2016

UB has released a list of 12 faculty-led research projects that caught the world’s attention in 2016, appearing in news articles around the world.

A story on how to keep food-borne illnesses away from the holiday dinner table interviews Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases.

Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, MD, professor of neurology, was quoted while commenting on new research that found that patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases may be at risk of developing problems with bone mineral density.

Online symptom checkers have “limited accuracy” and should not substitute for a history and physical exam by a health care provider, says Leslie J. Bisson, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopaedics, commenting on a study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School.

Jack Tseng, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences, has helped establish that a fossil that sat largely unnoticed in a drawer at Chicago’s Field Museum belonged to an extinct relative of dogs, foxes and weasels. The fossil represents a new genus, the taxonomic rank above species.

Questions abound about the future of the Affordable Care Act after Donald Trump becomes president, and what will happen to the more than 20 million people — including 2.8 million in New York State — who receive health coverage under the law,

An article about the importance of understanding how foundations and other organizations use charitable donations that support their causes quotes Timothy F. Murphy, MD, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, who discussed why some diseases get more funding than others.

Research co-authored by Jack Tseng, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences, focuses on a fossilized carnivore jawbone that belonged to a beardog, an early, long-extinct relative of dogs, foxes and weasels that lived up to 40 million years ago.

A story on WGRZ-TV described how two UB anesthesiology residents saved a man’s life at a Buffalo Sabres game on Dec. 1. Alex Heleba and Mike Ferrante discussed how they saw a fellow fan collapse inside the KeyBank Center shortly after they entered and ran to see how they could help.

Research led by by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, a joint program between the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, suggests that chlorophyll-based nanoparticles suspended in liquid are an effective imaging agent for the gut.

A study by researchers in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology finds exercise, coupled with methamphetamine, may help recovery of those addicted to the drug and increase their odds of avoiding relapse. Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of pharmacology and toxicology, is senior author. Randall Hudson, PhD, research professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, is a co-author.

Along with his colleagues, Pablo M. Paez, PhD — assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and research scientist with the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute — has identified a critical step in myelination after birth that has significance for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal legislation by President Barack Obama, including the Affordable Care Act.

A newly described fossil skull from one of the largest of the saber-toothed cats is helping scientists understand the diversity of killing techniques used by these extinct and fearsome predators.

Medical professionals have divergent viewpoints about President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, says Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and clinical professor of medicine. “The feelings among doctors are bitterly divided. There’s just no question, and that has not gotten any better over the last eight years,” she says.

David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs, discusses the care his students provided to a homeless man during one of their volunteer experiences with the University at Buffalo HEALS (Homeless Health Education Awareness and Leadership in Service) program. The program provides the city’s homeless with access to health care and gives UB medical students real-life experience in community medicine.

SUNY Distinguished Professor Anne B. Curtis, MD, comments on the fact that more people suffer heart attacks in the Buffalo Niagara region than in most other major U.S. metropolitan areas. “That really should be a call to action. That’s simply not acceptable. We know too much today about what we can do to impact the incidents of heart attacks to let that go unchallenged,” says Curtis, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of medicine.

Along with other researchers, Mark D. Parker, PhD, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics, has proposed a single, unifying model for an elusive membrane transport protein involved in a rare hereditary condition that results in vision loss. A doctoral candidate in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics is first author of the research, which has been published in the American Journal of Physiology — Cell Physiology.

University at Buffalo medical students and faculty provide consultations in the streets of downtown Buffalo through a program called UB HEALS (Homeless Health Education Awareness and Leadership in Service). Nurses, medical students and faculty members — including David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs — discuss the care they have given to homeless people. 

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul visited Glenna C. Bett, PhD, and Kate Rittenhouse-Olson, PhD, to celebrate the United Nation’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Bett’s company has developed a system that screens drugs in their early development stages to determine whether they may cause deadly side effects. Olson’s company is developing an antibody that shows promise as a weapon against cancer cells. 

Top executives for Toshiba Medical — which has committed $15.8 million for new equipment and support at the Toshiba Stroke and Vascular Research Center — will soon visit Buffalo. L. Nelson Hopkins, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of neurosurgery, says the executives will discuss existing collaborations and the potential for future ones. Hopkins is also a professor of radiology and president of the Gates Vascular Institute.

The $4.4 million Allen-Medical Campus Metro Station — situated at the base of the new University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences — will play a key role in delivering people to the downtown medical campus. The school’s construction is expected to be complete in 2017.

The new building for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo is on schedule to open downtown in fall of 2017. The project is unique in that it is the largest medical education building currently being built in the United States.

Frederick Sachs, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of physiology and biophysics, has been working with spider venom since the mid-1980’s. His research has led to a developing drug that combats the symptoms of muscular dystrophy at the core genetic level. Based on scientific data in pre-clinical trials, the drug was linked to a 40 percent increase in mobility and other effects the disease has on the body.

Oscar A. deLeon-Casasola, MD, professor of anesthesiology, says anesthesiologists are “uniquely qualified” to help cut opioid use among cancer pain patients by offering alternative treatments, including interventional techniques. He is president of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

More middle school students are dying of suicide than car crashes. In 2014, 425 young people between the ages of 10-14 in the United States took their own lives compared to 384 who died in car accidents. Michael R. Cummings, MD, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry, says parents should have “open, honest, frank discussions” about teen suicide with their children. “You will not make your child suicidal by saying the word suicide,” he emphasizes.

The $375 million, new eight-story building for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is slated to open in 2017. More than 2,000 medical students, trainees, faculty and staff will work in the facility — and many will arrive and leave every day via Metro Rail.

More than 28,000 terra cotta panels from Boston Valley Terra Cotta will be installed this fall as the face of the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building in downtown Buffalo, bringing a touch of local architectural tradition to the otherwise contemporary-looking complex.

Sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) may relieve post-dural puncture headache following complications of a labor pain epidural, according to case reports presented by a University of Cincinnati physician. Oscar A. deLeon-Casasola, MD, professor of anesthesiology, commented on the findings and added: “I look forward to an investigation of the underlying pathophysiology.”

A report by the U.S. Surgeon General said the county’s addiction epidemic is “one of America’s most pressing public health concerns.” Western New York has seen its impact; as of November 2016, 296 people died in 2016 from suspected opioid related overdoses, according to the Erie County Department of Health. “We have to look at these people as damaged individuals and offer them hope and help,” says addictions expert Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine. “Not judgment and ridicule.”

An article about the semifinal round of the 43North business plan contest quotes Norma J. Nowak, PhD, executive director of UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences and a professor of biochemistry, who said 43North’s ability to draw companies to the contest says something about the area’s resurgence. 

Suzanne G. Laychock, PhD, senior associate dean for faculty affairs and facilities, is interviewed for a report on how construction is on track for the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building in downtown Buffalo, and notes how the new facility will foster a collaborative environment.

An article about a new study that found that exercise along with controlled intake of methamphetamine prior to withdrawal could be a powerful new tool to treat meth addiction quotes Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of pharmacology and toxicology, who said meth users live in a state akin to constant jet-lag.

A report on a study by UB researchers has shown that physicians in pediatric intensive care units are not using the newest guidelines to diagnose acute kidney injury in critically ill children, a practice that could affect their patients’ long-term health, and quotes Amanda B. Hassinger, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics.

Research has found that women who have migraines are more likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes later in life, but in a linked editorial, Melissa L. Rayhill, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology, cautioned that women should not be worried about the link and stressed that individual women were at very low risk, even if they had migraines.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine, and Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, are both quoted in a story about World Antibiotics Awareness Week events being held at UB.

An article about the future of health care and treatment options that will be available to patients and doctors looks at work by Timothy F. Murphy, MD, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, and his team at UB's Clinical and Translational Science Institute, which received a $15 million grant to devise strategies to move people into clinical trials.

The massive fire at the former Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna has raised concerns about the air quality in the surrounding area.

An article reports the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is in the final stages of one of the biggest fundraising campaigns in Buffalo history, and interviews Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the medical school, and Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy.

An article reports Medicare and Medicaid patients will continue to be asked how their pain was treated in the hospital, but their answers will no longer be used as part of a formula to reimburse the hospitals for their care, and quotes Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and former president of the American Medical Association.

An article about a new incubator program being launched by the Jacobs Institute, which will recruit promising biomedical startups and help them commercialize their inventions, quotes Adnan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of neurosurgery.

An article about a newly described fossil skull from one of the largest of the saber-toothed cats that is helping scientists understand the diversity of killing techniques used by these extinct and fearsome predators quotes Jack Tseng, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences.

A forum held on South Campus brought almost 1,000 UB students from a variety of majors together to look at how to create a plan to treat the opioid epidemic.

A story about the attention and controversy that health care is bringing to the 2016 election interviews Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health and former president of the American Medical Association.

Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, chair of surgery, is interviewed for an article about medical robotics.

The University at Buffalo aims to recruit more participants in its clinical trials by working with a group of patients led by Laurene M. Tumiel Berhalter, PhD, associate professor of family medicine and director of community translational research. According to SUNY Distinguished Professor Timothy F. Murphy, MD, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research, people in the community should be involved in all phases of clinical research. Additionally, Peter L. Elkin, MD, professor and chair of biomedical informatics and professor of internal medicine, has developed a cell phone application that helps patients access information about available clinical trials.

Thomas C. Mahl, MD, professor of medicine and chief of gastroenterology at the Buffalo VA Medical Center, discusses liver diseases and says many people with hepatitis C are not aware they have it. Mahl directs the gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellowship. Brian Clemency, DO, associate professor of emergency medicine and director of the emergency medicine services fellowship, gives advice on preparations for end-of-life care.

An opinion piece co-authored by Lurene M. Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD, associate professor of family medicine and director of community engagement for the Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Award, and Renee Cadzow, community engagement specialist for pediatric populations in the Department of Pediatrics, looks at the need to recruit a diverse sample of adults and children to participate in focus groups, surveys, behavioral interventions, clinical trials and other types of research.

Peter G. Bradford, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology and instructor of dental pharmacology, had comments published in the October 2016 issue of the ASDA News (American Student Dental Association News) on the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana and on establishing standards of how dental specialists must educate their patients about the complexities of cannabis use.

"It is the obligation of the dental specialist to educate patients even with potentially difficult subjects,” he said. “If a patient does speak of cannabis use, it is important that all dental professionals acknowledge in a non-judgmental manner that a patient has disclosed sensitive information about their life regarding the use of a controlled substance."

A news feature on the Museum of Neuroanatomy in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences interviews Christopher S. Cohan, PhD, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences and curator of the museum, which is the only collection in the nation dedicated exclusively to the human brain.

An article about Medicare and Medicaid hospital funding formulas that encourage doctors to overprescribe opioids interviews Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and former president of the American Medical Association, who said the proposed changes and recognition about the role that putting too much emphasis on pain can have are important first steps.

Vijay S. Iyer, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine, is interviewed for an article about World Stroke Day.

Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health, is interviewed about the Affordable Care Act and rising premiums.

A UB study found that babies who seem to get upset more easily and take longer to calm down may be at higher risk for obesity, while babies who exhibit more “cuddliness” and calm down easily are less likely at risk.

Many U.S. medical schools are seeing a surge in the number of people leaving their bodies to science. The increase has helped medical students and researchers because they dissect cadavers in anatomy class or use them to practice surgical techniques and test new devices and procedures. “The uses that we can bring to these very precious gifts have really escalated,” says John E. Tomaszewski, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences.

Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is interviewed about the medical school’s move in 2017 to its new building downtown and the role it is expected to play in attracting and retaining medical professionals ranging from faculty to physicians and researchers.

A multidisciplinary team — led by Stelios Andreadis, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering — is studying an embryonic stem cell gene called Nanog that has the potential to delay aging and possibly reverse it.

An opinion piece about the critical shortage of primary care physicians in New York State and a proposed reimbursement model that would increase payments for primary care visits notes that Independent Health is collaborating with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to encourage medical students to choose primary care as their specialty and offer opportunities for placements of generalist scholars in a primary care practice.

Incontinence and overactive bladder issues are uncomfortable topics, so much so that many primary care doctors don’t raise the issue with patients during visits, and many patients wouldn’t dream of bringing up the subject themselves.

Research shows patients with cluster headaches were generally accepting of placebo-controlled trials of preventive drugs and non-invasive medical devices, but did not support the idea of using a placebo control in preventive surgical trials and abortive treatment trials.

Thirty-five new full-time faculty members joining the Department of Radiology will re-establish UB’s radiology residency program. The practicing radiologists are joining the department from Great Lakes Medical Imaging. Kenneth D. Pearsen, MD, co-founder and former president of GLMI, has been named chair of radiology.

James R. Olson, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is a co-investigator on a UB study to analyze the impact of emissions from the Tonawanda Coke plant on the health of workers and area residents.

The annual conference of the National Prevention Network gathered in Buffalo Sept. 13-15 and Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of UB’s Research Institute on Addictions, noted the conference provides a unique opportunity to learn from other practitioners and researchers from across the country.

Leonard H. Epstein, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of pediatrics and chief of behavioral medicine, has received an $8.8 million grant to help treat more than 1,000 overweight or obese children and parents at primary care offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Columbus and St. Louis.

Leonard H. Epstein, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of pediatrics and chief of behavioral medicine, was interviewed about a decision by Tops Markets to get rid of the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System, a controversial nutrition ratings system it has used to help customers make food purchasing decisions

A new UB study by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, a joint program between the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, suggests that chlorophyll-based nanoparticles suspended in liquid are an effective imaging agent for the gut.

Research by William L. Duax, PhD, of the Department of Structural Biology, is casting doubt on a commonly held belief about how cells use DNA to make proteins. “There are significant errors in text books. The universal code is not universal and all species now on earth do not use a code ‘frozen in time’ as claimed by Watson and Crick,” says Duax. “Some basic assumptions about evolution are incorrect.”

A hyena that once roamed North America was smaller than today’s spotted hyena, lacked the hunched posture and was better-suited to chasing down prey over long distances, says Jack Tseng, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and anatomical sciences.

A UB study has found that the information found in physicians’ orders for life-sustaining treatment forms is often ambiguous, which can lead to elderly patients receiving more emergency care than what they may have desired.

UB hosted a panel discussion on the controversies surrounding the legalization of medical marijuana, featuring Edward Bednarczyk, PharmD, chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, as keynote speaker.

An article about the recent announcement that endemic measles — those cases caused by local strains instead of imported ones — has been eradicated from the U.S. and the rest of the Americas quotes Mark D. Hicar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and an expert in pediatric infectious diseases.

Anthony D. Martinez, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine, is interviewed about hepatology, the medical field that deals with the liver, and, specifically, about new treatments for hepatitis C that have a 100 percent cure rate.

New guidelines on postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) will help clinicians make more informed decisions about which patients make the best candidates for the procedure, says Stephen B. Edge, MD, professor of surgery, who co-chaired the expert panel that developed the guideline update.

The re-established radiology residency program at UB fills a critical void in medical training in Western New York, says Kenneth Pearsen, MD, chair of the radiology department.

UB scientists are using machine learning to identify important sequences of DNA within the mosquito genome that regulates how the insect’s cells develop and behave.

Research by Daniel Antonius, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of forensic psychiatry, shows fear is the primary psychological weapon underlying acts of terrorism and that it can eventually develop into a mental disorder.

Coverage of the topping off of UB’s new home for the medical school featured comments from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who spoke at the ceremony, touting the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences as an example of how far Buffalo has come in the last five years.

Several news outlets reported on the work of UB addictions researcher Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine, in getting addiction medicine recognized as a sub-specialty for doctors by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Researchers Bruce D. Miller, MD, and Beatrice L. Wood, PhD, both professors of psychiatry and pediatrics, are studying whether treating a depressed caregiver will improve a child’s asthma.

An article about 32 “priority projects” selected by the state’s Regional Economic Development Council program reports the biggest funding request — $42.7 million in all — is from UB for a medical simulation center at the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building that is being built downtown.

Daniel Antonius, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of forensic psychiatry, was interviewed for a story about incorrect reports of an active shooter at Los Angeles International Airport which caused several terminals to be evacuated even though there was never any threat.

Stories about the surge in the number of people who are leaving their bodies to medical schools for research and training purposes report UB received almost 600 bodies last year, a doubling over the past decade, and interview Raymond P. Dannenhoffer, PhD, associate dean for support services, and John E. Tomaszewski, MD, professor and chair of pathology and anatomical sciences.

Philip L. Glick, MD, MBA, professor of surgery, and chair of the UB Faculty Senate, is interviewed about his career and the reasons he and his wife, Drucy S. Borowitz, PhD, clinical professor of pediatrics, moved to Buffalo.

Commenting on a new study that shows certain practice drills are more dangerous for youth football players, Elad I. Levy, MD, professor and chair of neurosurgery, said research has changed the way we look at injuries from high-impact sports.

Anthony A. Campagnari, PhD, senior associate dean for research and graduate education and professor of microbiology, immunology and medicine, is quoted in a report on a new UB study that has developed a model for how the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus can trigger severe, sometimes deadly secondary bacterial pneumonia in some people who are subsequently infected with influenza A virus.

A UB study of Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and fatigue, found that surgical removal of an organ called the thymus reduced patients’ weakness and their need for immunosuppressive drugs.

An article about a new drug known as BU08028 that could eliminate the addictive qualities that make opioids so dangerous quotes Jun-Xu Li, MD, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology, who noted that, like buprenorphine, the drug binds to a specific opioid receptor, which gives it pain-killing qualities.

A story about the growing levels of violence throughout the country interviews Steven L. Dubovsky, MD, professor and chair of psychiatry.

A report about concussions, conflicting views on how to treat them and the long-lasting effects that are not fully understood quotes John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic, who said clinical trials are just now getting underway to determine the appropriate amount of time to wait before initiating light exercise.

Articles reporting on UB research that found that a protein in the brain’s reward center, the nucleus accumbens, regulates the genes that help drive the craving for cocaine after a period of withdrawal, quotes David Dietz, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

An article about the expansion of Buffalo General Medical Center’s emergency department reports that the expansion includes space formerly used to treat behavioral health patients, and notes that those services were transferred in 2014 along with all behavioral health services to Erie County Medical Center, part of an ongoing collaboration between the two organizations and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

A profile of Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, professor and chair of surgery, notes how he is developing several cross-disciplinary academic programs, including programs that involve business and engineering, and mentions he is an advisor to Virtual SurgerySIM, a biomedical startup that recently won the Buffalo Student Sandbox competition.

An article on trials of stem cell therapies for heart failure and their inconsistent results quotes Vijay S. Iyer, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine.

An article about a study that looked at how the luminescent protein luciferase, found in fireflies and other beetles, produce their color variety quotes Andrew M. Gulick, PhD, assistant professor of structural biology.

Concerns abound that two bills passed by the New York State legislature this year may be opening up new loopholes to allow exemptions to I-STOP, the state’s e-prescribing system to monitor distribution of opioid drugs.

Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, comments on a study showing that people who are single drink alcohol more often and in larger quantities than people who are married. “Although the evidence that marriage, and engagement as well, initiate changes in heavy drinking is quite strong and consistent, this paper rules out differences in the drinking of married and single individuals is due to some set of genetic characteristics that cause some people to both remain single and drink heavily,” says the professor of psychiatry and director of the Research Institute on Addictions.

As the 2016 school year begins, Buffalo Business First reports that the University at Buffalo’s $375 million Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will be completed and accept its first students in 2017. UB’s new medical school will include expanded enrollment and the hiring of more faculty.

Andrew H. Talal, MD, professor of medicine, discusses the telemedicine program he has been developing. The program allows people with hepatitis C virus to receive virtual appointments at methadone clinics with an off-site physician who can prescribe treatment for the virus. It “is really the opportunity to virtually integrate medical treatment into the substance abuse treatment facility, as opposed to physical integration, which is much more difficult to accomplish,” he says.

Research led by Gil Wolfe, MD, professor and Irvin and Rosemary Smith Chair of neurology, shows that removing the thymus gland is an effective treatment for the autoimmune disorder myasthenia gravis.

Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, has found that treating patients who have Type 1 diabetes with insulin, liraglutide and dapagliflozin leads to impressive improvements in blood glucose control and weight loss.

In a news story about drug addiction, Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine, emphasizes that there is no cure for addiction. “We have treatment for this chronic illness that can keep it controlled, but our treatments are imperfect, and the disease can recur,” he says. “There is a distinction between labeling someone as a drug addict who relapses as opposed to recognizing them as a person afflicted by a disease,” he notes.

A report on a new UB study that showed that a combination of three medications — dapagliflozin, liraglutide and insulin — helped people with Type 1 diabetes lose weight, quotes Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism in the Department of Medicine.

A report about the growing number of refugees in Buffalo who have come from active conflict zones and the way that health care systems and cultures are changing in response to these populations interviews a number of UB faculty members and alumni.

Mosquitos carrying the Zika virus do not travel this far north, so it is unlikely to pose a health threat to this region, says Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases.

A research team led by Andrew Talal, MD, professor of medicine, has received $7 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to compare the effectiveness of telemedicine provided in methadone clinics versus referral to a liver specialist to treat hepatitis C in drug users.

As part of their summer service project, UB medical students teamed up with a neighborhood improvement organization to weed and mulch trees lining Bailey Avenue.

Kenneth V. Snyder, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, advocates taking breaks — even short ones — to help reduce the stress-level hormones created by juggling a heavy workload.

Vijay S. Iyer, MD, PhD, associate professor of cardiology, is interviewed about a new dissolvable stent that disappears within four years of being implanted.

Articles about the mass shootings and other atrocities that have dominated the headlines recently interview Daniel Antonius, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and director of forensic psychiatry.

A UB study led by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD suggests that chlorophyll-based nanoparticles suspended in liquid are an effective imaging agent for the gut.

A report on a collaboration between UB's Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Jacobs Institute and Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute to use 3D printing to help treat vascular disease, quotes Adnan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, vice chair and professor of neurosurgery.

An article reporting James Hitt has been named the new medical director at Gosy & Associates and plans to attempt to reorganize the pain management practice quotes Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior vice dean for health policy, who is one of three doctors who volunteered to fill in at the practice after it briefly closed in May.

Roseanne C. Berger, MD, senior associate dean for graduate medical education, is interviewed about a program to educate local physicians about the issues involved with treating patients with pain medication dependence and addiction.

Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, discusses the temporary shutdown of Gosy and Associates Pain and Neurology Treatment Center. She is a member of the Erie County Department of Health Opioid Task Force, and she’s organizing an event about providers “inheriting” patients with chronic pain.

Ramon E. Rivera, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, moved to Buffalo with his family because of the opportunities it offers. “On a trip here, we drove around and thought the medical corridor was impressive,” he says, emphasizing that he and his family see growth and engagement in Buffalo. “People in the medical community want to put Buffalo on a national stage. We’re in it for the long haul.”

An article looks at Atomic Medical Innovations and the role that Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery, and Kim Grant, business development executive in UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, played in bringing the company to Buffalo.

An article about plans by Independent Health to drop CCS Oncology from its network of providers quotes Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy. “We’re in a time of enormous flux for how health care is paid for,” she said.

Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is interviewed about concerns that new guidelines in British Columbia for prescribing opioids could cause more chronic-pain patients to turn to street drugs for pain management.

A small U.S. study found that students who get concussions may struggle more with academics than peers who have other types of sports injuries.

A report on a new UB study by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, that suggests that chlorophyll-based nanoparticles suspended in liquid are an effective imaging agent for the gut.

An article about the opioid crisis, and the chronic-pain patients who need to use the drugs on a long-term basis in order to control their pain effectively, quotes Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

A new study by researchers led by Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, professor of neurology, found that leaky blood vessels in the brain called cerebral microbleeds are associated with an increased risk of physical and cognitive disability in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Stories about the increase in concussion among young basketball players include an interview with John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic, about his new clinical trial to treat concussion in teens ages 13 to 17 using low-level exercise to help concussed athletes recover.

An article spotlights a UB database of brain scans of thousands of multiple sclerosis patients.

Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy and an internal medicine physician, is interviewed about her experience as a pre-diabetic patient enrollee in a local diabetes prevention program.

An article highlighting the difficulty of preventing terrorists, particularly lone wolves, from striking within the United States includes insight from Steven L. Dubovsky, PhD, professor and chair of psychiatry.

UB researchers have received $7 million in federal funding to expand drug treatment to hundreds of patients throughout New York State, with the research to be led by Andrew H. Talal, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and director of the Center for Clinical Care and Research in Liver Disease, who will study the spread of hepatitis C virus among drug users who share needles.

Articles about the role that culture, law enforcement and the medical system can play in the deaths of celebrities due to substance addiction quote Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine.

An article about a concussion lawsuit brought by 104 former hockey players who claim the National Hockey League was negligent in its care and fraudulently concealed the long-term risks of head injuries interviews John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic.

A smartphone app developed by Peter L. Elkin, MD, professor and chair of biomedical informatics, is designed to help patients find clinical trials and to help doctors find patients for their research.

UB’s Anatomical Gift Program held a memorial service to remember the nearly 200 people who donated their remains to the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to give students hands-on training and to advance medical research. “I don’t think there is anything like this in the country,” said John E. Tomaszewski, MD, professor and chair of pathology and anatomical sciences.

Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PHD, senior associate dean for health policy, is interviewed about legislation signed into law by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo  to combat the opioid crisis.

A team led by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is developing a promising new drug-making technique designed to reduce serious allergic reactions and other side effects from anti-cancer medicine, testosterone and other drugs that are administered with a needle.

Reports on a public hearing held to discuss a proposal before the Erie County Legislature that would require adults who lead youth sports organizations to be properly trained to recognize the symptoms of concussion, note that John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics amd director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic, provided testimony on the effects of concussion.

Stories about the reopening of Gosy & Associates Pain & Neurology Treatment Center interview Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, who helped organize the effort to re-staff the practice.

An opinion piece by Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of UB’s Research Institute on Addictions, about the variations from state to state in what is considered “medical marijuana” calls the array of state and federal laws regarding the use of medical marijuana “confusing and problematic for those who might benefit,” and suggests, “It is vitally important that we clear the hurdles to clinical research on marijuana, and that we accelerate research addressing the potential benefits and harms.”

UB’s anatomical gift program reports more than 600 people donated their bodies to UB for scientific study in 2015.

An article on a new study that shows that women who suffer migraines have significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease quotes Melissa L. Rayhill, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology, who said that “it is time to add migraine to the list of early life medical conditions that are markers for later life cardiovascular risk.”

An article about concerns in the medical community about the discovery of a “superbug” that is resistant to colistin, the antibiotic drug of last resort, interviews Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases.

A controversial plan to open a methadone clinic in Niagara Falls has spurred comments from leading authorities on addiction treatment.

An article about the difficulties of diagnosing Lyme disease quotes Mark D. Hicar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics and an infectious diseases specialist, who said it is “extreme” to take up to a year to get a diagnosis.

A story on plans for a $5.7 million outpatient unit for pediatric services reports it is the second phase of a collaboration between two hospitals, along with UB and UBMD Pediatrics.

Parkinson’s disease patients are using boxing to improve their physical and cognitive function.

UB researchers have shown that mechanical forces play a critical role in myelination, the formation of the protective coating that neurons need to function; a finding that could have implications for diseases such as multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies and how they are treated.

Articles about Tyler Varga, an Indianapolis Colts running back who spent four months battling the effects of a concussion, quote John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic, who discussed the advice Varga got to stay at home in a darkened room until the symptoms went away.

A story about the effects of head injuries and concussion in hockey, on both the professional and youth levels, interviews John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and medical director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic.

An article about an update for county legislators on the work of the county’s Opioid Epidemic Task Force reports the rate at which Erie County residents are dying of opioid and heroin overdoses has fallen slightly, and notes that it is working on foundation funding to eventually create a Center for Excellence in Pain Management, which would be developed in partnership with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

UB neurosurgeons are partnering with a Toronto medical technology firm on new brain technology to ease the process of removing tumors and brain lesions while also avoiding critical brain areas.

Speaking about methods to improve pre-hospital stroke care, L. Nelson Hopkins, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of neurosurgery, said adding comprehensive stroke centers is not the answer.

Sean P. Brady, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology, was interviewed about spring allergies. He said that this time of year, “Patients with allergies to both types of pollen (tree and grass pollen) are really getting hit,” adding that asthmatic patients are even more vulnerable.

Health & Tech, a regular feature highlighting life sciences and high-tech companies throughout the region, reports on Cytocybernetics, a company founded by Glenna C. Bett, PhD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and Randall L. Rasmusson, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics, that has developed a technology they say can cut the time and money needed to bring new drugs to market.

Research led by John Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics, is examining whether low-level exercise helps the brain recover from concussion better than rest.

Adolescents take longer to recover from concussions, notes Barry Willer, PhD, professor of psychiatry, commenting on a proposed Erie County law that would require coaches of youth contact sports teams to take a concussion safety course.

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor and vice chair for addiction medicine in the Department of Family Medicine, talks about the unexpected shutdown of an Amherst pain management practice that has sent thousands of patients scrambling to find new doctors. Finding a new doctor to prescribe pain medications might not be so easy, he said.

Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, is interviewed about the promising biotech companies he has co-founded, Abcombi Biosciences, which boosts access to vaccines and allows the vaccines to work more efficiently, and POP Biotechnologies, which uses nanomedicine to find a more reliable way to deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumors.

Reports on research by Gabriela K. Popescu, PhD, professor of biochemistry, and Kirstie Cummings, a doctoral student in biochemistry, note they found a brain receptor that may play an important role in the death of neurons from neurological diseases.

A new UB study has found that a new smartphone app, which allows doctors to monitor heart palpitations without requiring patients to carry heavy devices attached to electrodes on their bodies, records data just as well as event monitors and makes it easier for patients to comply.

Steven L. Dubovsky, MD, professor and chair of psychiatry was interviewed about the nature versus nurture debate over the causes of mental disorders.

Research by Anne B. Curtis, MD, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, and colleagues found improved clinical outcomes and quality of life from biventricular pacing in cardiac resynchronization therapy.

A recent study found that for people age 75 and older a systolic blood pressure goal under 120 substantially lowered the risk of major cardiovascular risks.

A Q&A on Healio interviews Anthony D. Martinez, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine, about his career, his hobbies and his advice to medical students.

A study found that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring levels came out higher than careful, automated office readings.

An Italian study found consuming 30 grams of Grana Padano cheese every day had the blood pressure-lowering impact typical of antihypertensive medications in a small blinded, randomized trial.

A conference held by UB’s Concussion Management Clinic shared research with local health professionals and while organizers indicated strides are being made in finding new recovery methods, they stressed much work remains.

The opioid epidemic is taking a toll on the workplace, according to Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of UB’s Research Institute on Addictions, who said a secondary impact of addiction is the effect on the family and friends of the addict, and Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine, who said many addictions start with legitimately prescribed pain medications through employer-sponsored insurance and can end by buying pills on the street or turning to heroin when they lose their jobs.

An article about area biking events during the summer features Marc S. Fineberg, MD, clinical associate professor of orthopaedics, who rides his bicycle on trips of up to 30 miles three times a week.

Gabriela K. Popescu, PhD, professor of biochemistry, has received a $1.37 million grant to study the function of brain receptors and their role in everything from chronic pain to stroke.

Local hospital emergency rooms that are turning away people seeking pain medications and narcotics are doing the right thing, according to Robert F. McCormack, MD, professor and chair of emergency medicine.

Researchers Bruce D. Miller, MD, and Beatrice L. Wood, PhD, both professors of psychiatry and pediatrics, are beginning a study to determine whether treating a depressed caregiver will improve a child’s asthma.

An online article features a photo montage update on construction of the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building in downtown Buffalo.

UB’s third annual Refugee Health Summit featured international speakers who help train relief workers.

John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics, is quoted in an Associated Press article about growing concerns in the National Hockey League about concussions and hits to the head after hundreds of documents were unsealed as evidence in a concussion lawsuit filed by former players.

John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics, speaks on new methods for treating concussion, utilizing prescribed exercises targeting deficits in the vestibular and vision systems.

A report on Buffalo Cardiology & Pulmonary Associates closing after 40 years quotes Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy.

Abcombi Biosciences, a biotechnology company out of UB headed by Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, has been selected for a prestigious incubator program run by Johnson & Johnson.  

A new study in JAMA Pediatrics found that younger football players are more likely to return to the field less than a day after suffering concussions than those in high school or college.

A story about a treatment for Parkinson’s disease called deep brain stimulation interviews Robert J. Plunkett, MD, associate professor of neurosurgery.

An article on an addiction and recovery website about the death of Prince and the stigma surrounding opioid dependence quotes Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has awarded its Best Overall Research Award to John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and director of the UB Concussion Management Clinic, in recognition of research he presented at the society’s annual meeting titled “Predictors of Recovery in Adolescents with Acute Sports-Related Concussion.”

An essay by Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, looks at the death of Prince and what it reveals about how much we don’t understand about chronic pain management.

The Division of Behavioral Medicine is conducting a study involving 4- and 5-year-old children to see whether positive behaviors can be promoted through board games.

Wesley L. Hicks, MD, professor of otolaryngology, received the Professional Award at the 56th annual Sojourner Truth Award and Founder’s Day Luncheon held by the Buffalo Club of the National Association of the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs.

A story about the impact concussions have had on former Buffalo Bill Thurman Thomas since his retirement reports a local organization spearheaded by Elad I. Levy, MD, professor and chair of neurosurgery, is working to bring more awareness to concussions at the youth level.

A letter to the editor by Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, criticizes a letter that suggested hospitals should welcome all qualified students into clinical clerkships in order to ease a looming physician shortage in Buffalo.

When looking at how children’s bad eating habits begin, Xiaozhong Wen, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, points out, “Dietary patterns are harder to change later if you ignore the first year, a critical period for the development of taste preferences and the establishment of eating habits.”

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair for addiction medicine, was interviewed or a story about the indictment of a local physician on federal charges related to distributing controlled substances.

While U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer visited Buffalo to urge passage of emergency federal funding to counter the Zika virus, Mark D. Hicar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pediatrics, said many unanswered questions about the virus remain.

An article reports on a 20-year-old man whose epileptic seizures were treated by Renée M. Reynolds, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery, using a relatively new procedure called laser ablation therapy.

An article about the impact that voters in Rust Belt cities like Buffalo; Erie, Pennsylvania; and Youngstown, Ohio, are having on the 2016 presidential campaign by supporting unlikely, anti-establishment candidates notes that over the past five years or so, Buffalo’s skyline has begun to change, thanks to investments that include UB’s new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building downtown.

An article about new methods for treating concussion, utilizing prescribed exercises targeting deficits in the vestibular and vision systems, quotes John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics and medical director of the UB Concussion Management Clinic.

A story about the “Picture Yourself on the BNMC” event held to encourage kids to consider a future in science, medicine and high-tech business, interviews Norma J. Nowak, PhD, professor of biochemistry and executive director of UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

A business feature story highlighting life sciences and high-tech companies throughout the region, looks at For-Robin, a drug company founded by Kate Rittenhouse-Olson, PhD, professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences, that has patented an antibody that attaches itself to cancer cells to kill them and block their spread to other parts of the body.

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine, speaks about the growing opioid addiction problem and concerns that Naloxone is viewed as a cure for the opioid epidemic, and about UB’s efforts to set up fellowship programs across the U.S. and Canada to train physicians as addiction specialists.

Health officials and lawmakers joined together to discuss the heroin and opiate problem in Western New York at a town hall meeting in Buffalo. “What hasn’t been addressed at previous meetings is the application of the principals of how we deal with epidemics,” said Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine, who founded the University at Buffalo’s addiction medicine fellowship. “Everybody has to accept responsibility for the problem and do something about it.”

Erie County officials are taking additional steps to offer assistance to the addicted due to the area’s growing opioid epidemic, but Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine, said even more needs to be done.

John J. Leddy, MD, clinical professor of orthopaedics, and Barry S. Willer, PhD, professor of psychiatry, will use a five-year, $2 million National Institutes of Health grant to continue their studies of concussion protocols. They will enroll about 90 concussed teenagers in a clinical study to test whether the inability to exercise beyond a certain intensity — what clinicians call exercise intolerance — is a biological marker for concussion and a predictor of recovery time.

Sandra Sieminski, MD, clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology, is interviewed about eye diseases that often exhibit no symptoms.

The University at Buffalo has been awarded two grants worth $2.6 million to hire senior faculty members that will grow its research expertise in biomedical engineering, energy and the environment, and other disciplines, while providing students with world-class educational opportunities.  

Bruce D. Miller, MD and Beatrice L. Wood, PhD, both professors of psychiatry and pediatrics, are principal investigators on a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant being used to test the hypothesis that treating a parent’s or caregiver’s depression will result in an improvement of a child’s asthma. Heather K. Lehman, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics, is a co-investigator on the study.

An article about the debate over new training required of physicians to prescribe opioid painkillers reports a 2010 UB study found that three-fourths of heroin addicts got started with prescription drugs prescribed for them or others, and interviews Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair for addiction medicine.

A report states the number of graduates from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences who choose to stay in Buffalo for their residencies is the highest it has been in years, and notes the soon-to-be residents say they are staying in Buffalo because they’re impressed with the physicians and faculty they have met during their time as UB medical students.

A story about a prominent local lawyer who developed a rare disorder called Miller-Fisher, a type of Guillain-Barre syndrome that mimics a stroke, interviews Nicholas J. Silvestri, MD, assistant professor of clinical neurology. “We caught him before he developed real, big-time respiratory difficulty, and we were able to treat him,” he says.

A growing body of research examining the psychological aftermath of terror attacks shows that temporary symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder commonly appear among victims and their political engagement and trust in government policymaking is negatively affected, according to Daniel Antonius, PhD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Division of Forensic Psychiatry.

Kim Griswold, MD, MPH, associate professor of family medicine and psychiatry, talks about the third annual WNY Refugee Summit in Buffalo, of which she is a co-organizer.

Most Americans born in 1900 may not have lived past 50, but Baby Boomers in the years to come will continue to stretch the aging curve. One of the key goals is not so much to extend lifespan but to extend the health span,” says Bruce R. Troen, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.

The efforts of Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine, as founding director of the National Center for Physician Training in Addiction Medicine, paid off recently when the American Board of Medical Specialties agreed to add addictions medicine as a subspecialty.

The experiences gained by working in the student-run Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic on Buffalo’s East Side are invaluable, according to David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs.

UB Distinguished Professor Anne B. Curtis, MD, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of medicine, was among experts asked to respond to a cardiologist’s recently published editorial criticizing the medical community for being too reluctant to accept findings from well-designed treatment trials as a basis for clinical decision-making.

The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to require stronger warnings on opioid drugs are an important first step, but more needs to be done, according to Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and vice chair of addiction medicine.

An article describing how Parkinson’s disease patients are gaining better strength, coordination and balance through boxing training quotes Thomas J. Guttuso Jr., MD, associate professor of neurology, who said that several of his patients are doing it and benefiting; he added: “One patient in particular says he’s kicking the butt of Parkinson’s.”

An opinion piece by Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, discusses how those who really need painkillers for chronic pain still should have access to them.

A UB Mini Med School series on the growing heroin and prescription drug abuse crisis in Western New York was presented during the month of March. “Confronting the Opioid Epidemic” was a three-part series that featured experts in medicine, pharmacy and nursing, and representatives from law enforcement and government.

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine, has long been recognized as an expert in addiction medicine, playing a major role in the development of prevention and treatment programs. Now he has been recognized at the highest level nationally by leaders at the Addiction Medicine Foundation, which credited the professor for his efforts in promoting the field of addiction medicine.

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine, spoke at a press conference held by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to announce legislation she intends to push so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can create guidelines to limit opioid prescriptions for short-term, sudden “acute” pain like a pulled muscle or a wisdom tooth extraction.

An article about changes to the Kaleida Health board of directors reports David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs, was elected secretary of the board.

John M. Sullivan, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology, has been awarded competitive grants totaling $2.78 million from the National Eye Institute to conduct research designed to help slow down or eliminate hereditary sight disorders.

An article about the need for thousands of skilled workers to fill the biotech jobs in the Buffalo Niagara region quotes Kate Rittenhouse-Olson, PhD, professor of biotechnical and clinical laboratory sciences, and the founder of the start-up company, For-Robin Inc., which is developing a cancer treatment.

A story about the trend of allowing children to play one sport throughout the year interviews Leslie J. Bisson, MD, June A. and Eugene R. Mindell, MD, professor and chair of orthopaedics and a sports medicine physician.

An article reports UB’s Mini Medical School will tackle the opioid epidemic in a three-part series and quotes Roseanne C. Berger, MD, Mini Medical School director and senior associate dean for graduate medical education.

Researchers including Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, found that resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, reduces the development of Type 2 diabetes and strokes.

As a city with thousands of older homes, Buffalo has a serious lead problem, according to Melinda S. Cameron, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics. She says if there is no political will to do something about lead now, there is a long-term cost in caring for those damaged by the heavy metal, which causes adverse health effects or brain damage.

The University at Buffalo has been awarded a five-year, $2.35 million state grant to launch a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to improve the screening, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, according to Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology and director of UB’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center.

The University at Buffalo’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute is no longer just a tenant in Kaleida Health’s Gates Vascular Institute; UB now owns the space for the center. This further solidifies the “strong and productive partnership between UB and Kaleida,” says Timothy F. Murphy, MD, CTRC director, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research and SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine. 

A new trend that sufferers of migraine headaches are trying for relief is daith piercing, which is on the innermost part of the cartilage of the ear. However, there is no science to back up claims that it is an effective way to stop migraine pain, says Melissa L. Rayhill, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology.

A proposal by the mayor of Ithaca to open a supervised heroin injection center, where addicts could have a safe haven to take illegal drugs in front of medical professionals, is not as crazy as it sounds, according to Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine. He says opponents of such facilities have valid concerns, but Blondell argues the harm reduction model is a better way to treat addiction, a topic the public often misunderstands.

Oscar A. deLeon-Casasola, MD, professor of anesthesiology, was a faculty member on the trip by a team of anesthesiologists from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine who completed an historic medical education mission to Havana, training 21 members of the Cuban Society of Anesthesiologists on acute pain management. It marked the first regional anesthesia and acute pain medical conference conducted by U.S. physicians in Cuba since the 1959 revolution.

Western New York needs to continue attracting venture capitalists who are life sciences-focused in order to ensure local biomedical startups grow and remain in the area, according to Norma J. Nowak, PhD, professor of biochemistry and executive director of the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

Sports injuries can have lasting effects, according to Leslie J. Bisson, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedics. He says arthritis can kick in 10 to 15 years after an initial injury occurs, so someone tearing an ACL when they’re in high school can have lingering pain when they’re in their mid-30s.

Susan S. Baker, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, reviewed the findings of a study that suggests that while eating a greater variety of healthy foods may reduce the odds of being overweight in adults, a greater diversity of foods might not have the same effect in very young, poorer children. Baker said she was surprised by the study’s outcome, but noted it has some limitations. “The major limitation was the use of self-reported food intake data,” she said, adding experts know that overweight people under-report what they’ve eaten and underweight over-report.

Medical student Gregory Roloff looks at the medical advances being made through immunotherapy and the human face that cancer can take when treating the disease on a personal level. “I hope to return to the lab after this year and try to understand why immunotherapy is lifesaving for some patients…, while others … remain lost in a biological dark matter.”  

Richard D. Blondell, MD, professor of family medicine and director of the National Center for Physician Training in Addiction Medicine, is sharing his expertise in addiction medicine at community forums on the region’s mounting heroin and opioid deaths.

An opinion piece about how important business understanding has become to the practice of medicine notes UB offers a dual degree MD/MBA program with a health care concentration and an accelerated MBA program for medical residents. The piece was authored by Philip L. Glick, MD, MBA, professor of surgery and professor of management; David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs and clinical associate professor of medicine; and Erin K. O’Brien, assistant dean and director of graduate programs in the UB School of Management.

Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, comments on the World Health Organization's declaration of a “public health emergency of international concern” because of the rise in birth defects linked to the Zika virus outbreak.

Undergraduate applications for admission to UB are up more than 10 percent from last year, with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences seeing the highest growth in interest from potential students, according to Jose Aviles, associate vice provost and director of admissions.

Elad I. Levy, MD, professor and chair of neurosurgery, is a new member of the board of NeXtGen Biologics, a Gainesville, Fla.-based biomedical company working to commercialize a skin graft therapy.

A review of some of the region’s most promising biomedical enterprises notes POP Biotechnologies is commercializing research from Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, which sends a “nano balloon” to a tumor and then zaps it with a laser, releasing chemicals locally.  

Anthony D. Martinez, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine, speaks about Hepatitis C and the role of addiction in treating the disease. Martinez discussed the positives that addiction specialists’ experience and background bring to treating HCV.

The annual celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday at the Buffalo History Museum included a lecture on “Neurological Conditions of Presidents” by Nicholas J. Silvestri, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology.

While public researchers scramble to deal with the threat of the Zika virus, Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine, and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, believes finding a vaccine will take a long time.

Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, clinical professor of medicine and medical director of the Diabetes-Endocrinology Center of Western New York, says he wants Western New Yorkers to be optimistic about diabetes and what can be done to prevent and treat the condition.

John A. Sellick, Jr., DO, associate professor of medicine and an expert in infectious diseases, says the Zika virus is changing people’s winter travel plans. The issues, he says, are more difficult because of the spread of eco-tourism.

One of five clinical trial sites for a new study using medical marijuana to treat childhood epilepsy is bring run by Arie L. Weinstock, MD, clinical professor of neurology.

An article about the difficulties Buffalo has had recruiting doctors to Western New York looks at how that is changing with the construction of the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building downtown, and quotes Steven D. Schwaitzberg, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery, who was recruited to UB this year from Harvard. The article also quotes Peter L. Elkin, MD, professor and chair of biomedical informatics.

Medical practices are changing — between 1983 and 2014, the share of physicians in solo practice fell from 44 percent to 19 percent, and the share working in practices with 25 or more physicians quadrupled from 5 percent to 20 percent. Local large practices include UBMD, a practice made up of 517 faculty physicians in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

In response to rising levels of opioid abuse, UB and Erie County announced they will collaborate on an educational program for doctors, dentists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners during training and afterward to promote safer ways to manage pain. Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, says the goal is to have clinicians prescribing the drugs in lesser amounts and for shorter periods of time.

A half century of hard times is giving way to growth, investment and optimism. Public and private investment are occurring on a scale Buffalo hasn’t seen in decades. A big part of the new construction that is reshaping the future of Buffalo is the new Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building that will open in 2017.

Chelsey Ciambella, who along with fellow fourth-year medical student Steven Gangloff, formed the nonprofit organization, Prescription4Warmth that provides donated hats, gloves and socks to frostbite victims when they leave Erie County Medical Center, talks about the program. “Part of why we both went into medicine was to help people and the Buffalo community,” she said.

Speaking on the unintended consequences of pain questionnaires, Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy in the medical school, notes patient satisfaction surveys ask patients if their pain was completely addressed, so physicians began to prescribe more and more to try to meet the legitimate needs of patients with pain.

Asked about his many acts of philanthropy, Jeremy Jacobs Sr., chair of the UB Council and a UB alum, says he views his $30 million gift in 2015 to name the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and acting as co-chair of a $200 million fundraising campaign for the medical school as "a meaningful gift to the community.”  

A new partnership that aims to improve education on fighting opioid addiction includes thee fforts of Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Roseanne C. Berger, MD, senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education, and Kenneth E. Leonard, PhD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Research Institute on Addictions.

Zhen Yan, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics, has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health to study the impact of stress on cognition and mental function.

Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy, speaks about the growing effort to make sure doctors can effectively help patients control pain without prescribing opioids. She says UB is evaluating its instruction for medical students and residents to make sure they’re fully aware of the dangers associated with opioids.

Two studies — including one led by Andrew M. Gulick, PhD, associate professor of structural biology — have revealed key operations of nonribosomal peptide synthetases, megaenzymes that bacteria and fungi use to produce peptide natural products.

David A. Milling, MD, senior associate dean for student and academic affairs, talks about calls by the Associated Medical School of New York for a state-funded diversity in medicine scholarship program to assist students from economically and educationally underserved areas.

Andrew H. Talal, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Clinical Care and Research in Liver Disease, is profiled for his hepatology research, particularly in the hepatitis C virus and the need for translational research and integration into addiction medicine care.

Kim Griswold, MD, MPH, associate professor of family medicine and psychiatry, told a group of visiting foreign journalists during a U.S. State Department-sponsored visit that "Buffalo is a community that has really gotten it right with refugees."  

Zhen Yan, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics, has received a $540,000 grant from the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation to explore how disrupting certain brain communications could have implications on treatments for autism.

A clinical trial being led by John Leddy, MD, clinical professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, is testing a new exercise treatment on adolescents who have experienced a concussion. It is the first randomized, controlled clinical trial of this exercise treatment for concussion.  

Ralph H. Benedict, PhD, professor of neurology, has been selected the 2016 recipient of the Mid-Career Award by the International Neuropsychology Society.

Translational researchers like Jonathan F. Lovell, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, are playing a big role in Buffalo’s startup scene.

The new medical school will be among the prominent projects underway downtown to be featured on “Rebuilding America,” a series hosted by Katie Couric, the global news anchor at Yahoo News.

Dr. Adnan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, vice-chairman and professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, says using 3-D replicas of complex brain aneurysms, cardiac conditions, and other complicated medical issues will soon change the way physicians are trained. Siddiqui recently used a 3-D printed replica of a 49-year-old woman’s potentially fatal aneurysm to make trial runs, reducing the actual surgery to just 45 minutes instead of the usual four-to-five hours.

The National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Surgeons have found the benefits of using long backboards to reduce spinal motion in patients transported by ambulance are largely unproven. Brian Clemency, DO, assistant professor of emergency medicine, says "more and more, the literature is showing that backboarding is not a benign process.”  

An article about large consortia-led projects that have made great strides in identifying various functional elements of the genome reports a group led by Michael Buck, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry, is working on a tool that accounts for ATAC-seq bias to highlight potential footprints.

Richard D. Blondell, MD, vice chair for addiction medicine and professor of family medicine, says there is a nationwide shortage of addiction medicine physicians, with only 3,000 around the country.