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

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

Danya Mazen Qato, PhD, PharmD, MPH, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, shares why courage matters in science and healthcare. In her speech “On the Imperative of Courage” at the 2025 University of Maryland, Baltimore Convocation, she challenges assumptions about pain in Black infants and calls out racism as the true driver of inequity. #Shorts #DanyaQato #ImperativeOfCourage #UMBConvocation #HealthcareEquity #SpeakUp

“When your child is seriously ill… what do I do for my other kids?”Nursing associate professor Kim Mooney-Doyle builds preventive, family-based support so parents and siblings get what they need—before crises hit. Research funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).#BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #FamilyFirstCare #PediatricPalliativeCare #WholeFamilyHealth #NursingResearch #UMBresearch #NINR

Nearly 200,000 children and adolescents in the U.S. have a brother or sister with a life-limiting illness. These siblings face unique challenges that often go unseen.Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC, FAAN, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, explained that siblings of seriously ill children experience “dual losses.” They not only lose the companionship and guidance of a close friend when their sibling is hospitalized or dies, but they also face disruptions in their bond with parents whose attention is consumed by caregiving.

In 2025, more than 67,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — and 80% will die within the year.Student researcher Lynijah Russell is working to change that. By creating virtual tumor simulations that grow in minutes instead of days, her work could help doctors detect cancer earlier and save more lives.Breakthroughs Can’t Wait — and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, we’re changing the future today. #BreakthroughsCantWaitUMB #CancerResearch #PancreaticCancer #UMBresearch #HealthcareInnovation