ub medicine winter 2014

UB MedicineCONNECTING ALUMNI, FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

HOW DO YOUNG DOCTORS DECIDE WHERE TO WORK?

IN SEARCH OF

BEST PLACESTO PRACTICE

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B R E A K I N G N E W G R O U N D !C O N S T R U C T I O N B E G I N S O N N E W M E D I C A L S C H O O L D O W N T O W N

On October 15, University at Buffalo broke ground on its new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Scheduled to open in 2016, the school is being constructed on two acres at Main and High streets—

returning it to where it resided from 1893 until 1953.

The eight-story, 540,000-square-foot building is the largest individual construction project in UB’s

168-year history and will be one of the largest buildings constructed in the City of Buffalo in decades.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and SUNY Chancellor Nancy B. Zimpher, center, with others who helped make this historic day happen—from left, State Assemblyman Sean Ryan, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy, State Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, State Senator George Maziarz, UB President Satish K. Tripathi, Mayor Byron Brown, Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean Michael E. Cain, M&T Bank CEO Robert Wilmers, and State Senator Mark Grisanti.

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Michael E. Cain, MD Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

EditorStephanie A. Unger

Contributing Writers Jim Bisco, John DellaContrada, Ellen Goldbaum, Charlotte Hsu, Judson Mead, Lee Pearce

Copy EditorTom Putnam

ProofreaderMary Cochrane

PhotographyJoseph Cascio, Philip J. Cavuoto, Sandra Kicman, Douglas Levere

Art Direction & DesignAlan Kegler, Nick PetersonOffice of University Communications

Editorial AdvisersJohn J. Bodkin, II, MD ’76Elizabeth A. Repasky, PhD ’81

Major Affiliated Teaching HospitalsErie County Medical CenterRoswell Park Cancer InstituteVeterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System

Kaleida Health’s Buffalo General Medical Center Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital

Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Sisters of Charity Hospital

Correspondence, including requests to be added to or removed from the mailing list, should be sent to: Editor, UBMedicine, 901 Kimball Tower, Buffalo, NY 14214; or email [email protected]

UB Medicine is published by the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to inform its alumni, friends and community about the school’s pivotal role in medical education, research and advanced patient care in Buffalo, Western New York and beyond.

Visit us: http://medicine.buffalo.edu

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UB MEDICINE MAGAZINE, Winter 2014, Vol. 2, No. 1

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

3 VITAL LINES

Progress notes

24 COLLABORATIONS

Partnerships at work

26 DOCTOR VISITS

28 PATHWAYS

People in the news

32 Q & A

Conversations with experts

8

16 ON THE FAST TRACK IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

18 A PATH FORWARD

22 NEW CENTER FOCUSES ON MEMORY DISORDERS-

22

UBMEDICINE

Kinga Szgeti, MD, PhD, leads new Alzheimer’s research and treatment program.

COVER IMAGE:Jennifer Yerke, MD ’12, is a family medicine resident who plans to stay home in Western New York and practice in a rural or suburban setting.

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U B M E D V I T A L L I N E S

Alumni,faculty,studentsandfriendsgatheredonOctober10foraonce-in-a-lifetimeeventtocelebratethenewmedicalschool’sground- breaking,torecognizethegeneroussupportofleadershipannualdonors(membersoftheJamesPlattWhiteSociety)andtohonor recipientsofthe2013DistinguishedAlumniAwards(seearticleonpage30).

A SPECIAL CELEBRATION—BREAKING NEW GROUND!

Medical students, from left: Chan Li-A-Ping (Class of 2015), Rachel Stewart (Class of 2016), Christopher Schwarz (Class of 2016), Peter Ackerman (Class of 2015), Julie Garchow (Class of 2014), Ray St. Marie (Class of 2016), and Trevor York (Class of 2016.)

From left, Roger S. Dayer, MD ’60, James R. Kanski, MD ’60, Genevieve W. Kanski, and David Draper.

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From left, Deborah Cohen, Sol Messinger, MD ’57, Gary Cohen, MD ’58, and Joseph Chazan, MD ’60.

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TheOfficeofMedicalDevelopmentandAlumniRelationsintheSchoolofMedicineandBiomedicalScienceshasinstitutedanewsocietytohonormajordonorstotheschool’sfundraisingcampaign.CalledtheCircleofVisionaries,itrecognizescampaigngiftsof$100,000ormore.“Ateachcriticalstageinitshistory,the

medicalschoolhasbeenthebeneficiaryoffarsightedmenandwomenwhoseactionscreated,sustainedandgrewtheschool,andwewanttorecognizeourmajordonorstodayasbeingvisionariesjustasthosemenandwomenwere,”saysEricAlcott,seniorassociatedeanforMedicalDevelopmentandAlumniRelations.CharlesR.Niles,MD’83,ofOphthalmology

AssociatesinWilliamsville,N.Y.,andhiswife,EllenNiles,co-chairtheCircleofVisionaries.

SCHOOL HONORS A NEW LEVEL OF SUPPORT

AsofOct.1,2013,theCircleofVisionarieshadwelcomed22donors(somenowdeceased),whosegiftscanbedirectedtoanyfacetofthemedicalschool’scampaign. Thenewestmembersinclude:MelvinM.Brothman,MD’58,and

Mrs.ElaineS.Brothman;MichaelE.Cohen,MD’61,andMrs.JoanCohen;RobertEinhorn,MD’72,andMrs.DinahG.Einhorn;ThomasJ.GuttusoSr.,MD’60,andMrs.BarbaraL.Guttuso;theHighgateMedicalGroup;MichaelLippmann,MD’70,andJulieLippmann;RobertMilch,MD’68,andLindaMilch;CharlesandEllenNiles;Mrs.DeniseScheig;andRonyShimony,MD’84,andCatherineShimony.AllCircleofVisionariesmemberswillbe

recognizedinaspecialdonortributetobelocatedinthemainlobbyofthenewmedicalschoolwhenitiscompletedin2016. InquiriesaboutjoiningtheCircleofVisionariesshouldbedirectedtoKimVentiat(716)829-2773,[email protected].

TheUniversityatBuffalo,representinganationalconsortiumof eightresearchuniversitiesandinstitutes,hasbeenawardeda $25millionScienceandTechnologyCentergrantfromtheNationalScienceFoundation(NSF)totransformthefieldofstructuralbiology,includingdrugdevelopment. Withthegrant,UBanditspartnerinstitutionswillestablishtheBioXFELresearchcenterontheBuffaloNiagaraMedicalCampus. TheBioXFEL(pronouncedbio-x-fell)centerwillfocusondevelopingnewX-raybioimagingtechniques—includinganadvancedformofX-raycrystallographycalledserialfemtosecondcrystallography—toanalyzeavastarrayofnewmoleculartargetsfordrugdiscovery. Thistechniquehasthepotentialtospurmuch-neededinnovationinthepharmaceuticalfield.Itwillprovidescientistswithnewinsightsintohowbiologicalmoleculesfunction,whatmightbehappeningwhendiseaseoccursandwhatcompoundsmightbedesignedasdrugstomodifythisactivity. “Togetherwithitspartners,UBisproudtoannouncethishighlycompetitiveaward,”saidUBPresidentSatishK.TripathiataNovember6pressconference.“NSFselectsjustahandfulofScience

andTechnologyCenterwinnerseveryfouryearsfromapoolofhundredsofapplicants.ThisresearchbuildsonWesternNewYork’srichlegacyofexpertiseinX-raycrystallography,historicallybasedwithintheHauptman-WoodwardMedicalResearchInstituteand UB’sDepartmentofStructuralBiology.” AlexanderN.Cartwright,PhD,vicepresidentforresearchandeconomicdevelopmentatUB,adds:“TheBioXFELcenterhasthepotentialtotransformthewayscientistsstudydiseasesanddevelopnewtreatments.ThelateHerbertHauptmanwontheNobelPrizein1985withJeromeKarleforthedevelopmentofdirectmethodsfordeterminingthestructuresofmolecules.ThisnewUBcenter,inpartnershipwithHauptman-WoodwardMedicalResearchInstitute,

willtaketheextraordinarypromiseofthat20th-centurytechniqueandrevolutionizeitfurtherforthe21stcentury.”EatonE.Lattman,PhD,professorofstructuralbiologyatUBandCEOofHauptman-WoodwardMedicalResearchInstitute,willdirectthecenter.

To read more about this research and to view a video about it, go towww.buffalo.edu/newsandsearchBioXFEL.

UB RECEIVES $25 MILLION GRANT TO TRANSFORM STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

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BiomedicalresearchersinBuffalonowhaveround-the-clockaccesstothemostadvancedimagingscannersavailable,asaresultoffourmajoracquisitions. ThescannersarehousedinthenewMolecularandTrans-lationalImagingCenterinUB’sClinicalandTranslationalResearchCenter(CTRC)ontheBuffaloNiagaraMedicalCampus. Thenewimagingcenter—WesternNewYork’sfirstbiomedicalimagingfacilitydedicatedexclusivelytoresearch—nowincludesthefollowing:

* 9.4TeslaBrukerMRI(oneofthefirstinthecountryequippedwithacryoprobe,adevicethatincreasesscanningresolutionthreefold,whichisparticularlyimportantfortissue-sampleimaging)* GEDiscoveryPET-CT690scanner(supportedbyaNationalInstitutesofHealthsharedinstrumentationgrant)

ThrougharesearchagreementwithToshiba,aToshibaVantageTitan3TeslaMRscannerwasinstalledinDecember2013,andaToshibaAquilon320sliceCTwillbeinstalledin2014. “TheImagingCenterisamajorstepforwardforclinicalresearch

inBuffalo,”saysTimothyF.Murphy,MD,CTRCdirectorandseniorassociatedeanforclinicalandtranslationalresearch.“State-of-the-artimaginghasbecomeanincreasinglyimportantelementoftranslationalresearch.” JohnM.CantyJr.,MD,theAlbertandElizabethRekateProfessorofMedicine,isdirectorofthecenter. Priortotheopeningofthecenter,researchersinBuffalowerelimitedtousingclinicalscannersduringoff-hourswhennotneededforpatientcare—anarrangementnotuncommonatmanyfacilitiesaroundthecountry.

“State-of-the-art imaging has become an increasingly important element of translational research.”

—Timothy F. Murphy, MD

When the Imaging Center’s most powerful new scanner, the 9.4 Tesla Bruker MRI, was installed, its five-and-a-half-ton magnet had to be lifted by crane onto the seventh floor of the Clinical and Translational Research Center. After the magnet was carefully jacked onto rollers, it was moved over reinforced floors.

ResidentsinUB’sneurosurgeryprogramachievedamongthe10highestscoresontheAmericanBoardofNeurologicalSurgery(ABNS)primaryexaminationfivetimesoverthepast21years,accordingtodatacompiledandreleasedbytheABNS. UB’sprogramwasoneof14residentprogramsnationwiderecentlycitedbyABNSforitsrecordofachievementontheexam,whichisadministeredeachMarchtoresidentsinaccreditedneurosurgeryresidencyprograms. “Ourexcellentrankingisatestamenttotheexceptionalqualityofresidentswhoparticipateinourprogram,aswellastotheinnovativeresearchconductedbyourfacultyandhardworkofourentireteam,”saysEladLevy,MD,chairoftheDepartmentofNeurosurgery. OtherprogramscitedforconsistentlyhighscoresontheexamincludedthoseattheMayoClinic,DukeUniversity,WashingtonUniversity,StanfordUniversity,UniversityofMiami,andUniversityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco.

NEUROSURGERY RESIDENTS ACHIEVE TOP SCORES ON NATIONAL BOARDS

UB neurosurgery residents Naser Jaleel, MD, PhD, year four, and Michael Kogan, MD, PhD, year one, discussing a case during a brain endoscopy course.

IMAGING CENTER DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO RESEARCH

Paul D

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HISTORIC ROLE IN WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVELegacy lives on two decades later

Itwas,admittedly,alongshot.Twodecadesago,facultyintheSchoolofMedicineandBiomedicalSciencesappliedforahighlycompetitiveNIHcontract,theWomen’sHealthInitiative(WHI),alandmarkwomen’shealthstudyandthelargestclinicaltrialeverundertakenintheU.S. “Weliterallyspentthreemonths,fulltime,writingthatapplication,”recallsJeanWactawski-Wende,PhD,professorandassociatechairofsocialandpreventivemedicineandviceprovostforstrategicinitiatives,whocollaboratedwithMaurizioTrevisan,MD,thenprofessorandincomingchairoftheDepartmentofSocialandPreventiveMedicine. OnMarch30,1993,theNIHannouncedthatUBhadbeenchosenasoneofthe16vanguardcenters. “Asitturnedout,wewereoneofthetopreviewedapplications,”saysWactawski-Wende.

In2005,UBsuccessfullycompetedforafive-yearextensionoftheoriginalcontract.In2010,basedonitssuccessasavanguardcenter,theuniversityreceivedan$8.2millionawardfromtheNationalHeart,LungandBloodInstitutetoadministeranewroundofstudiesthatextendtheWHIuntil2015. Today,UBleadstheentireNortheastregion. InadditiontotheinitialWHIcontractandextensionstudies ofmorethan$21million,UBhasattractedanother$12millioninfundingtotheWHIcenter,dueinlargeparttotheclinicalresearchinfrastructureithasinplace. Thewomenwhoparticipatedareanimportantpartofthestory,too,especiallyinBuffalo. “Recruitingparticipantsforclinicaltrialsisalwaysjustplainhard,”saysWactawski-Wende,“butthewomenofWesternNewYorksteppedup.UBwasthefirstcenteroutoftheinitial16thatcompletedrecruiting.Infact,weover-recruited!” Currently,Wactawski-Wendeandherteamareplanningforthenextsubmissiontoextendthestudyto2020.

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Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, with a framed copy of the 1993 UB Reporter story announcing that UB had been named a vanguard center for the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Twenty years later, UB is a regional center for WHI research and has received more than $30 million in related funding. In honor of her international contributions to medical research, Wactawski-Wende was presented the 2013 Stockton Kimball Award by the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“We literally spent three months, full time, writing that application. As it turned out, we were one of the top reviewed applications.”


INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE AND UB SIGN COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTBuilds on existing outreach to Native American communities

TheIndianHealthService(IHS)andUBhaveagreedtoworktogethertoimprovethehealthofNativeAmericansinNewYorkStateandSouthernOntario. SusanV.Karol,MD,chiefmedicalofficerforIHS,andMichaelCain,MD,UBvicepresidentforhealthsciencesanddean,SchoolofMedicineandBiomedicalSciences,havesignedamemorandumofunderstandingthatformallyestablishesacollaborativerelationshipbetweenUBandIHS. UBwillworkwithIHStodevelopanallianceofregionalpublichealthandmedicalinstitutionstoservethepriorityneedsofNativeAmericancommunitiesintheareasofeducation,research,consultationandtechnicalassistance,capacitybuildingand directservices. OneofthegoalsofthememorandumistopursuewaystheuniversitycanfurtherassistNativeAmericanstudentswhoaspiretocareersinhealthcare,accordingtoKarol,amemberoftheTuscaroraIndianNation. UB’srelationshipwithIHSwillinvolveallfiveoftheuniversity’shealthsciencesschools(medicine,publichealth,nursing,pharmacy

“The relationship will allow UB and IHS to work effectively together to improve the health of Native Americans in Western New York and throughout the state, as well as in Southern Ontario.”

Michael E. Cain, MD,vice president for health sciences and dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, left, with Susan V. Karol, MD, chief medical officer for the Indian Health Service and a member of the Tuscarora Indian Nation.

anddentalmedicine),andwillbuildupontheschools’existingoutreachtoNativeAmericancommunitiesinWestern NewYork.“Throughthiscollaborativeagreement,UBwillworkwithregionaltriballeaderstodevelopandofferrobustpublichealthprogramstoimprovehealthandwellnessamongNativeAmericans,”saysCain. UBwillengageeachofthelocaltribalnationstounder-standtheirneedsandfacilitatemutuallyeffectiverelationshipsbetweenallparties. Further,thememorandumwillallowforthedevelopmentofactivitiesofmutualinterestandwillrepresentacommitmentbyallpartiestoseektribalnationconsultationandtohonortribalnationsovereigntyandself-determinationincarryingoutactivities.


“GIVEN THAT THE COST OF MEDICAL EDUCATION LEAVES MANY YOUNG DOCTORS WITH CONSIDERABLE DEBT, SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGES ARE OF PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION.”

R O S E A N N E B E R G E R , M D , senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education


“Therearemanyfactors,intellectualandemotional,thatgointomakingthisdecision,andit’snotformulaic,”saysRoseanneBerger,MD,seniorassociatedeanforgraduatemedicaleducationatUB.“It’snotastraightforwardprocessthatyoucanchartonanExcelspreadsheettoarriveattherightanswer.” Bergerhasbeeninherroleforover20yearsandunderstandsbetterthanmostjusthowvariedandcomplexthesefactorsare.Herofficeoverseestheaccreditationof60residencyandfellowshipprogramssponsoredbyUBandmanagestheemploymentandhumanresourcesactivityforapproximately750trainees. Forsomeyoungdoctors,theircareergoalsdrivethedecision;forothers,morepersonalfactorsholdsway,suchasbeingnearfamily.

Factorsthatinfluencewheretheywillsomedaypracticeoftentakeshapewhiletheyareinmedicalschoolandareweighingoptionsforresidencytrainingandperhapseventuallyafellowship. “Careerdecisionsoftenbeginwiththeendinmind,”explainsBerger.“Forexample,ifyourgoalistobeanacademicphysicianengagedintranslationalresearch,thenpartofyourdecisionisgoingtobeinfluencedbysuchthingsaswhichinstitutionsandcommunitieshaveresearchstrengthsthatmatchyourinterests.” GiventhatthemajorityofmedicalschoolsintheU.S.arelocatedinurbanareas,sheadds,aresident’sdecisiontopursueacareerinacademicmedicineincreasesthelikelihoodthatheorshewillpracticeinornearacity.

IF YOU ASK YOUNG DOCTORS WHERE THEY PLAN TO PRACTICE

MEDICINE ONCE THEY COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING, YOU WILL FIND

THEIR ANSWERS LIE AT THE INTERSTICES OF HEAD AND HEART.

BY S.A. UNGER

PHOTOS BY DOUGLAS LEVERE

HOW DO YOUNG DOCTORS DECIDE WHERE TO WORK?

In Search of Best Places to Practice


“I FEEL THERE’S SUCH A NEED LOCALLY. I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE I SEE EVERY DAY—THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY.”

FAMILY AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JENNIFER YERKE, MD ’12, FAMILY MEDICINE

Jennifer Yerke, MD ’12, a native of Hamburg, N.Y., has known since medical school that she wanted to stay and practice in Western New York. Now, as a first-year resident in family medicine, she is more sure than ever.

“Growing up in the area, I’ve always loved it. I’ve never really gone far away because my family and friends are here.”

When deciding where in the area she wants to practice, Yerke says she has received a lot of help from the UB Family Medicine Training Program, which gives residents exposure to different practice settings.

She also has been influenced by strong mentors, including a family medicine practitioner in rural Arcade, N.Y.

“I just loved working with him,” she says. “He embodied all that I hope to be when I am practicing. He knew all his patients: when he walked in the room, he didn’t have to look at their charts. He knew about their lives and their families, and when he went to the local supermarket, he would see them there.”

Yerke adds that her decision about where to practice also depends on her learning the business side of medicine. “A lot of people go into well-established practices to learn how things are run in the real world before feeling comfortable enough to go out on their own or join a small clinic.”

In the years ahead, Yerke sees herself being in a rural or suburban practice.

“I feel there’s such a need locally. I want to help people I see every day—the people who make a community a community.”

BALANCING HEAD AND HEARTto balance head and heart as they search for a best place to practice.

J E N N I F E R Y E R K E , M D ’ 1 2 , Family Medicine

U B M E D I C I N E1 0 W I N T E R 2 0 1 4

BHARATH RAJAGOPALAN, MD, INTERNAL MEDICINE/CARDIOLOGY

Bharath Rajagopalan, MD, graduated from a top medical school in India, and because he had almost perfect scores on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, he was invited to interview at 34 schools for his residency.

After doing a rotation in Buffalo for a month prior to entering the Residency Match, the experience was so positive, he withdrew from the match and entered UB’s training program in internal medicine in 2010.

This year, he is serving as chief resident andhas his sights set on a cardiology fellowship at UB because of the quality of the program.

Rajagopalan’s decision about where to practice hinges almost exclusively on his aim to pursue a career in academic medicine, so he knows he will need to “stick near a medical school, and this more than likely means I willbe based in a city.”

He is also looking for professional continuity. “If I end up being a fellow at UB, I will have been in Buffalo seven years, so I will know the system and will have built up professional relationships,” he says. “If I go somewhere else, I will have to re-establish my reputation all over again.”

He also places a high premium on being in a place that is growing. “Buffalo has much to offer that way with the new medical school and the Gates Vascular Institute,” he says.

In all his plans, Rajagopalan will have to accommodate his visa status and remains positive that he will be able to do so.

B H A R A T H R A J A G O P A L A N , M D , Internal Medicine/Cardiology

“BUFFALO HAS MUCHTO OFFER WITH THENEW MEDICAL SCHOOL AND GATES VASCULAR INSTITUTE.”

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“IT’S IMPORTANT TO COMPROMISE. IF ONE PERSON FEELS UNFULFILLED, IT CAN CREATE PROBLEMS.”

BALANCING HEAD AND HEART

EDUCATIONAL DEBT AND UNDERSERVED AREAS

RASHMI BISMARK, MD, MPH, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE

Years ago, when Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, and her husband, Bradley, a banker, were planning to marry, they made a pact regarding career decisions.

“We can both get very driven by our work, so we agreed we would take turns making decisions,” says Rashmi, who just completed a year as chief resident in the Department of Preventive Medicine in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions.

After the couple married, Bradley, who works for HSBC, was the first to choose. As aresult, shortly after Rashmi completed a pre-liminary year of residency near her hometown of Sherrill, N.Y., they moved to Bangalore, India, for a year and a half assignment that turned into three years.

Bradley then had an opportunity to transfer to Paris, which the couple agreed they couldn’t pass up. While in Paris, their two daughters were born.

The next move was Rashmi’s to make, sothe couple came to Buffalo, where Rashmicompleted her residency.

“Buffalo was a good choice for many rea-sons,” she says. “With our kids, it was nice to be close to family, but we also felt very good about the schools and we love living inElmwood Village.”

Currently, the couple is weighing their next move, which is Bradley’s. Likely, it will be overseas, where Rashmi sees herself teaching or working for a nongovernmental organization.

Rashmi knows of other young doctors who are balancing careers with spouses. “It’s impor-tant to compromise,” she says. “If one person feels unfulfilled, it can create problems.”

WHILE ONLY 44 PERCENT OF THE NEWLY TRAINED PHYSICIANS WE SURVEYED REPORTED PLANS TO

PRACTICE IN THE STATE, OF THESE, THE VAST MAJORITY—86 PERCENT—WERE

PLANNING TO PRACTICE IN THE REGION WHERE THEY TRAINED.

—DAVID P. ARMSTRONG, Center for Health Workforce Studies

R A S H M I B I S M A R K , M D , M P H , Preventive Medicine


MICHAEL FREITAS, MD ’10, FAMILY MEDICINE/SPORTS MEDICINE

Michael Freitas, MD ’10, grew up outside of Boston, Mass., and attended college there at Northeastern University, where he met hiswife, who is from Hamilton, Ont.

“My preferred locations for medical schoolswere Boston or Western New York because offamily,” says Freitas, who began a fellowship insports medicine/primary care at UB last summerafter completing medical school and a family medicine residency here.

For the foreseeable future, he plans on staying and practicing in Buffalo.

“We’re well established here with friends we’ve made over the last seven years,” he says. “With regard to trying to establish my own practice in Buffalo, there are good opportunities in the community. I’ve made a lot of connections with medical professionals here and have a network in place.

“And Buffalo is a welcoming town in that sense. It’s an easy place to live, and there’s a lot to do here—a lot of culture, sports and good restaurants.”

Freitas also cites the importance of being close to his in-laws just across the border in Canada, as well as being only a day’s drivefrom his family.

After he completes his fellowship, he plans to practice both primary care and sports medicine, likely in a group.

“These are my plans in the short term,” he says. “For the long term, I’m always open to new challenges. We figure because we’d laid down roots in this area, we’d stay here and see how things go.”

M I C H A E L F R E I T A S , M D ’ 1 O , Family Medicine/Sports Medicine

“WE’RE WELL ESTABLISHED HERE WITH FRIENDS WE’VE MADE OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.”


QUALITY OF LIFE AND FURTHER EDUCATION

“BUFFALO HAD THE WARMEST PEOPLE. I KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT THIS WAS WHERE I WANTED TO BE.”

RICARDO ROMERO, MD, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY

Ricardo Romero, MD, a native of El Salvador, is in his second year of fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at UB.

One of the reasons he came to Buffalo after completing his residency at the University of Southern California (USC) was to be near relatives who moved to Canada in the 1980s, seeking refuge from the civil war in El Salvador.

Romero’s mother, who lives with him, had a severe heart attack while he was at USC, and he knew that he needed to be near family to get help with her care.

He interviewed for fellowships at 10 placesand says that “Buffalo had the warmest people.I knew right away that this was where I wantedto be.”

Romero’s career goals center on academic medicine. If things work out, he would like to stay at UB.

There is a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in Western New York, as there is in many parts of the country. There is also a shortage of Spanish-speaking doctors in the area, something Romero found when seeking treatment for his mother.

“This is one of the motivations I have to stay here. I can make a difference for these underserved populations,” he says.

Still, Romero, who became a U.S. citizentwo years ago, knows that ultimately hewill need to go where the employmentopportunities are.

SOCIAL CLIMATE, NOT WEATHER

BALANCING HEAD AND HEART

R I C A R D O R O M E R O , M D , Child and Adolescent Psychiatry


B E S T P L A C E S T O P R A C T I C E

SHALANA O’BRIEN, MD ’10, SURGERY

Shalana O’Brien, MD ’10, a native of Bothell, Wash., has completed two years of general surgery training at UB and is halfway through a two-year break to conduct research, after which she will finish the final three years ofher residency.

Her goal is to be an oncologic surgeon and to work in academic medicine, so she is conducting her research at Roswell ParkCancer Institute.

After residency, her next step will be toearn a highly competitive fellowship insurgical oncology.

“Roswell is a great hospital, very wellknown and respected, and fellows get well trained there, so that is definitely at the topof my list,” she says in reference to where she may someday like to train in oncology.

Yet, O’Brien is also drawn to being near family, an aim further complicated by the fact that she is in a relationship with a native Buffalonian who would also like to be closeto relatives.

“As much as the Seattle area feels like home, so does Buffalo now,” she says. “If I complete a fellowship in Buffalo, I will have lived here 13 years. Most of my friends are here now. I love the West Coast, but I’m really happy here, too.”

The consideration that rises above all others for O’Brien, however, is job opportunities.

“If there aren’t jobs in my field in Buffalo when my training is done,” she says, “then I will have to go where they are.”

S H A L A N A O ’ B R I E N , M D ’ 1 0 , Surgery

“ROSWELL IS A GREAT HOSPITAL, VERY WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED, AND FELLOWS GET WELL TRAINED THERE, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.”


David Pierce, MD, enjoyed extraordinary opportunities early in his career

As a resident and young faculty member at UB, David Pierce, MD,

had a penchant for winning big things: national emergency medicine

competitions, the Dean’s Award, residency teaching accolades, grant

funding, protected research time and a coveted spot as a faculty member in

one of our country’s most elite professional development institutes.

ON THE FAST TRACK IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

BY S. A. UN G E RA N D JI M BI S C O

An accomplished artist, Pierce is currentlyillustrating a book on hand injuries.

Grew Up Thinking He Would Be an Artist

and

Teaching the Way He Would Want to Be Taught

In the National Spotlight

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Selected for the Harvard Macy Institute

Mentors Who Make a Difference to Young Faculty

Lifelong Learning and Creativity

“The training I had at UB was phenonmenaland the number of things I was able to dowas amazing.”

—David Pierce, MD

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A PATH FORWARDNancy Nielsen helped craft new national health care delivery models

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In2011,NielsenreceivedacallfromDonaldM.Berwick,MD,thenheadoftheU.S.CentersforMedicareandMedicaidServices(CMS),whoasked her to serve as a senior advisor in the CMS’snewCenterforMedicareandMedicaidInnovation. TheCMSInnovationCenter,asitisknown,wasestablishedintheAffordableCareAct(ACA)andgivena$10billionbudgettodevelopandtestnewhealthcarepaymentandservicedeliverymodelsnationwide. Inadditiontobeingapastpresi- dentoftheAMA,Nielsenhadserved asseniorassociatedeanformedicaleducationandprofessorofmedicineintheUBSchoolofMedicineandBiomedicalSciencesformanyyears andhadjustbeennamedtoanew roleasseniorassociatedeanfor healthpolicyatUB.

Shewasseenbyhealthcareleadersassomeonewhocouldbringahighlyrespectedandexperiencedvoicetothetable,especiallyinthemanyconversationsthatlayaheadregardingchangesthatwouldhaveadirectimpactonhowphysiciansprovidecareand arereimbursed. AtthesametimethatBerwicktap- pedNielsenfortheInnovationCenter,shewasaskedtoserveinasecondrole inwhichshewouldreportdirectlyto SecretaryofHealthandHumanServicesKathleenSebelius. UBconsentedtoreleaseher“onloan”foroneyearthroughaninter-governmentalpersonnelagreement,whichwaslaterextendedforanotheryearatthegovernment’srequest. “Itwasanamazingopportunity,”recountsNielsen,whoreturnedto UBlastspring.‘Thetworolesgaveme

entréetosomuchthatwasgoingonwiththeAffordableCareAct.” DuringherstayinWashington,D.C.,Nielsensaysshefeltstronglythatshehadaspecificroletoplay. “ItoldeveryonethatIwantedtobesurethatdoctorsinsmallpracticesarenotforgottenaswemakechangestohealthcareinourcountry,becausetherearetoomanypeopleinsmallpracticesandtheyaretooimportant.Weneedeverydoctorinthecountryandwewanttogivethemapathforward,justaswedoforthelarge,integratedgroups. “Wecan’tjustsayweneedmoredoctors,”shecontends,“becauseittakestoolongtogrowone—anywherefrom7to15years.Sowehavetomakebetteruseofthedoctorswehave,andwehavetohelpthemdowhattheyalwayswantedtodo,buthaveneverbeenpaidtodo.”

By S.A. Un g e r

When Nancy Nielsen, MD ’76, PhD, was elected president of

the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2008—only the

second woman to ever hold the position—it seemed as though

she had reached the pinnacle of her career.

Little did she know that yet another highly influential role

awaited her, one that would place her at the center of efforts

to restructure the U.S. health care system in a more compre-

hensive way than at any other time in the last 50 years.


“This is an opportunity to bring together players in our health care community and to concentrate resources so that we can deliver better care to our region’s population.”

—Nancy Nielsen, MD ’76, PhD

AN HISTORIC RULING

a very

WHERE THE BEST IDEAS ORIGINATE

the groups she talked to understood

not

not going to originate in Washington or

g


MODELS BUILT FROM THE GRASSROOTS UP

Nielsen was involved with planning

Nielsen was involved in reviewing the

INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WESTERN NEW YORK

patients and hospitals that there are

opportunities are and to understand

FROM LEFT, Satish K. Tripathi, UB president; Robert G. Wilmers, chairman and CEO of M&T Bank; Nancy Nielsen, MD, PhD; Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; and Jeremy M. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Delaware North Companies. Wilmers, Nielsen and Jacobs serve as co-chairs for the Medical School Campaign Steering Committee.

“The best ideas for how to do things better are not going to originate in Washington or Baltimore; they are going to originate from the ground up. That’s why we didn’t spend a lot of time talking to bureaucrats. We talked to people on the front lines.”

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FTER MEDICAL SCHOOL,

COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT AND RESEARCH PROGRAM

GENETIC TESTING FOR EARLY INTERVENTION

Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD, recruited to UB to establish Alzheimer’s Center

A FOCUS ON MEMORY DISORDERS

Kinga Szigeti knew she wanted to be a physician from the time she was a child

growing up in Pécs, Hungary. “It could have been that I was so afraid of the shots

that I wanted to be in control,” she laughs. But what type of physician? As she went

through medical school in her hometown at the top of her class, her math skills helped

her find her strength in neurology. Along the way she also developed a special interest

in genetics and the light that could be shed on diseases from studying the genome.

A

BY JI M BI S C O


AT HOME AT UB AND IN BUFFALO

To learn more about UB’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center, or to make an appointment,call (716) 859-3484, Monday through Thursday.

“We try to help them learn about what they are facing and to adjust, because it is a new type of life once you get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.”—Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD

Photo by Douglas Levere


U B M E D C O L L A B O R A T I O N S

Window of opportunity before the onset of disease

NEW OPTION ON THE TABLE FOR TYPE1 DIABETES

“The studies have provided a kind of road map that now allows us to predict with extreme precision when and if an individual will come down with Type 1 diabetes.”

—Teresa Quattrin, MD

Study aims to intervene early, stave off the disease for years

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BY EL L E N GO L D B A U M


A chance to greatly reduce complications

The Lockwood Family: Scott and Kristine, with Jillian, Dawson and Connor.

“If the oral insulin means that Jillian may not become diabetic until she’s 20 or 25, then we’ll take it. Andif it finds a cure and helps somebody else, then it’s tenfold the reason for doing this.”

—Kristine Lockwood

Lee Pearce contributed to this article.

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U B M E D D O C T O R V I S I T S

UB STUDENTS ARE LEARNING FROM THE BESTAndrew Symons practices what he teaches

AndrewSymons,MD’02,oncetaughtbiology intheNewYorkCitypublicschoolsystem whileworkingonadoctorateinmarineecologyandteachinginanafter-schoolprogramat

Mt.SinaiSchoolofMedicineforunderrepresentedminoritystudentsinterestedmedicalcareers. TheMt.SinaiprogramdirectorsuggestedhetaketheMCAT.ThatbroughtSymons,then35yearsold,tomedicalschoolinBuffalo,wherehestayedtotraininfamilymedicine.TodayheisvicechairformedicalstudenteducationintheDepartmentofFamilyMedicineanddirectoroftheClinicalPracticeofMedicinecourse(yearone). In2013,SymonswasnamedFamilyDoctoroftheYearbytheNewYorkStateAcademyofFamilyPhysicians.Despitehisprofessionalobligations—andaccomplishments—heremainsapolymathwhois,amongotherthings,aperformingmusicianandacertifiedscubainstructor.Torelax,hetakestwoweeksoffeachsummertobeacampdoctor. SymonsspendshalfhistimeseeingpatientsintheUBMDfamilymedicinepracticeinTonawanda,N.Y.,andtheotherhalfinacademicandadministrativework.

Varietyandcontinuityarewhathelikesaboutfamilymedicine.Heseespatientsofallageswhopresentwithawidevarietyofconditionsand,importantly,heseesthemregularly.“SoI’mnotstartingfromscratcheveryvisit,whichallowsmetoprioritizeissuesovertime,”hesays. Onatypicaldayrecently,Symonssawaninfantforacheckup,assesseda90yearoldwithdementia,removedasuspiciousskinlesion,treatedathlete’sfootandacaseofacne,discussedanxietywithonepatientandopioidaddictionwithanother,gaveasteroidinjectionfortendonitis,removedimpactedearwax,examinedseveralindividualswithbackpain,andmore—allpartofwhatheconsiderstobeanormal,fulfillingdayattheoffice. Afamilymedicinepractice,hesays,canprovidedirectcareforthevastmajorityofissuesthatcomethroughthedoor. Asaneducatorintroducingstudentstotheclinicalpracticeofmedicine,Symonsisideallyplacedtopromotefamilymedicine,buthesayshedoesn’tproselytize.Whenstudentswhohavecompletedafamilymedicinerotationdecidetogoontootherspecialties,he’ssatisfiedthatthey’llunderstandthecentralroleofafamilyphysicianincaringforpatientsandhowbesttocoordinatespecialistcarethroughcommunicationwithfamilyphysicians. That’snottosayheisn’tastrongproponentofhisfield.Symonsisleadinvestigatorona$950,000grantfromtheU.S.HealthResourcesandServicesAdministrationthatfundsprogramstopromoteprimarycarecareerchoiceamongU.S.medicalstudents.Andwhenoneofhisstudentsdoeswanttopursuefamilymedicine,hecanrhapsodize.

By JU d S o n me A d

In 2013, Symons was named Family Doctor of the Year

by the New York State Academy of Family Physicians.

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A LEADER WHO TRAINS FAMILY DOCTORSDiana Wilkins is a tough balancing act to follow

DianaWilkins,MD’04,tookontheroleofdirectorofthefamilymedicineresidencyprograminApril2013.Just10yearsearlier,shewasamedicalstudentapplyingtothesameprogram.Fromherown

experience,sheknowstheargumentforleavingBuffalototrainandtheargumentforstaying. “Goingawayisanopportunitytolearnfromnewperspectivesandbringthatbackhome.”CominghomewasneverindoubtforWilkins,aBuffalonative. Buttrainingherewasfinallymoreappealingbecausesheknewwhatshehad.“Aftermeetingwithfacultyandresidents,Iwassureitwouldwork.” Anditcertainlydid—forherandherstudents.In2009,Wilkins,whowasbythenpracticingandteaching,receivedtwoofUBmedicalschool’smostprestigiousfacultyawards:theLeonardTowHumanisminMedicineAwardforclinicalexcellenceandcompassioninthedeliveryofcare,andtheSiegelAwardforExcellenceinTeachingClinicalSciences. Thedoublehonorrepresentsabalancethatcanfeellikeatugofwar.Shestudiedmedicinetobeafamilydoctor,butdirectingthe

residencyprogramtakes70percentofhertime,sosheonlyseespatientsforthreehalf-daysessionsaweek. “Acorevalueoffamilymedicineistobeavailableandbeapartofyourpatients’lives,socuttingbackisachallenge,”shesays.HerpartnersintheUBMDfamilymedicinepracticeonSheridanDriveinTonawandaseeherpatientsasneededwhenshe’snotavailable. Despiteheracademicduties,Wilkinsdoesoccasionallyacceptnewpatients.“I’mafamilydoctorsowhenpeopleaskmetotakecareoffamilymembers,Ican’tsayno.” Thisinclinationgoestotheheartofwhymoremedicalstudentstodayareshowinganinterestinprimarycare,saysWilkins. Applicantstothefamilymedicineresidencyprogramtellherthey’rechoosingthespecialtybecausetheywantthecontinuityofrelationshipstheycanbuildwithpatientsandtheirfamilies. Wilkinsisresponsiblefor48residents.Shedescribesherjobas“supportingtheresidentsandcreatinganenvironmentthatprovidesgoodtrainingandproducesgreatfamilydoctors.”Thethree-yearprogramofferstraineesachoiceoffourtracks:twourban,onesuburbanandonerural. WilkinshasnotroublepitchingBuffalo,whichsheloves,asaplacetoliveforthreeyears—orlonger. HerrecruitingpostershowsasnowyBuffaloscene:“We’renotshyaboutwhoweare,”shesays.“Wehaveagreatgroupofresidentswholiketoworktogetherandspendtimetogether.That’showBuffalois.It’snicethatourprogrammodelsthatimage.”

By JU d S o n me A d

“We have a great group of residents who like to work together and spend time together. That’s how Buffalo is. It’s nice that our program models that image.”

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U B M E D P A T H W A Y S

BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS

Peter L. Elkin, MD, former vice president and professor of medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and director of its Center for Biomedical Informatics, has been appointed professor and founding chair of the Department

of Biomedical Informatics.

A leader in biomedical informatics, Elkin is renowned for building data infrastructure systems and protocols that have transformed research and clinical care. He has pioneered methods for standardizing medical record data that can link patient records to genomic, diagnostic and treatment information.

Elkin is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and the American College of Medical Informatics. He has been elected to mastership by the American College of Physicians, an honor shared by only a small number of physicians worldwide.

Elkin earned his undergraduate degree in applied mathematics and physics from Union College and his medical degree at New York Medical College. He trained in internal medicine at the Lahey Clinic and was a clinical fellow in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

He completed a fellowship in medical informatics at MGH and at Harvard Medical School in conjunction with the Harvard School of Public Health. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Elkin worked at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he served as professor of medicine and director of the biomedical informatics research collaborative.

T H R E E N E W D E P A R T M E N T C H A I R S N A M E DThree new department chairs were recently announced, bringing to 22 the number of chairs and chair-level appointees named in the past

seven years by Michael E. Cain, MD, UB vice president for health sciences and dean, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. These

hires, Cain says, are a critical piece of his strategic vision for the medical school’s future.

NEUROSURGERY

Elad I. Levy, MD, MBA, professor of neurosurgery at UB, has been named chair of the Department of Neurosurgery.

Levy is an accomplished neuro- and endovascular surgeon, clinical

researcher and educator who pioneered a method for performing minimally invasive spinal surgery. He has served and currently serves as principal investigator in national and international stroke trials.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Levy received his medical degree from George Washington University. He completed a surgical internship and his neurosurgical residency at the University of Pittsburgh.

At UB, Levy completed a fellowship in endovascular surgery, then served as an associate professor and professor in the Department of Neurosurgery; he also is professor of radiology. He is co-director of the Kaleida Health Stroke Center and director of the Toshiba Neuroendovascular Catheterization Laboratory. He recently earned an MBA from Northeastern University.

Levy has won numerous awards, including UB’s George Thorn Young Investigator Award, given by the UB medical school to faculty of exceptional talent who are less than 45 years of age. He serves as board member and co-founder of the Endovascular Neurosurgery Research Group and vice chair of the Scientific Planning Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Levy is a founder of the Program for the Understanding of Childhood Concussions and Stroke, a national organization established to boost research into youth concussions.

ORTHOPAEDICS

Leslie J. Bisson, MD, associate professor of orthopaedics at UB, has been appointed the inaugural June A. and Eugene R. Mindell, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics.

Bisson is director of UB’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship. He serves as medical director/team orthopaedic surgeon for the Buffalo Sabres, team physician and orthopaedic consultant for the Buffalo Bills, team orthopaedist for Buffalo State College and medical director for the World Junior Hockey Championships.

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, as well as the NFL Physicians Society and the NHL Team Physicians Society.

Bisson serves on the editorial boards of the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, and Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine.

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., he received his MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, graduating at the top of his class. He completed a general surgery internship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and an orthopaedic surgical residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

He also completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala.

Before joining UB in 2007, he was a partner at Northtowns Orthopaedics in Williamsville, NY.


He has an international reputation for his work in pediatric minimally invasive surgery and surgical intervention in childhood obesity.

He is currently one of the principal investigators on a $10 million National Institutes of Health grant to assess the short- and long-term safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery in adolescents compared to adults.

Harmon chairs the Childhood Obesity Committee of the American Pediatric Surgical Association and serves on the Humanitarian Task Force of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endo- scopic Surgeons.

He was general surgery clinic director at Children’s of Alabama, as well as surgical director of the Children’s Center for Weight Management and the Georgeson Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehab.

CARLOS ROBERTO JAÉN, PHD ’88, MD ’89 Elected to Institute of Medicine, head of Board of Family Medicine

UB alumnus Carlos Roberto Jaén, PhD ’88, MD ’89, was among 70 new members elected to the Institute of Medicine last fall, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

Earlier in 2013, he was named chair-elect of the American Board of Family Medicine, the board that certifies the nation’s family physicians. He will chair the board for one year beginning in 2014.

Jaén is chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA).

He has drawn international acclaim for his research on improving patient-centered care and community health.

UNEXPECTED TURN FOR THE BETTER

In the late 1980s, while he was pursuing a PhD in epidemiology and community health at UB, Jaén was sure that public health was his future, but then his career took an unexpected turn.

“As I was finishing my PhD, I learned that a lot of the jobs in public health required an MD, so I applied to the medical school. At that point

I fell in love with clinical practice, particularly family medicine,” he recalls. “I realized there was an opportunity to bridge family medicine and public health in a very powerful way.”

Jaén proceeded to cross that bridge in illustrious fashion. After his residency at Case Western Reserve University, he was recruited back to UB, where he spent the next nine years as a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine.

The native of Panama soon became engaged with Buffalo’s Latino community, launching a large community-based health needs study. The success of the study led to his serving as founding director of the Center for Urban Research and Primary Care in the Department of Family Medicine.

Along the way, Jaén also served on an expert panel that published smoking cessation guidelines for the Public Health Service and became involved in research that explores new ways of practicing primary care.

At UTHSCSA, Jaén also is the endowed holder of the Dr. and Mrs. James L. Holly Distinguished Professorship, which supports and promotes a model of patient-centered primary care and education.

“I realized there was an opportunity to bridge family medicine and public health in a very powerful way.”

HARMON NAMED PEDIATRIC SURGERY DIRECTOR AND DIVISION CHIEF

Carroll McWilliams (Mac) Harmon, MD, PhD, has been named chief of the division of

pediatric surgery and director of the pediatric surgery fellowship in the School of Medicine

and Biomedical Sciences, and pediatric surgeon-in-chief at Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. His faculty appointment is professor in the UB Department of Surgery.

Harmon formerly served as professor and director of pediatric surgical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Schoolof Medicine.

A past president of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group, Harmon is author of approximately 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Laparo-endoscopic and Advanced Sur-gical Techniques and Pediatric Surgical International.

Before joining UAB, Harmon was an instructor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and assistant professor of surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and his MD at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He also earned a PhD in molecular physiology and biophysics at Vanderbilt.

Harmon completed surgical residencies at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a

pediatric surgery residency and fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

HUGHES NAMED INAUGURAL SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR CLINICAL AFFAIRS

David P. Hughes, MD ’95, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine, has been named the inaugural senior associate dean for clinical affairs.

The new position is a direct reflection of the changes underway as the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences moves downtown, says Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean.

Hughes also has been named senior vice president and chief clinical integration officer for


U B M E D P A T H W A Y S

Recipients of the 2013 Distinguished Medical and Biomedical Alumnus Awards for

the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences were honored at a dinner held on

October 10 at the Clinical and Translational Research Center. The event, sponsored

by the UB Medical Alumni Association in conjunction with the school, was attended

by family and friends of the awardees, as well as alumni, faculty and students.

DISTINGUISHED MEDICAL ALUMNUS

Joseph A. Chazan, MD ’60

Joseph A. Chazan, MD, is a pioneering nephrologist and clinical professor of medicine emeritus at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School.

Chazan, who continues in active practice, is president and founder of Nephrology Associates, Inc., in Rhode Island, and senior managing director of American Renal Associates, Inc., for Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Following medical school at UB, Chazan interned at Boston City Hospital and trained in internal medicine at the Boston VA and Beth Israel hospitals. After serving with the U.S. Public Health Service, he completed a renal fellowship at the New England Medical Center in 1966. A year later he joined the faculty at Brown.

Kaleida Health, a major teaching affiliate for UB.

“This precedent-setting joint appointment of Dr. Hughes further aligns the UB medical school with its clinical partners in the community, including UBMD, Kaleida and Great Lakes Health,” Cain says. “He will be responsible for strengthening the synergies that the move downtown will underscore between clinicians, medical educators and UB students and residents.”

In his new UB post, Hughes will work to optimize the clinical performance of the academic programs.

The chief clinical integration officer is a new position at Kaleida, charged with provid- ing leadership in designing care delivery processes that improve services and quality, reduce costs and eliminate variation.

“As health care delivery undergoes significant change, together with our physicians and staff, we need to better coordinate how care is delivered and integrate the various components of care in order to improve outcomes and reduce costs,” says James R. Kaskie, president and CEO of Kaleida Health.

Hughes received his master’s degree in public health from the Medical College of Wisconsin and his medical degree from UB.

He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Wake Forest University Medical Center.

Hughes received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Kettering University. Prior to entering medical school, he was a process engineer at the General Motors Tonawanda Engine Plant.

D I S T I N G U I S H E D M E D I C A L A N D B I O M E D I C A L A L U M N U S A W A R D S

2013 Distinguished Alumni Joseph A. Chazan, MD ’60, left, and Kenneth A. Jacobson, PhD ’72, right, with Dean Michael E. Cain, MD, at the award ceremony.

We want to hear from you!

Alumni, Send us news about your life, family or career!

To submit a Classnote:

email us at

[email protected]

or visit

http://medicine.buffalo.edu/alumni.html

and click on “Classnotes“ to complete the online form.

Pictures are welcomed!

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In the early 1970s, Chazan was the sole consultative nephrologist practicing in Rhode Island. Over the years he combined his interests in academia with private practice to become a leader in nephrology throughout New England.

He developed the first chronic hemodialysis program at Rhode Island Hospital and was the first to extend dialysis treatment to a freestanding outpatient clinic in the state.

From a small dialysis clinic that he established in 1973, he developed a comprehensive network of 10 dialysis centers that now serve more than 700 patients a week. He was also instrumental in developing the state’s renal transplant program.

Chazan served as governor of the American College of Physicians for the state of Rhode Island; was a founder of Ocean State Physi-cians Health Plan; and held the position of board chairman for United Health Plans of New England.

In 1973, Chazan and his wife, Helene, began collecting contemporary art, eventually donating much of the now-renowned collection to 30 museums, including the

Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the UB Art Galleries. In June 2013, Chazan was honor-ed with the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts.

DISTINGUISHED BIOMEDICAL ALUMNUS

Kenneth A. Jacobson, PhD ’72

Kenneth A. Jacobson, PhD, is Kenan Pro-fessor of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill.

Jacobson has made key contributions to the understanding of how the cell mem-brane is organized. He was one of the earliest developers of the FRAP (fluores-cence recovery after photobleaching) technique, used to measure lateral mobility in membranes, and digitized fluorescence microscopy and its application to cell biology.

After earning an MS in physics from the University of Wisconsin and working for Dow Corning Corporation, he obtained a PhD in biophysical sciences at UB.

He then worked at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and, since 1980, for UNC School of Medicine.

Jacobson and his team at UNC have dev-eloped novel tools and methods to study the physical principles of how cells migrate, using simple-shaped cells as a model.

Working with theoreticians, their goal is to approach a major challenge for cell biology: how to integrate myriad molecular pieces into a global understanding of motile phenomena.

Jacobson is currently interested in mem-brane nanodomains of the C-type lectins on dendritic cells and how they function as receptors for pathogens—ranging from small viruses that cause Dengue fever, to yeast— to initiate the innate immune response.

For the past 20 years, Jacobson has also been interested in renewable energy and has been involved in a joint effort with the Research Triangle Institute, the UNC Center for Global Health and North Carolina State University to develop a small solar-powered vaccine cooler based on semiconductor thermoelectric principles to significantly reduce vaccine wastage where refrigeration is unavailable.

SAVE THE DATES! LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GROW YOUR INCOME?

A charitable gift annuity lets you earn fixed income while you support UB.

* Receive guaranteed income for life

* Reduce your taxes

* Create a named scholarship

* Help support the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

AGE RATE

60 4.4%65 4.7%70 5.1%75 5.8%80 6.8%85 7.8%90 9.0%

For information, contact

Wendy Irving, Esq.,

Assistant Vice President,

Office of Gift Planning.

Toll free: 877-825-3422

Email: [email protected]

Charitable gift annuity rates

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S

ALUMNI AND REUNION WEEKEND 2014

FRIDAY, MAY 16 Alumni 2014 Cocktail Party Hotel Lafayette 391 Washington Street Buffalo, NY

SATURDAY, MAY 17 Spring Clinical Day Hyatt Regency Hotel Two Fountain Plaza Buffalo, NY

More details coming in January 2014! Visit: http://medicine. buffalo.edu/ alumni.html

Reunion Classes 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009

Reunion Classes Dine-a-Round Buffalo at various venues (TBA by class year)

Hotel reservations: Hyatt Regency: 1-888-421-1442 (reference “UB Medical School”)

Questions? Contact: Tracy Oun at 716-829-6420 or [email protected]


“As a proud graduate, I’m excited to see ourmedical school grow. Please join us.”

Charles R. Niles, MD ’83, is co-founder ofOphthalmology Associates in Williamsville, NY. He also is a clinical assistant professor ofophthalmology in the medical school. Charles and Ellen Niles are co-chairs of the Circle ofVisionaries. To read more about this very special group of medical school supporters, see page 4 in this issue of UB Medicine.

Building a completely new medical school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seize this chanceto revolutionize medical education, health care and research in Western New York.

Become a partner at this pivotal moment in UB’s history. There are many ways to support yournew medical school today or in the future. Opportunities include:

Medical School Building Fund � Circle of Leaders � Circle of Visionaries

Please contact Kim Venti for more information. 716-829-2773 | [email protected] | www.giving.buffalo.edu/ubmedicine

THE NEW UB SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES ON THE BUFFALO NIAGARAMEDICAL CAMPUS

Count us in.

21st-century education, treatment and discovery

UB Med Mag Ad - C Niles 8-13_Layout 1 11/19/13 8:47 AM Page 1

U B M E D Q & A

The American Medical Association officially recognized obesity as a disease last year in an effort to spur development of more effective preventive and treatment options. UBMedicine asked Teresa Quattrin, MD, A. Conger Goodyear Professor and Chair of Pediatrics, why obesity is such an urgent problem and what can be done to counteract it. Quattrin, who also serves as director of the Division of Endocrinology/Diabetes at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo—a major UB teaching affiliate—is an internationally regarded expert on childhood obesity. She is leading a $2.5 million study to test an innovative program to prevent and treat obesity in children aged 2 to 5.

Q: Why have obesity rates increased so much in recent decades?A:Changesindietandactivitylevelshavecontributedtoobesity.Peopleareeatingmore,andeatingless-healthyfoodhighincalories.Inourresearch,welookedatthefoodintakeofchildren2to5yearsold,andsevenoutof10wereconsumingsignificantlymorecaloriesthantherecommended1,200perday.Therearechildrenwhoeatawholecartonofstrawberries,andtheirparentsthinkthat’sOK.Butitisnot.Toomuchhealthyfoodcancontributetotheproblem.Extracalories,alongwithlowphysicalactivity,leadtoobesity,especiallyinpeoplewithapredispositiontodevelopingthediseaseandcertainlyinkidswhoseparentsareobese.

Q: What health problems can childhood obesity cause?A:Kneeproblems,backproblems,highbloodpressureandcardiovascularprob-lems.Childrenwhoareoverweightalsotendtohavepoorselfesteemandmakefewerfriends.It’simportanttorememberthathealthproblemsduetoobesitycanbeginearlyinlife.Type2diabetesusedtobecalledadultonsetdiabetes,butnowmanyteenagersandchildren—asyoungas8yearsold—havethedisease.

Q: Are children who are obese more likely to become obese adults?A: Yes.Studieshaveshownthateven2-to5-year-oldchildrenwhoareobesehaveashighasan80percentchanceofsufferingfromobesityinadulthoodiftheirparentsareoverweight.Oncethebodyisusedtoeatingacertainamountoffood,thestomachnolongersendsthepropersignalstothebraintosaythatyou’refull.Sowhenyoutrytochangehabits,it’sastruggle.

Q: What are some simple steps children and families can take to prevent obesity?A: Parentsshouldeducatethemselvesbyfindingouttheirchildren’sbodymassindexandtheirown.Childrenwhodon’tlookoverweightmaystillbeobese.Parentsalsoneedtobegoodrolemodels.Ifthehomeenvironmentissuchthattherefrigeratorandpantryarefullofjunkfoodinsteadoffruitsandvegetables,thechildgrowsupfeelingthat’sthewayheorsheshouldeat.Beingactiveisalsoimportant.Parkalittlefartherawayfromthesupermarket.Takethestairsinsteadoftheelevator.Walktothestoreorafriend’shouse.Thesearesimplestepsthat

canameliorateandpreventproblems.

To learn more about diabetes and obesity studies conducted by UB pediatricians, visit www.medicine.buffalo.edu/pediatrics and search “clinical trials.”

—Charlotte Hsu

“Studies have shown that even 2- to 5-year-old children who are obese have as high as an 80 percent chance of suffering from obesity in adulthood if their parents are overweight. ”


“As a proud graduate, I’m excited to see ourmedical school grow. Please join us.”

Charles R. Niles, MD ’83, is co-founder ofOphthalmology Associates in Williamsville, NY. He also is a clinical assistant professor ofophthalmology in the medical school. Charles and Ellen Niles are co-chairs of the Circle ofVisionaries. To read more about this very special group of medical school supporters, see page 4 in this issue of UB Medicine.

Building a completely new medical school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seize this chanceto revolutionize medical education, health care and research in Western New York.

Become a partner at this pivotal moment in UB’s history. There are many ways to support yournew medical school today or in the future. Opportunities include:

Medical School Building Fund � Circle of Leaders � Circle of Visionaries

Please contact Kim Venti for more information. 716-829-2773 | [email protected] | www.giving.buffalo.edu/ubmedicine

THE NEW UB SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES ON THE BUFFALO NIAGARAMEDICAL CAMPUS

Count us in.

21st-century education, treatment and discovery

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Thanks to you,I can change people’s lives for the better.

The best public universities have the strongest private support. www.giving.buffalo.edu

Michael Blanco wanted to be a neurosurgeon. After starting medical school, he switched to orthopedic surgery. Now that he’s completed rotations in both orthopedic and general surgery, he’s leaning toward general surgery. Or medicine? Maybe gastroenterology as a way to combine medicine and surgery? He likes to fix things. So much to try—so little time before residency applications are due. Michael married and started a family before coming to medical school, so for him the balance between family and career is not theoretical. He worked in his father’s car business for three years after graduating from the University of Florida. A scholarship offer helped him choose UB. Now the next big decision

is keeping him awake at night. What does he say about the stress? “I’m living my dream.” The best reason to support UB is what students like Michael will do in the future.

ub medicine winter 2014

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