Curt I. Civin, MD

Director, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

Curt I. Civin, MD, is the director of the new Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Civin has also been appointed associate dean for research and professor of pediatrics in the division of Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Civin comes to the School of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he led projects totaling $21.5 million in extramural research funding. He is internationally renowned for his work and earned the 1999 Nation Inventor of the Year Award for his groundbreaking scientific discovery in 1984 of a method for isolating stem cells from other blood cells, a critical step in studying them and for transplanting these cells into patients. Discoveries from his laboratory are used today in both clinical bone marrow stem cell transplantation and leukemia diagnosis.

Dr. Civin received his doctoral degree from Harvard Medical School. He trained as a resident in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and also served as a clinical associate at the National Cancer Institute. In 2001, Dr. Civin was granted an honorary ScD from Amherst College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and independent study.

Dr. Civin’s research focuses on the genes expressed in stem cells. By understanding the inner mechanics of how stem cells work, he hopes to learn how to modify the key properties of stem cells in order to increase their therapeutic potential. In addition, his research includes learning how normal stem cells become cancerous. He holds 12 active research grants, including three from the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, and he has published nearly 170 peer-reviewed articles.

Throughout his career, Dr. Civin has demonstrated leadership strength on a national level. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Trials Advisory Committee as well as its Board of Scientific Advisors. He also is chair of the Career Development Program of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Clinical Scholar & Fellow Awards. His honors include the Dr. Frederick Stohlman Award from the Leukemia Society of America, the Kantor Family Prize for Cancer Research Excellence and the National Foundation for Cancer Research Fellow Award. He has won the Return of the Child Award, the highest honor from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. This year, he was honored with the American Association of Blood Banks’ Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award & Lectureship.