Edward and Jennifer St. John Give $10M for New Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine

The new center in Baltimore occupies the entire fourth floor of 4MLK and was custom-designed by UMSOM to facilitate collaboration between UMB and UMCP researchers.

“This significant gift allows us to unite the expertise of UMB’s clinicians with the engineering ingenuity of UMCP’s faculty, who together will discover innovative treatments and breakthrough technologies that simply cannot emerge when each works in isolation,” said UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell. “This synergy opens exciting new possibilities for translating research into tangible solutions that will address today’s most pressing health challenges.”

“This collaboration will be one of the premier partnerships in the country that fully bridges the gap between engineering and medicine to rapidly accelerate solutions on public health, disease and wellness,” said UMCP President Darryll J. Pines. “Whether it is the invention of new devices and instruments or improved analysis, this center will be leading the way in advancing how clinicians work and how patients heal."

Edward St. John graduated from UMCP with an engineering degree and went on to become a noted Baltimore-based business leader and philanthropist. He previously gave $10 million to help build the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center, a 187,000-square-foot facility focused on student-centered learning on the College Park campus. This new gift will establish endowed and current-use professorships in bioengineering, undergraduate and graduate student awards in translational engineering and medicine, and ongoing operating funds for the center.

He has also long championed UMB’s mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good through research, health care innovation and education. In addition to his early $1 million gift to support the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and his ongoing commitment to UMB’s CURE Scholars Program, St. John pledged $1 million in 2021 for a clinical stem cell laboratory at the University of Maryland Medical Center. This latest contribution underscores the couple’s dedication to improving lives and fueling scientific progress across the state.

“It is our great pleasure to support this transformational, lifesaving and life-altering work, knowing that our contribution helps pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries that will improve and extend lives for years to come,” said Jennifer St. John.

Edward St. John added, “The Edward and Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine: where diverse minds unite, each contributing their unique expertise, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in medicine.”

Born out of his commitment to giving back, the Edward St. John Foundation operates on the belief that education has the power to transform lives and provides the foundation for success. Over the years, it has provided financial assistance for educational programs across Maryland and beyond.

Sharon Akers, a UMCP graduate and trustee and president of the Edward St. John Foundation, said, “The Edward and Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine will provide transformative solutions that will revolutionize healthcare and save lives. It will drive groundbreaking innovation and serve as a platform for recruitment and retention, attracting the best and brightest talent right here to the University of Maryland."

The Edward & Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine is led by Giuliano Scarcelli, co-director and associate professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at UMCP, and Osamah J. Saeedi, clinical co-director and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at UMSOM. Their collaborative work using cutting-edge ophthalmologic imaging to address ocular diseases such as glaucoma exemplifies the center’s mission of fostering cross-campus partnerships in the development of interventions that improve patients’ lives.

“Engineers are stewards of technological innovations for the public good, proudly creating and collaborating to improve the human condition. By embedding engineers with doctors, we will improve diagnostics tools, disease treatment, and ultimately patient care—helping people live healthier lives,” said Samuel Graham, Jr., dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. “We look forward to the CTEM and its associated educational programs growing the long-standing partnership between the UMSOM and the Clark School’s Fischell Department of Bioengineering, one of the most prestigious bioengineering programs in the country."

The leading cause of irreversible blindness in the nation, glaucoma affects 4 million Americans, many of whom remain undiagnosed until the disease reaches advanced stages. Scarcelli and Saeedi have combined their individual expertise in bioengineering and clinical care to advance glaucoma research and improve patient outcomes.

Leveraging noninvasive optical technology developed by Scarcelli—Brillouin microscopy, which measures corneal stiffness and biomechanics—Saeedi is studying the eye’s biomechanical properties, with the goal of identifying new biomarkers that can predict disease risk and progression. This research could lead to earlier detection, personalized treatments and innovative approaches to care for patients at high risk of vision loss.

“We are profoundly grateful to Ed and Jennifer St. John for their leadership and commitment to pioneering the next generation of biomedical technology and innovation,” said Mark T. Gladwin, UMSOM dean. “This new center marks the beginning of a new era in biomedical innovation – a bold vision to break down traditional educational and research silos and create a dynamic ecosystem where engineers and medical professionals work hand-in-hand to solve some of the most pressing health challenges of our time. Imagine a future where biomedical engineers and physician-scientists work together to engineer and rebuild new organs and use artificial intelligence, wearable devices and robotics to diagnose and treat diseases in the home.”

The 35,000-square-foot facility’s location in 4MLK, the most recent addition to UMB’s 14-acre BioPark, places it at the heart of a thriving biomedical innovation hub that is transforming Baltimore’s biotechnology landscape.