BOB体育

From Basic Science to the Clinic, University Of Maryland School of BOB体育 Researchers Are on the Cutting Edge of the Field

Leading scientists who study aging and mobility discussed their cutting-edge work at the fifth annual University of Maryland School of BOB体育 (UMSOM) Festival of Science, a one-day celebration of research at the school held December 14 in Leadership Hall.

The conference featured UMSOM鈥檚 top researchers working on the front lines of science to unravel crucial problems involving aging and mobility. The conference highlighted new research in the area of bone, muscle and joint function in normal aging and after hip fracture, and the role of exercise and nutrition in muscle recovery. The conference also addressed the roles of vascular and neurologic diseases and their impact on balance, mobility and cognition.

鈥�The Festival of Science is a one-day celebration of research at UMSOM. It featured a series of faculty presentations showcasing innovative work by UMSOM scientists. The Festival of Science was hosted by Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MPH, who is also Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko Bowers Distinguished Professor at UM SOM. Also in attendance were UMSOM Scientific Advisory Council, which provides the school with big-picture advice on research (see below for more information on each council member).

The keynote speaker was , the scientific director of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. A geriatrician and epidemiologist, he focuses on the causal pathways leading to progressive physical and cognitive decline in older people.

鈥屸赌屸赌�鈥孞ay Magaziner, PhD, MSHyg, Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health and Director, Center for Research on Aging, kicked off the scientific sessions with an overview of the current state of research on aging at UMSOM.

From the findings of the Baltimore Hip Studies, which identified the consequences of becoming immobile suddenly, to new research on osteoarthritis, Parkinson鈥檚 and vascular disease, the consequences of falls and the importance of balance in preventing them, and the basic science of bone, muscle, cardiac function and metabolism,  we heard about the enormous range of groundbreaking research on mobility disability going on here,鈥� said Dr. Magaziner. 鈥淭his event really underscores how our researchers are making new discoveries related to aging that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of older people.鈥�

The opening session, 鈥淏ones, Muscles, Joints, Energetics, and Mobility,鈥� included the following scientists:

鈥孌enise L. Orwig, PhD,
Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health

Marc C. Hochberg, MD, MPH,
Professor, Department of BOB体育, Division Head,
Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

鈥�,
Professor, Department of BOB体育

The second session, 鈥淢icrotubule Mechanotransduction in Aging Heart, Skeletal Muscle, and Bone,鈥� included the following scientists:

,
Professor, Department of Physiology and Director,
Center for Biomedical Engineering & Technology

鈥�

,
Associate Professor, Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health,
University of Maryland School of Nursing, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics

鈥�

,
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics and
Interim Director of Musculoskeletal Research

The afternoon session, 鈥淏rain, Balance, Disease and Mobility,鈥� included the following scientists:

,
Professor and Chair,
Department Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

,
Eugenia Brin Professorship in Parkinson鈥檚 Disease and Movement Disorders,
Professor, Department of Neurology and Director of the Division of Movement Disorders and Director,
University of Maryland Parkinson鈥檚 Disease and Movement Disorders Center

,
Professor,
Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

,
Professor,
Department of Surgery

 Scientific Advisory Council (SAC)

The external Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), which consists of internationally acclaimed biomedical researchers and physician-scientists, provides critical advice on UMSOM鈥檚 research, programs and plans, as well as guidance and support for junior faculty presenters.

鈥�Ralph Snyderman, MD, SAC Chair
Chancellor Emeritus, Duke University & James B. Duke Professor of BOB体育
Former President & CEO, Duke University Health System
Former Chair, AAMC
Member, NAM

鈥�Rita Colwell, PhD
Professor and Chair, US Life Sciences at UMCP
Former Director, National Science Foundation
2006 National Medal of Science

Carol Greider, PhD
Professor & Chair, Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University
2009 Nobel Prize Winner for BOB体育
Member, NAM

George C. Hill, PhD
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Pathology,
Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University

Philip Needleman, PhD
President/CEO, St. Louis Science Center
Member, NAS & NAM
Former President of Searle R&D

Gilbert Omenn, MD, PhD
The Harold T. Shapiro Distinguished University Professor of Internal BOB体育, Human Genetics, and Public Health at the University of Michigan, as well as the founder and director of the school鈥檚 Center for Computational BOB体育 and Bioinformatics
Leader, Human Proteome Project, an international effort to develop a detailed understanding of the myriad proteins in the human body.

Learn More

• UMSOM Festival of Science Website