UB Awards 305 Biomedical Science Degrees; 31 Earn PhDs

By Dirk Hoffman

Six graduate students and 13 senior undergraduates were singled out for special honors, including five graduates who received a Chancellor’s Award, the highest State University of New York undergraduate honor.

Graduates completed work in the following programs of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences:

• biochemistry
• biomedical informatics
• biomedical sciences
• biotechnology
• computational cell biology, anatomy and pathology
• genetics, genomics and bioinformatics
• medical anatomy and experimental pathology
• medical physics
  
• medical technology
• microbiology and immunology
• neuroscience
• nuclear medicine technology
• pharmacology and toxicology
• physiology and biophysics
• structural biology

Graduates also completed the following programs offered in alliance with the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Graduate Division: cancer sciences, and immunology.

Eleven of the doctoral degrees and six of the master’s degrees were awarded in Roswell Park’s programs.

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, welcomed attendees to the May 18 event at UB’s Center for the Arts and asked the graduates to take a moment to “thank all their loved ones, the people who have supported you.”

“Please look around. You are here because of these people and many others, including the people behind me on the stage, who have had your back.”

Brashear told the graduates as they embark on their journey, she wanted to highlight three intertwined forces that will shape their paths:

• the critical importance of research
• the power of teamwork
• the unique talents each of them bring to their field

“You have already made significant contributions to groundbreaking research, publishing in prestigious journals, receiving numerous accolades, and actively engaging with our community,” she said.

“Your efforts are not just career steps; they are tangible acts of impact, making a real difference in people’s lives.”

“Biomedical scientists are central to multidisciplinary teams in health care, driving research to prevent and treat diseases. No significant discovery is made in isolation. Just like health care, research is a team effort.”

Brashear also said that each of the graduates possesses a unique story, a unique perspective, and a unique set of skills.

“As you embark on your careers, remember that your impact extends beyond laboratories, hospitals, and clinics. You have the power to inspire, to innovate, to lead, and, most importantly, to embrace scientific inquiry to improve the health of our community.”

“In closing, I want to remind you that this is just the beginning of a remarkable journey,” Brashear said. “The world of science is vast and brimming with opportunities for discovery and connection. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the successes, and never ever stop learning.”

In his address, A. Scott Weber, PhD, UB’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, told the graduates “today we honor your achievements as graduates of our biomedical science programs and we eagerly anticipate the important contributions you will make as tomorrow’s professional scientists, teachers, innovators and leaders.”

“Through your impact you will exemplify the mission and aspirations of the University at Buffalo to bring the benefits of our research, scholarship, educational excellence and engagement activities to our local and global communities in ways that positively change the world.”

“When you apply what you have learned from others, you put your UB education to its highest purpose and remind yourself of why this is the path you have chosen,” Weber said. “The world needs you now more than ever. We are so proud of your accomplishments. Well done, Class of 2025, well done.”

Doctoral graduate Essi Yayra Ines Tchalla was honored for her dissertation titled “Neutrophils Induce Effective Antibody Responses to the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine by Inhibiting Regulatory T Cells.”

The award recognizes outstanding dissertation research by a graduate student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology who also has shown dedication, perseverance and commitment to furthering the education of others as exemplified by the late Murray W. Stinson, PhD.

Mentor: Elsa Bou Ghanem, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology

MD-PhD Program graduate James Cooper was honored for his dissertation “Towards the Elucidation of Failed Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis.”

The award is presented to a PhD graduate who has been mentored by a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, in recognition of outstanding dissertation research and academic accomplishments. The department looks for these academic accomplishments combined with a spirit of collegiality and community service, reflecting the values exemplified by the late Dennis Higgins, PhD, who was a professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

Mentor: Fraser J. Sim, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology

MD-PhD Program graduate Megan Conrow-Graham was honored for her dissertation titled “Investigating the Transcriptional Repressors ADNP and POGZ Reveals Convergent Mechanisms in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.”

The award is given to the graduating neuroscience doctoral student who best exemplifies the values and scholarship of Beverly Bishop, PhD, a Distinguished Teaching Professor at UB for over 50 years. This includes the three benchmarks of academic leadership: devotion to research excellence, commitment to teaching, and demonstrated community service.

Mentor: Zhen Yan, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of physiology and biophysics

Master’s graduate Marissa Tripoli was recognized with this competitive award for excellence in research for a graduating master’s student in the Jacobs School.

Dissertation: “Neural and Behavioral Correlates of the Impact of Cognitive Fatigue on Ongoing Processing Speed Task Performance in People with Multiple Sclerosis”

Mentor: Thomas J. Covey, PhD, assistant professor of neurology

Doctoral graduate Frances M. Smith was honored for dissertation research that received national or international recognition and for being selected to give an oral presentation at a major national or international meeting.

Dissertation: “In Vitro Investigation of Barrier Physiology in a Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Model of Friedreich’s Ataxia”

Mentor: Daniel J. Kosman, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of biochemistry

This competitive award recognizes an outstanding dissertation by a graduate student in the Jacobs School, as well as a distinguished academic record and curriculum vitae that includes publications, abstracts and presentations. 

Doctoral graduate Frances M. Smith was honored for her dissertation: “In Vitro Investigation of Barrier Physiology in a Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Model of Friedreich’s Ataxia.”

Mentor: Daniel J. Kosman, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of biochemistry

Nominations for this award are limited to doctoral graduates of the Graduate Division at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The recipient possesses an outstanding academic history, publication record and dissertation abstract. 

Michelle Katharine Page, a doctoral graduate in the cancer sciences program, was honored for her dissertation titled “The Toxic Legacy of Cigarette Filters: Assessing Harmful Chemical Exposures and Environmental Impact From Filtered Cigarettes.”

Mentor: Richard O’Connor, PhD, professor of oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Maymuna Akter, Joan Liu, Hewad Shaheed, Akshay Tiwari and Constance Yap were recognized with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award.

The highest honor bestowed upon an undergraduate student within SUNY, it recognizes students for their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives that may include academics; leadership; campus involvement; community service; diversity, equity, inclusion and justice; or the arts.

Akter, of Buffalo, New York, graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences and a minor in nutrition.

A University Honors College Scholar, she is a first-generation Bangladeshi American immigrant and the first in her family to attend college. She has excelled academically while managing part-time jobs and actively contributing to her campus community, including founding the UNICEF Unite Club, serving as a teaching assistant, and conducting research in multiple labs.

Akter also participated in the CSTEP Summer Research Internship and was selected to present at the statewide CSTEP conference. A certified EMT, she is committed to breaking barriers through education.

Hailing from Queens, New York, Liu graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry as a Presidential Scholar from the Honors College.

For more than three years, she’s led research on novel drugs and tumor suppressor genes in pancreatic cancer at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

As president of the Hong Kong Student Association, Liu grew membership by 900%, launching initiatives like their first Chinese New Year Banquet. This inspired her to become International Council coordinator for the UB Student Association, where she directed International Fiesta, the largest cultural event in Western New York, drawing more than 1,700 attendees.

With extensive clinical experience, Liu is passionate about health care innovation and cultural empowerment.

Shaheed, of Rochester, New York, graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences. A University Honors College Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa inductee, he has served as a teaching assistant, medical assistant, STEM tutor and volunteer for asylum seekers and refugees.

He has acted as vice president of the Muslim Students Association, founder and president of the Organization of Afghan and Persian Students and an Islamic Relief executive board member.

Shaheed’s publications with the MD Anderson Cancer Center focus on ethnic and racial disparities in cancer care, alongside research experiences investigating diagnostic tests for Sjogren’s syndrome and children’s healthy eating behaviors.

A native of Tonawanda, New York, Tiwari graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences. A Pride of New York and Honors Scholar, Tiwari is a Phi Beta Kappa inductee, vice president of UB’s Association of Pre-Medical Students, and co-founder and former vice president of UB’s Hindu Students Council.

Simultaneously involved in two labs, his research spans behavioral medicine to pharmacology, contributing to studies on maternal smoking cessation and neural regeneration in multiple sclerosis.

He served as a teaching assistant for multiple introductory-level biology courses and, as a science ambassador taught scientific concepts to underrepresented and underfunded high school students in downtown Buffalo.

Yap, of Clarence, New York, graduates with a Bachelor of Arts degree in health & human services: child & family studies and Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences.

She is a Presidential Scholar in the Honors College. She performs inorganic chemistry research with Janet Morrow, PhD, synthesizing and analyzing potential alternative MRI contrast agents, and is an evolutionary biology teaching assistant and Honors College ambassador.

Yap is the Vision Possible Buffalo co-director and founded Music Inspires New Dreams, benefitting children in the Seneca-Babcock community. She also volunteers at Oishei Children’s Hospital and at adaptive skating at Spirited Athletes Bold at Heart.

The following awards recognize outstanding undergraduate degree candidates who have maintained a high level of academic performance and were selected based on their campus and community involvement:

Biochemistry
Jack Forster

Biomedical Informatics
Katelyn Hawkins

Biomedical Sciences
Kaden Lewis

Biotechnology
Phuc Minh Duong

Medical Technology
Olivia Kearney

Neuroscience
Aimee John

Nuclear Medicine Technology
Emma Wells

Pharmacology and Toxicology
Huy Lu

Commencement speaker Mark R. O’Brian, PhD, is a professor of biochemistry in the Jacobs School. He has been an integral part of the UB faculty for more than three decades, demonstrating exemplary commitment to research, teaching, mentoring, and service. He served as the chair of the Department of Biochemistry from 2013 to 2024.

“In my time here at UB, I have had the privilege of training graduate and undergraduate students in my lab and in the classroom,” he said. “I can’t say strongly enough how appreciative and grateful I am for being part of your lives during these formative years.”

“I am also grateful for what you will accomplish in the future. You will be the innovators, the creators, the mentors, the healers.”

O’Brian told the graduates he had a favor to ask of them.

“What I am requesting is that you bring the joy and wonder of today and carry it over to tomorrow and the next day and the day after that,” he said. Tell people why science excites you, why it is important and how it benefits human health.”

“We who are educated in biomedical science must do a better job in contributing to the public understanding of science. You are the science superpower, and we need you to continue to use that power for the public good.”