Cynthia Major Lewis, M.D.

2025 Solomon Carter Fuller Award Recipient

Lecture Title: Assisted Outpatient Treatment and Maryland, Advocacy and Why Representation Matters

Cynthia Major Lewis, M.D. attended Howard University and Meharry Medical College. She completed her psychiatric residency at Johns Hopkins and was named the First Female African American Chief Resident. She was asked to resume her role as Director of Psychiatric Emergency Services in 2019. While in the Emergency Department, she became aware of patients with severe mental illness who were failing treatment. She provided testimony that helped pass Maryland’s first Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program law in 2024. Passionate about treating our most vulnerable and disenfranchised, she is a tireless advocate for her patients and is accustomed to getting into good trouble.