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The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) has announced that Dr. Janielle P. Maynard, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will be honored with the prestigious Vanguard Award at the 31st Annual Caribbean American Heritage (CARAH) Awards Gala. This event, themed “A Celebration of Excellence and Service,” will take place on Friday, November 15, 2024, at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC. The gala celebrates the achievements and groundbreaking contributions of Caribbean American leaders across multiple sectors, such as healthcare, entrepreneurship, public service, and community engagement.

Dr. Maynard, sister of Konris Maynard and a native of St. Kitts and Nevis, is being recognized for her groundbreaking work in cancer research and her dedication to addressing health disparities. Growing up in the early 2000s, she witnessed the impact of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, on her Caribbean community. These early experiences shaped her career path, fueling her determination to understand the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to such health outcomes.

After earning her undergraduate degree in Biology from Howard University, where she was mentored by Jamaican-born scientist Dr. Winston Anderson, Dr. Maynard went on to complete her Ph.D. in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Her doctoral research, supported by a fellowship from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, identified a new therapeutic target for liver cancer.

Her work continued to excel at Johns Hopkins University, where she quickly earned the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program Early Investigator Award for her contributions to prostate cancer research. Dr. Maynard’s commitment to understanding racial disparities in cancer has led to multiple accolades, including awards from Johns Hopkins University, the American Association for Cancer Research, and others. In addition to her research, she is recognized for her efforts to mentor students from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical sciences, including through her role as the founding director of the HBCU Mentoring Program.

In her current role, Dr. Maynard leads the Gastrointestinal Health Disparities Working Group at the Johns Hopkins Cancer Center. Her ongoing work focuses on immune factors influencing cancer disparities, and she recently received the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award to support a large-scale study on pancreatic cancer in Black patients.

Dr. Maynard’s accomplishments make her a beacon of inspiration for aspiring medical professionals in the Caribbean and beyond. Tickets for the CARAH Awards Gala are available at this link.