Courtney D. Townsel

Dr. Courtney D. Townsel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also serves as Director of Perinatal Research. She specializes in Maternal-Fetal Medicine with a focus on substance use disorders in pregnancy and perinatal placental biology in opioid-exposed pregnancies.

Education:

• Howard University, BS (Summa Cum Laude), 2007
• University of South Florida, MD, 2011
• Morsani College of Medicine, Scholarly Concentration in Health Disparities, 2011
• George Washington University, Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2015
• University of Connecticut, MS in Clinical and Translational Research, 2018
• University of Connecticut, Fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine, 2018

Research Focus: Dr. Townsel's primary research investigates perinatal placental biology in opioid-exposed pregnancies, with particular emphasis on understanding how placental genes might impact the severity of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Her work bridges clinical practice with translational research, having spent over six years caring for patients with substance use disorders while leading multi-site prospective studies.

Clinical Practice: She practices the full scope of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and serves as the MFM Lead for the Substance Use In Pregnancy and Parenting Outpatient recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) clinic at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

Research Publications: Her extensive publication record demonstrates expertise in maternal-fetal medicine, substance use disorders in pregnancy, and health disparities. Recent works focus on innovative approaches to perinatal substance use treatment, placental biology in opioid exposure, and reducing healthcare disparities in maternity care.

Awards and Recognition:

• Harold Amos Scholar, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2024-2028)
• Silver Speculum Award - top OB/GYN educator at Michigan Medicine (2021)
• Foundation for SMFM Scholarship Award (2021-2024)
• Perinatal Research Society's Young Investigator (2020)
• Multiple innovation and research awards from 2017-2019

Current Funding: Dr. Townsel currently serves as Principal Investigator on grants totaling over $500,000, including the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant ($420,000) for studying molecular mechanisms impacting placental transport of medication for opioid use disorder (2024-2028).