UM expands its ties to Jerusalem university
Hogan announces accord while on trip to Israel
Reece said the new researchers will work with faculty in departments throughout the University of Maryland system. The medical school has put more emphasis on research across disciplines — so, for example, the engineering department in College Park could work on health strategies with the medical school in Baltimore.
Michael Cryor, chairman of the medical school’s board of visitors, said scientists want to work in an environment that encourages innovation.
“The ability to recruit has become much easier because the physician-science community really appreciates this is a growing institution, coupled with collaboration with Johns Hopkins and proximity to the NIH,” Cryor said.
The new hires include dentists Motomi Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, during Enomoto-Iwamoto and Masahiro Iwamoa weeklong trade mission to Israel, said to, a husband-and-wife team from the the University of Maryland, Baltimore Perelman School of Medicine at the Univeris expanding ties with the Hebrew sity of Pennsylvania and The Children’s University of Jerusalem. Hospital of Philadelphia specializing in
Hogan said the “agreement will orthopedics who will start in January. further strengthen the successful partMasahiro Iwamoto wasn’t looking to nership between these world-class move when a recruiter called him a year universities and help to advance reago. His interest was piqued when he search in Maryland, particularly in the learned of the school’s work with trauma study of military medicine.” patients. He said a memorandum of underHe believes his work on the rare disease
“Our goal is to advance discoveries for FOP, in which the body forms bone over standing was signed Sunday “to exthere are new treatments and cutting-edge the benefit of patients,” Reece said. “Secmuscles and ligaments, can be useful in plore opportunities for joint research care,” said Alexander Ommaya, chief scienondarily, there may be other benefits, such treating soldiers who suffer similar bone or training, exchange scholars for tific officer of the Association of American as more patients, but that is not our primary formation after amputations. seminars and conferences, and inMedical Colleges. “And that happens in goal.” The extra bone can be painful, he said. crease the exchange of students and places where you have this robust connecHe said the research areas — brain “University of Maryland is the perfect faculty for research, teaching, and tion and commitment to research.” disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular and place for me to apply my research,” he said. study over the next five years.” The budget of the National Institutes of metabolic diseases — were chosen for the “I like that they are eager to explore new
In 2013, University of Maryland, Health, which funds the majority of medibroad shadow they cast on the population. therapy by doing clinical trials.” Baltimore President Dr. Jay A. Perman cal research in the United States, has “They have had such a demonstrative Physicians Konstantin Birukov and Anna and Hebrew University President declined by 22 percent in the last decade impact on the health and well-being of Birukova, another husband-and-wife team, Menahem Ben-Sasson signed a memowhen adjusted for inflation. people, and they kill so many people,” Reece are specialists in pulmonary critical care at randum of understanding to begin Landon King is executive vice dean of the said. the University of Chicago School of Mediexchange programs and explore avJohns Hopkins University School of MediThe Obama administration has made cine and are expected to join the school in enues of cooperation. In 2014 and 2015, cine. He says the increasing scarcity of finding cures to cancer and brain illnesses a January. Hebrew University medical students research dollars puts pressure on medical top priority. President Barack Obama has Margaret M. McCarthy, professor and spent weeks observing care at Maryinstitutions to find an advantage when launched a BRAIN Initiative — Brain chair of the school’s department of pharmaland Shock Trauma Center, the univercompeting for grants. Research Through Advancing Innovative cology, says attracting established scientists sity said. “There has certainly been a lot of Neurotechnologies — aimed at unlocking can be difficult. They might be comfortable
“Since 2013 we have strengthened jockeying around the country to try to “the mystery of the three pounds of matter where they are, or have families they may the already impressive degree of colidentify good people and recruit them,” he that sits between our ears.” not want to uproot. Their current inlaboration in research and education said. Obama has also put Vice President Joe stitutions might present strong counterofbetween ourfers.twouniversities,”PermanTheUniversityofMarylandSchoolofBideninchargeofa“cancermoonshot” said in a statement. “We are committed Medicine is already well respected as a initiative, intended to produce a decade’s McCarthy is trying to recruit a researcher
research institution. worth of progress against cancer in five with expertise on life stress and how it to providing even greater opportuniThe school received $400 million in years. Biden’s son, Beau, died of cancer last increases the risk for depression, neurologities for our students and faculty and to research funding last year, and it has made year. cal disorders and other diseases. She wants share our expertise in such critically groundbreaking discoveries over the years Ommaya says it’s good strategy for the her department to do more research in important areas as trauma medicine.” in organ and limb transplants, HIV, and University of Maryland to focus on research psychiatry, given the role of psychiatric
Hogan is in Israel leading a deleproton cancer treatment, among other areas that will likely draw an infusion of medications in the treatment of mental gation of business and academic leadareas. funding. illnesses. ers along with state officials as part of a Reece says administrators want to im“I think it is exciting to build on the “I think that it is always good to get weeklong economic development trip. prove patient care, as well as make the priorities within the government and take top-notch scientists, especially at stages in
Meetings focused on cybersecurity, school a major player in solving some of the advantage of the infrastructure being built their career when they can spark new biotech and medical industries. country’s most pressing health challenges … and making sure they have scientific initiatives,” she said. and developing cures or treatments for expertise to supercharge this effort,” Omsome of the deadliest diseases. maya said. Tyler Tarr, left , a postdoctoral fellow, and Tom Blanpied, an associate professor, work in the neuroscience lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.