Ruyechan Receives Stockton Kimball Award

Ruyechan’s research focuses on molecular biology and pathogenesis in the varicella zoster virus and the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei.

He and his collaborators have identified two novel RNA-binding proteins in T. brucei, which causes a form of African sleeping sickness in domestic cattle.

Ruyechan has trained more than 25 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and lecturers in virology and microbial genetics courses.

His research has been consistently funded by the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Oishei Foundation.

Currently, he is principal investigator on an NIH T32 training grant for the study of microbial pathogenesis.

Ruyechan has published more than 115 papers and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Virology and Immunological Investigations.

Ruyechan came to UB in 1992 to serve as professor of microbiology and immunology.

Prior to that he worked at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda.

Since 2006, he has served as associate chair and interim chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

He holds adjunct professorships at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, and at Xi’an Jiaotong University School of Medicine in Xi’an, China.

He has been invited to present his work at numerous venues nationally and internationally.

“The Stockton-Kimball Award not only recognizes that Dr. Ruyechan is one of UB’s most talented researchers, but also that he has generously contributed to the betterment of our school and university,” said Suzanne Laychock, PhD, senior associate dean for faculty affairs and facilities.

“Throughout his career, Bill has exemplified how an outstanding academic scientist balances research, teaching and service.”