Multiple Sclerosis Research Innovation Fund

Students in Pharmacy class in Cooke Hall.

This fund supports clinical and translational research related to multiple sclerosis, which affects more than two million people worldwide.

At the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, our research into therapeutics for multiple sclerosis (MS) has helped lead to numerous discoveries — including a finding that that cholesterol affects the progression of the disease, an indication that MS progresses more rapidly in African American patients than in Caucasian patients, and more information about the mechanisms behind a regularly used treatment for MS. 

Our current work focuses on how the progression of this chronic, disabling neurological disease is affected by cholesterol and lipids, and by environmental and lifestyle factors such as smoking, vitamin D levels and immune responses to the Epstein-Barr virus — the common cause for mono.

By investigating the neuroimmunological and genomic mechanisms that contribute to clinical treatment responses, we strive to delineate the interactions among patient-specific, environmental and genetic factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in disease progression.

Our unique multi-disciplinary approach leverages our researchers’ strengths in pharmaceutical sciences and bioengineering, as well as productive collaborations with scientists from clinical disciplines.

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News from School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

  • UB faculty, staff receive SUNY Chancellor’s Awards
    6/7/23

    Twenty have been recognized for consistently superior professional achievement and the ongoing pursuit of excellence.

  • UB Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences receives NIH funding for Cloud-based Viral Surveillance Research Training Program in Jamaica
    8/9/23
    The Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo (UB), State University of New York (SUNY) has received funding to expand its Global Infectious Diseases (GID) Research Training Program. The GID is supported by the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral training that will lead to capacity building in Jamaica through UB/SUNY and the University of the West Indies (UWI) collaboration. Importantly, this new funding includes CTIS, a key cloud project implementation partner, and a women-owned small business with expertise in providing informatics solutions for clinical trials and research for over 30 years.
  • Albanese appointed assistant dean for Student Success and Engagement
    8/10/23
    Nicole Albanese, PharmD, clinical associate professor, Division of Outcomes and Practice Advancement, Department of Pharmacy Practice, has been appointed assistant dean for Student Success and Engagement, effective August 15.
  • Meaney named ACCP Fellow
    8/14/23
    Calvin Meaney, PharmD, clinical associate professor and interim division head, Division of Outcomes and Practice Advancement, Department of Pharmacy Practice, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).
  • Maerten-Rivera selected for AACP’s Prestigious Leadership Development Program
    7/26/23
    Jaime Maerten-Rivera, PhD, associate dean, Analytics and Accreditation Compliance, has been selected to participate in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) 2023-2024 Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP).
  • UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences hosts 2023 Welcome Week for incoming students
    9/7/23
    BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo (UB) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) welcomed incoming students during our 2023 Welcome Week, which included a multi-day orientation program, school-wide picnic and White Coat Ceremony for first year PharmD students.
  • UB CIGBS Announces Stop Diabetes Progression, a New Global Community Health Site Initiative
    10/18/23
    The University at Buffalo (UB) Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences (CIGBS) has announced plans to launch, Stop Diabetes Progression, a new health initiative, focusing on the creation of community-based education networks in Western New York, Jamaica and Zimbabwe to engage individuals with pre-diabetes and those with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The goal of this new initiative is to stop the progression of the disease for both groups.