Celebration of Scholarship Showcases Top Research

Recipients of Celebration of Scholarship Research Awards are as follows:

Kenneth L. Seldeen, PhD
Research assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Basic research award winner
“Boosting the Brain With Exercise is a HIIT”
Mentor: Sara K. Berkelhamer, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics

Fumito Ito, MD, PhD
Associate professor of surgery
Clinical research award winner
“Circulating T-cell Biomarker to Predict Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors”
Mentor: Amy A. Case, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine

Jasmyn Miller
Medical student
Educational research award winner
“The Inpatient Academic Half Day; The Whys and Hows in a Large Multi-Site Program That Uses an X+Y Scheduling System”
Mentor: Vijay S. Iyer, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor of medicine

Mark A. Bryniarski, PhD
Postdoctoral associate in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
IncUBation research award winner
“Combining Microfluidics and Intravital Microscopy to Predict Real Time Dynamics of Drug Induced Nephrotoxicity”
Mentor: Jessy J. Alexander, PhD, research professor of medicine

Rohit Gosain, MD
Hematology/oncology fellow
Other research award winner
“Geographic and Demographic Disparities in Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs): A Population-Based Study”
Mentor: Anne B. Curtis, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Charles and Mary Bauer Professor and chair of medicine

Raed Al Yacoub, MD
Palliative medicine fellow
Quality improvement research award winner
“The Discrepancy Between Palliative and Oncology Providers in Palliative Referrals”
Mentor: Umesh Sharma, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine

Other presenters were:

• Julia C. Bulmahn
  “Theranostic PLGA-Chitosan Nanoparticles Containing Cocetaxel, IL-8 siRNA, and Upconversion Nanoparticles Improve Therapeutic Efficacy Against Prostate Cancer”
• Lee D. Chaves, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine
  “Probiotic Treatment Rescues Bone Loss in a Mouse Model of Chronic Kidney Disease Through Increasing Intestinal Calcium Absorption”
• Kevin Driscoll
  “CNS Lupus: A New Therapeutic Direction”
• Jungyun Heo, PhD
  “A Nano-Delivery System Incorporating Isoniazid-Retinal for the Treatment of Tuberculosis”
• David R. Lloyd, MD
  “Effect of Nicotine on Dopamine- and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein Gene Expression in Normal Human Astrocyte Cell Culture”
• Adebola O. Ogunsakin, MBBS, internal medicine resident
  “Detection of Regional Reductions in Coronary Flow Reserve With Submaximal vs. Maximal Vasodilation in Swine With a Coronary Artery Stenosis”
• Vinod Rajendran, PhD, research technician of medicine
  “A Little Cell, a Major Influence: Macrophage Alters Disease Trajectory in Chronic Kidney Disease”
• Ramkumar Thiyagarajan, PhD, research assistant of medicine
  “Mice Get Old! The Assessment of Cognitive and Physical Abilities in Young and Old”
• Grishma R. Trivedi, MD, infectious diseases fellow
  “Penicillin-Binding Protein (PBP) 7/8 — A Novel Potential Drug Target in XDR Strains of Acinetobacter Baumannii”
• John R. Matthews, MD, orthopaedics resident
  “The Influence of Suture Material on the Biomechanical Behavior of Suture-Meniscal Specimens: A Comparative Study in a Porcine Model”
• N Ja Hpa, MD, neonatal-perinatal medicine fellow
  “Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant Therapy Accelerates Recovery of Compromised Alveolarization and Pulmonary Vascular Disease in BPD”
• Deepika Sankaran, MD, neonatal-perinatal medicine fellow
  “Randomized Trial of 0.01, 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg of Epinephrine for Cardiac Arrest by Umbilical Cord Occlusion in Lambs”
• George Techiryan
  “Is Cyclosporine Immunosuppression Required to Effect Improved Myocardial Function Following Global Intracoronary Cardiosphere-Derived Cells After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Swine?”

• Ryan J. Miller, MD, family medicine resident
  “Universal Suicide Screening in Primary Care: A Pilot Study Using a PHQ-2 + 1 Method”
• Mohamed Abdel-Aal Ahmed, MD, cardiovascular medicine resident
  “Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Shows Lower Complication and Pacemaker Rates With Similar Outcomes and Cost When Compared to Rapid Deployment Edwards Intuity Valve in Patients Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement”
• Nikhil Agrawal, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Prognostic Impact of Prior Radiation Exposure in Cancer Survivors With Severe Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement”
• Anum S. Ahmed, MD, internal medicine and pediatrics resident
  “Primary Pulmonary MALT-Lymphoma as a Persistent Lung Consolidation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature”
• Andrew Atia, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Higher Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation and Permanent Pacemaker Implantation in Cancer Survivors With Severe Aortic Stenosis Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement”
• Taha Bat, MD, hematology/oncology fellow
  “Feasibility of Sorting Immature Platelets to be Used for Transfusion Medicine”
• Swati Bhargava, MD, infectious diseases fellow
  “Blue Light Reduces Cutibacterium (Propionibacterium) Acnes Bacterial Burden: Orthopedic Shoulder Infection Prevention Strategy?”
• Amy A. Case, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine
  “Chemical Coping and Efficacy of Buprenorphine for Cancer Pain”
• Mark G. Faber, DO, internal medicine resident
  “Clinical and Molecular Variables Associated with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease in Myelodysplastic Syndromes”
• Gregory D. Gudleski, PhD, research associate professor of medicine
  “Centralized Sensitivity Phenotype as a Predictor of Outcome to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome”
• Medhavi Gupta, MD, hematology/oncology fellow
  “Breast Cancer Laterality Effects on Pathological Complete Response and Long Term Outcomes”
• Robin Jindal, MBBS, internal medicine resident
  “A Retrospective Analysis of HCV Treatment Among People Who Use Drugs”
• Patrick O. Kenney, MD, internal medicine and pediatrics resident
  “Getting to the Heart of it: An Unusual Presentation of Wheezing and Diaphoresis”
• Maya Khalil, MD, hematology/oncology fellow
  “Microbiome Modification in Patients With Metastatic NSCLC With Recent Antibiotic Exposure Prior to Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy-A Phase Ib Trial-in-Progress”
• Hassan A. Khan, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in High-Risk Nursing Home Residents”
• Gaurav Kistangari, MD, gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellow
  “Risk Factors and Outcomes of Clostridium Difficile Infection in Hospitalized Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A National Database Analysis”
• Umair Minhas, MD, gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellow
  “High Risk Urban Emergency Department Demonstrates High Prevalence Rates Among Birth Cohort Patients”
• Rajvinder S. Sidhu, MD, gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellow
  “Is a Shorter Duration of Mavyret (Gleceprevir and Pibrentasvir) for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Possible? A Small Case Series”
• Christopher D. Radziwon, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine
  “Global IBS Symptom Improvement in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-Treated Patients is Associated with Clinically Important Changes in Abdominal Pain and Stool Consistency Across All Bowel Types”
• Yan Yatsynovich, MD, cardiovascular medicine resident
  “Female Sex Associated With Higher Rates of Pacemaker Implantation When Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement With Rapid Deployment Intuity Valve Versus Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement”
• George M. Turco, MD, pediatrics resident
  “Retrospective Study of Muscle Relaxant Use for Vaso-Occlusive Crises in Sickle Cell Disease”
• Kenneth Fan, DO
  “Perioperative Outcomes of Combined Gynecologic Oncology and Urogynecologic Surgeries”
• Kodjo A. Karikari, MD, obstetrics and gynecology resident
  “Post-Operative Acute Urinary Retention in Patients with Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Sacrocolpoperineopexy”
• Michael K. Shu, MD, obstetrics and gynecology resident
  “Postoperative Short-Term Outcomes of Robotic Sacrocolpoperineopexy Versus Robotic Sacrocolpopexy”
• Andrew E. Baron, MD, orthopaedics resident
  “Quantitative 3D CT Anatomy of the Thumb Carpal-Metacarpal Joint”
• Christian Curatolo
  “Short-term Outcomes of a Cementless Wedge Tapered Stem in Modified Anterior Versus Mini-Posterior Approach”
• Brian M. Quigley, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine
  “Psychological Flexibility as an Important Feature of Digestive Health for Patients Undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome”
• Kyle Zittel
  “Incidence of Proximal Femoral Diaphyseal Hypertrophy and Clinical Correlation in Two Generations of a Press-Fit Tapered Wedge Stem”
• Linnea C. Fechtner, MD, otolaryngology resident
  “Modified Barium Swallow Findings After Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery”
• Amarpreet Bhalla, MD
  “Pathological Prognostic Factors for Survival in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Esophagus: Results from the National Cancer Database”
• Zhonghua Liu, MD, PhD, pathology resident
  “Primary Thyroid INI1-Deficient Carcinoma: Is It Truly Anaplastic?”
• Shabnam Samankan, MD, pathology resident
  “Gland-Poor Secretory Carcinoma of Thyroid with Mediastinal Involvement and Biphasic Histology”
• Mehran Taherian, MD, pathology resident
  “Correlation Between Touch Imprint and Core Needle Biopsy for Diagnosing Thyroid Nodules”
• Mahdi Alsaleem, MD, neonatal-perinatal medicine fellow
  “Continued Enteral Feeding is Beneficial in Hypoglycemic Infants Admitted to Intensive Care for Parenteral Dextrose Therapy”
• Pedro Rivera-Hernandez, MD, neonatal-perinatal medicine fellow
  “11-Year Retrospective Review of Infants Requiring Tracheostomy in the NICU at a Regional Perinatal Center”
• Lina Saadeh, MD, endocrinology/diabetes fellow
  “Neutropenia in Pediatric Graves’ Disease”
• John Reinier F. Narvaez, MD, MPH, general surgery resident
  “Transplant Outcomes of Donation After Circulatory Death Kidneys Recovered With vs. Without Pre-Recovery Heparin Administration”

• Diva Bomgaars, MD, family medicine resident
  “Thank a Resident Day: Creation of an Online Tool to Facilitate Delivery of Appreciation Notes to Trainees”
• Charles Mupamombe, MD, palliative medicine fellow
  “Buprenorphine as an Option for Management Chronic Pain and Chemical Coping”
• Rachel Nathan, MD
  “Buprenorphine Use in a Frail Patient Who Has Intolerance to Other Opioids”
• Mihir Soparkar, MD, geriatrics fellow
  “Educating Residents on Delirium in the Elderly”
• Amani Ahmed, MBBS
  “Creating an Animated and Interactive Visual Education Platform for Learning Clinical Optics”
• Javier Bonilla, MD, pediatrics resident
  “+Y Modification in X+Y Schedule to Improve Overall Residency Experience”
• Lovejit Kaur, MD
  “Reflection on Recent Trends in Child Psychiatry Training Programs — Barriers, Strengths and Weaknesses in Establishing an Integrated Child Psychiatry Track: A Descriptive Analysis”
• Jane Y. Zhao, MD, general surgery resident
  “The Surgical Blog: An Important Supplement to Traditional Scientific Literature”

• Naveen Prasad Gopalakrishnan Ravikumar, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Intermittent vs. Continuous Infusion of Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Prior to Endoscopic Therapy Among Patients With Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Bleed”
• Sohaib Jamil, MD
  “Implementation of a Standardized Electronic Medical Record Order Set Towards Improvement in Health Care Delivery for Cirrhotic Patients with Hepatic Encephalopathy”
• Jenna Papaj
  “Intestinal Urea Transporters in Chronic Kidney Disease”
• Nikhil Satchidanand, PhD, assistant professor of medicine
  “The Impact of Dual-Task Training on Attention and Physical Performance in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment”
• Shannon M. Schmit, MD, internal medicine and pediatrics resident
  “Diabetes and Depression: Finding Correlations in a Suburban Primary Care Setting”
• Mary Kate Frauenheim, MD, obstetrics and gynecology resident
  “Postpartum Visit Compliance Among Women With a Pre-Existing Mental Health Diagnosis”

• Jacob Mojeski
  “Inadequate and Unequal Access to Dermatological Care — A Systematic Review and Erie County Data”
• Sarah Milazzo, MD, pediatrics resident
  “Adolescent Access to Emergency Contraception in Buffalo, NY”
• Isuan Asikhia, MD, child and adolescent psychiatry fellow
  “The Utility of Applied Behavior Analysis Informed Approach in Addressing Medication Adherence in the Autism Spectrum and Intellectual Developmental Disorder Pediatric Population”
• Mir Ali Abbas-Khan, MD
  “Do Preoperative Multidisciplinary Meeting and Medical Optimization Improve the Outcome of High-Risk Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Surgeries?”
• Shilpa Chowdhry, MD, geriatrics fellow
  “Reducing Polypharmacy in Home-Based Primary Care: A Pharmacy Intervention”
• Amrutha Idupuganti, MD, internal medicine and pediatrics resident
  “Utilizing In-Clinic Spirometry to Improve Asthma and COPD Management: A Quality Improvement Project”

• Naren S. Nallapeta, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Improving PPI Prescribing Practices in an Academic Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic: Quality Improvement Project”
• Cirous Sadeghi, MD, nephrology resident
  “Improving Blood Pressure Control in an Academic Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic: A Quality Improvement Project”
• Vaqar Shah, MD, nephrology fellow
  “QI Project: Quality of Renal Biopsies Performed by the Providers”
• Thomas Zavrel, MD, internal medicine resident
  “Increasing Visit Frequency of Uncontrolled Diabetics to Improve Glycemic Control”
• Tonya Lemonious, MD, pediatrics resident
  “Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a Hospital”
• Eric Mull, DO, pediatrics resident
  “Implementation of Standardized Pulse Oximetry Use and Its Impact of Hospital Expenditure”
• Isuan Asikhia, MD, child and adolescent psychiatry fellow
  “Neuroscience Psychoeducation in ADHD as a Tool to Improve Medication Adherence: A Quality Improvement Study”
• Chloe Leitch, MD, psychiatry resident
  “Incorporating Mindfulness Into a Substance Abuse Group on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at the Buffalo VA Medical Center”

Celebration of Scholarship is an annual research poster session for residents, fellows and faculty educational researchers. The day showcases UB research and provides participants with experience in poster presentation, as well as the opportunity to interact with other UB researchers.

This year’s event took place June 8 at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building in downtown Buffalo.