Dr. Greg Carey Receives Top Award From National Cancer Institute for Lymphoma Research and Student Mentoring Program

Dr. Greg Carey Is Recognized for Longstanding Commitment to Eliminating Cancer Health Disparities

Greg Carey, PhD, Assistant Professor in the c at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), a scientist in the UM SOM Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and a member of the University of Maryland Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCC), has received a Mentorship Award from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD). The award will be presented in celebration of 21 years of Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) Scholars Program on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.

The award is given to a research scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of lymphoma research, who has shown dedication to mentoring trainees and diversifying the biomedical research workforce, and who has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to eliminating cancer health disparities. Dr. Carey has personally trained and mentored 14 students, and postdoctoral fellows in his laboratory. These trainees have gone on to pursue and earn advanced degrees, enter research- and the health-professions and to enter careers in government, academia and in industry.

Supported by the NCI, the CURE Scholars Program is a national effort that identifies promising students and prepares them for health care and research careers through hands-on workshops and lab experiences, and mentoring. These students range from middle school all the way up to graduate student levels. Dr. Carey is one of the leaders of the UM SOM program.

“Dr. Carey is not only a gifted researcher, but he has devoted enormous effort to helping others reach their potential as scientists and clinicians,” said Kevin J. Cullen, MD, the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Distinguished Professor of Oncology at UM SOM, and director of the UMGCC. Dr. Cullen has worked on the CURE Program with Dr. Carey. “I am extremely gratified that he is getting this reward, which he richly deserves.”  

Dr. Carey’s research seeks to understand the signals that drive proliferation, growth and survival in lymphoma as well as other cancers. His team has been focused on cytokine and B cell receptor signals that relay crucial information in lymphoma. He has been funded by NIH for 14 years and is currently the co-principal investigator on an NIH cancer research grant. He also has leadership roles on several NIH-funded training and mentoring grants. He also has several NIH-funded training and mentoring grants.

As the Director of Student Summer Research and Community Outreach, Dr. Carey oversees medical student research activities, including electives, summer and year-off activities. He is in charge of UM SOM's summer research programs for health professional, undergraduate, and high school students. In his outreach roles within the Office of Student Research (OSR) and as a co-chair of the President's Outreach Council, Dr. Carey explores educational opportunities in research, mentoring and STEM for students at all levels and from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Dr. Carey also serves as a leader in UMB’s CURE program for middle schoolers. This program identifies promising middle school students in Baltimore and helps prepare them for health care and research careers through hands-on workshops, lab experiences, and mentoring.

“The aim of the CURE Scholars Program is to change the lives of Baltimore’s children, and ultimately, to change the face of scientific research and clinical care,” said UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is also Vice President of Medical Affairs, the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko Bowers Distinguished Professor. “Dr. Carey has invested an enormous amount of time and energy into this work, and I am delighted to see him receive the recognition, for which he is most deserving.”

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 and is the first public medical school in the United States and continues today as an innovative leader in accelerating innovation and discovery in medicine. The School of Medicine is the founding school of the University of Maryland and is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. Located on the University of Maryland’s Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine works closely with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide a research-intensive, academic and clinically based education. With 43 academic departments, centers and institutes and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians and research scientists plus more than $400 million in extramural funding, the School is regarded as one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the U.S. with top-tier faculty and programs in cancer, brain science, surgery and transplantation, trauma and emergency medicine, vaccine development and human genomics, among other centers of excellence. The School is not only concerned with the health of the citizens of Maryland and the nation, but also has a global presence, with research and treatment facilities in more than 35 countries around the world. medschool.umaryland.edu/

Learn More

• Department of Microbiology and Immunology