Katharina Maisel Promoted to Associate Professor

University of Maryland’s (UMD) Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) announced the promotion of Katharina Maisel from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, effective July 1, 2024.

The Principal Investigator of the Mucosal Associated Immune System Engineering and Lymphatics Lab, and a Fellow with the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, Maisel’s research uses in vitro modeling, nanotechnology, and immunoengineering approaches to study and develop treatments for diseases at mucosal surfaces. Her lab works to understand the roles of lymphatics and interstitial tissue in disease pathology at mucosal surfaces and targeting the stromal compartment for treatment strategies.

“Dr. Maisel is an outstanding scholar,” says BIOE Chair John P. Fisher. “While part of the Fischell Department, she has grown and thrived as a researcher and a mentor, making significant contributions to the fields of education and bioengineering. We congratulate her on this well-earned promotion.”

Since joining the department in January 2019, Dr. Maisel has made significant impact to the field and earned multiple accolades. She was recently awarded the Provost's Do Good Innovator Award for establishing the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) research program for students underrepresented in STEM, along with fellow BIOE faculty members Kim Stroka and Alisa Clyne.

“One of the most rewarding things about my job is working with students, particularly those in my lab. It is wonderful to see them grow in their scientific journey and become creative, confident, independent thinkers along the way,” Maisel says.

In 2023, Maisel was awarded the American Lung Association (ALA) Innovation Award for her research on new treatment options for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare disease that causes cancer-like, cystic destruction of the lungs in women. Maisel also earned the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for her work in nanoparticle-lymphatic vessel interface at the time of the pandemic.

“I am beyond excited for this promotion—and also a little relieved. Tenure is a huge hurdle to conquer and I am looking forward to what the next segment of my career will bring here at UMD,” Maisel says.

Published June 6, 2024