Michy P. Kelly leads a biomedical research laboratory seeking to identify novel therapeutic targets for diseases such as age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease. She is currently an Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Previously, she was a Principal Scientist at Pfizer and then rose from Assistant to Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She received her B.S. from Towson University summa cum laude, her Ph.D. from Wake Forest University, and her postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania—completing her first-gen-to-ivy-league journey. She, along wither her lab, have authored numerous high-impact journal articles and book chapters focused on her research, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore has filed 2 international patents focused on therapeutic agents she has created.

Michy Kelly is widely regarded as a leader in her field of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, having been elected to Chair the international 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases. Additionally, she was awarded the University of South Carolina Breakthrough Star Award, UofSC Distinguished Mentor Award, and the inaugural UofSC Distinguished Service award. Dr. Kelly serves as a consultant for biotech companies seeking to identify therapeutic agents that enhance memory. She serves on the editorial board of Cellular Signaling, Signal Transduction Insights, and the American Journal of Neuroscience. Michy’s community service activities include mentoring high school students on career opportunities in the biomedical sciences.