Driven to Discover

Our UB SPPS faculty share their expertise and the experiences that led them to their research areas. 

Nicole Albanese, PharmD, grew up in a holistic household that emphasized diet over medication. Now, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, she views medication as one piece of the health care puzzle and specializes in diabetes, obesity and nutrition. Her insights cover everything from unexpected side effects and surprising health benefits to how these drugs work, why they’re so popular, what prevents most users from achieving long-term success, and what’s next on the horizon.

More than 750 older Americans are hospitalized every day due to severe side effects from their medications. Many of them will die prematurely as a result. David Jacobs, PharmD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, discusses the systemic failures in our health care system driving this alarming trend, and how he and other members of an interdisciplinary initiative called Team Alice are working to reverse it. Jacobs recounts the story of Alice Brennan, the vibrant, 88-year-old woman for whom Team Alice is named; explains how the team has grown over the years to involve researchers from across the university as well as the greater community; and shares what individuals can do now to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from medication-related harm.