Media Coverage

The CDC updated its guidelines about who needs to isolate and duration of isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. According to the CDC, people who have COVID-19 only need to quarantine for five days if they no longer show symptoms. “It makes sense based on what we know, about this virus, the omicron variant in particular. It makes sense based on what we know about the effectiveness of vaccines, and it makes sense in particular in terms of the demands that we’re facing in terms of our health care workforce,” says Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery, who’s the executive director at UBMD Physicians’ Group.

Buffalo Business First published a cover story profile on L. Nelson ‘Nick’ Hopkins, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and founder of the Gates Vascular Institute and the Jacobs Institute. The story describes how Hopkins developed novel ideas about stroke treatment during his training at UB. “It was during my neurosurgery training I got this bean-brain idea of how catheters could potentially revolutionize the treatment of vascular diseases in the base of the brain through neurosurgery.” The article quotes Elad Levy, now neurosurgery chair in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, who said Hopkins “created that paradigm shift to stop strokes before they create brain damage.” UB professor of neurosurgery Adnan Siddiqui said of Hopkins, “He molded us in different directions so we all work effectively as a team and yet have room to grow. Neurosurgeons are almost always lone wolves, so for him to create this culture in Buffalo, that’s what makes UB Neurosurgery and Gates Vascular Institute unique.”

WBEN reported on the injury status of Jack Eichel of the Sabres and his possible surgery options, quoting Jeff Mullin, assistant professor of neurosurgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, who discussed spinal fusion. “A lot of time when we’re doing that surgery, the patient has already degenerated and worn out the discs and there’s not that much level before surgery,” he said. “There’s some down sides to that. It puts more stress on the other levels above or below where you do surgery and there could be more degeneration in other levels in an accelerated fashion, which could mean more surgery down the line.”

Jeffrey P. Mullin, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, was among the 20 specialists under 40 years old named to the North American Spine Society’s “20 under 40” list of spine care honorees.

A report on the CDC’s announcement that fully vaccinated people should get a third booster shot quoted Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, senior associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of neurosurgery, who discussed how he speaks to unvaccinated patients. “Now, it is you’re either going to be vaccinated, or you’re going to get infected,” Gibbons said.

Buffalo ​Business First interviews Adnan Siddiqui​, MD, PhD, the new CEO of the Jacobs Institute. Siddiqui is also vice chair and professor of neurosurgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and director of neurological stroke service at Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute. “I’m acutely aware of the impact a good tool can make in the survival of patients and in their quality of life after the procedure,” Siddiqui said. “What drives me is the ability to bring new technologies that make a material impact on patients and their lives and families.”

An article in The Buffalo News announces the appointment of Adnan H. Siddiqui as CEO of the Jacobs Institute, succeeding William Maggio, who recently retired from the role. “Siddiqui has served as the institute's chief medical officer since 2016, and he will keep that role, as well,” according to the article. “Siddiqui is also vice chairman and professor of neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo.”

Elad I. Levy, MD, the L. Nelson Hopkins III, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, was interviewed about the pause in the distribution of vaccines from Johnson & Johnson following reports of blood clots in at least six people who received the vaccines. About the pause, Levy said, “Science is doing what science needs to do. There may be an association, it may just be that these six people got clots. They’ll try to answer that question.” 

A letter written in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests prioritizing the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to the masses before a second dose. However, health experts warn that the letter may not be fully accurate. “That correspondence to the New England Journal was a sub-analysis of the data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” says Kenneth V. Snyder, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery. “Whenever you look at data that wasn’t part of the primary outcome of a trial, you have to be very careful about quoting it as perfectly reproducible.” John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, agrees with Snyder, saying the letters were based on “fuzzy numbers” and not brand new numbers from a well-done study. “We have to be very careful extrapolating from a re-analysis of sub-groups from the original studies or these uncontrolled, just checking and seeing what some patients have shown, which is what happened in the study from Israel,” Sellick says.

Several Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences research projects are profiled in a story that looks at medical research projects conducted during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Among the faculty members mentioned are Teresa Quattrin, MD, UB Distinguished Professor of pediatrics; M. Jeffery Mador, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine; Robert A. Fenstermaker, MD, director of neurosurgical oncology in the Department of Neurosurgery; and Nikhil Satchidanand, PhD, assistant professor of medicine.

Kenneth V. Snyder, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, and John A. Sellick Jr., DO, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, were featured on a television segment dedicated to answering questions about the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Local hospitals and surgery centers still are grappling with the effects of the state’s decision to temporarily ban elective surgeries at the start of the pandemic. Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, senior associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of neurosurgery, notes that officials did not know whether the COVID-19 caseload would spiral out of control, overwhelming hospitals as it had in sections of New York City or Italy. “It was done for the right reasons,” says Gibbons. “I think the pause was reasonable for two to four weeks.” On Dec. 4, a new order pausing prescheduled, nonemergency procedures took effect in Erie County. “Pausing elective surgeries in hospital settings will make beds available for this influx of patients and make staff available for their care,” says Gale R. Burstein, MD, Erie County commissioner of health and a clinical professor of pediatrics. 

Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, senior associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of neurosurgery, says the chance of catching COVID-19 is significantly higher now than it was last spring. “If we don’t stop it — we are going to overwhelm our health care system,” he says. Gibbons says he recently spoke to a primary care doctor and emergency room doctor and both described witnessing the growth of the virus in the community.

A story reports on a live webinar series being organized by the Jacobs Institute and notes that the Sept. 17 webinar will be presented with help from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Other topics in the series will be presented by Jacobs School researchers.

Kevin J. Gibbons, MD, and Thomas A. Russo, MD, were interviewed regarding hydroxychloroquine, and how studies have shown it is not an effective treatment for COVID-19. “It held tremendous promise, and we were all excited about the possibility that this could really help us in this battle against COVID. Unfortunately, the preponderance of evidence to this date does not support that,” said Russo, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. “The best evidence we have is that it’s not of benefit,” said Gibbons, senior associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of neurosurgery.