Dental school receives $7.3 million NIH grant for gnotobiotic facility.
11/25/24

Germ-free research facility will open new avenues to study microbiome community assembly and its impact on host health and behavior.

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Welcome to the UB Microbiome Center!

Our mission is to serve as an academic hub for microbiome-related researchers in the UB community, facilitating collaborations, supporting interdisciplinary projects and engaging students and trainees in microbiome science.

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The UBMC was established in 2012 by Robert J. Genco, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Oral Biology, Periodontics and Microbiology. Lauded as the “father of oral science” Genco was widely considered the world’s leading periodontal disease researcher and a pioneer in advancing the understanding of oral health’s impact on overall health.

UBMC researchers focus on studying microbiome communities and how they affect their host in several manners, including evolution, fitness, health and disease susceptibility. Our research aims to understand behavior of individual microbes in communities or interactions among different community members across space and time, and the relationships of microbial assemblages with their hosts. Microbiome science relies on the orchestration of novel high throughput methodologies to characterize microbial communities in conjunction with data analytical strategies to comprehend large datasets. UBMC researchers have expertise in a wide range of fields including microbiology, immunology, evolutionary biology, epidemiology, genomics and artificial intelligence. 

Our affiliated faculty represent UB's various schools and colleges, united by a shared interest in microbiome research and innovative discovery across the disciplines. 

Affiliated Faculty
Portrait of Patricia Diaz.
“Our work has significantly advanced the understanding of the role of the microbiome in periodontal disease.”
11/26/24

Patricia Diaz, DDS, PhD, Director, UB Microbiome Center; Sunstar Robert J. Genco Endowed Chair and Empire Innovation Professor of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine

Headshot for Chelsie Armbruster.
“We are challenging the traditional approach for UTI diagnosis and treatment.”
11/15/24

Chelsie Armbruster, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

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“I am focused on understanding the evolutionary processes of speciation and adaptation.”
11/15/24

Marcella Baiz, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences

Portrait of Michael Buck, PhD.
“By uncovering biological principals through the development of new genomic and bioinformatics methods, we can improve health and reduce illness.”
11/15/24

Michael Buck, PhD, Professor, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Headshot for Dr. Yolanda Huang.
“My lab is using multidisciplinary approaches to study molecular pathways important for fitness in gut anaerobes. ”
11/15/24

Yolanda Huang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

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“Understanding the role of microbial communities in chronic airway disease will lead to better health outcomes.”
11/15/24

Ryan Hunter, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Portrait of Kathryn Kauffman.
“Each of us is home to millions of viruses, called phages, that are partners and predators of bacteria. What can we learn about biology and ourselves by uncovering what these phages are up to?”
11/19/24

Kathryn Kauffman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine

Portrait of Keith Kirkwood.
“Through a combination of pre-clinical models, along with information from human data sets, we can validate pre-clinical data on myeloid cell expansion in the context of disease. ”
11/26/24

Keith Kirkwood, DDS, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Centennial Endowed Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine

Portrait of Stefan Ruhl.
“Our long-term goal is to better understand the role of saliva in allowing bacteria to survive in the mouth.”
11/15/24

Stefan Ruhl, PhD, Professor, Chair, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine 

Portrait of Ashu Sharma.
“We seek to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that allow periodontal pathogens to colonize and adversely affect oral and systemic health. ”
11/15/24

Ashu Sharma, PhD, Professor, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine

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“AI has the potential to revolutionize human microbiome research.”
11/15/24

Yijun Sun, Professor of Bioinformatics and Associate Director of AI and Health Science, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Portrait of Michelle Visser.
“I seek to understand how novel bacteria manipulate host cell responses and functionality.”
11/15/24

Michelle Visser, PhD, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine

Portrait of Jean Wactawski-Wende.
“Three decades of research in women's health has allowed us to better understand risk factors for chronic disease. ”
11/26/24

Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, Dean, SUNY Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health and Health Professions

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