Category: News

New UB Medical School Design Revealed

by BNMCin Allentown, Member Institution(s), News


The University at Buffalo (UB) unveiled the HOK design for the new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building to be constructed atop the NFTA Allen/Medical Campus station on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

Medical-School-Design-1Since winning the international design competition for the medical school concepts last year, HOK has worked closely with UB officials, the SUNY Construction Fund and community groups to develop the design best suited to the needs of the medical school while strengthening connections with the surrounding community. The design process is still underway, but is expected to be finalized within the next few months. The groundbreaking for the 7-story, more than 500,000-square-foot school is scheduled for the fall of 2013. The medical school will be one of the largest buildings constructed recently in the region when it officially opens in 2016.

Expected to bring an additional 2,000 faculty, staff and students to the Medical Campus, the steel-framed, state-of-the-art facility will feature a 6-story, light-filled glass atrium. The building’s façade will be clad with a high-performance terra cotta rainscreen and a glass curtain wall system that will bring daylight deep into the building. A convenient facility amenity will include bridges connecting to the two L-shaped buildings, the soon-to-be-built John R. Oishei Children's Hospital and Conventus medical office building.

Medical-School-Sidebar-1Serving as the building’s main interior “avenue,” there will be an atrium that will provide naturally illuminated by skylights and two glass walls, one along Washington Street and the other toward Allen Street.

Floor layout:

  • Floors 1 & 2: Multipurpose educational and community spaces for medical school and community outreach programs, such as the UB mini-medical school and other public health initiatives. The goal is to make the building’s public spaces highly accessible.
  • Floors 3, 4 & 5: Core research facilities as well as wp-contentroximately 150,000-square-foot of state-of-the art, easily configurable research laboratories for faculty in the basic sciences.
  • Floor 6: Advanced and specialized medical education facilities in the U.S., such as an expanded patient care simulation center, which will include the Behling Simulation Center, currently located on UB’s South Campus.
  • Floor 7: Gross anatomy facilities.

The medical school’s administrative offices and academic departments will be located on floors 3-7. It will also house a surgical simulation center where medical students can conduct surgeries in a simulated operating room. A complementary robotic surgery simulation center will train students and physicians in the latest remotely controlled robotic surgery technologies.

Aligning with key objectives from the UB 2020 strategic plan, the medical school will help create of a world-class medical school, increase recruitment of outstanding scientists, physician-scientists and clinicians to the university and transform the region into a major destination for innovative medical care and research.

“The new design allows us to grow our class size from 140 to 180, educating more physicians, many of whom will practice in the region,” said Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences at UB and dean of the medical school.  “It allows UB to hire more talented faculty, bringing to this community much-needed clinical services and medical training programs.”

Medical-School-Sidebar-2The new design also provides the most efficient layout for state-of-the-art medical education and research as it looks to receive LEED gold certification. A pedestrian passageway will extend through the building between Main and Washington Streets, leading to the Allen Street Western Gateway. To further promote alternative transportation modes, the passageway is deliberately aligned with a proposed Allen Street pedestrian extension from Washington to Michigan Streets, which will feature a bike share facility.

Cain also stated that “faculty conducting scientific and translational research will be in close proximity to faculty performing clinical care in the hospitals” and that the new design will establish “a complete continuum from discovery to patient care on one campus and in modern facilities expressly designed to efficiently maximize the medical school’s primary missions of education, clinical service and research.”

With the medical school so close to major teaching hospitals like Kaleida Health's Buffalo General Medical Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute and research facilities like the Clinical Translational Research Center, UB will be made into a strong academic and health care contender, much like Cleveland Clinic and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

For UB's downtown campus, the medical school will help create a vibrant, urban, mixed-use district seamlessly connected to the surrounding Allentown and Fruit Belt neighborhoods and other downtown communities. The $375 million medical school is partly funded by the NYSUNY 2020 legislation and private donations.

Read coverage about the medical school design unveiling below:

New UB Medical School is Designed to be an Integral Part of its Community

UB Unveils Med School Design (More Images)

UB Unveils New Downtown Medical Facility Design (With Photos)

UB Unveils School of Medicine Design

UB Unveils Design for Downtown Medical School: Building to be “Gateway”

UB Offers Images of Future Medical School

*Pictures retrieved from the University at Buffalo/HOK

*YouTube video created by the University at Buffalo

Light Smokers Benefit from Nicotine-Replacement Medications

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research

75% of smokers in Roswell Park-led study said offer of free cessation medication ‘very important’ to quit effort

Light daily smokers, those who smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes per day, have greater success quitting when provided stop-smoking medications and assisted by counselors. Those are the key conclusions of research conducted by scientists at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and the Medical University of South Carolina and published in the latest issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

While the number of light smokers is increasing, most studies have focused on the benefits of counseling and nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) for moderate and heavy smokers. This study found that light smokers who contacted a telephone quitline are typically interested in using NRT and achieve higher quit rates than those who were not offered NRT.

“While many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nicotine medications for smoking cessation, very few have examined these questions in lighter smokers, as we have done,” says Martin Mahoney, PhD, MD, Associate Professor in the departments of Health Behavior and Medicine at RPCI and senior study author. “A unique strength of this study is the use of an experimental design implemented in a real world community setting of a state quitline.”

The study evaluated long-term quitting success among 1,365 adult tobacco users who smoked less than 10 cigarettes daily and who contacted the New York State Smokers’ Quitline for assistance between January and July 2010. All smokers received two calls from trained stop-smoking counselors, and about half of the smokers were provided with stop-smoking medications.

Nearly all the light smokers offered the free nicotine medications wanted the medications, and 75% of smokers rated the offer of a free supply of NRT as very important to their quit effort. The quit rates measured at seven months were 20% higher in the group offered the NRT (33%) compared with those who received only counseling (27.2%).

“These findings demonstrate that low-level daily smokers are interested in and benefit from using NRT when they make a quit attempt,” said Laurie Krupski, first author on the study and a Training and Development Coordinator in the Department of Health Behavior at RPCI.

“Smoking cessation is a highly cost-effective intervention because the health consequences of smoking are enormously expensive and compound over time. This study demonstrates that quitline counseling in combination with NRT is a good return on investment,” said K. Michael Cummings, PhD, MPH, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina.

This work was supported in part by the New York State Department of Health and by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Center Support Grant to RPCI (P30CA016056).

The study, “Nicotine Replacement Therapy Distribution to Light Daily Smokers Calling a Quitline,” is available at http://goo.gl/dUiio.

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716.845.859

UB Helps to Launch Two Zimbabwe National Programs

by BNMCin Biotechnology Companies, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News, Research

UB Helps to Launch two Zimbabwe National Programs in Nanotechnology and HIV/AIDS Eradication

What does it take to launch two major international HIV/AIDS research initiatives involving the University at Buffalo (UB) and the University of Zimbabwe?

It requires attention to issues as diverse as working with government officials, choosing the right scientists, establishing ethics in research, training for quality control and good laboratory practices, transferring paper patient records into electronic formats and understanding how different cultures respond to serious illness and treatment.

And it requires face-to-face information exchange and planning.

Morse-ZimbabweA UB-led research team recently traveled to Zimbabwe to participate in a week-long program of workshops that included the formal launch of two Zimbabwe national programs: the Zimbabwe International Nanotechnology Center (ZINC) and the Zimbabwe Evidence-To-Action (ETA), an implementation project to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe.

With 14 percent of Zimbabwe's population living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis as a co-infection, the need for new drugs and new formulations of available treatments is crucial.

UB’s role in the ZINC partnership is to provide training to young scientists and students in Zimbabwe in multiple areas within nanotechnology. The trip to Zimbabwe included identifying research areas of common interest to Zimbabwe and prioritizing them according to the country’s needs.

UB has built a partnership with Zimbabwe over seven years through an NIH Fogarty International Center program.

Paras Prasad, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Medicine and Electrical Engineering; Samuel P. Capen Chair of Chemistry and executive director of UB’s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics (ILPB), and Gene Morse, PharmD, professor and associate director of  the UB Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences headthe UB-ZINC collaboration.

“There was an incredible feeling of optimism and high energy toward both initiatives,” said Morse.

The week began with the second Zimbabwe National Nanotechnology Consultative Meeting on March 18 – 19.

Prasad, who will direct the international nanotechnology contributions for ZINC, gave the keynote address.

Morse, who will direct the international nanomedicine component of ZINC, presented the role that UB and the CoE will play in ZINC. Other participating UB faculty included Stanley Schwartz, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Peter Horvath, PhD, associate professor of exercise physiology and nutrition.

Background and details of ZINC were provided during presentations from the minister for science and technology development (MSTD), the Honorable Professor Heneri Dzinotyiweyi, UB alumnus, Chiedza Maponga, PharmD, technical director for nanotechnology (MSTD) and director of the UZ School of Pharmacy, and Josephat Zimba, Technical Consultant to the MSTD on nanotechnology. Additional presentations from Professor Levi Nyagura, UZ Vice Chancellor, and Professor David Simbi, CUT Vice Chancellor, described the leadership roles for their universities.

The week continued with a two-day workshop on March 20 – 21 for the ETA Project.

Hosted by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the first day summarized:

  • Recent compelling data that provide the rationale for preventing HIV transmission through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TaSP)
  • The national statistics for prevention of mother-to-child transmission and pediatric HIV infection
  • HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 052 and the dramatic results obtained in discordant couples when the HIV-infected partner was treated early after infection leading to a reduced transmission rate
  • The need for a strategy to provide treatment to key populations with HIV infection including high risk groups such as prisoners, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and pregnant women.

At a concurrent workshop, Robin DiFrancesco, manager of the UB Clinical Pharmacology Quality Assurance Program (CPQA) and an AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) mentor, provided lectures focused on building laboratory skills and bioanalytical method development.

In a second afternoon workshop, Kathleen Tooley, senior research support specialist in the UB Translational Pharmacology Research Core, and Education and Operations Administrator for CPQA and AITRP, and an AITRP mentor, moderated a group at the UZ College of Health Sciences to address challenges in research ethics and research administration for faculty and students who will conduct research within ETA.

Morse chaired the second day of the workshop and provided a presentation on the progress of the UB-UZ AITRP. Highlights included a review of the Training Advisory Group and the recently established Scientific Advisory Board, new research programs, nutritional and traditional medicine pharmacology, clinical pharmacology and healthcare informatics.

The second half of the morning program was chaired by Morse and focused on Bioinformatics and Health Information Technology (HIT) required for the ETA infrastructure in collaboration with the Zimbabwean health care system.

In the HIV Nutrition Pharmacology working group, Horvath and faculty and graduate students from the Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry discussed nutritional considerations for the ETA project.

Horvath also provided a seminar on March 25 for the UZ Departments of Pediatrics and Biochemistry titled “Nutritional Aspects of HIV Infection and Treatment.”

Morse was pleased with the results achieved during the visit.

“I was very proud that a country that has faced so many challenges to advancing the health of the nation and plan for scientific and economic growth was linked to the UB-UZ AITRP and the efforts that have been put forward over the last seven years.”

Morse said that the UB team’s visit contributed to two Zimbabwean national initiatives and conducted numerous sessions, workshops and small group meetings.

“The outcome created a new level of collaboration, reaching beyond university campuses to the highest levels of government ministries as well as community programs. This extensive spectrum of research and education programs has been built on the strong AITRP link between UZ and UB,” he said.

The events were jointly sponsored by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare; the University at Buffalo – University of Zimbabwe (UZ) AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) and the UZ – UB International Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Initiative (IPERI).

Sara R. Saldi (UB); saldi@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4593

*Photo courtesy of UB: Breakfast meeting with UB-UZ AITRP fellows and families and UB's Gene Morse, Robin DiFrancesco (both upper left), Kelly Tooley (AITRP Education and Operations Coordinator) and Amy Moss (current UB HIV Resident and AITRP Mentor). Dr. Maponga is left next to Dr. Morse.

Olmsted Center for Sight Names New President and CEO

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News2 Comments on Olmsted Center for Sight Names New President and CEO

Tammy Owen_Olmsted Center for SightThe Olmsted Center for Sight Board of Directors elected Tammy Owen as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer.
Olmsted’s search committee underwent a national search for the successor of former president and chief executive officer, Ron Maier, after he retired in September 2012.  There were 50 candidates being considered for the position. The seven-member search committee was able to narrow it down to three finalists. With over 20 years of experience working in health care operations, Owen was considered to be a great fit for the position.

Patricia Clabeaux, chairperson of Olmsted Center’s Board of Directors stated that “[Owen’s] strong background in health care management, with a special focus on service delivery, and a team-oriented, results-driven leadership style will serve us well.”

Throughout her 22 year tenure, Owen has held many leadership positions including vice president, ambulatory and rehabilitation services; vice president, strategic planning and network development; vice president, physician services; president, DeGraff Memorial Hospital; and president, Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital. In her most recent position, Owen served as the chief operating officer of the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute.

A Boston native, Owen received her Bachelor of Science degree in physical education/athletic training  and her Master of Science degree in sports medicine/education from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. She went on to receive both her Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy, and her MBA  from the University at Buffalo.

She serves on numerous boards, has taught as an adjunct faculty member at both the University at Buffalo and Daemen College, and has been named in Buffalo Business First’s 2012  Top 50 Healthcare Executives and Women of Influence lists.

Owen will begin her tenure in April 2013, continuing the innovative provision of services for blind, visually impaired and physically disabled Western New Yorkers.

 

First Niagara Gives UB Land for Medical School

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Construction, Member Institution(s), News

UB Acquires the Last of 3 Properties to Move Forward with Medical School Construction

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. has given the University at Buffalo (UB) a .85 acre of land to be incorporated into the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences site. The parcel of land at 973 Main Street is where a current First Niagara bank branch is located.

Although the land is considered a donation, in exchange for $1 First Niagara offered the land, worth wp-contentroximately $2 million, to assist UB in its quest to acquire the third property necessary for the building of the medical school.

Recognizing the importance of the land in UB's plan for the medical school, First Niagara's interim president and chief executive officer, Gary Crosby, stated that “We are committed to doing great things in our community and we are proud to collaborate with UB in order to provide the final piece of the puzzle for the new medical school to move forward.” He also stated that First Niagara is highly supportive of the region's efforts to continue being a recognized leader in life sciences, innovation and research.

Satish K. Tripathi, UB's president, said that “With [this most recent] acquisition, UB can move ahead with its plans for the new medical school, which will help to dramatically improve health care and medical education in our region while providing a significant boost to the local economy.”

UB Med School HOK2The $375 million, 520,000-square-foot medical school will be located on the corner at Main and High Streets.

With high expectations to improve health care throughout Western New York and to attract patients from other areas, the move of the medical school will also contribute to the growing world-class Medical Campus and its vision to attract the best and the brightest. The medical school will be able to graduate more physicians who will most likely stay and practice in the area. Medical school students will have the opportunity to receive a great and invaluable educational experience while near facilities like the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo General Medical Center, Gates Vascular Institute, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the UB Clinical and Translational Research Center and others.

“UB will attract the most promising medical students and world-class faculty,” said Michael E. Cain, MD, UB vice president for health sciences and dean of the medical school. “The prospect of a brand new, 21st century medical school next to teaching hospitals and state-of-the-art research laboratories in downtown Buffalo is helping UB to recruit top physicians and scientists, some of whom are already here.”

UB will add several new clinical service areas within the new medical school, providing specialty care and health services not currently offered in the region. Faculty will pursue cutting-edge research and collaborations with member institutions will lead to advanced care for patients.

On October 1st, First Niagara will relinquish the property to UB, later opening a new branch on the BNMC.  Until the new branch opens, a temporary branch will be located at 1031 Main Street.

The groundbreaking for the new building is set for September and construction is expected to be completed in 2016.

*Design rendering by HOK , a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm.

Read more about the this announcement below:

First Niagara Donating Downtown Land for UB Medical School

Land Donation Leads to First Niagara Branch Shuffle

First Niagara Provides Land for New UB Medical School Project

First Niagara Donates Land for New UB Med School

First Niagara Giving UB Main Street Land for $1

UB RIA Awarded Grant to Develop Telephone-based Clinical Skill Assessment Tool

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News2 Comments on UB RIA Awarded Grant to Develop Telephone-based Clinical Skill Assessment Tool

Can alcohol and drug abuse clinician skills be assessed over the phone?

There is a growing trend to make clinical training available to alcohol and drug abuse treatment professionals via the Internet and through distance learning. It is cost effective and can deliver training in current evidence-based practices to audiences for whom access may be limited.

While ensuring that trainees can correctly wp-contently the clinical skills taught during training is crucial, evaluation of whether or not clinical skills are correctly wp-contentlied can be challenging because it is typically done through role playing. The assessment of role playing requires feedback as well as reviewing the wp-contentlication of that feedback.

When training is delivered via the Internet and/or through distance learning, clinical skills wp-contentlication assessment might require tools such as video conferencing, which are cost-prohibitive for many organizations.

The University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) has been awarded a $267,469 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) grant to refine a telephone-based clinical assessment tool for evaluating the training of drug and alcohol counselors – a tool that is built on existing data – and then to conduct a psychometric evaluation for its effectiveness.

“The idea for the grant came about because of a challenge we encountered on a previous study — the ‘Behavioral Interventions with Couples Project’ or BIC project,” said Christopher Barrick, PhD, RIA research scientist and the principal investigator on the new grant.

According to Barrick, the previous study involved expert clinicians in the field of substance abuse who were trained in behavioral couples therapy. The research compared the effects of being trained at an in-person workshop versus distance learning via video conference.  The objective was to assess gains in knowledge and clinical skill following the workshop.  Assessing knowledge was straightforward – trainees were asked to respond to a web-based questionnaire.

“Assessing clinical skill was more complicated,” said Barrick.

“How could we conduct a role play, a traditional method of clinical skill assessment, with our distance-learning trainees, many of whom were in the greater Rochester area?  Sending research staff to conduct in-person role plays would have been too time-consuming and costly.

“To address this need, we developed a method that used interactive voice recording (IVR).  Essentially, trainees telephoned in and the IVR system acted like a sophisticated voice mail system, capturing unrehearsed responses to clinical questions. It was a good start, but the method needs refinement.  That’s the goal of this current research grant.”

Barrick says the specific goals of the project are to refine and extend the existing assessment tool developed in the BIC project, and conduct a psychometric evaluation to examine the generalizability, alternate form reliability and construct validity of the tool.

“My co-investigator at RIA, Dr. Neil McGillicuddy, also a research scientist at the UB Research Institute on Addictions, has had experience developing similar instruments before, and I’m excited to collaborate with him on this project,” said Barrick.

Barrick says this particular project focuses on developing a methodology that could be used in a variety of fields.

“It just hwp-contentens that there is a trend toward making trainings available to substance abuse treatment clinicians via the Internet and other distance learning methods, so this is a good fit with the broader needs of the field at the moment.

“There is a lot of great treatment and intervention research currently going on in the substance abuse field.  Unfortunately, there has been an ongoing problem of transferring that work into community practice.  This project is a part of this broad area of research that looks at better ways to make the big investment in treatment and intervention research pay off and gets those results into the hands of people who can use it,” he said.

The grant is scheduled to run from December 2012 to December 2014.

Sara R. Saldi (UB); saldi@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4593

John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital Mock-Up Rooms Revealed

by BNMCin Construction, Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News3 Comments on John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital Mock-Up Rooms Revealed

CHOB Mock Room News ConferenceSeven new mock-up rooms were revealed during  a tour inviting the media to view how rooms within the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital may look.
The mock-up rooms shown have walls erected, and some include installed equipment. The rooms presented were the neonatal intensive care unit; pediatric intensive care unit; pre/post operative room; labor and delivery room; an ED urgent care room; medical/surgical/mother-baby room; and an operating room.

Design for the rooms is physician-, nurse-, clinical and support staff-, patient- and family member-inspired. A part of 27 user-groups total, those who provided feedback had it incorporated into the initial mock-up designs in order to meet the needs of its primary users and to provide the best possible care. Additional feedback from the user-groups regarding the mock-ups will help to determine design suggestions to consider. The groups have signed-off in agreement with the interior design and floor plans for the new hospital, completing the design and development phase of planning. The Physician-led Steering Committee and user-groups will move forward with the development of new process flows for patient care and other hospital operations for the Children’s Hospital, and the ambulatory care center to be housed within Ciminelli Real Estate’s medical office building, Conventus.

Spacious and more aesthetically pleasing, the hospital’s room infrastructure is being designed to accommodate new technology as well. In addition to being able to offer input, the  groups get to use the newly constructed rooms to help develop new processes to deliver care within them. The goal for the hospital is for it to be recognized as the most innovative, highest quality, highest value provider and partner, and the regional referral center for women and children’s care for Kaleida Health in Western New York and beyond.

View a live webcam image of the construction site for the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital and Conventus, which will be connected by bridges on the second and third floors to the new hospital. It is expected to open in 2016.

(Top Right Photo – Dr. Teresa Quattrin, Pediatrician-in-Chief at Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and UB Distinguished Professor, A. Conger Goodyear Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Allegra Jaros, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo provides an update on plans for the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.)

Buffalo-Based Team Develops, Tests First Simulation-Based Robotic Surgery Training Curriculum

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News

Study results indicate Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery wp-contentears to be effective way to train surgeons

Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and four collaborating institutions have evaluated the effectiveness of a novel curriculum to safely train surgeons on the da Vinci Surgical System, which is used to perform robot-assisted surgeries. Results, published in Urology, showed that participants trained in the curriculum executed key skills with greater precision than those who did not receive training.

The Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery (FSRS) training curriculum, jointly developed by the study authors, uses the Robotic Surgical Simulator (RoSS) to train surgeons in four basic areas required in robot-assisted surgeries: orientation, motor skills, basic surgical skills and intermediate surgical skills. Launched in 2010, RoSS, one of the first robotic surgical simulators to accurately simulate the da Vinci system, was developed by Khurshid A. Guru, MD, director of robotic surgery at RPCI, and Thenkurussi Kesavadas, PhD, director of the Virtual Reality Lab and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University at Buffalo (UB).

In this study, the researchers recruited 53 surgeons, fellows, residents and medical students from four institutions: RPCI, UB, the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) in Detroit, Mich., and the Cleveland Clinic (CC) in Cleveland, Ohio. Most of the participants had no prior robotic or laparoscopic surgical experience. The researchers randomly divided them into control and experimental groups. Participants in the experimental group completed the four-hour FSRS course; those in the control group did not.

On a series of three tests, participants in the experimental group executed a series of three tasks with more precision than their counterparts who did not complete the FSRS curriculum, and completed the tasks more quickly overall. Moreover, average performance improved considerably for 23 “crossover” participants who did not receive the initial training but were allowed to repeat the three tests following FSRS instruction.

It’s critically important that institutions that offer robot-assisted surgeries develop training programs for their surgeons that realistically simulate the surgical environment and build user proficiency in core skills, notes Guru, senior study author.

“A situation where surgeons train only in the O.R., on live patients, is far from ideal,” he says. “The importance of this study is that it gives us the first evidence we have that a carefully designed, structured training curriculum carried out in a risk-free, simulated environment is an effective way to translate the basic skills required in robot-assisted surgery. The implications for improvements in patient safety and long-term outcomes are tremendously encouraging.”

“The idea of a simulation-based curriculum is gaining widespread acceptance, and FSRS is now being used in many leading robotic-surgery training programs nationally and internationally,” adds Kesavadas, a co-author on the study and co-developer of the RoSS simulator.

“This study shows the value of a structured curriculum while exposing a laparoscopically naive surgeon to the robotic platform,” says Mani Menon, MD, the Raj and Padma Vattikuti Distinguished Chair and Director of the Vattikuti Urology Institute at HFHS. “Given the enormous cost of health care, any effort at off-line training is of tremendous value.”

The researchers plan to do further research to establish the extent to which completion of the FSRS curriculum may impact long-term surgical proficiency. The development, testing and validation of RoSS and the FSRS curriculum were facilitated by donations to the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation and support from the John R. Oishei Foundation.

“The John R. Oishei Foundation is committed to supporting projects that will enhance patient safety and quality of care in Western New York and beyond,” says Robert D. Gioia, Oishei Foundation President. “We’re pleased to support the research around the FSRS curriculum, which has been shown to enhance the training of robotic surgeons in a structured and safe environment.”

The study, “Fundamental Skills of Robotic Surgery (FSRS): A multi-institutional randomized controlled trial for validation of a simulation-based curriculum,” can be accessed at http://goo.gl/hqck8.

Additional co-authors are Andrew Stegemann, Johar R. Syed, Shabnam Rehman, Gregory E. Wilding, Mohamed Sharif, Amrith Rao and Yi Shi, for RPCI; James M. Hassett and Ashirwad Chowriwp-contenta of UB; Khurshid Ghani and James O. Peabody of HFHS; Riccardo Autorino and Jihad Kaouk of CC; and Kamran Ahmed of MRC Centre, Guy’s Hospital, Kings College, London, United Kingdom.

Cory Nealon (UB); cmnealon@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4614
Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716.845.859

SSO 2013 Lineup Includes 5 Talks by Roswell Park Cancer Institute Physicians

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News

Presentations by RPCI surgeons cover issues of biomarker identification, quality improvement, treatment decisions

Five Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) physicians were invited to give oral presentations on cancer research March 8 at the 66th annual Cancer Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology, an international society for cancer surgeons. They were among 10 RPCI physicians who presented at this year’s meeting in National Harbor, MD. The symposium is a major annual meeting where new advances in cancer care are presented.

John M. Kane III, MD, FACS, Chief of the Melanoma/Sarcoma Service within the Department of Surgical Oncology, is first author on “High Risk Soft Tissue Sarcoma Biomarker Expression Patterns and Outcome Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation” (abstract 64; session: Sarcoma). Dr. Kane, a member of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) sarcoma working group, presented research performed through his RTOG Translational Research Program grant from the National Cancer Institute.

Because outcomes for patients with “high-risk” soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) — those tumors that are large, deep and high-grade — are often poor, high priority has been placed on identifying biomarkers that might predict response to therapy and survival. Dr. Kane and a multi-institutional team of collaborators created tissue microarrays using pre- and post-treatment STS tumor samples from participants from two clinical research studies, looking to see how treatment impacted levels of seven different biomarkers. They found that two biomarkers, CAIX (carbonic anhydrase IX) and GLUT 1 (glucose transporter 1), decreased following neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The researchers also found that increased post-treatment p53 expression correlated with a higher chance of cancer recurrence.

“We’re always looking for ways to determine which patients might truly benefit from chemotherapy, sparing other patients that do not need it the potential side effects,” notes Dr. Kane. “In addition, these microarrays can also be used to identify new targeted therapies for these often-deadly sarcomas.”

Co-authors are Qiang Zhang, PhD, Asha George, MS, and William Kraybill, MD, of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Philadelphia, PA; Thomas DeLaney, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Alex Klimowicz, PhD, of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Anthony Magliocco, MD, of the Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; and Jeff Simko, MD, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.

Shicha Kumar, MD, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology, is first author on “Clinical Impact of Real Time Reporting Using the Commission on Cancer’s Rapid Quality Reporting System: Is It Worthwhile?” (abstract 55; session: Quality Improvement/Clinical Outcomes).

Quality-control measures have been shown to correlate with improved cancer outcomes, yet deviations from desired standards of care often go undetected or are discovered late, limiting or preventing opportunities for effective intervention. The research team set out to assess the clinical impact of the Rapid Quality Reporting System (RQRS), a tool developed by the Commission on Cancer for alerting providers to wp-contentroaching deviations from predetermined quality measures. They found that while relatively few deviations from standards occurred, RQRS is an easy-to-use tool for proactively identifying and improving delivery and documentation of cancer care.

“Our analysis shows the Rapid Quality Reporting System to be a helpful and reliable safety mechanism for identifying patients at risk for lapses in wp-contentropriate care,” Dr. Kumar says. “The providers we surveyed indicated that the system spurred more effective teamwork and improved documentation, and resulted in reduced concern over insufficient or delayed follow-through.”

Co-authors are Marian Betrus, Jaemi Fitzgerald, Camille Rinaldo, Kassia Delgado, Linda Hauck and Stephen Edge, MD, all of RPCI.

Moshim Kukar, MD, a clinical fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology, is first author on “Fostering Coordinated Survivorship Care in Breast Cancer: Who is ‘Lost to Follow-Up’?” (abstract 57; session: Quality Improvement/Clinical Outcomes).

Patients who stop scheduling or showing up for wp-contentointments are a concern for many oncology providers. They are considered “lost to follow-up” (LTFU) when they stop seeking services or ongoing monitoring from a facility without having a transfer-of-care plan in place. Dr. Kukar and colleagues looked at nearly 13 years of RPCI records for patients treated for breast cancer, classifying them as LTFU if they had a two-year gap in visits to the facility. They then looked at patient, tumor and treatment characteristics to see whether any particular factors were correlated with LTFU status. They identified five characteristics associated with increased incidence of care abandonment: older age, earlier-stage disease, living longer distances from the facility, having no need for additional adjuvant therapies and absence of recurrence.

“We know that many breast cancer patients will self-triage away from oncology care and follow-up,” says Dr. Kukar. “This research shows that we have a real opportunity to prospectively identify who these women are so we can better assist them with the transfer of care to other providers and make sure that continuity of care is maintained.”

Co-authors are Nancy Watroba, MPA, Austin Miller, PhD, Dr. Kumar and Dr. Edge, all of RPCI.

Jacqueline Oxenberg, MD, a clinical fellow in the Department of Surgical Oncology, is first author on “Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy to Define Biologic Behavior Prior to Resection of Primary Angiosarcoma” (abstract 71; session: Sarcoma).

In a retrospective review of RPCI patients treated for angiosarcoma, a rare and biologically aggressive tumor, the research team tested their hypothesis that neoadjuvant chemotherapy would provide insights that could help guide treatment decisions, particularly by defining those who would not benefit from more involved, higher-risk surgeries. They found that chemotherapy administered preoperatively was well tolerated and significantly decreased tumor size, decreased the number of surgeries needed to control tumors and was not associated with any increase in complications.

“We now have evidence that giving chemotherapy prior to surgical removal of angiosarcoma tumors allows us to better identify which patients would benefit most from surgery,” Dr. Oxenberg explains. “It’s an wp-contentroach that wp-contentears to be both effective and easy to implement.”

Co-authors are Dr. Kane, Nikhil Khushalani, MD, Kilian Salerno May, MD, and Kristopher Attwood, PhD, all of RPCI.

Timothy Platz, MD, is first author on “The Use of Modified 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography in 100 Consecutive Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism: An Argument for the Abandonment of Sestamibi SPECT” (abstract 25; session: Endocrine Cancer).

For many years, the vast majority of providers performing parathyroidectomy have used ultrasound and/or Sestamibi SPECT imaging technologies to help identify abnormalities and guide surgical planning. Looking at patients treated at RPCI between December 2010 and July 2012, Dr. Platz and colleagues performed a comparative analysis to determine whether a newer imaging option, 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4D-CT), might be an effective alternative to those standard imaging technologies. The team found that a modified form of 4D-CT, adapted to include volume rendering highlights the parathyroid abnormality in relation to neighboring structures, was superior to sestamibi SPECT and ultrasound, with similar levels of radiation exposure.

“We found that this modified 4D-CT wp-contentroach was much more reliable than the other modalities in providing a preview of the anatomy that we’d encounter when actually performing the surgeries,” notes Dr. Platz. “The distinctions between these wp-contentroaches proved to be so significant that we can present a persuasive case for other providers to consider abandoning sestamibi SPECT for these types of cases.”

Co-authors are Ahmed Abdelhalim, MD, Adrienne Groman and William Cance, MD, all of RPCI.

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

New Biotech Companies Move Into Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Biotechnology Companies, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Innovation Center, Member Institution(s), News

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center is pleased to welcome Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) spin-off companies Tartis Aging, Inc., and OncoTartis, Inc., as its newest tenants. The companies will occupy a combined 5,700-square-foot of wet lab and office space on the fourth floor of the building. Approximately half of this space will be built up as the companies continue to grow in size. Tartis
OncoTartis and Tartis Aging are discovery-stage biotechnology companies seeking novel anti-cancer and anti-aging drugs. Their proprietary technologies are licensed from the laboratories of Andrei Gudkov, PhD, from RPCI.

Dr. Gudkov was recruited to Buffalo by RPCI and other local partners in 2007. He moved his research lab and his first commercial company, Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. (CBLI), from the Cleveland Clinic to serve as Senior Vice President of Basic Science and Chair of the Department of Cell Stress Biology at Roswell Park.

The laboratory building at 73 High Street, shared with Cleveland BioLabs, Inc., had been the first home for both corporations. With 15 employees and a growing portfolio, the two companies have outgrown the space available on High Street but wanted to remain on the BNMC.

“We are very hwp-contenty to find space in the Innovation Center, which allows us to expand our research and at the same time continue to be close to our colleagues at CBLI and Roswell Park,” said Aleksandra Kotlyarova, Director of Operations for both companies.

“OncoTartis and Tartis Aging are perfect examples of what we need to see more of here in Buffalo,” said Patrick J. Whalen, Chief Operating Officer of the BNMC, Inc., which owns and operates the Innovation Center. “Dr. Gudkov and Cleveland BioLabs moved to the BNMC several years ago to better collaborate with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and thanks to the groundbreaking research at Roswell Park, they continue to grow and spin off companies, creating more jobs and economic-development opportunities in Buffalo as they evolve.”

Kari Bonaro (BNMC, Inc.); kbonaro@bnmc-old.local; 716.218.7157

New Biotech Companies Move Into Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Innovation Center, News, Research

Banner Letterhead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 11, 2013

For more information, contact:

Contact Kari Bonaro
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 716.218.7157

(BUFFALO, NY) – The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center is pleased to welcome Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) spin-off companies Tartis Aging, Inc., and OncoTartis, Inc., as its newest tenants. The companies will occupy a combined 5,700 sq. ft. of wet lab and office space on the fourth floor of the building. Approximately half of this space will be built up as the companies continue to grow in size.

OncoTartis and Tartis Aging are discovery-stage biotechnology companies seeking novel anti-cancer and anti-aging drugs. Their proprietary technologies are licensed from the laboratories of Andrei Gudkov, PhD, from RPCI.

Dr. Gudkov was recruited to Buffalo by RPCI and other local partners in 2007. He moved his research lab and his first commercial company, Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. (CBLI), from the Cleveland Clinic to serve as Senior Vice President of Basic Science and Chair of the Department of Cell Stress Biology at Roswell Park.

The laboratory building at 73 High Street, shared with Cleveland BioLabs, Inc., had been the first home for both corporations. With 15 employees and a growing portfolio, the two companies have outgrown the space available on High Street but wanted to remain on the BNMC.

“We are very hwp-contenty to find space in the Innovation Center, which allows us to expand our research and at the same time continue to be close to our colleagues at CBLI and Roswell Park,” said Aleksandra Kotlyarova, Director of Operations for both companies.

“OncoTartis and Tartis Aging are perfect examples of what we need to see more of here in Buffalo,” said Patrick J. Whalen, Chief Operating Officer of the BNMC, Inc., which owns and operates the Innovation Center. “Dr. Gudkov and Cleveland BioLabs moved to the BNMC several years ago to better collaborate with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and thanks to the groundbreaking research at Roswell Park, they continue to grow and spin off companies, creating more jobs and economic-development opportunities in Buffalo as they evolve.”

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are over 40 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space.  bnmc-old.local

About Roswell Park Cancer Institute

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. RPCI, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. There are currently 40 companies located in the building.

The Innovation Center is owned and operated by the BNMC, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, their 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living.

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Brain Imaging to Identify Physical Reasons Why IBS Symptoms Improve with Drug-free Treatments

by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research4 Comments on Brain Imaging to Identify Physical Reasons Why IBS Symptoms Improve with Drug-free Treatments

UB researchers and colleagues will correlate objective measures of brain changes with patients’ reports of relief from symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Patients who suffer from the painful, often disabling, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often are surprised to find that behavioral changes, not drugs, provide significant relief. Jeffrey Lackner

Now, researchers at the University at Buffalo who have pioneered some of these behavioral treatments, along with colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University, are using functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reveal the biological basis for the relief. The research could help doctors choose the best treatment method for individual patients and could improve the quality of life for millions of people with IBS.

“We’re going to look at biological mechanisms that underlie these non-drug treatments, to discover what is going on in the brain that explains treatment benefits achieved by teaching patients specific skills to control and reduce their symptoms,” says Jeffrey M. Lackner, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a project principal investigator. “By using a brain scan to compare brain activity before and after treatment, we expect to get a picture of changes in the brain that correspond to improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms.”

The work is funded by a $2.3 million grant to UCLA, the lead institution; Northwestern; and UB by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It builds on the work of UCLA researchers at its Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress and a pilot neuroimaging study conducted by Lackner and colleagues at UB.

The brain imaging study came about partly as a result of a major, $8.9 million, seven-year, multi-site clinical trial Lackner is leading at UB to test behavioral treatments in IBS patients. It is the largest IBS clinical trial conducted to date and one of the largest behavioral trials ever funded by the NIH without a drug component. Developed at UB, these treatments are regarded as some of the most powerful treatments available to IBS sufferers.

Lackner is currently recruiting IBS patients for the behavioral and imaging studies at the Behavioral Medicine Clinic of the UB Department of Medicine at Erie County Medical Center. For more information on participating in one of the studies, call 716-898-4458 and leave a name, telephone number and convenient times to be contacted.

IBS is among the most common, disabling and intractable gastrointestinal disorders. Twice as common among women as men, it is estimated to affect between 25 million and 50 million Americans. Symptoms include pain, stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation.

“We’re excited about the possibility of providing the first evidence for biological markers that correlate with treatment-induced symptom changes, and developing a better understanding of the mechanism behind IBS,” says Lackner. “Such cutting-edge translational research is going to help foster individualized, specific treatments for patients.”

One treatment developed at UB aims to control symptoms by changing specific thinking patterns and behaviors found to aggravate IBS. Using state-of-the-art brain-imaging methods, UCLA researchers, under the leadership of Emeran Mayer, MD, hope to identify the biological mechanisms underlying their effectiveness. Mayer is a professor of medicine and psychiatry at UCLA, director of the Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and principal investigator of the imaging study.

Scientists believe that IBS symptoms are the result of dysregulation of brain-gut interactions, resulting in abnormal muscle contractions in the gut and heightened sensitivity to painful stimuli.

“Just as faulty wiring between the neural connection of the brain and gut can bring on symptoms, so learning new ways of thinking and behaving may ‘rewire’ brain-gut interactions, resulting in reduced pain and bowel symptoms that otherwise take a major toll on patients,” says Lackner. “Determining whether behavioral treatments work by targeting specific areas of the brain that have a direct effect on gut function and sensation is a major goal of this study.”

Correlating structural brain changes with symptom reduction is, for both Lackner and Mayer, a primary goal that they say will demonstrate an ‘organic’ component to IBS, which is critical. “IBS is often unfairly dismissed as a psychosomatic condition,” says Mayer. “These findings will be important in dispelling the notion once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are ‘only psychological.’”

Lackner’s UB’s colleagues on the study include Michael Sitrin, MD, professor, Christopher Radziwon, PhD, research assistant professor, Greg Gudleski, PhD, clinical research assistant professor, Leonard Katz, MD, professor emeritus and Rebecca Firth, senior research support specialist, all in the Department of Medicine and Susan Krasner, PhD, clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Honors Researchers Making a Difference

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, News, Research3 Comments on Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Honors Researchers Making a Difference

A group of innovative and influential tycoons came together to form the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions in the life sciences field. The most lucrative prize offered for any academic achievement in the world, the first group to receive the annual Breakthrough Prize included 11 recipients, all scientists, in February. The awardees received $3 million and recognition for their “excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life.”
Lauretes included:

  • Cornelia I. Bargmann – For the genetics of neural circuits and behavior, and synaptic guidepost molecules.
  • David Botstein – For linkage mwp-contenting of Mendelian disease in humans using DNA polymorphisms.
  • Lewis C. Cantley – For the discovery of PI 3-Kinase and its role in cancer metabolism.
  • Hans Clevers – For describing the role of Wnt signaling in tissue stem cells and cancer.
  • Napoleone Ferrara – For discoveries in the mechanisms of angiogenesis that led to therapies for cancer and eye diseases.
  • Titia de Lange – For research on telomeres, illuminating how they protect chromosome ends and their role in genome instability in cancer.
  • Eric S. Lander – For the discovery of general principles for identifying human disease genes, and enabling their wp-contentlication to medicine through the creation and analysis of genetic, physical and sequence maps of the human genome.
  • Charles L. Sawyers – For cancer genes and targeted therapy.
  • Bert Vogelstein – For cancer genomics and tumor suppressor genes.
  • Robert A. Weinberg – For characterization of human cancer genes.
  • Shinya Yamanaka – For induced pluripotent stem cells.

Russian venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Yuri Milner, established the prize along with additional founding sponsors Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan, Anne Wojcicki and Mark Zuckerberg. All accomplished Internet and business gurus in their own right, the group has already guaranteed that the prize be presented for the next 5 years.

Life sciences companies including those involved with biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and biomedicine are coming up with innovative and effective ways to treat different types of cancer. Academic and health care institutions are leading research efforts to use genomics to identify personalized medicine. With all of the developments taking place on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus alone, it is easy to understand why it is important to recognize the individuals making life-enhancing discoveries. The Prize is public validation that the work being done in labs, under the microscopes, in the manufacturing companies and during simulations is highly valued and respected.

“I believe this new prize will shine a light on the extraordinary achievements of the outstanding minds in the field of life sciences, enhance medical innovation, and ultimately become a platform for recognizing future discoveries,” said Art Levinson. In addition to his current position as Chairman of both the Apple Inc. and Genentech Boards, Levinson will serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.

Bound to spark an influx of submissions for consideration since any third party can nominate a researcher or scientist for the Prize, the major qualification is that it must recognize a major achievement, with special attention to recent developments. A person can win the Prize any number of times and there are no age requirements. The Prize can also be shared amongst a group of people.

In realizing that the next generations will lead the development of the next big breakthrough, the Prize is a recognition well-deserved for those whose jobs may not be as glamorous or well-known. It will serve as one more way to shed light on how impactful and relevant scientists and researchers are and will open the door for more students to take interest in pursuing those career paths.

Private Sector Investment on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Construction, Homepage, Investment Opportunities, Member Institution(s), News1 Comment on Private Sector Investment on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Post from Buffalo Niagara Enterprise Blog: Development Discussions
By Alan Rosenhoch, Business Development Manager, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise

Conventus redering by Kideney Architects

Conventus rendering by Kideney Architects

Conventus (Latin for “coming together”) is a brand new seven-story medical building being developed by Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation at the northern gateway of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC). Designed to be a center for collaborative medicine, it will be anchored by Kaleida Health and UBMD. Ciminelli expects to open the building in the spring of 2015.

I had the opportunity to ask the President and CEO of Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation, Paul F. Ciminelli, a few questions:

Q: You recently began site preparation work on the Conventus project; what does this project represent for the BNMC and the region’s life sciences industry?

A: There are two aspects of this project that represent major milestones in the development of the Medical Campus. First of all, Conventus is the first significant private investment on the campus, which is indicative of our strong commitment to the BNMC and our belief in its vision. Private dollars send a strong message to our community and to other markets that the Campus is a viable initiative and worth the investment.

Secondly, Conventus’ adjacency and physical connections to the new Children’s Hospital and the new UB School of Medicine, is groundbreaking in its collaborative wp-contentroach to the needs of the patients, physicians, researchers and students. Coupled with its location at the northern gateway to the Campus, Conventus facilitates a seamless connection among all of the major medical-related facilities at the northern end.

Q: How much space will be taken by the two anchor tenants, Kaleida and UBMD, and how much space will remain for future tenants?

A: Kaleida will occupy wp-contentroximately 85,000 sq. ft. on the 2nd and 3rd floors, which are the floors where connections will be made to Children’s and the Medical School, as well space on the ground floor for their Blood Draw and Pharmacy. UBMD will occupy 60,000 sq. ft. on the 4th floor and a portion of the 5th floor. A major regional bank will occupy a portion of the ground floor as well. Based on the inquiries we have had to date, we expect to have tremendous interest in the remaining square footage, and that full occupancy will be achieved quickly.

Q: What types of tenants are you seeking for the balance of space? For what type of company would you consider Conventus to be ideal space?

A: As with all of our projects, we will identify potential tenants that are synchronous with the existing tenant base and with the overall vision of the Campus. We refer to Conventus as a “center for collaborative medicine” because of the multiple disciplines that will be housed in and facilitated by our physical connections to the Hospital and UB’s School of Medicine. We look forward to accommodating clinical, educational, practical and research components at Conventus, as well as other healthcare-related tenants.

Q: You are targeting LEED Gold Certification for this project; why is sustainable design, building elements and operation so important to Ciminelli?

A: In 2008, Ciminelli made a commitment to pursue LEED certification with all of our projects going forward because of our commitment to minimizing our environmental footprint and to developing high-performing buildings. From an ownership standpoint, it has a definite positive impact on the long-term operating efficiencies of the building. From a tenant’s perspective, LEED certification translates to a healthier, more efficiently run environment in which to work. It’s a win-win.

Q: Conventus is not planned to be a one-shot project for Ciminelli on the BNMC; what else do you have on the drawing board for the near and long-term future?

A: The core of our business is being able to see the big picture; the ability to put pieces of a puzzle together and create synergies within every development project we undertake. This is what our company does best, and why we are committed to supporting the BNMC’s vision. We have purchased additional property at 33 High Street directly across from Conventus and Children’s Hospital and adjacent to UB’s site for the Medical School in anticipation of continued growth. As things continue to evolve on the Campus and we see possibilities for future needs there, we will pursue strategic developments to support those needs.

Q: Plans call for Conventus to connect to the Allen Street NFTA Metro Rail station; how does this fit into your overall plan to connect different parts of the region?

A: Ciminelli is a strong proponent of transit-oriented development, as evidenced by our two current projects under construction: Bethune Lofts (Main Street and Hertel Avenue), and Conventus. Developing along our transit lines facilitates connectivity among vibrant areas of Buffalo Niagara such as the UB South Campus University District, the Hertel Avenue district, the Medical Campus and Canalside. As it stands today, the NFTA Metro Rail station will be connected to the new UB School of Medicine at Allen Street. It should be noted that, while there is a connection from that building to Conventus, its use will be somewhat restricted.

Q: Conventus represents the first significant for-profit private sector-led development on the BNMC; what makes your company so bullish on the future of the campus?

A: Ciminelli has owned property on the Campus for 20 years, so we’ve been a part of it since its early stages. We saw things begin to evolve as the plan was rolled out. We’ve seen similar models succeed in cities of comparable size and demographics to Buffalo, so we knew it could work here, especially with it being so close to our Central Business District and being on a main transit line. All of the components were there; all it needed to take it to the next level was significant private sector investment. We were the first, but we know we won’t be the only ones. Additional private sector support will hwp-contenten on and around the Campus.

“My life works in Buffalo Niagara because of the tremendous quality of life we have in a relatively low-cost environment, the great educational institutions that supply a talented workforce, and because of the friendliness of its people. I love it here!”

– Paul F. Ciminelli

Roswell Park in Top 6% of U.S. Centers for Blood and Marrow Transplant

by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Wellness14 Comments on Roswell Park in Top 614 of U.S. Centers for Blood and Marrow Transplant

RPCI’s BMT patient results superior to expected outcomes

For the third consecutive year, outcomes for patients receiving blood and marrow transplants through the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) are among the best in the nation. The latest report compiled by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) puts RPCI in the top 6% of U.S. centers performing allogeneic blood and marrow transplants, based on patient survival rates.

Allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) involves infusion of bone marrow or blood cells from a donor, and is commonly used to treat many blood cancers, including some forms of leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. The CIBMTR (website: http://www.cibmtr.org) is an international research organization that collects and publishes data from centers that perform blood and marrow transplants. Its 2012 report includes outcomes data for 169 U.S. centers. The report, which analyzed related and unrelated donor BMTs performed between 2008 and 2010, places RPCI among 10 centers whose one-year survival results were above what could be expected based on the level of acuity or risk represented among the transplanted population.

The RPCI population was once again assigned to the highest risk category, indicating that the Institute’s BMT cases during the period covered were among the most complicated. Factors such as degree of tissue match/mismatch between donor and recipient and the type of transplant being performed can add risk to these already-complex procedures.

“These outcomes, which have been consistently high for the last three years, are a direct product of the multidisciplinary interaction on which our care is based,” noted Theresa Hahn, PhD, an Associate Professor of Oncology at RPCI and Director of Quality Assurance for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. “Our outstanding clinical team has put every effort into constantly improving the experiences of our patients, and that work involves many of Roswell Park’s teams, including our Department of Medicine clinicians, nursing staff, case management, our blood cell apheresis and processing lab, the departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Radiation Medicine, Radiology and Psychosocial Oncology, our clinical pharmacy staff, physical and occupational therapists, dieticians and housekeeping staff.”

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

Fisher-Price & Mattel Donate $3M to New Oishei Children's Hospital

by BNMCin Construction, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News3 Comments on Fisher-Price & Mattel Donate $3M to New Oishei Children's Hospital

Inside Kaleida Health‘s John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital will be the Fisher-Price & Mattel Family & Child Resource Center thanks to a $3 million donation to The Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Foundation from the local toy company. The donation secured naming and construction rights by Fisher-Price, Inc. and Mattel, Inc. for the Center which will be located on the 5th floor of the new hospital.
fisherpricecenter_0In addition to interaction with and support from the Child Life and Stone’s Buddies staff, patients and families will have access to the 6,000-square-foot respite area and its designated sections. There will be areas for meditation, a chapel, family consultation rooms, and an area for computers and video games. Fisher-Price and Mattel will incorporate toy storage compartments within the play areas on each of the hospital floors, and will include branded animal sculptures within the outdoor garden.

The Center is scheduled to open in 2016 with the new hospital. Groundbreaking for the new Children’s Hospital site on the corner of Ellicott and High Streets, across from the Buffalo General Medical Center, is set to begin this spring.

Read coverage about the donation below:

Toy Makers Pledge $3 Million for Children’s Hospital Family Center

Fisher-Price, Mattel Pledge $3 Million for New Children’s Hospital

Fisher-Price, Mattel Give $3M for Children’s Hospital Project

Roswell Park's Center for Personalized Medicine

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Health care, Member Institution(s), News, Research4 Comments on Roswell Park's Center for Personalized Medicine

center-personalized-medicine-press-conference.2013-01-30-35Roswell Park Cancer Institute‘s (RPCI) new 5,000-square-foot facility, the Center for Personalized Medicine (CPM), will provide individualized therapies for patients through genetic code sequencing (an analysis of genomes – the entire inherited genetic makeup of humans). Using state-of-the-art, next-generation technology, advanced research has led to the identification of unique genetic characteristics that will help determine effective and custom treatments for patients with certain diseases. Utilizing high-throughput screening for drug discovery, personal gene sequence machines and a 1,600-processor supercomputing cluster, the RPCI team will efficiently be able analyze individual genome data.
Located within RPCI’s Center for Genetics & Pharmacology, the Center will also act as a resource for scientists and medical providers to use for national clinical care wp-contentlication. In addition to having a mobile unit, the CPM is the first regional resource for next-generation gene sequencing to have met federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) requirements.

At the end of  last year, RPCI was awarded a $5.1 million grant to begin the pilot phase of the genome project from Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council, established to promote regional economic development. Since then, RPCI has garnered an additional $18.5 million in investments to support the project. From RPCI, $16 million has been invested in equipment and infrastructure, and Computer Task Group (CTG), a Buffalo-based national leader in healthcare IT, has committed to $2.5 million. As a local and nearby partner, CTG will provide its healthcare and bioinformatics expertise to deliver personalized medicine quickly and cost-effectively. The University at Buffalo, IMMCO Diagnostics and Western New York Urology Associates LLC are additional supporters of the project.

Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director of the CPM stated that “We now have the ability to do robust, ‘next-generation’ gene sequencing on blood and tissue samples, with tremendous possibilities in terms of what we can learn diagnostically, prognostically, therapeutically.” Johnson also stated that personalized medicine is the future, not just for oncology patients but for treatments across all diseases.

The CPM is a prime example of the type of support that Cuomo’s Council looks to provide for organizations throughout the region to capitalize on resources and developments that will support the local economy by creating more jobs and economic growth. Recognizing the growth hwp-contentening on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and throughout the region, Cuomo stated that “Western New York has a thriving health and life sciences industry cluster, which the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council and Roswell Park Cancer Institute recognized. Through the Regional Council process, they created a custom-tailored plan to take advantage of this opportunity, which will rebuild the regional economy.”

center-personalized-medicine-press-conference-2013-01-30-34RPCI’s President and CEO, Dr. Donald Trump captured the significance of the Center’s presence. He stated that “The doors are wide open in terms of the opportunities for entrepreneurship and technology transfer that will flow from [the Center].” The CPM team, partners and supporters increase RPCI’s menu of services, giving the institution the opportunity to contend with other small circle healthcare organizations providing similar medical services.

Immediately on the agenda, the CPM will undertake its first 3 sequencing projects, clinical research studies that will:

  • Predict on a case-by-case, personalized basis which of the two main types of standard chemotherapy, anthracycline-based or platinum-based, will be most effective in treating a woman’s breast cancer, and with fewest adverse side effects;
  • Develop, in collaboration with Western New York Urology Associates, a diagnostic test for superficial bladder cancer, the ninth most common cancer in the U.S. and the most expensive of all cancers in terms of cost to treat; and
  • Engage 600 healthy volunteers representing the ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and geographic diversity of the eight-county Western New York region in an initiative to identify the particular healthcare priorities of this community, aided by a mobile tissue-collection unit that will travel to disparate and underserved areas.
  • In addition, RPCI expects to use the resources of the CPM in planning individualized care for its lung, melanoma and leukemia patients in the near future.

Read more about the CPM below:

Roswell Launches Center for Personalized Medicine

Groundbreaking Cancer Research Hwp-contentening in Buffalo

Progressive Medicine is Roswell’s Newest Venture

 

UB Medical School to Develop Tools for Cloud-Based Simulations of Patient Visits

by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News4 Comments on UB Medical School to Develop Tools for Cloud-Based Simulations of Patient Visits

UB is one of eight institutions in the U.S. chosen to write patient cases

The American Medical Association is providing funding to support the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and other institutions in a national consortium to develop simulated, interactive “encounters” with virtual patients to supplement the education of students in the third year of medical school.

The i-Human Patients platform is a cloud-based service for medical students that simulates a patient visit. Students use the software to interview and examine animations of patients, order and review diagnostic tests, develop diagnostic hypotheses and create a treatment plan. Online guidance and comprehensive feedback occurs at every step of the process.

Avery Ellis, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and physiology and senior associate dean for medical curriculum at UB, is one of 8 faculty members at prestigious institutions throughout the U.S., who will be working together to develop simulations for internal medicine. Ellis and Susan J. Gallagher, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at UB and director for internal medicine clerkships in the third and fourth years, will be writing cases on chest pain, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, edema, electrolyte abnormalities, syncope, dizziness and hyperlipidemia.

The new cases are expected to be completed, peer-reviewed and included in the curriculum that third-year medical students at UB experience starting in July, Ellis says.

“These very sophisticated patient simulations will round out the education of third-year medical students,” says Ellis. “For our students, working on these patient simulations, complete with actual test results and realistic clinical data, such as audible heart sounds, angiograms and ultrasound studies, is far more beneficial than just reading about the same disease in a textbook.”

The cases are being prepared by faculty at UB and at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Northwestern University, Tufts University, Rush University and Stony Brook University.

“These interactive web-based patient encounters will nicely complement the other kinds of experiences our students are getting at UB’s Behling Simulation Center,” Ellis adds.

“The American Medical Association is funding the development of medical school cases and other interactive content for the i-Human Patients educational services platform because we see a need to accelerate student training in patient assessment and diagnostic skills,” says James Madara, chief executive officer/education vice president for the AMA.

i-Human Patients Inc. is a designer and developer of “virtual” medical training products and services.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

Hauptman-Woodward to Open Doors for Science & Art Cabaret

by BNMCin Community, Event, Member Institution(s), News5 Comments on Hauptman-Woodward to Open Doors for Science & Art Cabaret

The Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI) will open its doors to the public on Jan. 30 for “Modularity,” the latest event in Buffalo’s Science & Art Cabaret series.
Each cabaret centers around a common theme, featuring short talks by scientists and artists on how that theme relates to their work. The next topic of conversation will be modularity, which refers to the way ideas and objects, from molecules to artwork with repeating patterns, can be broken down into standardized units.

“Modularity” will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at HWI at 700 Ellicott St., Buffalo. The event is free and open to the public.

The lineup:

  • A talk by University at Buffalo Professor of Physics Surajit Sen on sociophysics: modeling battles, terrorism and chimpanzee social behavior with simple rule-based dynamics, which rely in part on the methods of physics to describe dynamical problems beyond the traditional bounds of physics.
  • A presentation by HWI researcher Vivian Cody, a UB professor of structural biology, on the artful structural models of protein/enzymes and their functions.
  • A video interview with Western New York artist Katherine Sehr, whose work is notable for its intense modularity. As described in Artvoice in 2007, “Sehr’s drawings don’t look like drawings at all, but rather like prints of simple, paired squares of muted colors. Upon closer inspection, however, they reveal themselves to be something entirely different — large, frenetic, scribbled testaments to compulsive, repetitive motion.”
  • Bill Louden, who will present, “Piece for String Quartet and Chladni Pattern Generator.”

The event will give the public a chance to step inside HWI’s state-of-the-art research building, which opened in 2005. The sleek, modern facility features an innovative floor plan that supports HWI’s collaborative and open culture.

The Science & Art Cabaret series is organized by the UB College of Arts and Sciences, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and Buffalo Museum of Science.

“Modularity” is the 13th cabaret held since 2009, and the third of the 2012-13 season. For information on the Science & Art Cabaret and past events, visit http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13376 and http://www.hallwalls.org/science-art.php.

Charlotte Hsu (UB); chsu22@buffalo.edu; 716-645-4655, 510-388-1831

UB Recruiting Innovators in Life Sciences for High-Tech CEL

by BNMCin Campus-wide, Entrepreneurs, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, News6 Comments on UB Recruiting Innovators in Life Sciences for High-Tech CEL

Program Offers Entrepreneurial Guidance, Knowledge and Mentorship for those in Field

Leaders of early-stage life sciences and technology companies can take advantage of a High-Tech Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) program that will begin in March 2013.

Now in its third year, the High Tech CEL is a collaboration between the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) in the University at Buffalo School of Management and UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences.

With funding from a number of sources, including an Economic Development Administration grant and an award from UB’s “E Fund,” the program’s mission is to help participants build a strong management team and develop an individualized pathway toward commercialization.

Participants of the 10-week program meet for two hours a week, covering a range of topics, including commercialization strategies, finance issues, intellectual property, FDA regulations, investor relations, sales and marketing, and more.

“The High-Tech CEL is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to build their business skills, gain hands-on experience, and learn from other professionals who understand the challenges they’re facing,” said Thomas Ulbrich, executive director of UB’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“This program is greatly beneficial for those whose firms are in the initial phase of taking their work from the lab to the market,” said Marnie LaVigne, PhD, associate vice president of economic development at UB. “It incorporates key high-tech business topics into the strength of the time-tested CEL program that has helped hundreds of traditional businesses in the region grow since 1987.”

Case studies, roundtables, panel discussions and lectures make up the curriculum, and each participant is partnered with a seasoned, successful entrepreneur who is attuned to the issues that influence business decisions. These mentors guide, advise and support participants throughout the program to help them achieve specific objectives.

The High-Tech CEL program is engaging and interactive and focuses on the importance of initiating and nurturing relationships between early-stage companies and leaders in the Buffalo-Niagara life science and technology ecosystem by providing structured networking opportunities throughout the duration of the program.

Charles d’Estries, director of SciBiz International Inc., will moderate the program. He provides business development consulting for entrepreneurs in the life sciences and high-tech fields, particularly those in the early stages of business.

Program cost is $995 per participant, and consecutive participants from the same company can attend at a 50 percent discount ($497).

To learn more or wp-contently, contact the CEL at 716-885-5715 or mgt-cel@buffalo.edu.

The mission of UB’s New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (COE) is to study the mechanistic processes involved in human disease with the goal of developing diagnostics tools and therapeutic interventions, preventative treatment and other disease management devices and processes to improve the health and well-being of the population. This scientific mission is balanced by the COE’s responsibility to act as a facilitator of economic development in Upstate New York by building and supporting partnerships between academia, industry and government. More information is available at http://www.bioinformatics.buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit http://mgt.buffalo.edu.

Jacqueline Ghosen, UB School of Management; ghosen@buffalo.edu; 716-645-2833

Pharmacy Opens in Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Fruit Belt, Innovation Center, News2 Comments on Pharmacy Opens in Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Banner Letterhead
For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 10, 2013

For more information:
Contact Kari Bonaro
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 716-218-7157

Pharmacy Opens in Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Mobile Pharmacy Solutions (Formerly VascuScript) Offers Prescription Delivery Services, In-Home Visits, and More in New Location

(BUFFALO, NY) – The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center is pleased to welcome Mobile Pharmacy Solutions (MPS), a full service, brick and mortar pharmacy, locally owned and operated, as one of its newest tenants. MPS is located on the first floor of the building in 2,495 sq ft of brand new, state-of-the art space. Its hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

While also functioning as a community drug store, MPS implements home-based services for patients including in-home pharmacist consultations, free delivery and/or mailing of prescription and over-the-counter medications, advanced courtesy refills, medication therapy management, immunizations, and specialty compounded medications. When the pharmacy is physically closed, patients still have access to an on-call pharmacist through an automated system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MPS employs 17 team members, including six pharmacists.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Medical Campus community, and look forward to helping to meet the needs of the nearby Fruit Belt and Allentown community residents, as well as patients and employees on the Medical Campus and in the central business district,” said Dean P. Trzewieczynski, RPh., Chief Operating Officer of Mobile Pharmacy Solutions. “Working closely with our affiliates, we are able to offer unique services to our customers, beyond traditional retail pharmacies. The success of this model can be attributed to the ability of the care team to interface with other health care providers such as nurse practitioners, physicians, surgeons, physician assistants, therapists, etc. to provide a higher level of patient care.”

Formerly known as VascuScript while operating in Cheektowaga, Mobile Pharmacy Solutions is affiliated with Mobile HealthCare Connections, a collaboration of service providers delivering a wide range of innovative medical care, remote vital signs telemonitoring, in-home primary care and streamlined pharmacy services –all delivered directly to the patient’s home. The triage and clinical monitoring centers are staffed with fully trained nurses who analyze and evaluate remotely monitored patients. They provide coaching, patient support and notifications to primary caregivers in cases of readings outside established parameters.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are over 40 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space.  bnmc-old.local

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. There are currently 40 companies located in the building.

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New Vaccine Research Aims to Prevent Recurrent Ear Infections

by BNMCin Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News5 Comments on New Vaccine Research Aims to Prevent Recurrent Ear Infections

Lab in UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center is one of few in the world studying an increasingly prevalent bacterium, once considered harmless
Children’s ear infections cause more than pain and sleepless nights; they temporarily disrupt hearing when children are at a critical age for speech and language development.  They also have major social and economic costs.

But while infants and children receive immunizations against infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcus, there is no vaccine against Moraxella catarrhalis, an increasingly prevalent bacterium that causes at least ten percent of otitis media cases.

Now, University at Buffalo scientists, among just a handful of researchers in the world studying this organism, have received a $1.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a vaccine against it. The researchers are among the first tenants in UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center, which opened in September on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

The goal of the current research, funded by the NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, is to identify new virulence mechanisms for this understudied pathogen, identify the structure of a candidate antigen for a new vaccine and develop a new vaccine.

According to Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Microbiology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and principal investigator on the NIH grant, research on M. catarrhalis has lagged because it was originally believed to be a “commensal” or harmless bacterium. While it does cause milder cases of middle ear infections (otitis media) than other bacteria, Murphy said it is becoming more prevalent. Preliminary evidence also shows that existing ear infection vaccines are changing colonization patterns among otitis media pathogens, possibly increasing the prevalence of M. catarrhalis infections.

“Of the 15 to 20 million cases of otitis media each year in the U.S., about ten percent are recurring, causing incredible disruption for the child and the family,” explains Murphy. “When a child has the infection, the middle ear fills with fluid, a condition that can last for a month or longer. During that time, the child’s hearing is muffled, which disrupts the normal development of language and speech skills, potentially resulting in long term delays and learning problems in school.”

Recurrent ear infections also require repeated courses of antibiotics, which then contribute to the global problem of antibiotic resistance. Some children must undergo insertion of drainage tubes under general anesthesia.

“The best option would be to prevent these infections in the first place,” says Murphy.

The goal of the UB researchers is to identify M. catarrhalis antigens that are very similar among all strains so that a vaccine based on a single antigen will protect against as many strains of the bacterium as possible.

“Based on our results thus far, it looks like we will be able to identify antigens that are identical or very similar among all strains and genetic lineages,” says Murphy.

He and his colleagues are using bioinformatics to identify genes predicted to encode proteins on the surface of the organism, construct a gene chip to test which of more than 300 possible genes on the surface are identical or similar among multiple strains and then clone genes for some of the predicted proteins for testing in in vitro and mouse models.

The UB group is now testing several promising vaccine antigens that they have identified. A new vaccine could be ready for human testing in three to five years.

Murphy and his colleagues at UB are global leaders in the study of M. catarrhalis in otitis media in children and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations in adults. Their hope is that the same vaccine could be used to prevent both kinds of infections.

In addition to directing the M. catarrhalis research, Murphy directs UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center and is senior associate dean for clinical and translational research in the UB medical school. For more than a decade, Murphy has studied how M. catarrhalis causes both otitis media in children and infections in chronic obstructive COPD in adults.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605

Medical Campus Makes Sustainability Improvements to 589 Ellicott

by BNMCin Construction, Environment, News, Parking7 Comments on Medical Campus Makes Sustainability Improvements to 589 Ellicott

Bio-retention Facility
The BNMC continues to make significant sustainability improvements to its largest surface parking lot at 589 Ellicott Street, including a bio-retention facility, solar/wind powered lighting, and a bicycle storage shelter.

The bio-retention facility, one of the largest in the region, was completed this spring at the south end of the surface parking lot. It significantly improve the quality of storm water exiting the parking lot prior to entering the sanitary stormwater sewer along Ellicott and North Oak Streets. Often referred to as a rain garden, the bioretention facility actually goes above and beyond the mere slowing of the movement of water from surface to sanitary sewer as in a rain garden. The bio-retention facility will retain the first 1.25” of rain on site. This significantly reduces the stress placed on the sanitary storm water management system that usually accompanies a heavy rainfall. The retention of 1.25” of rainfall on site will be a requirement of the City of Buffalo’s upcoming Green Code.

The purpose of the bio-retention facility is to remove a wide range of pollutants, such as suspended solids, nutrients, metals, hydrocarbons, and bacteria from storm water prior to entering the sanitary sewer system and ultimately stopping these pollutants from entering the Buffalo River. It also adds to the greenspace on the Campus.

In addition, resources are also being deployed to enhance access and safety for employees, patients, visitors and neighboring community members.

LSImageAdditional infrastructure enhancements include the upgrading of existing lighting systems in the parking lot. Existing wooden poles will be replaced with galvanized steel poles. Existing energy consumption intense metal halide lamps will be replaced by energy efficient 31 watt intelligent LED lamps. The lamps will be powered by a 1000 watt, 5’ tall vertical wind turbine which will sit 25.5’ off the ground atop the pole. Additional renewable energy for the lamps will be produced by a 200 watt, 3’ by 5’ photovoltaic panel located 21’ off the ground. Once installed, these lamps will no longer be tied into the electrical grid. The illumination will result from electricity produced by solar and wind and lithium ion battery storage located in the pole’s base.

The hybridized wind and solar street lighting system is technology developed by the Lumisolaire company based in NYC. The solar bed which will hold the photovoltaic panel system will be manufactured locally by Ontario Specialties Corporation. CIR Electrical Construction Corporation is the contractor installing the system.

The bicycle storage shelter is being constructed at the north end of the lot at Ellicott and Oak Streets. This secure facility is designed to increase bicycle ridership on the BNMC, supporting our GO BNMC initiative to encourage employees to take alternative modes of transportation to work. This structure is complete.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BNMC, Inc. Names New Chief Financial Officer

by BNMCin Campus-wide, News4 Comments on BNMC, Inc. Names New Chief Financial Officer

Banner LetterheadFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMonday, January 7, 2013

For more information, contact:

Kari Bonaro, Director of Communications
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local or 716.218.7157

 

BNMC, Inc. Names New Chief Financial Officer

(BUFFALO ) – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) recently named Patrick J. Kilcullen its Chief Financial Officer. As CFO, Kilcullen will be responsible for the accounting and financial operations of the BNMC and related entities.

He most recently served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for Ciminelli Real Estate Corporation in Williamsville, NY. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Albright Knox Art Gallery. He has also acted as an independent consultant and worked in the pharmaceutical and public accounting industries.

Kilcullen graduated with a B.B.A. from Niagara University. He resides with his wife and three children in Newfane.

ABOUT THE BNMC, INC.

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the institutions located within the Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, their 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. is led by a dynamic team dedicated to creating innovative, sustainable environments.

 

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