Leading Neuroscientist Mary Kay Lobo, PhD, Named Vice Chair for Trainee and Faculty Development in the Department of Neurobiology

New Appointment Will Support Education and Diversity Initiatives for Faculty

Asaf Keller, PhD, the Donald E. Wilson Distinguished Professor and Chair in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), has announced that Mary Kay Lobo, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry, has been appointed to serve as the Vice Chair of Trainee and Faculty Development in the Department of Neurobiology. Her appointment began on January 22, 2024. Dr. Lobo’s colleague, Adam C. Puche, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology and Vice Chairman for Medical Education and Administration, will retain his title within the Department.

Dr. Lobo is a leading neuroscientist who has leveraged her research and mentoring excellence to advance the education of junior faculty and of trainees in the Department and throughout UMSOM. This appointment will formalize her many contributions to the field of neuroscience. In her position as Vice Chair, Dr. Lobo is responsible for advancing the education and career development of junior faculty and trainees in the Department. She supports the Department’s education and diversity missions by mentoring junior faculty and leading professional programs for trainees at all levels, from high school and college students, post-baccalaureate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. She also leads the Department’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

“Through her internationally recognized research accomplishments, extensive and successful teaching achievements, commitment to diversity and inclusion and other service activities, Dr. Lobo has brought great distinction to our department and UMSOM,” said Dr. Keller. “She is a research superstar, and a first-class academic citizen, who is highly respected by her colleagues in the Department and throughout the School of Medicine and UMB. She combines remarkable success with deep commitment to helping her colleagues and trainees succeed -- particularly those from underrepresented groups. We are fortunate to have her as a colleague and delighted to have her join our leadership team.”

Dr. Lobo has been on the faculty at UMSOM since 2011 and rose to the rank of Associate Professor in 2017. In addition to teaching and running her lab, Dr. Lobo serves as Co-Director of the Substance Use in Pregnancy Center at UMSOM and Chair of the UM-MIND Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism in Science (IDEAS) Committee.

By employing cutting edge cell-type and circuit selective techniques, Dr. Lobo and her research team investigate how the two major subtypes of striatal neuron, as well as their downstream brain target regions, function in psychiatric diseases including addiction, mood disorders, and stereotypy disorders. Dr. Lobo and her team are working to provide a potential pathway to a better understanding and treating these diseases.

The recipient of several notable awards and honors, Dr. Lobo received the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in 2011, the IMHRO/ Janssen Rising Star Translational Research Award in 2016, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2017, and the Society for Neuroscience Jacob P. Waletzky Memorial Award in 2022. Additionally, she is a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Dr. Lobo serves on the editorial board for two journals: the ACS Chemical Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry. She is also a Reviewing Editor for The Journal of Neuroscience.

Dr. Lobo earned her PhD degree in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2007, before completing her postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas Southwestern in 2008 and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York in 2011.  

“As a leader in her field, Dr. Lobo is heavily invested in improving scientific research outcomes for the treatment of psychiatric diseases and disorders. Throughout her career at the School of Medicine, she has remained passionate about helping junior faculty chart their career paths and has worked to foster an environment of inclusion in neuroscience research,” said Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean of UMSOM, and Vice President for Medical Affairs at University of Maryland, Baltimore. “I am confident that she will add even more value in her role as Vice Chair and will serve as a tremendous resource for faculty and trainees.”