Transforming Health in WNY: From Insight to Impact for Every Patient 2025 STATE OF THE SCHOOL ADDRESS Presented by Allison Brashear, MD, MBA Vice President for Health Sciences Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences President and CEO, UBMD Physicians’ Group
Dear colleagues and friends, Founded in 1846 as one of the nation’s earliest medical institutions, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has grown into a strong and enduring presence — like an oak tree, deeply rooted in Western New York, with limbs that stretch across the country and the world, and a vibrant canopy of innovation, care and excellence. We are anchored in this region and growing stronger through the collective efforts of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners. During my fourth annual State of the School Address, I was honored to share the many ways our community continues to grow and lead. Together, we’ve advanced research, expanded access to care, deepened our partnerships, and trained the next generation of health professionals. At the Jacobs School, transformation begins with insight — and insight must lead to impact. Over the past year, our community has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to advancing health through our four strategic pillars: education, research, clinical care and community engagement. Together, we’ve built something remarkable. This booklet offers a reflection of our collective efforts — snapshots that showcase the strength, compassion and innovation that define the Jacobs School community. These highlights echo many of the themes shared during the State of the School Address and illustrate how our mission continues to take root and grow. Thank you for being part of our journey. I invite you to read on, celebrate what we’ve accomplished together, and imagine what we can build next. Warm regards,
Allison Brashear, MD, MBA Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Vice President for Health Sciences University at Buffalo
Guided by Purpose Strategic Pillars for Transforming Health in WNY
Scan to explore the full Strategic Plan online.
“ Guided by our tenets of
innovation, inclusivity, and transformative advancements, we will leverage our skills as our foundation of prestige to shape the future.
”
Strategic Growth and Faculty Excellence Faculty Growth 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
15
67
FY24 TOTAL
16
64
FY25 TOTAL
2
32
33
FY26 TOTAL
163
TOTAL
n Tenure Track Hires n Clinical Hires The Jacobs School continues to grow with purpose, welcoming 196 new faculty since FY24, including 33 tenure-track and 163 clinical faculty. These strategic hires are advancing excellence in care, education, and research.
Faculty Growth Snapshot
196 NEW HIRES SINCE FY24 FACULTY 33 TENURE-TRACK FACULTY 163 CLINICAL
“ Every hire is a force multiplier—driving research, enriching education, and expanding access to care.
”
New Leadership, New Vision Strategic Appointments Driving Transformation The Jacobs School welcomed a dynamic cohort of committed leaders in 2025, each bringing expertise and vision to advance health equity, research and innovation:
Heather Gardiner, PhD ’06
Inaugural Carl V. Granger Endowed Chair in Health Equity
Jennifer A. Surtees, PhD
Beth A. Smith, MD ’00
Chair, Department of Biochemistry
Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Director, Community Health Equity Research Institute (CHERI)
Sanjay Sethi, MD
Asim Khan, PhD
Director, Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)
Chief Data & Information Officer, UB Health Science and UBMD Physicians’ Group Executive Director, UB IT HIPAA Compliance
Honoring Our Legacy Leaders Celebrating Years of Vision, Service and Impact The Jacobs School bids farewell to five esteemed department chairs and leaders whose dedication has advanced education, research, and clinical care across Western New York:
James D. Reynolds, MD
John E. Tomaszewski, MD
Timothy F. Murphy, MD
Jerald and Ester Bovino Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology
Peter A. Nickerson Professor and Chair, Pathology and Anatomical Sciences
Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research
“ They leave
behind a legacy of mentorship, innovation and unwavering commitment.
”
David Dietz, PhD
David A. Sherris, MD
Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Chair, Department of Otolaryngology
UBMD – Powering Regional Care Academic Medicine at the Heart of Western New York UBMD Physicians’ Group remains a cornerstone of health care delivery, education and mentorship across the region.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
650+ PHYSICIANS DELIVERING CARE LARGEST MULTISPECIALTY GROUP IN WNY ROOTED IN THE JACOBS SCHOOL, FOUNDED IN 1846 AS BUFFALO’S
FIRST MEDICAL SCHOOL
2024 COMPANY OF THE YEAR,
RECOGNIZED BY BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER KALEIDA HEALTH ROSWELL PARK COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER BUFFALO VA MEDICAL CENTER
“ UBMD is where compassionate care meets academic excellence.
CATHOLIC HEALTH
EDUCATION & MENTORSHIP TRAINING AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS DEEP INTEGRATION WITH JACOBS SCHOOL’S CLINICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS TRAINING 835 RESIDENTS AND DEEPLY INTEGRATED WITH JACOBS SCHOOL CLINICAL EDUCATION.
”
Education Across the Lifespan From K–12 STEM outreach to postdoctoral training, the Jacobs School supports a lifelong journey of learning. The school remains one of only six AAMC-member institutions offering BS degrees, with faculty teaching 10% of UB undergraduates annually.
“ A lifelong journey of learning, service and impact begins here.”
2025 Education Highlights
201
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES
73
MASTER’S DEGREES
31
PHDs
187
FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS
180
GRADUATING MDs
Where Our Medical Students Come From Top Admission Regions by percentage (Fourth-Year Medical Students): 50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
n Western New York (WNY): 81 students n NYC Metro Area & Vicinity: 38 students n Central, Finger Lakes Region, and Upstate NY: 48 students n Out-of-State: 20 students
Strengthening Pathways in Jacobs School Admissions The Jacobs School continues to draw strong interest from across New York State and beyond, with a significant concentration of students from Western New York.
“ Over 20% of
the class holds undergraduate degrees from UB— underscoring our role as a regional anchor for medical education.
”
Well Beyond – Integrating Community and Clinical Learning Bridging the Gap Between Classroom and Community The Jacobs School’s Well Beyond curriculum is redefining medical education by embedding first-year students in Buffalo’s vibrant network of community-based organizations. From shelters and advocacy groups to public health nonprofits, students gain real-world experience in the social determinants of health. Program Highlights: • 50+ community partners • Team-based placements with peer mentors • Early clinical immersion • Focus on reflective practice and collaboration
“ This program helps
students understand the lived experiences of patients and the broader context of care.
”
Primary Care Innovation The Buffalo Primary Care Initiative (BPCI) and Generalist Scholars Program are addressing physician shortages in underserved areas. With SUNY and private donor support, UB is building a $54M endowment to fund a three-year MD track focused on primary care and community service. Buffalo Primary Care Initiative • $54M endowment goal • Three-year MD track • Five-year service commitment in underserved WNY communities
“ We’re removing
financial barriers to keep doctors local.
”
Research Momentum Jacobs School research expenditures rose 12% in FY2025, totaling $83.7M. The school led 9 of UB’s 13 largest proposals and secured 52 new clinical trial awards.
FY2025 Research Impact
$83.7M
IN EXPENDITURES
52 CLINICAL TRIAL AWARDS 27 AWARDS OVER $1M
“ We’re expanding the frontiers of biomedical discovery.
”
TOP AREAS PHARMACOLOGY, NEUROLOGY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, CANCER
Innovations include AI-powered platforms like CANDO and SWAXSFold, and a new NIH T32 training grant led by Christine E. Schaner Tooley, PhD, and Melissa R. McCartney, PhD.
Health Equity and Community Impact The Jacobs School continues to lead transformative efforts in health equity through research, mentorship, and community collaboration. A pivotal advancement came through a $3.6 million National Institutes of Health grant secured by principal investigator Timothy F. Murphy, MD, which established the Center of Excellence in Investigator Development and Community Engagement within the Community Health Equity Research Institute (CHERI). Now under the leadership of Heather Gardiner, PhD ’06, Carl V. Granger Endowed Chair in Health Equity and director of CHERI, the institute is expanding its mission to train early-career faculty and foster community-based research that addresses the root causes of health disparities.
Philanthropy and Legacy Philanthropic support continues to shape the future of the Jacobs School:
181 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS 445 STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED $374M JACOBS SCHOOL ENDOWMENT $6.5M+ RAISED DURING ALUMNI WEEKEND
Want to learn more, visit medicine.buffalo. edu/about/state-of-school.html
Watch the entire 2025 State of the School address here:
medicine.buffalo.edu Office of the Dean of Medicine 955 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14203-1121