Translational Pilot Studies Banner.

Pilot Studies Colloquium

Laptop.

The annual University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Translational Pilot Studies Program Clinical and Translational Research Colloquium features presentations highlighting innovative research projects that received Translational Pilot Studies awards. 

The colloquium provides unique opportunities for dialogue and for fostering new collaborations, with updates on projects and latest advancements in translational science — the field in which researchers find novel ways to overcome longstanding challenges in the translational pipeline. The researchers who present their work are bringing healthcare innovations directly to the community, allowing more treatments to reach people sooner.

In addition, the colloquium features presentations from recipients of CTSI Community Partnership Development Seed Grants. The grants address community-academic partnerships and successful collaborations on the design of research projects.

This program is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number UM1TR005296 to the University at Buffalo, as well as: UB’s Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, and Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; and the deans of UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, and School of Nursing.

2025 CTSI Pilot Studies Colloquium

12 to 4 p.m.  |  Thursday, December 11, 2025

Murphy Family Seminar Room 5019B in the Clinical and Translational Research Center

AGENDA:

Sanjay Sethi.

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Welcoming Remarks, History and Overview of the CTSI Translational Pilot Studies Program

Sanjay Sethi, MD
Director, UB Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
SUNY Distinguished Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB

 

Elizabeth Griffiths, MD.

Introduction to Translational Pilot Studies Program

Elizabeth Griffiths, MD
Director, CTSI Pilot Studies Program
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Director of MDS; Clinical Disease Team Leader
Director for Liquid Tumor
Center for Early Phase Clinical Trials
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Laurene M. Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD.

Introduction to Community Engagement Seed Grants

Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD
Director, CTSI Community Engagement Core
Director, Community Translational Research
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB

 

Kim Diana Connolly.

12:30 - 12:45 p.m.
Forging Research Alliances That Combat Early Childhood Lead Poisoning

Kim Diana Connolly, JD
Professor and Vice Dean for Innovation
Interdisciplinary and Community Impact
School of Law, UB

 

Leah Bartloy.

Leah Bartlo, PhD
Research Fellow
Community Health Equity Research Institute
UB Community Services Program Analyst
NYS Department of State

 

 

Sriganesh Ramachandra Rao MS, PhD.

12:45 - 1:00 p.m.
Comprehensive In Vitro Modeling of Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE) Pathology in Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

Sriganesh Ramachandra Rao, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Ophthalmology
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB

 

Thomas J. Guttuso, Jr. MD.

1:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Effect of Low-dose Lithium Therapy on Long COVID Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Thomas Guttuso Jr., MD
Professor, Department of Neurology
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB
 

 

Thomas J. Guttuso, Jr. MD.

1:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Repurposing Lithium as a Disease-modifying Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease: A Phase I Trial

Thomas Guttuso Jr., MD
Professor, Department of Neurology
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB

 

 

1:30-1:45 p.m.
Break

Peter Q. Liu PhD.

1:45 - 2:00 p.m.
Toward High-performance Liquid-Metal Nanophotonic (LIMEN) Biosensors for COVID-19 and Lung Cancer Early Diagnostics

Peter Qiang Liu, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UB
 

Patricia Logan-Greene.

2:00 - 2:15 p.m.
Evaluating the Social Workers Addressing Firearm Risk (SAFR) Intervention: A Pilot Study

Patricia Logan-Greene, PhD, MSSW
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
School of Social Work, UB


 

Mickey Sperlich.

Mickey Sperlich, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor
School of Social Work, UB

 




Ogechi Kalu.

Ogechi Kalu, MSW
Student
School of Social Work, UB


 


 

Ajay.

2:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Video-based Educational Approach to Increase Cancer Screening Amongst Populations With Historically Low Rates of Screening

Ajay Myneni, PhD, MPH
Assistant Director
Surgical Outcomes and Research
Department of Surgery
School of Public Health and Health Professions, UB

Teresa Quattrin, MD.

2:30 - 2:45 p.m.
A Family-based Approach to Treat Obesity and Its Co-morbidities in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Parents

Teresa Quattrin, MD
UB Distinguished Professor
Associate Dean for Research Integration
Department of Pediatrics
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB
 

2:45 - 3:00 p.m.
Break

Ghazala Saleem EdD, MS, OTR/L.

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Assessing the Efficacy of Alterations in Subcortical-Cortical Functional Connectivity From Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Older Children After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Ghazala Saleem, MS, EdD
Assistant Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
School of Public Health and Health Professions, UB
 

Mickey Sperlich.

Michelle Eliason, PhD
Student
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
School of Public Health and Health Professions, UB

 


 

Michelle Visser.

3:15 - 3:30 p.m.
Oral Microbiome-induced Inflammatory Response as a Pathway to Neurodegenerative Disorders

Michelle Visser, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Oral Biology
School of Dental Medicine, UB


Rabi Yacoub, MD.

3:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Uremic Toxin p-Cresol Effects on Macrophages’ Modified LDL Uptake

Rabi Yacoub, MD
Associate Professor
Interim Division Chief
Department of Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB
 

Rabi Yacoub, MD.

3:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Developing Appropriate School-based Food Literacy Initiatives for Buffalo Teens and Families

Amanda Ziegler, PhD, MPH
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Family Medicine
Primary Care Research Institute
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, UB

 

4:00 p.m.
Adjournment

Past Agendas