University of Maryland School of Medicine student Claire Wegner is investigating how congenital heart disease is diagnosed — and how earlier detection could save newborn lives.As a participant in the Program for Research Initiated by Students and Mentors (PRISM), Wegner spent her summer in the Department of Pediatric Cardiology under the mentorship of Alicia Heather Chaves, MD, MAS, where she analyzed data from mothers and infants affected by congenital heart disease.Early diagnosis is critical, Wegner stressed, saying, “It has been shown that infants who are diagnosed prenatally, that they have much better outcomes than those who are diagnosed postnatally.”Learn more at https://www.umaryland.edu/breakthroughs

"The more of us who walk the path of truth, the more we can share in the burden of illuminating that path for others."Danya Mazen Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, reminds us that universities must remain spaces of free inquiry, truth, and courage. From her speech “On the Imperative of Courage” at the 2025 University of Maryland, Baltimore Convocation.#DanyaQato #ImperativeOfCourage #UMBConvocation #HigherEd #AcademicFreedom #SpeakUp #Shorts

Danya Mazen Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, delivers her speech “On the Imperative of Courage” at the 2025 University of Maryland, Baltimore Convocation.Quoting Howard Zinn, she reminds us that silence is not neutrality. In a world of uncertainty, courage means speaking up and showing students that universities must remain engines of equity, truth, and justice. #DanyaQato #ImperativeOfCourage #HowardZinn #UMBConvocation #SpeakUp #HigherEd

When a child is seriously ill, siblings often face “dual losses”: the closeness of a brother or sister—and time with a parent pulled into caregiving and hospital stays.Associate Professor Kim Mooney-Doyle listens to siblings and parents to learn their needs and preferences, then turns that evidence into practical family supports that reduce anxiety, strengthen resilience, and protect whole-family health. Research funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #FamilyFirstCare #WholeFamilyHealth #PediatricPalliativeCare #NursingResearch #UMBresearch #NINR

When a child’s life is on the line, families can struggle to talk about tender topics. That silence can leave brothers and sisters feeling anxious, lonely, and left out.This Breakthroughs Can’t Wait story shares how University of Maryland School of Nursing research led by Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, FAAN, is building practical, family-based ways to keep communication open and help siblings feel seen.Research funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #FamilyFirstCare #WholeFamilyHealth #PediatricPalliativeCare #NursingResearch #UMBresearch #NINR