Institutes, Centers and Laboratories

The Institute for Autism Research (IAR) is an interdisciplinary collaborative research center, co-directed by Dr Christopher Lopata and Dr Marcus Thomeer, dedicated to understanding autism and enhancing the lives of autistic children and their families. Researchers from diverse backgrounds work together to address critical questions involving causes, development, assessment, interventions, and education. This research work has led to development of several new and effective programs for autistic children without intellectual disabilities (ID) that include summerMAX, MAXout, and schoolMAX. 

The UB Center for Ingestive Behavior Research is the administrative hub for the University at Buffalo Ingestive Behavior (UBIB) community. They provide research resources and administration for members of the Center and connect faculty members who have complementary research interests.

The Center for the Development of the Lung, directed by Praveen Chandrasekharan, MD, conducts translational research to prevent and treat disorders of pulmonary transition such as birth asphyxia, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

The Children's Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Center, located at Golisano Children's Hospital of Buffalo, is the primary facility for medically based, multidisciplinary evaluation and diagnosis of children with ASD in Western New York. Established in 2010, the Center provides comprehensive diagnostic, evaluative, and therapeutic services, including specialized Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) programs and is led by the Medical Director, Michelle Hartley-McAndrew, MD.. The Center coducts research encompassing neurobiology of children with autism spectrum disorders; concurrent seizure disorders; epileptiform abnormalities; etiology; screening and evaluation techniques. 

Co-directed by Danielle Goetz, MD, (Pediatric Program Director) and Carla Frederick, MD (Adult Program Director), the Cystic Fibrosis Center of Western New York has participated in more than 40 clinical trials and has helped bring several drugs through development to clinical use for patients with CF. Primarily focusing on inhaled antibiotics, mucoactive drugs and CFTR potentiators and correctors, the Center has impacted the lives of countless patients with cystic fibrosis. 

The Child Health and Behavior Lab (HABLAB) is a research laboratory within the Division of Behavioral Medicine run by Dr Stephanie Anzman-Frasca. They conduct studies on various aspects of young children's health and behavior in the laboratory and community. 

Under the leadership of Dr Mark Hicar, the Hicar lab focuses on discovering and characterizing human antibodies against infectious diseases, including influenza and HIV, using advanced single-cell and genomic techniques to inform vaccine development and identify functional immune targets. Current work extends these approaches to uncover infectious triggers of inflammatory conditions with as Kawasaki disease, MIS-C, and Alzheimer’s disease by identifying shared antibody responses and generating monoclonal antibodies from public clonotypes.