What if one of the most powerful ways to ease the side effects of cancer treatment didn’t come from a drug prescription, but from movement?That’s the focus of Ian Kleckner, PhD, MPH, associate professor and director of the Cancer Control Mind & Body Lab at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. A physicist-turned-psychologist and neuroscientist with a passion for understanding how the mind and body work together, Kleckner is studying how exercise can reduce the painful, long-lasting nerve symptoms caused by chemotherapy — known as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.Backed by the National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society, Kleckner’s lab uses methods from neuroscience, physiology, and behavioral science to examine how walking and resistance exercise can improve not only physical function, but also brain activity, balance, and mood in people with cancer. The lab’s work is grounded in his belief that the key to treating neuropathy lies not only in the nerves in the hands and feet, but in the brain’s ability to adapt and retrain the body.This spotlight is part of Breakthroughs Can’t Wait: Changing the Future Today, a campaign highlighting how federally funded research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is driving health innovation.🔗 Learn more about his research: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs #BreakthroughsCantWait #NIHResearch #HealthInnovation #ExerciseScience #PainRelief #MentalHealthMatters #OncologyCare

Could exercise be a key part of cancer treatment? At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, researchers are uncovering how movement and tailored exercise programs can help cancer patients recover faster, reduce side effects, and improve their quality of life.This is one more example of how federally funded research at UMB is transforming care and changing lives.🧪 Breakthroughs Can’t Wait: UMB research drives innovation, improves lives, and tackles global challenges. But we can’t do it without continued support.🔗 Learn more and support research that saves lives: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs#BreakthroughsCantWait #CancerCare #ExerciseOncology #CancerRecovery #UMBResearch #NIHfunding #HealthInnovation #ExerciseScience

Can we break the cycle of opioid addiction — starting with how we treat pain?Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center, is investigating how pain treatment and brain responses are linked to opioid misuse. Her NIH-funded research aims to help people find freedom from dependence, starting with new clinical approaches.This is part of Breakthroughs Can’t Wait: Changing the Future Today, a campaign showcasing how University of Maryland, Baltimore researchers are transforming health through federally funded science.🔗 Learn more: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #NIHResearch #PainManagement #PlaceboEffect #noceboeffect #Neuroscience #ChronicPain

The completion of UMB's new exterior art space on the north end of campus, Pearl Gallery North, was revealed on May 1, 2025. Pearl Gallery North features art from the fourth issue of 1807: An Art & Literary Journal.The gallery provides a moment to reflect and connect through images of meaningful art and thought-provoking poetry — created by UMB colleagues, alumni, students, neighbors, and partners.Hear from UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS; Senior Vice President for External Relations, Jennifer B. Litchman, MA, and former Clinical Associate Professor of Dentistry, Deborah Cartee, RDH, MS.#publicart #BaltimoreMurals #Baltimore #universitylife #Baltimore

What if the power of belief could actually reduce pain?Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center, explores how placebo effects — and the brain's own response to expectation — can help patients manage chronic pain.Her NIH-funded research is redefining how we treat pain by combining neuroscience and compassion.This is part of Breakthroughs Can’t Wait: Changing the Future Today, a campaign showcasing how University of Maryland, Baltimore researchers are transforming health through federally funded science.🔗 Learn more: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs#BreakthroughsCantWait #NIHResearch #PainManagement #PlaceboEffect #Neuroscience #ChronicPain

What if chronic pain relief could come not from a pill bottle, but from a headset?That’s the focus of the groundbreaking research by Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, funded by the National Institutes of Health. Colloca, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and director of the Placebo Beyond Opinions Center, is studying how immersive virtual reality (VR) can reduce pain and even replace the need for opioid medications in some patients.🔬 Learn more about this project and other lifesaving innovations: https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #NIHfunding #VirtualRealityMedicine #painmanagement #NIHResearch #nursing