Experts by Expertise: Infectious Disease

This listing includes experts whose research focuses on various aspects of infectious disease. For a detailed listing of experts who can discuss COVID-19 and the societal impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, visit UB's COVID-19 Faculty Experts listing.

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For help reaching an expert on deadline, please contact UB's media relations team at 716-645-6969 or ub-news@buffalo.edu.

Note to members of the news media:

The correct name of the university is “University at Buffalo,” not “University of Buffalo.”

  • Head shot of Jared Aldstadt.
    10/22/18

    Jared Aldstadt

    Associate Professor of Geography

    Expertise: Zika virus, dengue fever, chikungunya, mosquito-borne illness, disease transmission, epidemiology

    Phone: 716-645-0481

    Email: geojared@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Marc Halfon.
    12/5/16

    Marc Halfon

    Professor of Biochemistry

    Expertise: genetics; gene expression; gene drive; genome editing; mosquito genome; cell growth, differentiation and development

    Phone: 716-829-3126

    Email: mshalfon@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Mark Hicar, University at Buffalo expert on pediatric infectious disease, including measles and the flu.
    6/22/20

    Mark Daniel Hicar

    Associate Professor of Pediatrics

    Expertise: pediatric infectious diseases, viral infections, antibody responses against HIV, Kawasaki disease

    Phone: 716-323-0150

    Email: markhica@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of David M. Holmes, University at Buffalo global health equity and medicine and spirituality expert.
    9/30/21

    David M. Holmes

    Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine

    Expertise: global health, health care for underserved communities and human trafficking victims, spirituality in health, religious exemptions for vaccines, addiction medicine, wilderness medicine, travel medicine

    Email: dholmes@buffalo.edu

    Contact: David M. Holmes can be reached through Ellen Goldbaum in University Communications at 716-645-4605 or goldbaum@buffalo.edu, or Douglas Sitler in University Communications at 716-645-9069 or drsitler@buffalo.edu.

  • Shamim M. Islam.
    8/3/22

    Shamim M. Islam

    Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics

    Expertise: pediatric infectious diseases, antimicrobial stewardship, global antimicrobial resistance, local and international infectious disease control, tropical medicine, medical and public health education

    Email: shamimis@buffalo.edu

    Contact: Shamim M. Islam can be reached through Ellen Goldbaum in University Communications at 716-645-4605 or goldbaum@buffalo.edu, or Douglas Sitler in University Communications at 716-645-9069 or drsitler@buffalo.edu.

  • Portrait of Yan Liu, University at Buffalo Chinese history expert, with a focus on the history of Chinese medicine, food and spices and comparative medicine.
    4/13/23

    Yan Liu

    Associate Professor of History

    Expertise: history of Chinese medicine, food and spices; history of epidemics; history of the senses; comparative historical perspectives in medicine

    Phone: 716-645-8404

    Email: yliu253@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Gene Morse, University at Buffalo infectious disease pharmacology expert.
    12/23/20

    Gene D. Morse, PharmD

    SUNY Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Practice

    Expertise: infectious disease pharmacology, drug development, antivirals, clinical trials, global health

    Phone: 716-881-7464

    Email: emorse@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Timothy Murphy, University at Buffalo infectious diseases expert.
    2/21/22

    Timothy F. Murphy

    SUNY Distinguished Professor of Medicine

    Expertise: infectious diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), vaccine development, children’s ear infections, health disparities, clinical and translational science

    Phone: 716-881-8911

    Email: murphyt@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Yotam Ophir, University at Buffalo media effects and health, science and political communication expert.
    9/23/24

    Yotam Ophir

    Associate Professor of Communication

    Expertise: misinformation; persuasion; effect of media content on audiences, including in health, science, politics and terrorism

    Phone: 716-645-1158

    Email: yotamoph@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Blaine Pfeifer, University at Buffalo bioengineering expert.
    7/17/19

    Blaine Pfeifer

    Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering

    Expertise: metabolic engineering; biosynthesis of antibiotics and other compounds; vaccine design and delivery

    Phone: 716-645-1198

    Email: blainepf@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Sarahmona Przybyla, University at Buffalo HIV and STI prevention expert.
    12/18/20

    Sarahmona Przybyla

    Assistant Professor of Community Health and Health Behavior

    Expertise: HIV/AIDS prevention, antiretroviral therapy adherence, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), public health preparedness and response

    Phone: 716-829-6750

    Email: mona@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Thomas Russo, University at Buffalo infectious diseases expert.
    4/11/24

    Thomas A. Russo

    Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine

    Expertise: infectious diseases; superbugs; antibiotic resistance; drug and vaccine development

    Phone: 716-829-2674. Russo can also be reached through Ellen Goldbaum in University Communications at 716-645-4605 or goldbaum@buffalo.edu, or Douglas Sitler in University Communications at 716-645-9069 or drsitler@buffalo.edu

    Email: trusso@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Frank Scannapieco, University at Buffalo oral health and dental plaque expert.
    7/16/24

    Frank A. Scannapieco, DMD, PhD

    SUNY Distinguished Professor of Oral Biology

    Expertise: link between oral and overall health; oral health care in hospitals and nursing homes; dental plaque

    Phone: 716-829-3373

    Email: fas1@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of John Sellick, University at Buffalo infectious disease, pandemics and vaccinations expert.
    12/26/18

    John A. Sellick Jr.

    Professor of Medicine

    Expertise: infectious disease, outbreaks and pandemics, vaccinations, bioterrorism planning, flu, Ebola

    Phone: 716-862-8758

    Email: jsellick@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Sanjay Sethi, University at Buffalo lung disease and COPD expert.
    5/2/24

    Sanjay Sethi

    Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the Department of Medicine

    Expertise: respiratory infections and lung disease, especially in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia

    Phone: Sanjay Sethi can be reached through Ellen Goldbaum in University Communications at 716-645-4605 or goldbaum@buffalo.edu, or Douglas Sitler in University Communications at 716-645-9069 or drsitler@buffalo.edu.

    Email: ssethi@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Jennifer Surtees, University at Buffalo genomics and genetics expert.
    11/8/23

    Jennifer A. Surtees

    Professor of Biochemistry

    Expertise: genomes, genetic diversity, DNA, science communication, COVID-19 genomic surveillance and genetic variants

    Phone: 716-829-6083

    Email: jsurtees@buffalo.edu

  • Andrew Talal.
    5/1/17

    Andrew Talal, MD

    Professor of Medicine

    Expertise: diagnosing and treating hepatitis C virus, developing and evaluating new therapies for liver disease  

    Phone: 716-829-6208

    Email: ahtalal@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Brian Tsuji, University at Buffalo superbugs and antibiotic resistance expert.
    10/15/20

    Brian Tsuji

    Professor of Pharmacy Practice

    Expertise: superbugs, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antibiotics

    Phone: 716-881-7543

    Email: btsuji@buffalo.edu

  • Head shot of Janet Yang, University at Buffalo health, science, environmental and risk communication expert.
    9/7/21

    Janet Yang

    Professor of Communication

    Expertise: science, health, environmental and risk communication

    Phone: 716-645-1169

    Email: zyang5@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Yinyin Ye, University at Buffalo environmental microbiology and wastewater disease surveillance expert.
    8/16/21

    Yinyin Ye

    Assistant Professor of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

    Expertise: surveillance and disinfection of pathogens in wastewater and the environment; wastewater-based disease monitoring; environmental microbiology; proteomics

    Phone: 716-645-4002

    Email: yinyinye@buffalo.edu

  • Portrait of Yanan (Nancy) Zhao:.
    9/11/24

    Yanan (Nancy) Zhao

    Professor of Pharmacy Practice

    Expertise: Infectious disease and antimicrobial research 

    Phone: 716-829-5497

    Email: yananzh@buffalo.edu