Six New MPower Professors Announced

John P. Fisher is the Fischell Family Distinguished Professor, Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Fisher is also the director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering/NIH Center for Engineering Complex Tissue that aims to create a broad community focusing on 3D printing and bioprinting for regenerative medicine applications. As director of the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory, Fisher’s group investigates biomaterials, stem cells, bioprinting and bioreactors for the regeneration of lost tissues, particularly orthopedic and soft tissues.

Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk is a professor in the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and an adjunct professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She has a broad background in investigating the virulence factors in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, and the host and pathogen factors that play a role in the transition between colonization and infection. Her lab has several ongoing projects pursuing different aspects of the Candida pathogenesis, including biofilm formation, drug resistance and fungal-bacterial interactions in biofilm.

Sarah B. Murthi, M.D. is a professor of surgery in the University of Maryland School of Medicine, an attending physician at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and director of the Critical Care Ultrasound Program. She also directs the new Center for Medical Innovations in Extended Reality, known as MIXR, located at UMB. The center is developing virtual reality, augmented reality and other immersive media technologies for use in clinical trials and, eventually, for widespread use in medical care. Murthi’s research includes implementing innovative extended reality medical displays that could improve bedside procedures. She helped develop and test an augmented reality prototype that overlays ultrasound, CT and video data directly on a patient.

Philip S. Resnik is a professor of linguistics in the UMCP College of Arts and Humanities and holds a joint appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). He is also an affiliate professor in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. Resnik's research focuses on computational modeling of language that brings together linguistic knowledge, domain expertise, and machine learning methods. His current work emphasizes applications in computational social science and scientific research questions in computational cognitive neuroscience. Resnik holds two patents and has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and conference papers. In 2020, he was named a fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics.

Amy R. Sapkota is a professor of environmental health science in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health at the School of Public Health. She also serves as director of the CONSERVE Center of Excellence and of the UMD Global Stewards Research Traineeship program funded by the National Science Foundation. Sapkota's research focuses on ensuring the safety of agricultural and municipal water reuse and understanding the impact of environmental microbial exposures on the human microbiome. She has published over 90 journal articles and has secured or helped to secure more than $44 million in external funds.

David J. Weber is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with a joint appointment as professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. He is co-director of the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, located at the Universities at Shady Grove, director of the Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics and director of the Maryland Center for Advanced Molecular Analysis. His research examines the structure, function and inhibition of potential therapeutic targets in cancer, diabetes, heart disease and infectious disease. He had a major role in developing highly collaborative and world-class structural biology resources that integrate basic and translational science.