UMB Staff
Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, BCPS, associate professor and vice chair for academic affairs, Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research, and associate dean for recruitment, admissions, and integration, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), co-author. “Cannabis Science and Therapeutics: The Essential Guide for Clinicians” (Springer, 2025)
Over the past several decades, cannabis has been increasingly accepted as a legitimate therapeutic option by the public. Health care professionals, most of whom did not learn about cannabis, cannabinoids, or the endocannabinoid system in school, face the challenge of understanding the potential benefits, risks, and role of cannabis-based medicine in patient care. “Cannabis Science and Therapeutics: The Essential Guide for Clinicians” provides evidence-based information and practical guidance to empower clinicians to navigate the complex scientific and regulatory landscape of cannabis-based medicine. This book includes the most up-to-date guidance on patient selection, administration, dosing, safety monitoring, drug interactions, and harm reduction strategies. A review of public health considerations provides readers with information necessary to engage patients, colleagues, policymakers, and other stakeholders in robust and balanced dialogue about the role of cannabis-based medicine in society. The book briefly overviews federal and state cannabis regulations, with a focus on implications for research. This book is intended both for readers with limited exposure to cannabis-based medicine and those already familiar with it who are seeking a comprehensive resource.
Bethany R. Lee, PhD, Richard P. Barth Professor of Children’s Services and director, PhD and Postdoctoral Programs, University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW), co-editor. “The Routledge Handbook of Child and Family Social Work Research Knowledge-Building, Application, and Impact” (Routledge, 2024).
This handbook provides an accessible resource for all social work students, educators, practitioners, and policymakers to increase their knowledge and understanding of how research into the diversity and impact of child and family social work interventions might underpin and drive policy and practice. Divided into six sections and comprising 52 newly written chapters by experts in the field, it provides a foundational overview of the field of child and family social work, including defining concepts, sentinel historical milestones, and the scope of practice. It also identifies developments in auxiliary fields such as neuroscience, psychology, education, health, poverty, and media. It is necessary reading for anyone working in social work and child protection.
Mark T. Gladwin, MD, dean and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine, and vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, co-author. “Critical Care and Hospitalist Medicine Made Ridiculously Simple,” Third Edition (MedMaster, 2024).
This new edition includes revised and updated information regarding the latest medications, guidelines, and procedures when treating in an intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department. A fundamental and thorough guide to the treatment of hospitalized patients in critical care situations, “Critical Care and Hospitalist Medicine Made Ridiculously Simple” provides introductory information as well as a complete base of knowledge that will be useful for medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing intensivists, hospitalists, internists, and specialists all charged with caring for patients in the ICU and emergency department, as well as the wards. The current and practical content is organized in a logical, conceptual manner, using plain English for rapid assimilation of information, and focusing on critical care facts and approaches required to keep the critically ill patient alive and thriving.
Marilyn Jones, student financial planning manager, Office of Student Services, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. “Nothing Wasted: A Memoir of Finding Purpose in the Pain” (Independently published, 2024).
“Nothing Wasted” is the true embodiment of Jones’ life experiences. This book transparently details her life’s trials, triumphs, tragedies, and traumas. It is a story of secrets that chart her unorthodox journey of discovery. It exposes some of the flawed belief systems that mentally and emotionally held captive many young girls and perhaps boys in Jones’ generation. It further shows how each experience was a step toward elevating her to a purpose and position for this time.
Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, FAAHPM, professor and executive program director, Advanced Post-Graduate Education in Palliative Care, Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research, UMSOP, co-editor. “50 Pharmacotherapy Studies Every Palliative Practitioner Should Know” (Oxford University Press, 2025).
“50 Pharmacotherapy Studies Every Palliative Practitioner Should Know” is a compilation of key pharmacotherapy studies that form the foundation of evidence-based practice. The studies cover topics including agitation and delirium, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, anorexia and cachexia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, seizure, dyspnea, anxiety, pruritis, symptom clusters, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer. For each study, a concise summary is presented with an emphasis on the results and limitations of the study and its implications for practice. Brief information on other relevant studies is provided, and an illustrative clinical case offers readers the opportunity to conceptualize findings. This book is a must-read for palliative practitioners, pharmacists, advance practice nurses, physician assistants, and anyone who wants to learn more about the data behind clinical practice.
Laura Loessner, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C, director of field education and clinical associate professor, and Samuel B. Little, PhD, retired associate dean and director of field education, UMSSW, co-editors. “Social Work Field Instruction in Modern Practice: A Handbook” (NASW Press, 2025).
Social work field instruction is evolving rapidly, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Social Work Field Instruction in Modern Practice: A Handbook” serves as an innovative resource for directors of field education, faculty liaisons, field instructors, task supervisors, and other professionals whose responsibilities are to prepare students for their roles after graduation. Drawing from experiences across the spectrum of field education placements, the authors endeavor to modernize and unify best practices in the field by elevating the conversation around inclusivity, adapting the latest technological advances, and harnessing the workforce development potential of social work field education to move the profession toward meeting the Grand Challenges for Social Work.
