P-SHOR Faculty Member Named MPower Professor by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership

Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, FAMIA, is one of seven professors from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park to receive the honor.

By Pam Carder
February 14, 2025

The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower) has announced the appointment of seven professors from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), as MPower Professors.

Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, a professor of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research (P-SHOR) at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, director of the School’s Behavioral Health Resources and Technical Assistant program, and a UMB Distinguished University Professor, was selected for the MPower Professorship for her interdisciplinary work in human data science and developing methods in pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, public health, and clinical informatics to inform practice and policy.

Shaya’s work focuses on building strategic partnerships across the state and nationally, to optimize prevention of substance use, and improve the effectiveness and reduce the risk of prescription drugs and medical devices. Her implementation/dissemination research uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods.

Her recent efforts have centered on partnering with researchers from UMCP and UMB to optimize the management of opioids. Her work integrates emerging technologies, including AI and virtual reality, to advance health care practices across the state of Maryland. Her current projects in behavioral health research and policy address the social determinants of health, and focus on substance and prescription drug use, misuse and abuse, and population health.

“Dr. Shaya’s career is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence in collaborative research, teaching, and service,” says Jill A. Morgan, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, FNAP, professor and Chair of P-SHOR at the School of Pharmacy. “Through her outreach, service, education, and research activities, Dr. Shaya continually collaborates with faculty and staff and a diverse group of researchers and practitioners from UMCP and UMB.”

Shaya has mentored multitudes of PharmD and PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and is known for her collaboration across universities, as well as her dedication to forming strategic alliances to leverage resources and knowledge across disciplines. She serves as co-director of the Informatics Core and director of the Dissemination and Implementation Core of UMB’s interdisciplinary Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.

“The appointment of Dr. Shaya as an MPower Professor recognizes and supports continued collaboration between faculty at UMCP and UMB, building on her longstanding dedication to improving health outcomes for Maryland residents,” says Sarah L.J. Michel, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy and a professor of pharmaceutical sciences. “Her innovative work with emerging technologies, such as AI and virtual reality, supports the mission of a learning health care system and has the potential to impact countless lives both within the community and beyond.”

Shaya has served on more than 50 National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections and has served as lead investigator and evaluator on many grants with the Maryland Department of Health. She has been funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the NIH, as well as CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

“This recognition is truly humbling and significant to me and is quite an honor,” says Shaya. “It reflects the collective effort of our academic community, which consistently promotes excellence in research, service, and leadership. It incentivizes strategic, high-level collaborations on research, innovation, scholarship, and academic endeavors between UMB and UMCP. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues at UMB and UMCP, as well as to the leadership at the School of Pharmacy, ICTR, and the University. Their steadfast support and dedication to innovation and progress continuously inspire and empower.”

Shaya adds, “Now, more than ever, our academic climate calls for cross-collaborations and efficiency. My work in population health naturally relies on reaching across boundaries and engaging different disciplines. It takes a village. The MPower Professorship will be invaluable in creating new enduring partnerships, inclusive of faculty colleagues, staff, students, and post doctoral fellows.”

Shaya earned her PhD from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, her doctoral degree in health economics (DESS) from Sorbonne University Paris-IX Dauphine in France, and both her master’s in public health and BSc in biology and chemistry from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, as well as a research and academic leadership program at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Shaya is also a management executive programs alumna of Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. Additionally, she has received the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and UMB’s Founders’ Week Excellence in Education Award. Shaya was named a UMB Distinguished University Professor in 2023.

The University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Act of 2016 strengthened and formalized the structured relationship between UMB and UMCP, which began in 2012. The law deepens the alliance and enables UMB and UMCP to pursue even greater transformative change and impact, far surpassing what each institution could do independent of the other. Its MPower Professorship aims to recognize, encourage, and promote collaborative efforts among faculty at both institutions. Candidates for the MPower Professorship must demonstrate collaboration on strategic research projects that would be challenging or impossible for UMB and UMCP to achieve independently. Candidates must also align with MPower’s mission to enhance and serve the state of Maryland and its residents.

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