Research and Economic Development | University at Buffalo

It was a pleasure welcoming Shadi Shahedipour-Sandvik, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation & Economic Development for SUNY, and Andrew Singer, Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Stony Brook University, to #UBuffalo. In addition, Dean Kemper Lewis and I were grateful to host a day of insightful discussions with UB’s leaders in artificial intelligence including X. Christine Wang, Jinjun Xiong, Srirangaraj Setlur, Karthik Dantu, Rachael Hageman Blair, David Castillo, Ciprian Ionita and Kenneth Joseph.

2024 was an incredible year for #research at #UBuffalo. Here’s a wrapup of some of this year’s highlights: ➡️The year of #AI at UB: UB becomes the home campus of Empire AI, celebrates one year of the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education and welcomes the Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI) ➡️University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine awarded $7.3 million for a new gnotobiotic microbiome research facility to study systemic diseases ➡️Abceutics Inc., a UB-affiliated startup, was acquired by biopharma company Merck for $208 million ➡️Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region awarded $40 million for semiconductor manufacturing as part of the CHIPS and Science Act Read the full stories and learn more about UB’s incredible research here: https://lnkd.in/gufnQQ2y

Congratulations to #UBCSE associate professor Kenneth Joseph🎉👏 🎊 Joseph is being recognized with the President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring, recognizing the impact of quality teaching and mentoring on student's experience and achievement. Learn more about Joseph and his achievements in mentorship ⬇️ ⬇️ #UBuffalo #UBSEAS

Eduardo Mercado III, professor of #psychology in #UBuffalo’s College of Arts and Sciences, has discovered that mice use vocalizations and sounds to enhance their sense of smell. Vibroacoustics, or artificially produced ultrasonic vibrations, cause airborne particles to cluster, leading Mercado to suggest that rodents are using USVs to make it easier for the vocalizer to detect and identify friends, strangers and competitors. “It’s so far off the scale of what we know that it’s like we’re observing ‘Jedi’ rats,” says Mercado. “It almost seems like magic.” Learn more about Mercado’s work here:https://lnkd.in/gubSG8Ms

With interest in #AI surging globally, these advancements showcase and build upon UB’s impressive half-century of expertise in AI research and education. They also hint at a brighter future, where AI’s uncanny abilities merge with human ingenuity to tackle society’s greatest challenges. “Traditionally, colleges and universities are at the epicenter of life-changing research and ideas,” says Venu Govindaraju, #UBuffalo's vice president for research and economic development. “The University at Buffalo is pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and data science in fields that are critical to the state’s and nation’s future.” As 2024 comes to a close, here’s a look back at what has been a year of AI at UB. 👇 #AIresearch #artificialintelligence #datascience Artificial Intelligence and Data Science | University at Buffalo

Congratulations to Marianthi Markatou, #UBuffalo SUNY Distinguished Professor of biostatistics within the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions, on being awarded a $1 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study how #artificialintelligence can better extract and analyze medical data! “Our long-term objective is to provide evidence to support interventions to address social determinants of health among underserved populations,” Markatou says. Read more about Markatou’s project here: https://lnkd.in/gtm-aUsA

Congratulations to #UBuffalo engineer Kaihang Shi on receiving $110,000 from the American Chemical Society to produce microporous polymers with the goal of making #naturalgas processing more #energyefficient! The grant will support experiments using complex #computersimulations that quickly analyze the behaviors of many molecules all at once - as well as #machinelearning, a form of #artificialintelligence - to create new polymers that will reduce energy needs and expenses for methane diffusion, a key facet of #naturalgas production. Learn more about Shi’s project here: https://lnkd.in/gM9knc7H

Congratulations to #UBuffalo inventors Ding Xu, Chih Yean Ong, and Miaomiao Li, whose novel monoclonal antibody was included in Inpart’s top ten list of breakthrough innovations! These antibodies work to block the connection between heparan sulfate (HS) and a receptor called RAGE, which prevents RAGE from triggering harmful inflammation linked to diseases like atherosclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and sepsis. By stopping this interaction, these antibodies could reduce disease severity. Learn more about the technology and licensing options here: https://lnkd.in/e3zjMazS

Do you love bread, pasta, sweets and other carb-heavy foods? Turns out, humans may be genetically wired to do so! A new #UBuffalo and The Jackson Laboratory-led study reveals how duplication of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) — may not only have helped shape #humanadaptation to starchy foods, but may have occurred more than 800,000 years ago, prior to the discovery of farming and possibly attributed to our separation from Neadrathals. “The idea is that the more amylase genes you have, the more amylase you can produce and the more starch you can digest effectively,” says Omer Gokcumen, the study’s author and professor, Department of Biological Sciences within the College of Arts and Sciences. “The initial duplications in our genomes laid the groundwork for significant variation in the amylase region, allowing humans to adapt to shifting diets as starch consumption rose dramatically with the advent of new technologies and lifestyles.” Learn more about the study here: https://lnkd.in/gGTqVHf5

Calling all #UBuffalo #researchers with a current focus in drug develoment, medical diagnostics, medical devices or healthcare IT: We have an opportunity to link you with an #industrypartner and bring your research to market! UB’s Center for Advanced Technology in Big Data and Health Sciences (UB CAT) is a project cost-sharing grant program funded by Empire State Development's NYSTAR program, designed to drive the growth of life and #healthscience businesses in #NYS. Learn more about the UB CAT program below ⬇️