University of Maryland School of Medicine Physician Scientist Receives Top Award in Epidemiology from Physician's Group

Leading Physician Scientist Recognized for Her Groundbreaking Work in Public Health

Mary-Claire Roghmann, MD, MS, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, and Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Training and Transdisciplinary Research Advancement, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), as well an Associate Hospital Epidemiologist and Investigator at the VA Maryland Health Care System, has been awarded the Alvan R. Feinstein Memorial Award from the American College of Physicians (ACP). The award was presented in San Diego at ACP’s Convocation Ceremony on March 30, 2017, during its annual scientific conference, Internal Medicine Meeting 2017.

The award is given to an American physician who has made a major contribution to the science of patient care in clinical epidemiology or clinimetrics, involving the direct study of patients’ clinical conditions.

“Dr. Roghmann is an excellent epidemiologist who has defined how to prevent infection of S. aureus, especially in nursing homes. She has developed epidemiological data to inform isolation practices which has changed national guidelines,” said Daniel J. Morgan MD, MS, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at UM SOM, and Hospital Epidemiologist at the VA Maryland Health Care System.

Dr. Roghmann, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist, studies how to prevent the transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the development of infections. Her research in antibiotic resistance is focused on a number of interrelated areas including: the transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms in nursing homes, host factors affecting MRSA colonization, and the microbiome of the anterior nares and other sites which Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) frequently colonizes. She has published more than 75 papers in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Roghmann’s research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Health Research and Quality.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Roghmann is part of the VA Maryland Health Care System team. Her work on universal issues such as infectious disease control and on the prevention of the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria can serve not only health care delivered in VA facilities but also in the private sector,” said Adam M. Robinson, Jr., MD, MBA, director of the VA Maryland Health Care System.

The Alvan R. Feinstein Memorial Award was established by the ACP’s Board of Regents in 2002 in honor of the late Dr. Feinstein, who was internationally recognized as the father of clinical epidemiology. Awardees are selected based on supporting letters from physicians familiar with clinimetrics/clinical epidemiology and how the nominee’s work contributes to the science of patient care. Selections are also based on whether the nominee’s contributions have been sustained over time.

“Dr. Roghmann has had tremendous impact on advancing the study of infectious disease,” said UM SOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. “In her role as associate dean, she works to forge closer connections in research and clinical practice between different disciplines. This award is further proof of the impressive effort she is making in this area. Her work truly exemplifies the essential role that scientific inquiry can play in providing the highest quality clinical care.”

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/

About the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

Learn More

• American College of Physicians

• Alvan R. Feinstein Memorial Award