The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has been awarded $1.5 million in matching funds from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, to establish two new endowed professorships at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). Combined with $1.5 million in matching qualified funding from the university, the awards total $3 million and will support the recruitment of two physician-scientists to advance research and clinical innovation in gene and cell therapy and pediatric cardiac surgery, UMSOM Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today.
The first award, matched by $750,000 in qualified funding from the university, establishes the Golisano Foundation Professorship in Targeted Gene and Cell Therapy Innovation. The professorship will allow UMSOM to recruit a senior-level physician-scientist with technology transfer experience and a focus on commercializing scientific innovations in gene and cell therapy.
“These professorships strengthen UMSOM’s capacity to translate gene and cell therapy research and complex pediatric cardiac care into improved patient outcomes, and they build on the university’s partnership with the Golisano Foundation,” said Dean Gladwin who also serves as Vice President for Medical Affairs at UMB and is the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean. “We remain extremely grateful to Tom Golisano for his generosity, and the State of Maryland for their matching funds, which enable us to invest in new programs for congenital heart disease and pediatric cancer to potentially save the lives of more children in the state.”
The second award, also matched by $750,000 in qualified funding from the university, establishes the Golisano Foundation Professorship in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery. The professorship will support the recruitment of a renowned surgeon-scientist specializing in complex, high-risk neonatal surgery. Working in collaboration with UMSOM and the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital (UMGCH), this professor will advance research and innovation in pediatric cardiac care and help train and mentor the next generation of cardiac surgeons and physician-scientists.
“Physician-scientists play a unique role in advancing pediatric medicine because they are the link between the bedside and the laboratory, using their patient interactions and experiences to develop new treatments, cures, and preventative measures,” said Steven J. Czinn, MD, the Drs. Rouben and Violet Jiji Endowed Professor of Pediatrics and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UMSOM, and the Director of UMGCH. “These endowed professorships will help us recruit exceptional leaders in pediatric cardiac surgery and gene and cell therapy whose work can accelerate discoveries and improve outcomes for children facing some of the most complex and life-threatening conditions. We are deeply grateful to Tom Golisano, the Golisano Foundation, and the State of Maryland for investing in a healthier future for children.”
Recruitment for these two new faculty positions follows a landmark $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur, and civic leader Tom Golisano in October 2025 — the largest philanthropic contribution in the history of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and UMB. It exemplifies a critical goal of UMGCH to recruit and retain top pediatric talent.
“The future of pediatric medicine will be defined by our ability to translate scientific discovery into life-saving care for children,” said Bert W. O’Malley, MD, UMMC President and Executive Vice President for the Academic Health Division of the University of Maryland Medical System. “Recruiting exceptional physician-scientists who are dedicated to advancing gene and cell therapies will allow us to accelerate access to targeted treatments that will offer hope to families across Maryland and beyond. We are grateful to Mr. Golisano and MEIF for investing in the talent and innovation that will transform pediatric care for generations to come.”
UMB’s awards were part of a larger round of MEIF funding this cycle. The Maryland Department of Commerce joined Hood College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland, College Park in endowing a total of $17.7 million to fund new research professorships across the four institutions. The universities raised $9.2 million in private funding for the positions, and Maryland Commerce approved matching grants of $8.5 million to support the endowments.
The Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund was created by the General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session and has provided more than $108.8 million in funding to leverage more than $120.7 million in private donations. The funding can be used to pay salaries of newly endowed department chairs, staff, and support personnel in designated scientific and technical fields of study; fund related research fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students; and purchase lab equipment and other basic infrastructure and equipment.