A Powerhouse for PATIENTS

By Christine Stutz, as published in Capsule Magazine, Summer 2025

Paris Barnes, MS ’24, is passionate about community advocacy. In her role as a senior training specialist with the PATIENTS Program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), Barnes is part of a team whose vision is that patients and stakeholders are heard, inspired, and empowered to co-develop patient-centered outcomes research.

Citing the unfortunate case of Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951 and whose cervical cells were used in research without her knowledge or permission, Barnes says that patients have not always been informed about the goals or outcomes of research. This includes how data is being disseminated or implemented.

“It is my goal that patients are heard, considered, and engaged in all parts of the research,” Barnes says. She works with a team that teaches the PATIENTS Program’s 10-Step Framework for continuous patient and community engagement. This framework equips patients, communities, and care providers to enhance health care research in their communities.

Barnes began her role with PATIENTS in December 2024, following a three-year stint as the health communications program specialist for the School’s Behavioral Health Resources and Technical Assistance Program. In that role she provided outreach, technical assistance, and data dissemination to local jurisdictions on substance use prevention programs. This kind of work is rewarding, she says: “I get to be part of directly impacting something that makes my community better.”

Clearly, supporting her community is a strong motivator for her. In March, Barnes was appointed by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to serve on the city’s first Opioid Restitution Advisory Board. And her previous jobs have all been in public health: educating the community about substance use disorders and prevention, medical cannabis education, and helping increase enrollment and outreach efforts for the Affordable Care Act at HealthCare Access Maryland. And she earned an MS in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from UMSOP in 2024.

Barnes’ supervisor, Thomas “Joe” Howarth, PhD, MS, lead training specialist with the PATIENTS Program, praises her effectiveness. “Paris has immediately made an impact,” he says. “She has an incredible energy that has inspired us. I am excited for her to work with our newest cohort of the PATIENTS Professors Academy, a free, online training program that prepares participants to drive patient-centered health care research in their communities. I think she will make them very welcome and will create new ways to engage with our patient partners.”

In March, Barnes received the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Community Service Award at its annual Employee Recognition and Service Awards. She was honored for her volunteer work at the Eagle Center in Westminster, Md., since 2021. The center is part of Eagle Restoration Ministries and works to empower families facing barriers by connecting them with resources and educational opportunities.

Married with a 5-year-old son, Barnes devotes about 20 hours a month to the Eagle Center, which includes attending meetings, conducting weekly outreach to schools, planning for the summer Camp Soar, and one week of camp counselor activities.

Howarth says Barnes goes above and beyond to use her skills to enhance the PATIENTS Program. “Paris has reignited our efforts to increase the accessibility of our public-facing documents,” he says. “This is important work, and she has given us new tools to use to increase access. She has led a major revamp of our biweekly newsletter to our patient partners, making it look more dynamic and providing more useful information.

“I am fortunate to work with someone like Paris, who can motivate me to be a better co-worker and supervisor,” Howarth says.