Record Numbers Participate in Medicine’s Annual Research Day

This year’s Research Day — moved to the Buffalo Hyatt Regency to accommodate the more than 200 people who attended — featured four oral presentations and 128 poster presentations on basic and clinical research.

Additionally, two faculty members and one department received recognition at the June 4 event.

The following projects and researchers were recognized as best in their categories:

Probiotics Effects on Uremic Milieu and Renal Parameters

Presenter: Rabi Yacoub, MD, assistant professor of nephrology

Co-authors: Lee Chaves, PhD; Richard J. Quigg, MD, Arthur M. Morris Professor of medicine and and chief of nephrology; and undergraduate students Amanda Honan, Shruthi Thomas and Sham Abyad

Dapagliflozin as Additional Treatment to Liraglutide and Insulin in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes. A Randomized Clinical Trial of 12 Weeks

Presenter: Erlin Marte, MD, endocrinology fellowship

Co-authors: Aditya Mehta, MD; Nitesh Kuhadiya, MD, MPH; Manisha Garg, MD; Jeanne Hejna, LPN; Antoine Makdissi, MD, associate professor of medicine; Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, associate professor of medicine; Manav Batra, MBBS, assistant professor of medicine; Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism; and Husam A. Ghanim, PhD, research associate professor of medicine

An Unusual Cause of Infective Eustachian Valve Endocarditis

Presenter: Zahi Nachef, MD, pulmonary disease and critical care fellowship 

Co-authors: Amita Krishnan, MD; and William J. Gibbons, MD, associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine

The Role of the Sirt1 Gene in Aging Bone

Presenter: Ramkumar Thiyagarajan, PhD, geriatrics fellowship

Co-authors: Kenneth L. Seldeen, PhD, research assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine; Merced Leiker, MS; and Bruce R. Troen, MD, professor of medicine and chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine

Exercise in a Pill? Tomatidine: Reducing Frailty by Boosting Mitochondrial Health

Presenter: Kenneth L. Seldeen, PhD, research assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine

Co-authors: Merced Leiker, MS; Ramkumar Thiyagarajan, PhD; and Bruce R. Troen, MD, professor of medicine and chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine

New Potential Drug Target for a Multi-Drug Resistant Organism: The Response Regulator BfmR in Acinetobacter baumannii

Presenter: Akshay Manohar, MBBS, infectious diseases fellowship

Co-authors: Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases; Janet Beanan; BSc, Ruth Olson, BSc; Ulrike MacDonald, BSc; Jessica Graham, PhD; and Timothy C. Umland, PhD, professor of structural biology

Sputum Secretory Immunoglobulin A1 (SIgA1) From Patients With COPD Enhances Opsonophagocytosis of Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae and Moraxella Catarrhalis

Presenter: Pichapong Tunsupon, MD, pulmonary disease and critical care fellowship

Co-authors: Miyuki Smith, BA; Catherine Wrona, BA; and Sanjay Sethi, MD, professor of medicine and chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine

Superior Compliance With the Use of a Handheld Smartphone-Based ECG Monitor Compared to Standard Ambulatory ECG Monitoring

Presenter: Nader Hanna, MD, internal medicine residency

Co-authors: Deepika Narasimha, MD; Hiroko Beck, MD, assistant professor of medicine; Michael J. Chaskes, MD, assistant professor of medicine; Robert Gatewood, MD; Robert F. Glover, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine; Gregory D. Gudleski, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine; Susan Danzer, RN; Anne B. Curtis, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of medicine; and Mohamad H. Bourji, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine

Native Valve Proteus Mirabilis Endocarditis: Successful Treatment of a Rare Entity Formulated By In Vitro Synergy Antibiotic Testing

Presenter: Caroline Brotzki, third-year medical student

Co-authors: Kari Mergehagen, PharmD; Zackery Bulman, PharmD; Brian Tsuji, PharmD; and Charles S. Berenson, MD, associate professor of medicine

A Rare Case of Primary Pleuro-Pulmonary Ewing’s Sarcoma

Presenter: Zahi Nachef, MD, pulmonary disease and critical care fellowship 

Co-authors: Amita Krishnan, MD; and William J. Gibbons, MD, associate professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine

The following faculty were honored:

Anthony D. Martinez, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine, received an award for Outstanding Scholarship by Clinical Faculty.

Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, received an award for Outstanding Mentorship in Research.

This award, given to a division that demonstrates exceptional dedication, excellence and scholarly achievement of trainees and faculty during the preceding year, was presented to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine John M. Canty Jr., MD, Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Professor and chief of cardiovascular medicine, accepted the award.

It was based on work published either as abstracts or articles, scholarly activities involving trainees, novel programs that promote the application of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice, efforts to seek extramural funding and mentorship resources.

It was accompanied by a $10,000 check to support scholarship in the division.

The award recognizes the legacy of Charles and Mary Bauer. Charles Bauer was a dedicated cardiologist and internist who provided significant financial support to the next generation of physicians through his generous donation to the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, including an endowed chair.

Joelle Logue and her son, Christopher Logue, MD ’02, were in attendance as SUNY Distinguished Professor Anne B. Curtis, MD, Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of medicine, honored the late Gerald L. Logue, MD, former professor of medicine and chief of hematology.

Curtis thanked the family for an endowment set up in Logue’s memory, which will support the scholarly pursuits of outstanding students in hematology/oncology or internal medicine in the Department of Medicine.

Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of medicine and chief of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, presented the keynote address, titled “Do We Need a Fall of the Newtonian Apple to Make Discoveries? Experiences of a Clinical Endocrinologist.”