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
Turning Research Into Practicality is Focus of Roswell Park Workshop
11/4/2009 - BUFFALO, NY -- "The daylong 'translational research workshop' brought academics and industry representatives together to tackle the difficulties and opportunities of commercializing medical research..." [Read On...]
UB Engineering Professor Honored at White House
10/08/2009 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - "President Obama honored Takeuchi for inventing the battery that powers many of the world's implanted medical devices, but he just as easily could have lauded her as living proof that the American dream still comes true..." [Read On...]
Life Science Careers Touted: UB leads consortium promoting variety of job possibilities in Western New York
10/6/2009 - BUFFALO, NY -- "A program designed to bring careers in the life sciences within reach of more Western New York job-seekers was rolled out Tuesday by a consortium of agencies and businesses led by two branches of the University at Buffalo. The program is called iSciWNY... " [Read On...]
Visit the News Archive
Events
November 19 - "Vybion: The Successful Morphing of a Contract Research Organization into a Therapeutics Company" featuring Lee Henderson, CEO, Vybion Inc. Click here for more information.
December 10 - "The Passport of a Life Sciences Entrepreneur," featuring Shreefel Mehta, Ph.D., MBA. Click here for more information.
To view the complete list of events and event details, please visit our Events page
To receive periodic News & Events emails from the COE, please join our mailing list!
