The UMB Pulse Podcast University of Maryland, Baltimore

This episode of “The UMB Pulse” podcast features Allan Doctor, MD, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who was the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022. Doctor also is the co-founder and chief scientific officer at KaloCyte, a company focused on developing freeze-dried, powdered synthetic blood designed to save lives in emergency situations where traditional blood transfusions are not viable. 
Doctor outlines the imperative need for an easily transportable and universally usable blood substitute for scenarios such as accidents or battlefield injuries, where immediate blood replacement can make the difference between life and death. The podcast explores the science of blood, the challenges of creating a stable and biologically compatible blood substitute, and the potential applications beyond emergency medicine. The episode also delves into Doctor’s background, the support from UMB and various grants including substantial funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the future of artificial blood research at the University of Maryland BioPark.
Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

Explore the transformative work happening at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) through the lens of EMBRACE — a civic engagement initiative led by executive director Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C, who is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland Graduate School. Liggett-Creel shares her insights into creating pathways for community improvement and how EMBRACE facilitates connections among the University, nonprofits, and the communities they serve.
Listeners will get a peek into EMBRACE’s main areas. They include:
Healing Youth Alliance
    •    Training youth to become peer educators, advocates, trainers, and consultants focusing on mental health and resilience.

Youth Development
    •    Working with youth who have been arrested for nonviolent offenses to provide mentoring and case management to support prosocial behaviors.

Violence Reduction
    •    Partnering with credible messengers and people with lived experience providing conflict resolution, crime/violence prevention, and resource management.

Liggett-Creel also shares updates about the Eutaw Street Initiative, which is an innovative collaboration between UMB Police and Public Safety and social workers to support those in need on the streets. The initiative has a new home at the Embrace Resource Center at 55 N. Paca St.
Tune in to learn more about how the EMBRACE initiative is making significant strides in civic engagement, community service, and fostering a collaborative environment for positive change in Baltimore. Whether you’re a community member, student, faculty, or simply interested in social impact, this episode offers valuable insights into the power of collective action and the importance of embracing and empowering communities.
 

Links of interest from the show:
Opening of the Embrace Resource Center
Ways to Give to the Embrace Initiative
Email Liggett-Creel
Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

We are excited to welcome two distinguished guests from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD): Vineet Dhar, BDS, MDS, PhD, clinical professor, assistant dean of postgraduate and professional studies in dentistry, and chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, and Robert Windsor, DDS, FICD, director of clinical operations in the Division of General Dentistry. 
Join this engaging conversation as we explore the critical link between oral health and overall well-being, and we learn how UMSOD is committed to expanding access to oral health care. 
Through education, research, clinical care, customized service, and continually evolving to meet the needs of the community they serve, UMSOD’s dental clinics are making significant strides in elevating the oral health of youths and older people who are on Medicaid. We also will learn about how several significant grants have helped pave the way for these successes.

To learn about verifying dental coverage through Medicaid, call 855-642-8572 or visit www.marylandhealthconnection.gov.

To learn more about faculty practice dental clinics at UMSOD, visit www.dental.umaryland.edu/patients or call 410-706-2801.
Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

In this episode of “The UMB Pulse” podcast, we are joined by Megan Todd, JD, managing director for the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI) at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, and Nia Nyamweya, founder and farm manager of Beauty Blooms Farm in Montgomery County. 
They discuss the new generation of Maryland farming, the role of ALEI in aiding Maryland farmers, and the nuances and challenges new farmers face. Maryland’s new face of farming is ethnically diverse, growing food and vegetables that reflect their cultures, especially from Africa, Asian, and Latin American countries — all done on small tracts of public land.


Todd shares insights on how ALEI educates farmers on complex legal topics and collaborates with other institutions to provide comprehensive resources. Nyamweya shares her journey from nonprofit work to becoming a returning generation farmer and the innovative steps she has taken to overcome challenges in this emerging system. The conversation also explores the practical implications of farming regulations, the importance of community organizations, and the impact of local farming on cultural heritage.


ALEI is a University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State joint venture among Maryland Carey Law, the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences.

In a bonus segment, Dana recaps holiday events and drives at UMB including the Holiday Craft Fair, Student Food Pantry Drive and the Christmas Store.


Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

In this episode, we delve into the transformative work of the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative, a partnership of 15 community organizations dedicated to tackling hypertension, social determinants of health, and social isolation in four West Baltimore ZIP codes that show evidence of race-based disparities. Join us as alumna and the new Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD '11, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, discusses how this collaborative — which stands for Reducing Isolation and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health — is making a significant impact in Baltimore. 
Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.

We delve deep into the heart of the opioid crisis, focusing on the devastating impact of fentanyl. Our special guest, Melanie Yates, LMSW, a May 2023 graduate from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, shares her personal journey of loss and her relentless pursuit to make a difference.

Melanie's efforts led to the passing of the Josh Siems Act, a groundbreaking legislation that mandates Maryland hospitals to test for fentanyl. October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, so please join us as we discuss the importance of substance abuse awareness, the challenges of navigating the political system, and the hope for a safer future. 

Warning: This episode discusses topics of addiction, overdose, and family loss.
Listen to The UMB Pulse on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you like to listen. The UMB Pulse is also now on YouTube.

Visit our website at umaryland.edu/pulse or email us at umbpulse@umaryland.edu.