The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower) recently announced the appointment of seven professors from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), recognizing the value of collaboration between the faculty at the two institutions. 

Dedicated to celebrating and advancing collaborative efforts of UMB and UMCP experts, the MPower Professorship is awarded to faculty who are working together to tackle the most urgent challenges facing our society. Those selected for the honor must showcase innovative, joint research that would be difficult to achieve independently while embodying the mission of strengthening Maryland’s communities through interdisciplinary partnership. Each MPower Professor receives $150,000 over three years—an investment that can enhance their salary or be directed toward supplemental research activities—fueling initiatives that exemplify the powerful synergy of the combined academic strengths of the two universities. 

“This year’s MPower Professors exemplify the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines our academic community,” said UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. “Their groundbreaking work not only advances science but also has the power to improve the lives of Marylanders and people around the world.” 

Four faculty from UMB were named 2025 MPower Professors including (from left to right) Shuo Chen, PhD, Julie Dunning Hotopp, PhD, Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, and Richard J. Traub, PhD.

The newly announced professors from UMB represent a diverse spectrum of expertise that spans biostatistics, microbiology, data science, and pain research—each committed to breaking down disciplinary silos and fostering partnerships across the University of Maryland system. They include Shuo Chen, PhD, a leader in biostatistics and data science in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM); Julie Dunning Hotopp, PhD, whose pioneering research in microbiology and immunology at the Institute for Genome Sciences at UMSOM has reshaped our understanding of genomic interactions in multi-organismal systems; Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, a Distinguished University Professor in the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy whose work in human data science transforms health data into actionable insights; and Richard J. Traub, PhD, chair of the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.  

Chen, whose work uses statistical network models and machine learning to decode complex biomedical data, is enthusiastic about the expanded computational resources the award will support across both campuses. He also noted that he spent five years at UMCP before joining UMSOM, and said he continues to mentor statisticians and data scientists at College Park. 

"I believe this program is vital for the state, elevating research to the next level. It's more than just one plus one," he emphasized, highlighting MPower's role in nurturing emerging talent and supporting groundbreaking research. 

Dunning Hotopp continues to break new ground in understanding the “rules of life” through her work on genomic interactions between pathogens and their hosts. Her discovery of extensive lateral gene transfer and the identification of novel Y chromosomes in filarial nematodes underscores the transformative impact that interdisciplinary research can have on confronting global health challenges. 

She noted that her work involves co-training a graduate student at UMCP, which directly contributes to the development of Maryland’s biomedical workforce. The partnership between the two universities is vital to driving innovation, she said, adding, “MPower enables these collaborations and allows us to tackle complex challenges. Fostering interdisciplinary partnerships expands research opportunities, accelerates discoveries, and ultimately advances science that benefits Maryland and beyond.” 

For Shaya, the honor of being named an MPower Professor is both a personal and professional milestone. “For those of us immersed in research, the rewards are often well deferred, and you have to try and keep trying until you get a meaningful result or get a grant or get published,” she said. “Being named an MPower Professor is an affirmation and a recognition that is truly valued. Even more important is the opportunity it affords to catalyze our collaborations and create new ones with College Park.” 

Her research, encapsulated in the concept of “Data to Action,” brings together experts from public health, engineering, behavioral sciences, and beyond. With plans to use the funds to support a trainee, enable conference participation, and secure essential data access, Shaya’s work has the potential to influence both clinical practice and policy. 

Traub views the award as a capstone to his career. His collaborative efforts—initiated through early partnerships with College Park’s engineering faculty—have led to innovative approaches in understanding chronic overlapping pain conditions linked to stress. “This honor is not just a personal achievement; it’s recognition of the collective expertise that has fueled our progress,” he shared. 

He said he looks forward to leveraging the MPower funds to deepen his research on conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine, which are examples of chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs). COPCs are conditions that are not the result of injury or disease and are in some way related to stress. Traub noted, “The goal of our studies is to identify novel analgesics to treat these notoriously difficult-to-treat pain conditions. This will work to improve the health of Marylanders and people worldwide.” 

The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State is a collaboration between the state of Maryland’s leading public research institutions, UMB and UMCP. It leverages the sizable strengths and complementary missions of both institutions to strengthen Maryland’s innovation economy, advance interdisciplinary research, create opportunities for students, and solve important problems for the people of Maryland and the nation. Working together, UMB and UMCP achieve innovation and impact through collaboration.  

The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Act of 2016 strengthened and formalized the structured relationship between UMB and UMCP, which began in 2012. The law deepened the alliance and enabled UMB and UMCP to pursue even greater transformative change and impact, far surpassing what each institution could do independently of the other.