Our Team
Meet Our Team
Meet Our Team
University of Maryland FIRST is led by two senior leaders, each with over 30 years of experience at their institution and a proven commitment to increasing diversity in the biomedical sciences.
Dr. James Kaper is the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at UMSOM, and Dr. William LaCourse is the Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC.
Leadership Team
Leadership Team
![James Kaper, PhD](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Kaper_James.jpg)
James B. Kaper, PhD
Principal Investigator (Contact PI)
Vice Dean for Academic Affairs
James and Carolyn Frenkil Distinguished Dean’s Professor and Chair
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Kaper's Faculty Profile
![William LaCourse](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/lacourse-william.jpg)
William R. LaCourse, PhD
Principal Investigator
Professor and Dean, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. LaCourse's Faculty Profile
![Wonder Drake](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Drake_Wonder.jpg)
Wonder P. Drake, MD
Director of Mentoring
Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs
Professor, Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Drake's Faculty Profile
Joni M. Prasad, PhD
Co-Core Director, Administrative Core
Assistant Dean for Research Affairs
Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Prasad's Faculty Profile
![Justine Johnson](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/Johnson-Justine.jpg)
Justine Johnson
Co-Core Director, Administrative Core
Assistant Dean, College of Natural Mathematical Sciences
Associate Director, IMSD Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program
Executive Director, UMBC STEM BUILD Program
University of Maryland Baltimore County
![Marey Shriver](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/offices-of-the-dean/office-of-research-affairs/images/SHRIVER_MAREY-150x188.jpg)
Marey Shriver, PhD
Co-Core Director, Faculty Development Core
Executive Director for Faculty Development
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Shriver's Faculty Profile
![Robin Cresiski](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/Cresiski-Robin.jpg)
Robin Cresiski, PhD
Co-Core Director, Faculty Development Core
Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development & Postdoctoral Affairs
Director, Maryland’s AGEP PROMISE Academy Alliance
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Cresiski's Faculty Profile
![](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/headshot-Starz-Gaiano-crop.jpg)
Michelle A. Starz-Gaiano, PhD
Co-Core Director, Faculty Development Core
Professor & Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Starz-Gaiano's Faculty Profile
![Brown_Jessica](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Brown_Jessica.jpg)
Jessica Brown, PhD
Co-Core Director, Evaluation Core
Associate Professor, Epidemiology & Public Health
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Brown's Faculty Profile
![Shuyan Sun](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/sun-shuyan.jpg)
Shuyan Sun, PhD
Co-Core Director, Evaluation Core
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Dr Sun's Faculty Profile
![Kathy Stolle-McAllister](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/Kathy-Stolle-McAllister.jpg)
Kathleen Stolle-McAllister
Project Coordinator, Evaluation Core
Research Associate
BUILD Evaluation Team
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Recruitment Leadership
Recruitment Leadership Team
![James Kaper, PhD](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Kaper_James.jpg)
James B. Kaper, PhD
Infectious Disease/Vaccine/Microbiology & Immunology cluster lead at UMSOM
Vice Dean for Academic Affairs
James and Carolyn Frenkil Distinguished Dean’s Professor and Chair
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Kaper's Faculty Profile
![William LaCourse](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/lacourse-william.jpg)
William R. LaCourse, PhD
Professor and Dean, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. LaCourse's Faculty Profile
![Margaret McCarthy](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/McCarthy_Margaret.jpg)
Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD
Neuroscience cluster lead at UMSOM
James and Carolyn Frenkil Dean’s Professor and and Chair
Department of Pharmacology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. McCarthy's Faculty Profile
![Stuart Martin](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Martin_Stuart.jpg)
Stuart S. Martin, PhD
co-Cancer Biology cluster lead at UMSOM
Drs. Angela and Harry Brodie Professor of Translational Cancer Research
Department of Pharmacology
University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Martin's Faculty Profile
![Adebamowo_Clement](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/faculty/faculty-portraits/Adebamowo_Clement.jpg)
Clement A. Adebamowo, BM, ChB, ScD, FWACS, FACS
co-Cancer Biology cluster lead at UMSOM
Professor and Director For Global Health Cancer Research
Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center
Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Adebamowo's Faculty Profile
![](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/headshot-Starz-Gaiano-crop.jpg)
Michelle A. Starz-Gaiano, PhD
Co-Core Director, Faculty Development Core
Professor & Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Starz-Gaiano's Faculty Profile
![Chuck Bieberich](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/bieberich-chuck.jpg)
Charles Bieberich, PhD
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Associate Dean for Research, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Bieberich's Faculty Profile
![Phyliss Robinson](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/Robinson-Phyllis.jpg)
Phyllis Robinson, PhD
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Program Director, UMBC U-RISE
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Robinson's Faculty Profile
Tonya J. Webb, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Dr. Webb's Faculty Profile
![Autumn Reed](https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/media/som/research-general/umfirst/images/Reed-Autumn.jpg)
Autumn Reed, PhD
Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Dr. Reed's Faculty Profile