Dr. Amit Kandel Awarded AAN Clerkship Director Innovation Award

Amit Kandel, MD, MBA, Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of Univ. at Buffalo’s Comprehensive Stroke Center based at Buffalo General Medical Center, Kaleida Health, received the American Academy of Neurology’s Clerkship Director Innovation Award at the academy’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado on April 13, 2024. Dr. Kandel until recently served as the Clerkship Director for the medical student rotation through neurology at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. As Clerkship Director, Dr. Kandel introduced several innovations to the educational experience including leveraging a newly established Behling Simulation Center to instruct students in the management of neurological emergencies such as stroke and status epilepticus and the performance of procedures such as lumbar puncture. Of note, Dr. Kandel was the lead author of an abstract presented at the AAN annual meeting that analyzed the impact of simulation training on medical student neurological skills and confidence. Co-authors on the abstract included Drs. Ashley Alex, current Clerkship Director, Osman Farooq, Aya Ouf, Katlyn Roginsky, Jule Deren, Alexus Ludwig, Leanne Ottoni, Illana Selli, Kathleen Sellick, Wentao Mi, Subhana Asjad, Elizabeth Rosen, Zaheer Cheema, Aaron Taylor, Melissa Rayhill, Daniel Sirica, Robert Glover, K. Zinnerstrom, C. Grabowski, J. Maurice Hourihane, Gil Wolfe, and Thomas Covey.

Univ. at Buffalo Dept. of Neurology Has Large Presence at New York State Neurological Society Annual Meeting

Several residents and faculty of the Department of Neurology from the Univ. at Buffalo/SUNY Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences participated in the Annual Meeting of the New York State Neurological Society. The meeting was held in Manhattan on November 11, 2023. The UB resident team was one of five competing in the Neurostakes competition, a Jeopardy-styled event. The UB team — composed of Drs. Peter Mechtler PGY3, Aya Ouf PGY4, Katlyn Roginsky PGY4 and co-chief resident, and Ahmad Zrik PGY4 — made it to the final round before succumbing to a team from New York University. Dr. Melissa Rayhill, Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Training Program, Dr. Robert Glover, Associate Director of the training program, and Dr. Gil Wolfe, Chairman of the UB Dept. of Neurology, were in attendance to cheer along the team. Dr. Wolfe also presented a lecture on individualized treatment of generalized myathenia gravis for the approximately 150 meeting attendees. Dr. Rayhill is the current Treasurer of the New York State Neurological Society, and Dr. Wolfe is a past President.

UB Dept of Neurology Holds Annual Research Day and Graduation Banquet for Residents and Fellows

The UB Department of Neurology of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Univ. at Buffalo/SUNY, held its annual Michael E. Cohen, MD, Residents Research Day and Graduation ceremony on June 16, 2023. All graduating residents presented their research findings, while the PGY-3 level residents presented research plans.  The Research Day was coordinated by Dr. Thomas Covey with assistance of Annemarie Crumlish who guided many of the IRB-related issues for the various projects. Research Day was held on campus and the banquet at Hotel at the Lafayette in Downtown Buffalo.

Winners of the Outstanding Resident Presentation Awards for Research Day were Kathleen Sellick, DO, PGY4, Azka Shaikh, MBBS, PGY3 and Elizabeth Rosen, MD, PGY4 (child neurology). Dr. Tom Covey handled these presentations at the banquet.

Dr. Sellick also was awarded the Dr. Edward Fogan Prize that recognizes overall clinical excellence.  Resident winners of medical student teaching awards were Elizabeth Rosen, PGY4, and Peter Mechtler, PGY2. Collegiality Awards recognized by the outgoing chief residents were awarded to Katlyn Roginsky, PGY3, and Peter Mechtler, PGY2. Drs. Mo Hourihane and Osman Farooq received the Faculty Teaching Awards as chosen by the residents. Graduating residents were Drs. Subhana Asjad, Wentao Mi, Kathleen Sellick (outgoing chief resident), Alexus Ludwig (outgoing chief resident), and Gull Sial (child neurology). Graduating fellows were Drs. Zaheer Cheema (child epilepsy), Amanda Schwandt (epilepsy), Chindo Mallum (clinical neurophysiology), Amritha Parthasarathy (stroke), and Aaron Taylor (stroke). Incoming chief residents are Drs. Katlyn Roginsky and Azka Shaikh.   Thomas Bellanca, senior administrative assistant for the residency training programs and medical student clerkship, organized the day’s proceedings.  Dr. Melissa Rayhill, Program Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Training Program, served as master of ceremonies. 

UB Dept of Neurology Holds Reunion at AAN Annual Meeting in Boston

The University at Buffalo Department of Neurology hosted an in-person reunion for current and former trainees and faculty during the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting held in Boston in late April 2023. The reunion was held at a restaurant close to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on April 25. Approximately 20 neurologists affiliated with the department stopped by at various times. Recent reunions had been held virtually due to COVID 19. The reunion was organized by Dr. Melissa Rayhill, Program Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Training Program and Tom Bellanca, program coordinator.

Having fun at the UB Dept. of Neurology Reunion in Boston

Dr. Silvestri Awarded AB Baker Award from American Academy of Neurology

Nicholas Silvestri, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Assistant Dean of Student and Academic Affairs for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Univ. at Buffalo/SUNY, was awarded a 2023 A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award from the American Academy of Neurology during their annual meeting held in late April in Boston, MA. Dr. Silvestri has won several education-related awards locally over the years. In 2016 he received the Jacobs School’s Graduate Medical Education Program Director Award of Excellence.

UB Dept of Neurology Residency Team Places 2nd in NY State Neurological Society NeuroJeopardy Competition

The Department of Neurology resident team from the Univ. at Buffalo/SUNY Jacobs School of Medicine competed in the annual NeuroJeopardy competition that is held at the end of the Annual Meeting of the New York State Neurological Society. The meeting was held in Manhattan on November 12, 2022. Seven teams from training programs across the state competed, with the UB team winning it’s preliminary round against two other programs and then finishing second among the three teams in the final, placing just behind the team from SUNY Upstate. Other teams that competed in the neuro-trivia contest included NYU Langone, Univ. of Rochester, Albany Medical Center, SUNY Stonybrook, and Mt. Sinai Hospital. The four housestaff members of the UB team were Drs. Aya Ouf, Katlyn Roginsky, Kathleen Sellick (co-chief resident), and Azka Shaikh. Congratulations to these four trivia mavens and to Dr. Melissa Rayhill, Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Training Program, who along with Dr. Gil Wolfe, Chairman of the UB Dept. of Neurology, were present to cheer along the team.