CIGBS Leadership

Director, Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences

Gene Morse also directs the Translational Pharmacology Research Core in UB's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. He has been actively involved in drug development research since the introduction of antiretrovirals for HIV in 1986, with more recent emphasis on HCV infection and antiviral drug development.

He is the principal Investigator for the NIH Fogarty International Center, HIV Research Training Program with the University of Zimbabwe, co-chair of the SUNY-University of the West Indies Faculty Task Force for Health Research Development and chair of the Buffalo Jamaica Innovation Enterprise Executive Committee. Morse is the hub steward for the Western New York Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Hub.

Dr. Diaz's research program focuses on the oral microbiome. Her laboratory uses clinical studies, genomics, computational biology and model systems to study the processes that lead to dysbiosis of the oral microbiome. The lab's goal is to understand community dynamics and develop tools to manipulate the microbiome thereby interfering with disease development. She is particularly interested in understanding the significance of the microbiome as a mediator of susceptibility to oral comorbidities of cancer treatment and as an essential trigger in periodontal disease. She also investigates the potential for the salivary microbiome to serve as a biomarker for oral and systemic conditions.

Terrence Forrester holds fellowships in the Royal College of Physicians of both London and Edinburgh and is a professor of experimental medicine at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus.

His research focuses on risks and impacts of obesity, metabolic programming of early life and the constraints of fetal growth, and understanding the economic implications of chronic diseases and their intervention. He spearheaded the formation of the Tropical Medical Research Institute, which unified four research units—the Tropical Metabolic Research Unit, the Sickle Cell Research Unit, the Epidemiology Research Unit at Mona, Jamaica, and the Chronic Disease Research Unit in Barbados—across three campuses of the University of the West Indies.

John Lindo also is a consultant parasitologist to the University Hospital of West Indies. Professor Lindo is co-chair of the SUNY-University of the West Indies Faculty Task Force for Health Research Development. His research has focused on the epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminths and emerging infectious diseases. This includes the epidemiology of strongyloides stercoralis infections and toxocariasis, the emergence of malaria and angiostrongylus cantonensis infections in Jamaica, epidemiology of free-living amoebae in Jamaica and opportunistic parasitic infections in persons living with HIV/AIDS.  

Charles Chiedza Maponga also holds a visiting faculty position with the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He travels frequently between UB and the University of Zimbabwe while coordinating the activities of an international collaborative program, the International Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Initiative. Professor Maponga is the University of Zimbabwe's principal investigator for the NIH Fogarty International Center HIV Research Training program. He works to implement a postgraduate and postdoctoral training initiative between the two universities with an emphasis on HIV clinical pharmacology.

Craig Hendrix is currently the Wellcome Professor and Director, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He trained in infectious diseases and clinical pharmacology at Hopkins before a career in the US Air Force and at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Hendrix’s primary research focus is clinical pharmacology of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. Among other research projects, he’s involved as Principal Investigator or Project Leader in a variety of early phase PrEP program project grants funded through the DAIDS Integrated Clinical/Preclinical HIV Topical Microbicide Program. He also serves as director of the pharmacology group for the MTN and HPTN.

Timothy Murphy is a SUNY distinguished professor and senior associate dean for Clinical and Translational Research in UB's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He oversees strategies to transform UB’s research programs into new or improved treatments for patients as well as assisting faculty and trainees at all levels with their research activities. He directs the school's Clinical and Translational Research Center, located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus that includes a nine-bed clinical research center with support services for clinical research. He focuses on infectious diseases.

Paras Prasad also holds the Samuel P. Capen Chair at UB and is the executive director of the multidisciplinary Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics. He has published more than 700 scientific papers, co-edited six books and co-authored a monograph (with D.J. Williams) "Introduction to Nonlinear Optical Effects in Molecules and Polymers." Professor Prasad published "Introduction to Biophotonics," the first monograph in this field, which authoritatively defines the field, details its scope and identifies emerging opportunities. He also has published the monograph, "Nanophotonics" and "Introduction to Nanomedicine and Nanobioengineering."

Stanley Schwartz is working to develop unique therapies for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer and chronic viral infections involving the brain. The processes include  nanotechnology, as well as allergy and immunology, proteins, metalloenzymes and RNA.

Andrew Talal conducts clinical and translational research in viral hepatitis. He studies viral decay and the concentrations of drugs in the liver. He directs the Center for Clinical Care and Research in Liver Disease at UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center. His lab has received multi-year funding for its research programs. It has developed techniques for animal and human liver sampling that enable sorting of liver cells in order to understand drug distribution in the liver during treatment. 

James Mohler earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed residency training in Surgery and Urology at the University of Kentucky Medical Center and a research fellowship in Urologic Oncology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  Dr. Mohler is licensed by New York and North Carolina, a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Urology, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He was Chair of the Roswell Park Department of Urology for 14 years.  Dr. Mohler is Chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines Panel for Prostate Cancer and Past-President of the Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR). He has received the Producers Award and the Rodger J. Winn Award from NCCN and a career achievement award from SBUR.

Dr. Anton graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1977 and received his MD from Case Western Reserve University in 1983. He did fellowship work at the Cholera Hospital, ICDDR, in Bangladesh in 1983 and a year fellowship in pathology in 1981 in Cleveland’s Institute of Pathology. He performed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Bringham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts. Dr. Anton began in his work at UCLA in 1986 with a gastroenterology fellowship and has been on faculty since 1989.

Dr. Anton’s research focuses on the degree of mucosal inflammation and altered co-receptor expression associated with HIV infection and associated therapeutic interventions, the potential use of the mucosa as a route of HIV immunization with various HIV vaccine candidates as well as microbicides for HIV mucosal prevention, investigating the interaction of HSV and HIV in mucosal pathogenesis and efforts to clarify the role of compartments in HIV pathogenesis.

Research Interests • Chemotherapy of acute uncomplicated malaria in children and pregnant women the two population groups most affected by this parasitic infection in endemic sub-Saharan Africa. • Clinical trials on several notable antimalarial drugs used as monotherapy as well as when used in combination including the global gold standards – artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). • Cotrimoxazole in the treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria in children • Antimalarial drug resistance-reversing drugs like chlorpheniramine • Gametocytogenesis and malaria in pregnancy I am currently involved in elucidating further pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic interactions between antimalarial and anti-retroviral drugs.

Creator of the Charlotte’s Web strain of cannabis and a Co-founder of the Stanley Brothers Realm of Caring Foundation. ( http://theroc.us/ ) The Realm of Caring Foundation has earned the reputation as some of Colorado’s finest cultivators and cannabis breeders. The brothers have specialized in breeding high CBD strains of cannabis, including Charlotte’s Web. Josh owns the cultivation facilities which assist in further breeding projects. Josh has also been influential in helping the Colorado legislature in their efforts to regulate the new cannabis industry in Colorado. The Realm of Caring is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has formed to provide a better quality of life for residents of Colorado affected by Cancer, MS, HIV/AIDS, Epilepsy, Parkinson’s, among many other debilitating conditions through the use of their concentrated medicinal cannabis oil. All the Stanley’s were featured on National Geographic’s American Weed television show in 2012.

Dr. Siaw-Asamoah is the UB School of Management's Founding Faculty Director of Global Programs, a newly-formed department that designs both in-person and virtual action learning projects for students to engage in both domestically and abroad. She also holds Board positions within the School of Managemnt Alumni Assocation's (SOMAA) Faculty Relations Committee and Hope for Sisi's Kids (HOSIKIDS) Foundation.

Trevor Poag is the Director of Global Learning Opportunities at the University of Buffalo.  Prior to that he served 11 years with the CCCU as Assistant Director and Faculty in the Latin American Studies program providing strategic leadership for field operations and learning initiatives at the study abroad center. HE completed his Doctor of Education, International Educational Leadership from Lehigh University.

Robin DiFrancesco, MT ASCP, MBA has over 30 years of experience in pharmacology research (20+ in HIV research) and has a variety of knowledge, practical and theoretical, to offer our global students. She is appointed at the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as a research assistant professor and as a voluntary adjunct faculty member for the UB Department of Biotechnology and Clinical Sciences within the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She holds an ACSP certification as a medical technologist and a NYS license as a clinical laboratory technologist.

Karl Donn is currently Vice President, Respiratory R&D. He led the drug discovery program that resulted in the selection of P-1037 as a potent and durable epithelial sodium channel blocker for inhaled delivery to patients with cystic fibrosis, COPD and other respiratory diseases. He continues to lead the development of P-1037 through clinical trials. He also leads tPAD clinical development and led a variety of discovery and early development programs for at Parion. Karl has over 30 years of drug development experience in both small and large pharmaceutical companies. 

Former director of Innovation and Enterprise Solutions for Digicel Business, Ative Ennis, will lead product development and will drive an improved customer experience in his new role as commercial director (B2B) for Digicel Business. Morin stated, “Ative will add his significant experience in business technology modernisation to help companies leverage their data assets for profitability. Delroy has been instrumental to developing a truly unbeatable fibre-to-the-home service for our customers to experience the speed and benefits of a new phase of Internet connectivity. Together, they will strengthen our leadership team as we work to deepen our relationship with our customers.”

Current President and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc, Matt Enstice leads this pioneering organization that has become a powerful engine of revitalization in Buffalo. He is focused on the intersection of energy, entrepreneurship and technology, and how it will drive the new economy in Buffalo and beyond.

Gibson serves as the comptroller for Spectrum Radiology Associates. Members of the board of trustees are principally charged with the strategic, long-term protection and strengthening of the financial, physical and programmatic assets of the school, while manifesting the mission of the school. Board members have a three-year term, and serve on at least one standing committee of the board.

John Mead Hatcher, President of JMH Advisement, LLC, has over 35 years of experience in business development and brings his vast network of contacts within the specific fields of finance, research, politics and business associations together to enable startups, early-stage, as well as, full-fledged operating companies for the purpose of achieving their business goals and objectives.

Dr. Khan is a Cardiologist and CEO & Founder of Circuit Clinical. Founded in 2015, Circuit Clinical is headquartered in Buffalo, New York, and partners with nationally recognized pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to research a range of new treatments that could improve patient health and wellbeing. Under Dr. Khan's leadership, Circuit Clinical is leading a mission to transform the way people find, choose, and participate in clinical research by building one of the largest integrated research organizations in the U.S and by creating its award winning technology TrialJourney™, the first ever patient rating and review platform for clinical trials.

Professor Lindo John is a Full Professor of Parasite Epidemiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus and Deputy Dean (Research). His extensive experience with Vector borne diseases comes in part from a sabbatical year spent with the Neglected Tropical Diseases Unit at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington DC. During his time at PAHO he worked on the elimination of schistosomiasis in the Americas which included a visit to inspect transmission sites in Suriname and facilitating a workshop in Grenada with experts from academia, WHO, CARPHA and CDC.

Charles Chiedza Maponga also holds a visiting faculty position with the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He travels frequently between UB and the University of Zimbabwe while coordinating the activities of an international collaborative program, the International Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Initiative. Professor Maponga is the University of Zimbabwe's principal investigator for the NIH Fogarty International Center HIV Research Training program. He works to implement a postgraduate and postdoctoral training initiative between the two universities with an emphasis on HIV clinical pharmacology.

Beverly Joy Morrison has worked with nonprofit organizations for 40 years.  She worked with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts at a local church level as well as serving on the Diocesan Council and the Bishop’s Executive Committee.  Her current nonprofit service is in the role of President of Jamaican and American Association of Buffalo and Recording Secretary for National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations.  Morrison is a Board Member of Buffalo Jamaica Innovation Enterprise.  Beverly is President and CEO of a medical practice management company and is passionate in coordinating the care of patients.  She is a graduate of Boston College.  Above all, Beverly is the proud mother of Noelle and Vanessa; grandmother of Marc.

Dr. Morse also directs the Translational Pharmacology Research Core in UB's New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. He has been actively involved in drug development research since the introduction of antiretrovirals for HIV in 1986, with more recent emphasis on HCV infection and antiviral drug development. He is the principal Investigator for the NIH Fogarty International Center, HIV Research Training Program with the University of Zimbabwe, co-chair of the SUNY-University of the West Indies Faculty Task Force for Health Research Development and chair of the Buffalo Jamaica Innovation Enterprise Executive Committee. Morse is the hub steward for the Western New York Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Hub.

In his role as the Chief Sustainability Officer, Ryan connects people across the university with information, innovation and tools to reduce UB’s carbon footprint and enhance quality of life by improving environmental stewardship, increasing economic efficiency and augmenting cultural values and awareness. He specifically works closely with university partners and employs an integrated campus-wide strategy that leverages the university’s operations, curriculum, external engagement and research to further UB’s sustainability efforts. Previously, Ryan has held positions at UB as Associate Vice President for Government and Community Relations and as Chief of Staff for external affairs. Prior to joining UB, Ryan worked in Washington, D.C. and New Hampshire, advocating for greater environmental protection and democratic participation.

Previously President & CEO of Pearce & Pearce Co., Inc., a real estate management and investment firm. Prior to moving to Buffalo in 2000, was Senior Vice President and practice manager at Stern Stewart & Co., a corporate finance advisory firm based in New York City. Current and previous board service includes: 716 Squash (Treasurer); U.B. School of Social Work – Dean’s Advisory Council; Forest Lawn Heritage Foundation; Buffalo Jamaica Innovation Enterprise; Medaille College (Chairman, Advancement Committee; Executive Committee); Buffalo Seminary; Kaleida Health Foundation (Chairman); Buffalo Zoological Gardens capital campaign steering committee; Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fontana Boathouse;. Graduate of Lawrence University with a BA in Government.

Dr. Satish Sharma, MD, FACS is the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of You First Services Group of companies. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of You First Services Group. Dr. Sharma is a clinical, technology and Innovation leader and provides leadership to various programs to enhance productivity, agility and affordability of company operations while expanding national and international operations. Dr. Sharma is also a Research Associate Professor with Department of Urology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the Clinical Director of Prostate cancer research program, Department of Medicine, Univeristy at Buffalo.

Son of the late Dr. Peter Sheehan, Patrick Sheehan is Executive Director of PSDCF, a foundation that unites research organizations, health systems, and industry companies to spur innovation that prevents diabetes and its complications, educate patients and professionals, and convene scientific leaders to advance research.

Suzanne Siminski has been working in clinical trials data management and related research activities for more than 30 years. Sue has taken a leadership role in the development of Frontier Science’s laboratory data expertise and software. While Director of the New York office, Sue oversaw leadership groups involved in data management, software development, regulatory oversight and key projects. She currently serves as the Frontier Science Principal Investigator for PHACS and CPQA projects, and as co-Principal Investigator of the coordinating center for the C3PNO project, all programs funded by the NIH. As Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Science Foundation, Sue is strategically increasing the repertoire of clinical research services provided by the organization, and actively building global collaborative partnerships with investigators around the world. Sue’s entire CV is available here.

John D. Atkinson is an environmental engineering professor at the University at Buffalo, where he created the University’s most popular study abroad course and has been recognized as an Early Career Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Director, Experiential Learning Faculty Fellow, and Best Undergraduate Mentor. 

His work is driven by an overarching desire to more sustainably produce and consume, resulting in a diverse portfolio of publications and seminars. With on-going funding from New York State and the U.S. National Science Foundation, as well as local industry, he is currently researching within the broad field of waste management, using life cycle analysis tools to investigate plastics and tire recycling, waste disposal options, and energy recovery. His work targets real-world problems that impact everyday life, aiming to make engineering more thoughtful and accessible.

Atkinson emboldens lifestyle changes that promote sustainability. He encourages his students to expand their comfort zones, holistically problem solve, and embrace their creativity through engineering design.​