Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, first became fascinated with the placebo effect and pain management when she was in medical school.“I was captivated by the brain’s functions, especially how little we know about its role in healing and how it influences the perception of pain-related symptoms,” said Colloca, professor, Department of Pain and Translational Symptom Science, University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), and University of Maryland MPower professor.Colloca is an international expert in the fields of placebo effect and nocebo effect — the opposite of the placebo effect in which instead of having a positive response, patients have negative outcomes to treatments that cannot be explained by the treatments’ pharmacologic effects — and mechanisms of pain modulation. She has secured multiple National Institutes of Health awards, including several R01 grants and an R21 grant. For her pioneering work, Colloca has been named the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) 2024 Founders Week Researcher of the Year.Learn more: https://www.umaryland.edu/founders/founders-week-award-winners/researcher-of-the-year/

Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, MSc, is a trailblazer in the field of translational medicine, which integrates knowledge across experiments and clinical trials to lay the groundwork for strategic decisions on drug regulation and/or drug development and precision medicine.In recent years, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) professor has compounded his impact with entrepreneurial pursuits, co-founding two companies, PumasAI, Inc., and VivPro Corporation, that support pharmaceutical scientists, health care providers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory agencies.Recognizing his innovations and success, Gobburu has been named the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) 2024 Founders Week David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year.Learn more: https://www.umaryland.edu/founders/founders-week-award-winners/david-j-ramsay-entrepreneur-of-the-year/

The University of Maryland School of Social Work broke ground on its new $120 million home at 600 W. Lexington Street during an Oct. 17, 2024, ceremony. Construction will begin in December 2024, with a completion date of late summer 2027.Speakers included:• Judy Postmus, Dean, University of Maryland School of Social Work• Bruce Jarrell, President, University of Maryland Baltimore• Brooke Lierman Maryland State Comptroller• Antonio L. Hayes, Maryland State Senator, District 40• The Rev. Karen Brown, Family Support Network Director• Courtney Fullwood, MSW Student, Class of 2025 Learn more: https://www.umaryland.edu/news/archived-news/october-2024/umssws-new-building-catalyst-for-social-work-campus.php

University of Maryland School of Social Work students share their stories of why they want to become a social worker to help celebrate the next era of the school's history as it breaks ground on a new building on Oct. 17, 2024.Learn more at: https://www.umaryland.edu/designandconstruction/capital-projects/projects/school-of-social-work-building-project/

The University of Maryland, Baltimore's Office of Community and Civic Engagement celebrates 10 years of service in 2024. Originally the Office of Community Engagement, the office has been renamed this year to reflect its commitment to both community and civic engagement.