Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD.

Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD, department chair, brings both scientific distinction and a genuine passion for education and community outreach to her role.

Our Programs

Belong to a strong, collaborative community
9/9/20

Work alongside faculty, peers and intradepartmental scientists who’ll help enhance your research.

 

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Our curriculum based on the belief that we expect our graduates to be the sum of our collective expertise and to emerge better trained than any one of us.

  • PhD Program
    8/2/24
    As a PhD candidate, you will research in our highly collaborative environment, present your findings on multiple occasions and acquire the skills of a well-rounded, independent research scientist.
  • Master’s Degree Program
    3/4/24
    Our course-and-research-based program include laboratory rotations to provide you opportunities to collaborate and hands-on experience in lab techniques.
  • Undergraduate Program
    5/22/25
    The mission of the Biochemistry BS program is to provide undergraduate students with exceptional preparation for advanced study in medical, dental or graduate school, or for occupations in academic, industrial, medical or governmental settings.
“Collaboration here is great. There is so much that people are working on that they can offer insight with a different viewpoint.”
9/28/21

Alexandra Ruth Glathar
Doctoral student in biochemistry

“UB taught me to look past the educational setting and learn what I need to do to become a better professional and independent researcher.”
4/23/21

Mohamed Sharif
Doctoral candidate in biochemistry

“The work I have completed and skill set I have learned in Dr. Estrada’s lab are perfect to pursue a career at a pharmaceutical company since it is focused on understanding the molecular basis by which a major family of drug metabolizing enzymes works.”
5/13/22

Chris Campomizzi

Doctoral student in biochemistry

“While here, I’ve learned a variety of applicable techniques, collaborated with scientists from a range of disciplines, and developed my ability to think critically about research questions.”
1/27/22

Haley Victoria Parker

Trainee in the doctoral program in biochemistry

“During my time at the Jacobs School, I have learned what it means to be an independent scientist and have learned to ask questions to help me better understand what I’m doing.”
8/19/21

Isabella Lydia Ann Schember
Doctoral student in biochemistry

“The things we can do with bioinformatics are unimaginable. We can use genomic sequences to find cures for diseases and improve agriculture for everyone’s benefit.”
3/8/22

Hasiba Asma
Doctoral candidate in genetics, genomics and bioinformatics

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Collaboration and Research Opportunities

Our intradepartmental and multidisciplinary focus groups collaborate with other scientists with shared interests in specific experimental problems.

We encourage you to be active members of our focus groups. Your involvement will provide you with regular contact with faculty and other students across Buffalo’s larger scientific community.

“My mentor was very patient. She took the time to explain things.”
2/22/21

Lisa Russell, PhD ’11
Biochemistry

“Dr. Lee and I talked about my project daily, and that was the key to pushing ideas forward.”
2/22/21

David Zisa, MD/PhD ’12

Biochemistry

“UB faculty understood where I was and had a vision of where I would need to go.”
12/19/19

Robert W. Maul, PhD ’07
Postdoctoral fellow

“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

“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

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Our Research and Expertise

We develop foundations for more effective therapeutics
11/4/24

Yungki Park, PhD, conducts research he aims to translate into the treatment of demyelinating diseases.

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Our faculty have diverse expertise and are committed to teaching and mentoring in a collaborative environment that provides you practical training in state-of-the art facilities.

The objective of all our research is to determine how a specific component or process within cells works, and how it is integrated with other cellular components.

Learn more about our faculty

Department News

See all our department news >

Our Faculty and Research In The News

  • Brain Fluid from Youngsters Gives Old Mice a Memory Boost
    5/11/22
    The Scientist consulted Gabriela Popescu, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, about research published this week in Nature. The research suggests injecting cerebrospinal fluid from younger mice into older mice can rejuvenate the memory of the recipients under specific conditions. Popescu said the paper’s observations are interesting and “a good fact to know,” but she has reservations. “I think it’s wrong to sell science this way,” said Popescu, referring to studies that imply there’s a straightforward way to reverse aging, memory loss or other common sources of health-related anxiety.
  • From virology to molecular defects in Friedreich’s ataxia [ASBMB Today]
    4/7/22
    An article in American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology reports on the work of Frances Smith, a student in the doctoral program in biochemistry at UB, who “wants to use her research to improve the quality of life of patients in the early stages of Friedreich’s ataxia,” according to the article. “Quality of life is extremely important in patients, as the most prioritized clinical benefit to therapeutics in FA are walking and balance,” Smith said. “I hope that my research of the brain environment around the neurons responsible for these functions can benefit the FA population.”
  • Another Voice: Racism cannot withstand the scrutiny of biology and genetics [The Buffalo News]
    2/25/22
    An article in The Buffalo News about how racism and biology written Mark R. O'Brian, PhD, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry in the Jacobs School. O'Brian writes, "Presumably, race construed as having biological meaning raises fears that it can explain racial disparities in society and therefore justify racism. Although these fears are understandable, it is the misrepresentation of human biology and genetics that have been used to promote race-based social hierarchies, eugenics and genocide."
See more of our faculty in the news >

Recent Faculty Publications

See more of our recent publications

Recent Research Funding

  • Molecular Physiology of NMDA Receptors. Gabriela Popescu (Principal Investigator). NINDS. $4,200,000. 5/1/2023-4/1/2031.
  • Characterizing the role of Elevated dNTP pools in sensitizing the replisome. Jennifer Surtees (Principal Investigator). NIGMS. $2,448,745. 9/1/2024-6/1/2029.
  • Human miRNA Sequencing. Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). VA. $183,213. 9/1/2023-9/1/2028.
See more of our recent research grants