Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics; Director for Clinical Research, Institute for Myelin and Glial Exploration
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Biostatistics; Child Neurology; Developmental Neurology; Neurology; Pediatrics
My research was focused originally on using astrocyte cell cultures to shed light upon processes related to astro-gliosis, the key response of developing and mature brain to injury. The laboratory succeeded in modeling many immunochemical features of gliosis in primary brain cell culture. More recently, I have been involved in the clinical care of, and research regarding, children with leukodystrophies. This includes coordinating several clinical research projects in roles as the Director for Clinical Research for the Institute for Mylein and Glial Exploration (IMAGE) , and as the President of the New York State Krabbe Disease Consortium. Projects include expansion of the World Wide Registry for Krabbe Disease (WWR), a database that now has clinical and genetic information for over 195 affected patients afflicted with this rare disease, and examining ways to involve the WWR in national data-sharing initiatives promoted by the NIH, including the Newborn Screening Translational Research Network (NBSTRN). I have also conducted long-term follow-up studies of affected children, in conjunction with the Rare Clinical Disease Research Network (RDCRN), am examining neuro-developmental parameters before and after therapeutic transplantation. With collaborators, I am participating in research to uncover new biomarkers for newborn screening of neurodegnerative disorders, and to develop novel therapies for these diseases. I am also the Director of the Headache and Concussion clinics at Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. These clinical leadership roles in Western New York, New York State and the United States can facilitate significant recruitment into multi-center research studies.