Faculty Awards

The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded Marianthi Markatou, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biostatistics, over $1 million to leverage artificial intelligence to integrate multiple data sources and develop statistical and computational methods for extracting knowledge from these data. She is the principal investigator on the project, the potential impact of which could affect the management of multiple medical conditions, including opioid use disorder. The work also aims to develop novel methods for the analysis of social determinants of health.

“This research is an example of use-inspired research. That is, research that combines the development of scientific knowledge with the goal of creating solutions to solve societal and scientific challenges,” Markatou explains. “A fundamental component of such research is the improvement and creative use of technology. In our context, large language models fulfill that role.”

Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah, PT, PhD, MPH, CPH, is the lead investigator on the study “Hearing Loss by the Synergistic Effect of Chronic Inhalation of Exposure of Manganese Fumes with Occupational Noise Exposure.” He and multiple principal investigator Kasia Kordas and co-investigators Lili Tian and Meng Wang will determine if chronic inhalation of manganese fumes generated by welding induces hearing loss and if it has a synergistic effect with occupational noise exposure happening at the same time. The study is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children with special health care needs, including chronic conditions such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, depression, spina bifida or Down syndrome, are at greater risk for developing hospital complications following physical trauma. The reasons for this are unknown, but UB researchers are now leading a study to find out why these complications may occur by understanding the experiences of parents and caregivers seeking emergency care for their injured child.

“Depending on the special health care needs, the child may need more intensive monitoring because they are not taking their medications, or the child is removing equipment such as IVs that they need to recover. Additionally, it may be more challenging to obtain vital signs, which are important to detecting if the child’s life is in danger,” says Denise Lillvis, PhD, the study’s principal investigator and assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. Lillvis received the grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences/ National Institutes of Health for the two-year project.