ABOUT

Mission

The mission of the 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 our responsibility to act as a facilitator of economic development in Upstate New York via partnerships with government, academia and industry.

Goals & Objectives

• To apply the concepts, methodologies, and technologies related to biomedical informatics, including public health epidemiology, computational biology, genomics, proteomics, structural biology, disease modeling, and biomedical engineering to significant human health problems.



• To develop fundamental discovery-based understanding of human diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases, cardiopulmonary disease, and neurological diseases.



• To proactively transfer this fundamental knowledge to the development of devices, therapeutics, algorithms, and other strategies to manage and ultimately prevent human disease, while creating positive economic impact through technology innovation.



• To develop educational programs which will assist in the development of a cadre of scientists and technical personnel who will work in the area of life science research and the biotechnology industry.

History

The creation of the CoE was proposed in 2001 by New York State Governor George Pataki as part of a statewide program to develop the region’s technology resources and spur economic development to lay the foundation for a new life sciences economy in Buffalo Niagara and across the state. As the designated life sciences CoE, the Center combines expertise from research and academic institutions that have been around for more than 100 years with the University at Buffalo (UB), as the lead organization, and two research partners, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute.

The CoE and its research partners are completing the process of moving into 400,000 square feet of state-of-the-art research facilities in three new interconnected buildings, known as the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex, on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which is a thriving area of clinical, research and academic operations employing over 8,000 people daily. The CoE includes over 100 scientists with biological, physical and computational expertise engaged in interdisciplinary translational research with Center collaborators.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

A partner of the Center of Excellence, MedTech, held their annual summit, MEDTECH 07 Medical Device and Diagnostic Leadership Summit: Quality Product Development in a Regulated Environment September 17 and 18 at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles, NY.  Device and diagnostic professionals deliberated on current issues and opportunities that companies face trying to bring next generation products into the highly regulated markets of today. 

New to the conference this year was an exhibit space, the “Petting Zoo,” which highlighted some of the most exciting technology from the region, including several exhibited via the Center of Excellence and its corporate partner, Applied Sciences Group. One UB-based technology that was highlighted was SmartPill Corporation’s recently released SmartPill, which was partially funded by the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology (CAT). The SmartPill, which received FDA approval in July 2006, is a device that measures gastro intestinal pressure, pH, and temperature.

Micass LLC was another UB-based company showcasing their cutting edge technology, a Computer Assisted Intervention system targeting neurosurgery.  This system enables very accurate image-guided neuron-surgeries leading to increased success rates and lowered costs.  Micass LLC and the Computer Assisted Intervention system were started by UB faculty member, Dr. Vipin Chaudhary.

Featured Researcher

Dr. Vipin Chaudhary
Associate Professor- UB Department of Computer Science and Engineering

 

Dr. Chaudhary is a prominent UB Computer Scientist and expert in medical imaging. He came to UB in the fall of 2006 in an effort to recruit to the Center of Excellence top-notch "entrepreneurial scientists" capable of developing and commercializing new biotechnologies.  Dr. Chaudhary previously has launched his own business (Micass) and has been on the teams of several successful businesses. Dr. Chaudhary uses high-performance computers to provide neurosurgeons with the up-to-date visual information required in the operating room to ensure successful surgical outcomes. He is also developing computer-assisted interventions in numerous other health care applications.

[Dr. Choudhary's Website]

News

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to Revamp Trico Site
07/19/2008 - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Armed with a $4.5 million cash transfusion, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is pushing ahead with a key physical expansion.  Patrick Whelan, BNMC chief operating officer, said funding approved last week by the Empire State Development Corp. will aid a $12 million effort to turn a portion of the former Trico windshield wiper plant into a high-tech innovation center...[Read On...]

Quantum Rod System May Safely 'Sneak' Drugs, Diagnostics into Brain
07/16/2008 - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A unique nanoparticle system developed by University at Buffalo scientists takes advantage of the versatility of bioconjugated quantum rods to ferry novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier, according to recent in vitro findings. Described in a paper published in Bioconjugate Chemistry, the system uses the rod-shaped semiconductor nanoparticles that are bioconjugated, or coupled, with biomolecules capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier...[Read On...]

Visit the News Archive

Events

September 23, 2008 - MedTech08 Biosciences Summit
Growing, Changing, Booming: Adapting healthcare to the needs of an aging population.  Join us at The Lodge in Skaneateles NY for this exciting daylong event packed with industry leaders sharing their strategies for successfully adapting to the aging boomer demographic.  To learn more and register, Click here

October 27-28, 2008 - AACR Centennial Symposium
Roswell Park Cancer Institute is hosting the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Centennial Symposium, entitled “The Future of Cancer Research: Science and Patient Impact”, this fall.  To learn more and register, Click here.

To view the complete list of events and event details, please visit our Events page

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