BOLD Stories - Alumni - University at Buffalo

Exterior of Jacobs School.

Exterior of Jacobs School.

Powerful Partnerships: BOLD Stories

To shape the next version of Western New York, we need to develop future generations of leaders. Patients — as well as alumni — can powerfully join forces with UB to help people live healthier lives.

Meet patients and families who are partnering with doctors in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to improve care for diseases and conditions that are underfunded or understudied.

This special, heartfelt collaboration is a crucial component of academic medicine and a foundation for many of its most notable achievements.

Bryce Stone
8/16/23
Penny Pennington
8/16/23
Expertise and Generosity
Hudson McKeefery
8/16/23
“He Is Our Main Source of Hope”
Patrick Lee
8/16/23
A Team Approach to Mental Health
Hadley Jo Brindley
8/16/23
Hope for the First Time
Val Bias
8/16/23
Expertise That Helps You Survive
Foundation 214
8/16/23
Foundation 214 Helps UB Pediatrics “Dream Big” for Child Health
Roberta and George Stevens
8/16/23
A Vision of Generosity
The Legacy of Angels Foundation
8/16/23
by S. A. Unger
James and Alison Derrick
8/16/23
James and Alison Derrick Musculoskeletal Resource Fund
Brian Boehlecke
8/16/23
Boehlecke Establishes Medical Scholarship in Honor of Parents
Allen Family
8/16/23
Helpful Answers and Support

Our Place, Our Way, Our Future, Our Alumni

Through bold action and an unmatched tenacity, we define our own future. We always have.

At the Jacobs School, being bold means solving society's most complex challenges. Helping millions of people around the world accomplish what was thought to be impossible. And fostering more leaders to take the reins of the future.

Alumni Making the UB Difference

“Buffalo is small enough to navigate easily yet large enough to see a wide and diverse array of pathology.”
6/8/21
Elizabeth Abram, MD ’11
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
"I wanted a program that would challenge me intellectually but also support me personally.”
4/23/21
Aseel Abu-Dayya, MD
Pediatrics ’18
“My love for genomic stability and DNA damage was born in Dr. Surtees’ lab. Working alongside her and other talented graduate students enabled me to find my niche and dig deeper into the research topic.”
5/6/22
Jumana Badar, MS ’18
Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
“I felt confident treating anyone—from a healthy, young individual to a renal transplant patient to an immunocompromised patient with advanced cancer.”
4/23/21
Rajinger Bajwa, MD
Infectious diseases ’13
“The Jacobs School MD program allows you to contribute knowledge—not just consume it.”
4/23/21
Matthew Corey, MD ’11
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
“Dr. Popescu is always receptive to my ideas and allows me to take directions that I am most interested in, while keeping me focused and on track.”
7/20/21
Kirstie Cummings, PhD ’16
Biochemistry
“The culture here is that we all help each other ... The way they teach us here is that medicine is a team effort. It’s not a skill you can master alone.”
4/23/21
Jason Edwards, MD ’16
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
“Dr. Sim’s lab sets the standards for a collaborative, resourceful and fun workplace. From day one in the lab, I witnessed his thorough support in all aspects.”
5/6/22
Ahmed Elhossiny, MS ’20
Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
The summer research internship was a great opportunity for me between my first and second years of medical school.
4/23/21
Rachel Engelberg, MD ’18
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
"The other residents were genuinely kind and considerate and worked so well as a team. I could not imagine being anywhere else for my residency."
4/23/21
Laura Epperly, DO
Pediatrics '17
“Working with research mentors is like having a coach on a sports team. Their job is to identify your potential and push you to the limits of your potential. ”
9/30/21
Brandon Ginley, PhD ’21
Computational cell biology, anatomy and pathology
“Buffalo has given me access to a diverse group of mentors and leaders in research. I have the opportunity to work in developing new technologies and educational tools for teaching neonatal resuscitation.”
4/23/21
Pedro Rivera-Hernandez, MD
Neonatal-perinatal medicine ’21
“You’re allowed to develop your own interests. You’re not pressured to fit into a particular mold.”
9/1/22
Sergio Hernandez, MD ’06
Psychiatry residency ’10
“Mentorship, opportunity and the ability to thrive is what makes UB a special place to complete your medical education.”
4/23/21
Moudi Hubeishy, MD ’19
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
“I always had an opportunity to ask the attendings questions, and I knew that their best interest was my learning.”
4/23/21
Lauren Ibrahim, MD
Infectious diseases ’13
“Working in Dr. Kosman’s lab was a great experience. It brought my interests to an interdisciplinary field between metal biology and neurosciences.”
9/23/21
Changyi Ji, PhD ’16
Biochemistry
“I have always believed that strong community engagement will strengthen our relationships with each other and maintain a better quality of life for all.”
4/23/21
Robert W. Macek, MD
Family medicine ’18
"The Jacobs School was my first choice because it offers quality training for a more affordable cost than other institutions with a similar ranking."
4/23/21
Isidore Dinga Madou, MD ’12
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
"UB has a reputation not only for the diversity of its student body, but for the camaraderie and enriching lifestyle created by students and faculty."
4/23/21
Jaclyn Morrison-Cole, MD ’11
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Faculty and administrators spent significant time guiding me to find a lab that was a perfect fit. That hands-on guidance made me realize that UB was the perfect fit for me.
7/20/21
Megan Murray, MD/PhD ’14
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
“Pharmacology allows me to do the research I love and develop medication to help the people I care for.”
7/20/21
Kerri Pryce, PhD '18
Postdoctoral research fellow
“Buffalo is known as the ‘City of Good Neighbors,’ and it definitely lived up to its name. People here are genuinely friendly and helpful, which made the transition that much easier.”
4/23/21
Abraar Quraishi, MD
Pediatric critical care '17
“You can do whatever you want to do leaving UB — and be in a position to do it well.”
4/23/21
Sam Racette, MD ’17
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
"The people are all helpful and endearing, and the city truly offers everything you would like."
4/23/21
Susana Ruano, MD
Pediatrics ’21
“The customizable curriculum and broad research opportunities this program offered allowed me to grow as a student and better prepare myself for medical school. Furthermore, the small class sizes and interactive learning create an environment in which one can excel. ”
5/2/24
Mike Shaver, MS ‘22
I knew that the summer between my first and second year of medical school was a pivotal time to explore my research interests as well as to establish myself as an individual committed to improving the field of pediatrics through research.
4/23/21
Michelle Smith, MD ’16
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
“Dr. Buck has been a very helpful mentor. The training in his lab helped me to get into the University of Toronto, which has one of the best molecular genetics programs in the whole world.”
5/6/22
Shamira Tabrejee, MS ’20
Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
“I always felt like I could talk to my teachers about anything, and everyone is very supportive.”
4/23/21
Winnie Tsao, MD ’13
Family medicine ’16
“My time at the Jacobs School has given me the opportunity to learn new things, improve my skills and demonstrate that I’m capable of being a valuable member of a research team.”
5/6/22
Brianna Tylec, MS
Genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
“My six years at UB were the most meaningful and wonderful time of my life. I grew up a lot, made a lot of progress and gained a wealth of knowledge and friends.”
5/6/22
Zichun Xiao, MS ’21
Neuroscience

Buffalo: Our namesake, our heritage, our home.

UB is more than a place — it’s a way of shaping the world.

Engaging ideas and inspiring action determine our future.