Distinguished Speaker Seminars

CTSI Distinguished Speaker Seminars feature important topics in clinical and translational science presented by national and internationally respected speakers.

Through the seminars, the CTSI partners with UB’s six health sciences schools and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to sponsor a round of visiting scholars in the forefront of their respective disciplines. The goal is to expose faculty, trainees, and students to multiple pathways in clinical and translational research.

Latest Speaker:

Velma McBride Murry, PhD, MS

Lois Audrey Betts Chair, Education and Human Development
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Professor
Department of Human and Organizational Development
University Professor, Health Policy

Wednesday, September 17, 2025
LOCATION: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Room 2220A
TIME: 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Watch Presentation Here

“Addressing Documented Longstanding Health Challenges Through Family-centered Preventive Intervention Efficacy Trials"

Dr. Velma McBride Murry’s research examines the significance of context on everyday life experiences of African American families and youth. It focuses on processes through which documented adverse health outcomes and other social structural stressors cascade through families to influence parenting and family functioning, mental and physical health outcomes, as well as effective ways to intervene during critical developmental periods.

Past Speakers:

APRIL 2, 2025

Rebekah J. Walker, PhD

Associate Professor
Chief of Division of Population Health
Department of Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

“Structural Determinants of Food Insecurity: Mechanisms, Pathways, and Policy Interventions” (watch presentation here)

jUNE 26, 2024

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD

Anna M.R. Lauder Professor of Public Health
Yale School of Public Health
Professor of Pediatrics
Yale School of Medicine
President, Global Virus Network

"The Spectrum of Translational Virology Research" (watch presentation here)

jUNE 7, 2023

PJ Utz, MD

Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Medical Student Research,
Stanford University

"Autoantibodies in COVID-19" (watch presentation here)

October 12, 2022

Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, MD, PhD

Founding Director, Center for Reducing Health Disparities (CRHD)
Director, UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities
Director, Community Engagement Program, Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTSC)
Professor, Division of Clinical Internal Medicine

"Advancing Health/Mental Health Equity with Underserved Populations Through Community-Engaged Approaches"

June 1, 2022

John B. Hogenesch, PhD

Professor of Pediatrics, Divisions of Human Genetics and Immunobiology
Genetics Chair, Systems Biology
Interim Director, Division of Human Genetics
Director, Center for Circadian Medicine
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
University of Cincinnati

"Building Circadian Medicine at a Pediatric Hospital"

April 6, 2022

Randall J. Urban, MD

Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Vice President and Chief Research Officer, Office of the Provost
Vice Dean of Clinical Research, School of Medicine
Director, Institute for Translational Sciences
Principal Investigator, Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)
University of Texas Medical Branch

"Similar Chronic Symptoms After COVID and Traumatic Brain Injury: Do PASC and BIAFAC Share Common Mechanisms?"

December 1, 2021

Stephanie O'Malley, PhD

Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry
Deputy Chair
Clinical Research
Yale School of Medicine

"Effective Strategies for Maintaining Research Participation in Clinical Trials"

October 6, 2021

Dario Vignali, PhD

Distingushed Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Immunology, Leader, Cancer Immunology Program, Co-Director, Tumor Microenvironment Center, Scientific Director, Fondazione Ri.MED, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

"Immune Inhibitory Mechanisms in Cancer"

May 10, 2021

Brian Shoichet, PhD

Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco

"Virtual Screens of Billion Compound Libraries for Novel Ligands with New Pharmacology"

Dec. 7, 2020

Gonzalo M. Bearman, MD, MPH

Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiologist/Medical Director of VCU Healthcare Infection Prevention Program, Department of Internal Medicine

"COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons learned and will we be better prepared next time?" (watch presentation here)

Dec. 1, 2020

Ann Regina Falsey, MD

Professor, University of Rochester Medical Center

"The Road to a COVID-19 Vaccine" (watch presentation here)

Nov. 17, 2020

Deidra Candice Crews, MD, ScM

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

"The Pursuit of Structurally Competent Research to Achieve Health Equity" (watch presentation here)

Oct. 29, 2018

Kenneth M. Hargreaves, DDS, PhD

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

"Iron in the Fire: The role of oxidized linoleic acid metabolites in pain"

Co-hosted by the School of Dental Medicine

Feb. 1, 2018

Nicholas P. Tatonetti, PhD

Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics
Director, Clinical Informatics, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbia University

Co-hosted by the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences