University of Maryland School of Medicine student Claire Wegner is working with Dr. Alicia Chaves in Pediatric Cardiology to study prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease — and why some families receive that diagnosis too late.Her early findings reveal that mothers of Latino and Hispanic ethnicity and those who prefer non-English languages are significantly less likely to receive a prenatal diagnosis. Understanding these differences can help improve access to care and save more babies’ lives.Breakthroughs Can’t Wait. At UMB, we’re changing the future today.#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #PrenatalCare #MaternalHealth #CongenitalHeartDisease #HealthEquity #MedicalResearch #UMBresearch

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

“What if we could save more babies by diagnosing congenital heart disease before they’re born?”Medical student Claire Wegner is studying the prenatal course of infants with congenital heart disease to uncover why some conditions are detected early while others are missed.Her findings reveal key differences in maternal demographics that can guide solutions to improve prenatal access and save lives.#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #MaternalHealth #PrenatalCare #CongenitalHeartDisease #MedicalResearch #UMBresearch #NINR

"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