives on in our labs and clinics:
💗 Our researchers are studying a simple blood test that could one day help diagnose breast cancer.
💗 Our doctors are working to improve care and quality of life for survivors, including young women facing a breast cancer diagnosis.
💗 Specialists at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center work together to give patients coordinated, complete care.

This month, take a moment to check in on your own health: talk with your doctor about when to start screening, and encourage the women in your life to do the same. Early detection saves lives.

🔗 Learn more about our breast cancer resources and services: https://bit.ly/4hVDw1s

10/20/2026

10/19/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Andreea Creanga on her election to the National Academy of Medicine!

Dr. Creanga, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is one of 100 new members recognized this year for her work to understand and prevent maternal deaths and life-threatening pregnancy complications. Membership in NAM is considered one of the highest achievements for professionals in medicine, health care, and public health and honors individuals that have made significant contributions to the field.

For more than two decades, her research has shaped maternal health policy and practice at the state, national, and global levels. Highlights include:

🏥 Leading the Maryland Maternal Health Innovation Program (MDMOM), which made Maryland the first state with a statewide, hospital-based system to track and respond to severe pregnancy complications, across all 31 birthing hospitals
📊 Serving as PI of the NIH-funded Maternal Health Data Innovation and Coordination Hub, supporting 12 Centers of Excellence nationwide
🌍 Advising the World Health Organization on maternal mortality estimation

Congratulations, Dr. Creanga! 👏

🔗Read more about this honor: https://bit.ly/4dMtH3k

10/19/2026

Founders Week 2026: David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year Graeme Woodworth, MD, FAANS, FACS

The University of Maryland School of Medicine neurosurgeon stands at the leading edge of innovation in treating brain cancer with focused ultrasound, extending lives and giving patients hope for better outcomes.

Woodworth’s research aims to improve the outcomes of patients with brain cancer by developing innovative therapies and therapeutic delivery approaches in neuro-oncology that ultimately will be applied to malignancies in other human organs.

He designed and led the first U.S. clinical trials to test the safety and feasibility of using focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier to treat brain tumors. This work set the foundation for Lotus Neuro, a company that is advancing focused ultrasound and drug combination therapies for brain diseases such as glioblastoma and Alzheimer’s disease.

The difficulty of treating brain cancer is high because surgery alone cannot remove all of the tumor due to what Woodworth called “invasive tentacles” woven into the fabric of the brain, where removing them would harm the patient’s brain functions.

“In neurosurgery, we walk that tightrope of getting as close as we can to taking out everything we possibly can but without causing a new functional deficit,” he said. “So that conundrum of trying to remove as much as possible yet knowing we’d never get all of it through surgery was the problem, but it was a problem I wanted to commit myself to solving.

“Therefore, getting drugs to reach those distant brain tumor cells that are so deeply connected with the brain, and to treat them successfully — again, without hurting the brain at the same time — became the challenge.”

Woodworth is the Howard M. Eisenberg, MD Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, at UMSOM.

He also is director of the Brain Tumor Program at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, co-founder and co-director of the University of Maryland Medical System Neuroscience Network, and a member of the executive committee of the University of Maryland-Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery.

10/19/2026

10/19/2026

How can health care providers prepare to discuss ketogenic diets for mental health care?

Deanna L. Kelly, PharmD, BCPP, director of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is studying how to help clinicians understand this emerging approach — including its potential benefits, risks and practical challenges.

Kelly, a professor of psychiatry specializing in mental illness research, led a pilot study of “Live It ~ Launch It,” a training program on ketogenic metabolic therapy, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate dietary approach.

Among 40 health care professionals who completed an educational course, 25 also tried the diet for four weeks with expert nutrition guidance. Combining education with firsthand experience increased clinicians’ confidence in discussing the therapy and understanding challenges their patients may face.

Ketogenic metabolic therapy is being investigated as a complementary treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. This study examined clinician training; larger, longer-term trials are still needed to establish its effectiveness in mental health care.

Explore Kelly and her team’s findings: https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/october-2026/can-a-ketogenic-diet-be-used-to-help-treat-mental-illness.php

10/15/2026

Great company makes for a great run! 🏃‍♂️

The UMSOM Run Club was excited to hit the pavement with three special guests: Dean Gladwin, Dr. Michael E. Winters, Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and UMMC Chief of Emergency Medicine, and Dr. Nirav Shah, Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean for Curriculum, and Clinical Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine.

Moments like these are what make our community special: students, faculty, and leaders sharing the road, swapping stories, and supporting each other’s well-being beyond the classroom and the clinic.

10/11/2026

From the dance floor to the lecture hall, Dean Gladwin has hit the ground running this academic year! 💃🎓

He kicked things off by joining colleagues at the annual Salsa Fiesta in celebration of Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, then welcomed our newest faculty members to the UMSOM family at New Faculty Orientation. In between, he’s been out meeting with physicians across the School of Medicine to hear firsthand about the work they’re doing and what matters most to them.

It’s been a busy few weeks, and the semester is just getting started. One thing is clear: the best part of UMSOM is our people, and there’s no better way to lead than by showing up for them.

10/09/2026

Mini-Med School returns this fall! 🩺

This October and November, the University of Maryland School of Medicine is bringing back Mini-Med School, a free three-part series that connects community members with UM physicians and researchers.

What makes it special: the topics are chosen by the community. Each session focuses on the health issues community members told us matter most, with practical information, trusted resources, and time for real conversation with experts.

Whether you’re looking to take charge of your own health or support your family and neighbors, we hope you’ll join us.

📅 October 27, November 5, and November 10 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm
📍 NEW LOCATION! Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, 2812 Reisterstown Rd, Baltimore, MD 21215
🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/4AWteFI