University of Maryland begins testing Zika vaccine

The University of Maryland School of Medicine began testing a new vaccine for Zika this week, injecting it into 18 healthy volunteers from the campus and the community. Maryland is one of three testing sites for vaccine developed by the National Institutes of Health. The others are Emory University in Atlanta and the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda. The vaccine is one of several in the works to prevent Zika, which became a public health emergency when scientists discovered it causes microcephaly, a severe birth defect characterized by small heads and brains in the fetuses of infected women. The vaccine tested at Maryland uses the DNA code for Zika rather than live virus. It builds on a similar vaccine developed for West Nile virus. Scientists believe that once the vaccine is injected, a person will respond by creating antibodies that protect against the virus. It can’t cause an infection. The trial process has just begun and will take time, said Dr. Kathleen M. Neuzil, director of the Center for Vaccine Development in the university’s school of medicine. Another12 volunteers will be vaccinated later this month, said Dr. Monica McArthur, the principal investigator for the Maryland trial. “Live Like You Were Dying,” which became a favorite of the governor’s during his battle with cancer. Hogan is paying for the event, Mayer said. Julie Kim is the youngest of Yumi Hogan’s three daughters from her first marriage. Hogan became a stepfather after his wedding to Yumi in 2004, but he refers to Julie Kim, Jaymi Sterling and Kim Velez as his daughters. Julie Kim lives in Michigan, and the other two daughters reside in Maryland. Hogan will also attend the wedding of his brother, Tim Hogan, in Italy this month. Hogan will fly to the Florence-area event directly from Israel, after concluding a trade mission there. Hogan is scheduled to return to Maryland on Oct. 2. He will be out of the country for 14 days.

Hopkins symposium brings mayors to Baltimore

Local leaders from across the country will meet in Baltimore this week to discuss ways to address social and economic problems confronting cities. The symposium, led by the new 21st Century Cities Initiative at the Johns Hopkins University, will draw mayors from Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore and elsewhere to discuss efforts to create more economic opportunity in city neighborhoods, reduce violence and close gaps in education. The 21st Century Cities Initiative, launched last year, is led by Ben Seigel, a former Obama administration official. The group will detail efforts by the White House to engage more directly with individual cities — including Baltimore — to tailor federal responses to their specific challenges. White House officials have created several programs to help city officials nationwide work with federal agencies — to give guidance in applying for federal technical assistance or grants, for instance. The symposium is scheduled for today and Friday in Federal Hill. It is not open to the public. Gov. Larry Hogan has appointed Kathy Bays Armstrong, a Howard County financial consultant, to the Maryland Transportation Authority’s governing board, officials announced Wednesday. Armstrong, a certified financial planner at Heritage Financial Consultants in Hunt Valley, was previously vice president of investment and wealth management for Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Co., now PNC Bank. She has served as a faculty member at Georgetown, Towson, Johns Hopkins, and Notre Dame of Maryland universities, and has published articles and given keynote speeches related to financial planning. Her appointment took effect Sept. 1. Armstrong received a master’s degree in economics from Loyola University Maryland and a bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College. The board is the policysetting and governing body of the transportation authority, which finances, owns and operates the state’s eight toll facilities.