UB Medical School Names Chair of Gynecology and Obstetrics

News Release

UB Medical School Names Chair of Gynecology and Obstetrics

Barnabei has conducted research on postmenopausal women through the Women’s Health Initiative and other federally funded studies

[ photograph ]Dr. Barnabei will join UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on Oct. 1.

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Ellen Goldbaum

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Release Date: July 10, 2012

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Vanessa M. Barnabei, MD, PhD, the Patrick and Margaret McMahon Endowed Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and director of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, has been named the

new chair of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Barnabei (pronounced Barnaby), who also will serve as medical director of Women’s Health Services at Kaleida Health, will join UB on October 1.

The hiring of Barnabei brings to eight the number of new chairs recruited by Michael E. Cain, MD, UB vice president for health sciences and dean of the UB medical school, in the past four years. These national hires, Cain says, are a critical piece of his strategic vision for the medical school’s future.

According to Cain, Barnabei rapidly emerged as the top candidate following a comprehensive national search, possessing all the skills needed to advance the UB department and expand its basic and clinical research programs in service of UB’s 2020 strategic goals. Under Barnabei, Cain says, the department will enhance the excellence of its graduate medical education and mentored research training programs. She will help develop and align a comprehensive clinical program at Great Lakes Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and the community.

Barnabei has been an investigator on some of the most important clinical trials examining the effects of hormone therapy on postmenopausal women, including the Women’s Health Initiative, the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) and the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) trial. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and industry. Her early research focused on the genetics of the X chromosome as well as perinatal genetics.

Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Barnabei also is a certified menopause clinician. She provides obstetrical care in the low-risk setting and manages the gynecological care of women of all ages, with expertise in the care of the midlife woman and vulvar disorders.

Barnabei has held leadership positions at both George Washington University and The Medical College of Wisconsin in areas of women’s health and menopause. In recent years, she has been involved in hospital- and community-based activities aimed at lowering the infant mortality rate in inner-city African American children.

A native of Vineland, New Jersey, Barnabei received her PhD in biology and her MD from the University of Virginia. She did her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago. She served as an assistant professor and associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University in Washington, DC. In 2010, Barnabei received the Outstanding Faculty Award from The Medical College of Wisconsin. She holds leadership positions in the North American Menopause Society and the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Roswell Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology to Speak at BUILD of Buffalo Convention

Dr. Kunle Odunsi will give the opening address at the BUILD (Build Unity, Independence, Liberty & Dignity) of Buffalo Convention. The convention will take place June 1-2. The theme for the event is “Closing the Gap: Healthcare is a Civil Right…Not a Privilege” which will explore access to health care, employment, education, economic development.  He is the Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Dr. Odunisi earned his medical degree from the University of Ife in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He completed his postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. After completing a research fellowship in molecular oncology, he earned a doctoral degree at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories overseas from the University of Oxford. He also completed a residency at the Yale University School of Medicine, and a clinical fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Roswell.

BUILD of Buffalo’s two-day event will mark its 18th annual convention. The address will take place at 9 a.m. Friday, June 1, at the Friends Inc. Center located at 118 East Utica Street. Dr. Odunsi will discuss his path toward a career as a physician and researcher working to develop vaccine therapies to treat cancer, and give perspectives on how to close the gap on healthcare disparities.

Having partnered with Roswell before to promote health and improve the quality of life for the region’s residents, BUILD now looks to tackle another joint initiative that supports responsible tobacco retailing by limiting the advertising of tobacco products in delis and convenience stores. BUILD has also partnered with Roswell Park’s Office of Cancer Health Disparities Research to bring awareness of cancer screening and treatment programs to the minority community.

Additional 2-day event speakers:

LaVonne Ansari, PhD, of the Community Health Center of Buffalo

Rev. George Franklin Nicholas of Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church

Charley H. Fisher III, BUILD President.

For more information and to register, call 716-650-8889.

Registration (breakfast included): $20 for individual attendees, $50 for families (up to five people) and $100 for groups of six or more.

 

Roswell Park Graduate Student Earns Research Scholar Award from Nicolay Foundation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 7, 2012
Contact: Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org


Roswell Park Graduate Student Earns Research Scholar Award from Nicolay Foundation

BUFFALO, NY — Maryann Mikucki, a pre-doctoral trainee in the Department of Immunology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), has received a Research Scholar Award from the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation (JMNMF). As part of the JMNMF’s ongoing support for promising graduate students at major academic cancer centers, the competitive award includes a $10,000 grant toward Mikucki’s research on melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

Mikucki is working toward a joint MD/PhD degree from the University at Buffalo (UB) and the Roswell Park Graduate Division of UB. One of nine graduate students to receive the awards this year, she works under the direction of Sharon S. Evans, PhD, whose internationally recognized laboratory investigates checkpoints controlling mobilization of blood-borne T cells to tissues during immune responses.

“The work I’ll be performing with the Nicolay grant aims to understand the mechanism by which tumor cells interfere with delivery of toxic T cells to melanoma tumor tissues, allowing them to evade destruction,” noted Mikucki, a native of Danbury, CT, who now lives in Amherst, NY. “These proof-of-concept studies are expected to uncover a novel mechanism of melanoma resistance to T cell-based immunotherapy and also lay the foundations for translational research.”

“Our Foundation’s Research Scholar Awards are invaluable at the grassroots level, to specifically grow interest in melanoma research at qualified cancer centers across the country,” said Robert E. Nicolay, JMNMF Chairman. “If we can attract the brightest minds that are considering, or already within, the nation’s cancer research pipelines, to pursue a career in melanoma research, we’re that much closer to better understanding the disease, identifying the means for effective treatments and, most importantly, finding a cure for this deadly and very prevalent disease.”

The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation is a nonprofit public charity founded in January 2004 to foster melanoma education, advocacy and research. In just eight years, the Foundation has grown dramatically to become an influential voice in the melanoma community and is now established as a national, and international, “voice for melanoma prevention, detection, care and cure.”

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.

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Editor’s note: Photo caption, from left: Kelvin Lee, MD, Chair of the Department of Immunology, Sharon Evans, PhD, research mentor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Immunology, Nicolay Award winner Maryann Mikucki and Richard Hershberger, PhD, MBA, Chief Academic Officer.

EE Global Forum Honors Energy Efficiency ‘Visionaries’

 

Media Contacts:                                                                                                                                   For Immediate Release

Ronnie Kweller (Alliance to Save Energy)202-530-2203; 202-276-9327

Beth Cope (Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance) 404-602-9655; 404-786-0503  

Aurora Arlet (Edelman) 404-460-8578; 404-908-3186

 

EE Global Forum Honors Energy Efficiency ‘Visionaries’

From Australia, Germany, United Arab Emirates, United States 

Orlando, March 29, 2012 – Four cities on four continents will be honored as exemplars of energy efficiency leadership by the Alliance to Save Energy and the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance at the EE Global Forum during an awards luncheon at the Peabody Resort here today.

Selected by the 50+ member EE Global International Steering Committee (ISC) chaired by U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Schneider Electric U.S. President Jeff Drees, 2012 EE Visionary Award  recipients Buffalo, N.Y.; Masdar City, United Arab Emirates; Melbourne, Australia; and Tuebingen, Germany are models for municipalities around the world that seek to use energy efficiency to cut energy consumption and save money.

In addition to the award ceremony, the luncheon/plenary session (12:45-2:30 pm) will be addressed by Siemens Industry Inc. Vice President and Senior Advisor Bob Dixon in recognition of the company’s sponsorship of EE Global’s closing event.

“The EE Global Visionary Awards celebrate and showcase the people and places responsible for cutting-edge energy efficiency achievements that are leading the way in today’s global economy,” commented Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “We congratulate the winners for their outstanding contributions to the global advancement of energy efficiency – a key mission of the Alliance to Save Energy and of EE Global itself.”

Buffalo, N.Y., and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Inc. – a growing medical and life science campus – are receiving the Americas award for creating a five-year Energy Innovation and economic development plan for the campus and surrounding residential community that integrates energy efficiency, grid modernization, alternative transportation and renewable energy. Cognizant of the medical campus’s impact on the city, campus officials worked with nearby residents, National Grid and campus institutions including Kaleida Health, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the University at Buffalo and the Global Energy Institute to create an impressive path toward energy efficiency. Medical Campus CEO Matthew Enstice will accept the award.

Masdar City, United Arab Emirates (UAE), representing the Africa-Middle East region, is a low-carbon, low-energy and low-waste suburb emerging in Abu Dhabi to house over 40,000 residents and hundreds of businesses. As a test bed for innovation, Masdar City adheres to rigorous sustainability principles in every aspect of its urban planning and architectural design. Masdar uses Smart Grid and energy efficiency technologies to continually optimize and reduce energy usage. This living and working community achieved a 51% reduction in electricity consumption, 54% reduction in water consumption and 50% reduction in cooling needs compared to average consumption across the UAE. The city’s source for innovation is Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, a top-class research university with a reputation for being at the forefront of clean technology development. Masdar Director of Sustainability Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany will accept the award.

The Asia-Pacific region winner is Melbourne, Australia, whose 1200 Buildings

initiative is seeking to boost energy efficiency in the city’s commercial buildings sector. It has sparked significant interest in Melbourne, with more than 200 buildings at varying stages in their retrofits. City of Melbourne and its partners developed a unique financial mechanism, which has been legislated by the Victorian Government. It provides property-secured financing, reducing the risk for financial institutions while giving owners access to capital. It also avoids split incentives between owners and tenants by allowing tenants to contribute to the cost of the efficiency upgrades and enjoy lower energy costs. The initiative is expected to result in up to $2 billion in private-sector investment, about 8,000 new jobs, a five-million-liter cut in potable water use and a 383,000-metric-ton cut in greenhouse gas emissions. Director Government Liaison, Victorian Government Americas Office, Libby Ferguson will accept the award on behalf of Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.

This year’s European winner is the city of Tuebingen, Germany, whose absolute and per capita energy consumption decreased by 7% and 12%, respectively, between 2004 and 2009 – even as the city’s population grew by 5.3%. Spearheading much of the Tuebingen effort is Green Party Lord Mayor Boris Palmer, who will accept the award on his city’s behalf. A variety of community-based projects there – including a local energy conservation campaign called Tuebingen goes blue which transformed the city’s transportation system to include hybrid, electric and hydrogen buses – is one of the community-based projects that spark energy efficiency.

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The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy and national security.

D’Youville Opens Classroom Facility at Medical Campus Innovation Center

D’YOUVILLE OPENS CLASSROOM FACILITY AT MEDICAL CAMPUS INNOVATION CENTER

Buffalo, March 26, 2012 –  D’Youville College is joining the mix of tenants in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Innovation Center in the former Trico Building at 640 Ellicott Street.

The college has leased wp-contentroximately 1600 square feet of space in the Center that has been renovated into state of the art facilities including a classroom and offices.

Called the D’Youville Center for Professional Studies, the private college is the first college or university in the research and development faculty.

The college facility ties in with D’Youville’s new Professional Development Program designed for working professionals who want to upgrade their education and training, acquire current skills and knowledge to keep pace with rapidly changing development in their field.

D’Youville will initially offer Professional Upgrade Courses in occupational therapy and dietetics for health care professionals in April with evening classes for registered nurses seeking bachelor’s degrees in nursing scheduled for this fall.

Continuing Education Courses in Certified Public Accounting and leadership are also in the works along with a variety of other programs to be offered in the Center in 2012-13.

“the Medical Campus is the hub of health care activity and D’Youville is one of the leaders in this type of education so our presence is important,” says Dr. Arup Sen, vice president for academic affairs at the college.

“We want to reach out to the community and make it convenient for individuals to take advantage of our educational opportunities,” Dr. Sen added.

Students and faculty will also be close to a number of life sciences and biotechnology startup companies that offer collaboration and internships.

D’Youville is already working with Advantage Home Telehealth Inc. on grants and internships, and with ServSafe, a food training and certification company for food handlers at all levels in the food industry, both located in the Center, according to Dr. Sen.  “Our presence in the Center opens new avenues for our students.”

D’Youville has long been a leader in health care education offering a wide array of programs, the most recent being pharmacy and chiropractic.

There will be an Open House at the new Center for Professional Studies in the Innovation Center in late April.

This is the second satellite campus D’Youville has established.  In October, it opened a facility at Brothers of Mercy Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Clarence for registered nurses wanting a bachelor’s degree.

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Contact:

Dr. Arup Sen at 829-7658

John Bray, Director of PR at 829-7818