Recent Research Funding

Our faculty secure major research grants from various National Institutes of Health as well as private sources.

Michael Buck, PhD

  • Personalizing Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Therapy. Michael Buck (Co-Principal Investigator). Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. 10/1/2017-10/1/2023.

Rebekah Charney, PhD

  • Examining neurological disability in Mowat-Wilson syndrome using brain organoids. Rebekah Charney (Principal Investigator). The Mowat-Wilson Syndrome Foundation. 7/1/2022-6/1/2025.

D. Fernando Estrada, PhD

  • Structural regulation in mitochondrial vitamin-D and vitamin-A metabolizing cytochromes P450. D. Fernando Estrada (Principal Investigator). National Institute of General Medical Sciences. $1,987,200. 9/1/2019-8/1/2024.

M. Laura Feltri, MD

  • Laminin receptors and signals in Schwann cells. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). NIH-NINDS. $1,899,599. 1/1/2020-12/1/2025.
  • Laminin receptors and signals in schwann cells. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). NIH-NINDS. $1,284,790. 7/1/2008-3/1/2024.
  • The peripheral nervous system: a window over Krabbe disease. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). NIH-NINDS. $2,074,062. 2/1/2019-1/1/2024.
  • The prohibitin family and their function in myelination and axonal health. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). NIH-NINDS. $1,704,880. 12/1/2016-11/1/2021.
  • 4. NIH/NINDS 1 R01 NS 112327 (PI Shin, Feltri co-I) 12/01/2020-11/30/2024. Selective galactosylceramidase ablation to study the pathogenesis of Krabbe leukodystrophy. Total cost 125000$. M. Laura Feltri (Co-Investigator). NINDS-NIH. $1,494,341. 11/1/2020-11/1/2024.
  • Improving proteasome function to treat Charcot Marie Tooth 1. M. Laura Feltri (Co-Principal Investigator). Charcot Marie Tooth Association. $125,556. 1/1/2021-11/1/2022.
  • P38MAPK gamma as a target to promote demyelination in Multiple Sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). Empire Development Corporation. $120,000. 5/1/2021-2/1/2022.
  • Innovative model systems to study and boost innate immunity in Krabbe Disease. time in zebrafish. M. Laura Feltri (Co-Investigator). the legacy of angels foundation. $527,623. 11/1/2021-10/1/2024.
  • Innovative model systems to study and boost innate immunity in Krabbe Disease. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). Th Legacy of Angels Foundation. $527,623. 11/1/2021-10/1/2024.
  • Support for the infrastructure of Krabbe disease and myelin research at the University at Buffalo. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). The Legacy of Angel Foundation. $381,168. 11/1/2021-10/1/2023.
  • . Support for the infrastructure of Krabbe disease and myelin research at the University at Buffalo. M. Laura Feltri (Principal Investigator). the legacy of angels foundation. 5/1/2023-5/1/2023.

Lee Ann Garrett-Sinha, PhD

  • Exploring Roles for Transcription Factor Ets1 in Sjogren's Syndrome. Lee Ann Garrett-Sinha (Principal Investigator). NIH, NIDCR. $173,115. 4/1/2023-3/1/2024.

Michael Garrick, PhD

  • Divalent Metal-ion Transporter 1 as a Therapeutic Target to Optimize Intestinal Iron Transport. Michael Garrick (Co-Investigator). NIH. $594,000. 8/1/2016-5/1/2022.

Marc Halfon, PhD

  • Mechanisms of Gene Regulatory Network Evolution. Marc Halfon (Principal Investigator). NSF. $1,106,456. 9/1/2019-8/1/2023.
  • Regulatory Element Discovery in Sequenced Insect Species. Marc Halfon (Principal Investigator). USDA. $445,911. 6/1/2019-5/1/2023.
  • REDfly: The regulatory element database for Drosophila and other insects. Marc Halfon (Principal Investigator). NIH/NIGMS. $1,415,154. 9/1/2021-8/1/2024.
  • Measuring functional similarity between transcriptional enhancers using deep learning. Marc Halfon (Co-Investigator). NIH/NHGRI. $118,818. 9/1/2021-8/1/2023.

Daniel Kosman, PhD

  • Ferroportin and APP: Regulation of Iron Trafficking at the Blood-Brain Barrier. Daniel Kosman (Principal Investigator). NIDDS. $1,955,930. 8/1/2017-6/1/2023.
  • Molecular mechanisms of small molecule iron chelating antioxidants. Daniel Kosman (Principal Investigator). Alterity Therapeutics Annual MRSA 2020-2023 Dollar amount below for 2023. $253,573. 1/1/2020-12/1/2023.

Techung Lee, PhD

  • Poly(I:C) Drug Repurposing and SFRP-2 Gene Therapy in Tooth Regeneration. Techung Lee (Co-Principal Investigator). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. $470,400. 2/1/2024-1/1/2028.

Norma Nowak, PhD

  • New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). Empire State Development. $1,762,067. 1/1/2021-6/1/2022.
  • The Metagenomics Education Partnership. Norma Nowak (Co-Investigator). NIH/NIGMS. $1,288,542. 6/1/2020-4/1/2025.
  • A UB-Buffalo Public School Partnership to improve student achievement in Biological Sciences. Norma Nowak (Co-Principal Investigator). Cullen Foundation. $94,700. 9/1/2019-7/1/2023.
  • Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Western New York. Norma Nowak (Co-Investigator). NYSDOH. $2,000,000. 10/1/2021-6/1/2024.
  • Personalizing Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo. $22,380. 12/1/2022-12/1/2023.
  • miRNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis services. Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare Systems. 11/1/2022-9/1/2023.
  • CRSC: ThermoFisher-GBC project. Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). ThermoFisher Scientific. 1/1/2018-12/1/2026.
  • CRSC: ThermoFisher GBC project. Norma Nowak (Principal Investigator). ThermoFisher Scientific. 1/1/2018-12/1/2026.

Mark O‘Brian, PhD

  • Bacterial adaptation to iron stress. Mark O‘Brian (Principal Investigator). National Institutes of Health. $1,271,904. 5/1/2017-3/1/2021.

Yungki Park, PhD

  • Transcription mechanism of Myrf for central nervous system myelination. Yungki Park (Principal Investigator). NIH/NINDS. $1,839,820. 9/1/2015-6/1/2021.
  • Identifying oligodendrocyte enhancers that govern the expression of Olig1/2. Yungki Park (Principal Investigator). NIH/NINDS. $438,625. 7/1/2019-6/1/2021.
  • Systematic discovery of critical oligodendrocyte transcription factors by a CRISPRi screen. Yungki Park (Principal Investigator). NIH/NINDS. $438,625. 12/1/2019-11/1/2021.
  • Role of Pacs2 in central nervous system myelination. Yungki Park (Principal Investigator). National Institutes of Health. $438,625. 7/1/2021-12/1/2022.

Mulchand Patel, PhD

  • Protective effects of dietary pulse flours on the transgenerational influence of maternal obesity. Mulchand Patel (Co-Investigator). USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture. $480,255. 9/1/2020-9/1/2023.
  • Alpha Lipoic acid as maternal supplement in obese pregnancies. Mulchand Patel (Co-Principal Investigator). NIH, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. $438,625. 2/1/2022-1/1/2024.

Gabriela Popescu, PhD

  • Permeation Mechanisms in NMDA receptors. Gabriela Popescu (Principal Investigator). NIH/NINDS. 3/1/2016-2/1/2022.
  • Gating Mechanism of NMDA receptors. Gabriela Popescu (Principal Investigator). NIH/NINDS. $343,668. 4/1/2019-4/1/2024.
  • Experience-Dependent Reorganization of Excitatory Synapse Connectivity. Gabriela Popescu (Co-Principal Investigator). NIH/NIMH/R01. $589,143. 4/1/2019-4/1/2024.
  • Aptinyx Compound on NMDA receptor. Gabriela Popescu (Principal Investigator). Aptinyx. 2/1/2021-3/1/2022.

Christine Schaner Tooley, PhD

  • Expanding the Biological Roles of N-terminal methylation. Christine Schaner Tooley (Principal Investigator). NIGMS. $1,978,690. 1/1/2022-12/1/2026.

Satrajit Sinha, PhD

  • Genomic and epigenomic investigations of the transcriptional regulatory network of skin keratinocytes in defined genetic models. Satrajit Sinha (Principal Investigator). NIAMS. 3/1/2018-12/1/2022.
  • Genomic and functional investigations of the transcriptional regulatory network of salivary gland morphogenesis and stem cell fate choices in defined genetic models. Satrajit Sinha (Co-Principal Investigator). NIDCR. 3/1/2018-2/1/2024.

Jennifer Surtees, PhD

  • Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to discover and assess genetic factors that influence TNR dynamics. Jennifer Surtees (Principal Investigator). Pfizer Inc. $569,735. 6/1/2021-6/1/2023.
  • Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Erie County. Jennifer Surtees (Principal Investigator). Erie County Department of Health. $250,000. 6/1/2021-12/1/2021.
  • Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Western New York. Jennifer Surtees (Principal Investigator). New York State Department of Health `. $5,700,000. 9/1/2021-7/1/2024.
  • Integrated Ecosystems for Pandemic Prevention. Jennifer Surtees (Principal Investigator). NSF. $1,000,000. 9/1/2022-2/1/2024.

Mark Sutton, PhD

  • Coordination of High Fidelity Replication with Mutagenic Translesion Synthesis. Mark Sutton (Principal Investigator). NIH/GMS. $1,414,219. 2/1/2019-11/1/2023.
  • Purification and Initial Biochemical Analysis of the P. aeruginosa ImuABC Error-Prone DNA Polymerase. Mark Sutton (Principal Investigator). NIH, NIAID. $155,335. 2/1/2020-1/1/2023.
  • Novel Combination Therapies to Combat Hypermutable Carbapenem-Resistant P. aeruginosa. Mark Sutton (Co-Principal Investigator). NIH, NIAID. $3,850,992. 5/1/2022-4/1/2027.

Mary Taub, Ph.D.

  • Regulation of the Kidney Cancer Epigenome by Oncometabolite L-2-Hydroxyglutarate. Mary Taub (Co-Investigator). National Cancer Institute. $1,860,550. 7/1/2015-6/1/2021.