Medicine’s Research Day Showcases Over 100 Posters

This year’s Research Day featured four oral presentations and more than 100 poster presentations on basic and clinical research. There were more than 160 people in attendance.

Additionally, two faculty members and a fellow received recognition at the June 9 event that took place in the second floor atrium of the new downtown home of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

The following projects and researchers were recognized as best in their categories:

“IL-17 a Key Regulator of Mucin-Galectin-3 Interaction in Asthma”

Presenter: Manoj J. Mammen, MD, assistant professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine

Mentor: Supriya D. Mahajan, PhD, research assistant professor of allergy, immunology and rheumatology

Other co-authors: Jamil Ali, MD; Donald E. Sykes, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine; Katherine Cwiklinski; Ravikumar Aalinkeel, PhD, research associate professor of medicine; Mark F. Sands, MD, clinical professor of medicine; and Stanley J. Schwartz, MD, PhD, UB Distinguished Professor of medicine and pediatrics

“Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Results of the IBS Outcome Study (IBSOS)”

Presenter: Varnita Tahiliani, MD, gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition fellowship

Mentor: Jeffrey M. Lackner, PsyD, professor of medicine and chief of behavioral medicine

Other co-authors: Laura Dunlap, PhD; James Jaccard, PhD; Christopher D. Radziwon, PhD, clinical assistant professor of medicine; Susan Krasner, PhD, clinical assistant professor of medicine and anasthesiology; Rebecca Firth, MHA; Gregory D. Gudleski, PhD, research associate professor of behavioral medicine; Leonard A. Katz, MD, professor emeritus of medicine; and Michael D. Sitrin, MD, professor emeritus of medicine

“BPX-501 T-Cells Interfere With Minimal Residual Disease Evaluation of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”

Presenter: Amro Elshoury, MBBCh, hematology/oncology fellowship

Mentor: George L. Chen, MD, clinical associate professor of hematology/oncology

Other co-authors: Paul Wallace, PhD; Michael J. Borowitz, MD; Angela Kader; Christopher Choi, PhD; Christine M. Ho, MD, assistant professor of hematology/oncology; Sophia R. Balderman, MD, assistant professor of hematology/oncology; Maureen Ross, MD, PhD; Theresa E. Hahn, PhD; Vince O’Neill, MD; and Philip L. McCarthy, MD, professor of hematology/oncology

“Insulin and Hydrocortisone Combination as an Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail”

Presenter: Thinzar Lin, MD, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism fellowship

Mentor: Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chief of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes

Other co-authors: Rujuta Katkar, MD; Husam A. Ghanim, PhD, research associate professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes; Manav Batra, MBBS, clinical associate professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes; Kelly Green; Sanaa Abuaysheh; Nitesh Kuhadiya, MD; Ajay Chaudhuri, MD, clinical professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes; and Antoine Makdissi, MD, clinical associate professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes

“Nicotinamide Riboside Enhances Cognitive Function and Physical Performance in Aged Mice”

Presenter: Ramkumar Thiyagarajan, PhD, research assistant in the Department of Medicine

Mentor: Bruce R. Troen, MD, professor of medicine and chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine

Other co-authors: Kenneth L. Seldeen, PhD, research assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine; Aref Shahini; Yonas Redae; Merced Leiker; and Stelios Andreadis, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering

“Targeting Mcl-1 by Proteasome Inhibitors Enhances the Anti-Tumor Activity of Venetoclax in Mantle Cell Lymphoma Pre-Clinical Models”

Presenter: Shalin Kothari, MD, hematology-oncology fellowship

Mentor: Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, MD, clinical associate professor of hematology/oncology

Other co-authors: Juan Gu, MD, PhD; Cory Mavis; and Kyle Runckel

“Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Level as a Predictor of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal”

Presenter: Brian MacDonald, MD, PhD, internal medicine residency

Mentor: Scott H. Stewart, MD, associate professor of general internal medicine

Other co-author: Regina Makdissi, MD, clinical assistant professor of general internal medicine

“Serum Galectin-3 Strongly Predicts the Risk of Early Mortality After Sudden Cardiac Arrest”

Presenter: Zaid B. Al-Jebaje, MD, Catholic Health internal medicine residency

Mentor: Umesh Sharma, MD, PHD, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine

Other co-authors: Wassim Mosleh, MD; Sahoor Khan, MD; Millind Chaudery, MD, PhD; John Elibol, MD; Tanvi Shah, MD; Charle Khalil, MD; and Kevin H. Frodey, MD

“A Young Carpenter With Progressive Dyspnea, Right Upper Quadrant Abdominal Pain and Dark Colored Urine”

Presenter: Makoto Nagahama, MD, internal medicine residency

Mentor: Colin B. Tauro, MD

Other co-author: Matthew Asirwatham

“First Reported Case of Paracoccus Bacteremia Associated With TNF-Alpha Inhibition: A Botanical Infection Masquerading as a Zoonosis”

Presenter: Shana A. Wierchowski, MD, internal medicine residency

Mentor: Charles S. Berenson, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases

Other co-author: Zarchi Sumon, MD

“Enhancing Functional Capacity in Older Veterans with Short Session High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)”

Presenter: Kenneth L. Seldeen, PhD, research assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine

Mentor: Bruce R. Troen, MD, professor of medicine and chief of geriatrics and palliative medicine

Other co-authors: Andrew D. Ray, PhD; M. Jeffery Mador, MD, associate professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine; Ayesha Rahman; Yonas Redae; and Nikhil Satchidanand, PhD, assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine

“Endocytosis in Kidney Podocytes: Megalin Role in Albumin Uptake and Subsequent Albumin Overload Induced Podocyte Injury in Experimental Diabetic Kidney Disease Models”

Presenter: Mark A. Bryniarski, a student in the pharmaceutical sciences program in UB’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Mentor: Rabi Yacoub, MD, assistant professor of nephrology

Other co-authors: Lee Chaves, PhD, research assistant professor of nephrology; Benjamin Yee; Amanda Honan; Sham Abyad; Shruthi Thomas; Steven Wells; and Marilyn Morris

The following faculty were honored:

John M. Canty Jr., MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Albert and Elizabeth Rekate Professor of medicine and chief of cardiovascular medicine, received an award for Outstanding Mentorship in Research.

Patrick M. Boland, MD, assistant professor of hematology/oncology, received the Junior Faculty Award for Outstanding Research.

Amro Elshoury, MBBCh, a trainee in the hematology-oncology fellowship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the second recipient of the Dr. Gerald Logue Memorial Award.

The award was endowed by the family and friends of Logue to recognize outstanding students in the field of hematology/oncology. Logue was a former professor of medicine and chief of hematology.

Sanjay Sethi, MD, professor of medicine and chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, presented the keynote address, titled “From CCH to NEJM, a Physician-Scientist’s Journey.”