News

A recent study conducted by a BNAC research team led by Jack Reeves, a Ph.D. candidate, showed that an imaging marker called “paramagnetic rim lesions” predicts greater multiple sclerosis (MS) related disability progression and clinical relapse frequency over 10 years.

Listen as Dr. Dejan Jakimovski joins the ReachMD radio program discussing his latest study and findings regarding severely affected people with multiple sclerosis.

At the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC), we take the security and privacy of data very seriously. We are proud to hold the ISO 27001 certification, a testament to our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of information security and data protection. This prestigious certification is complemented by our ISO 9001:2015 certification, which covers our overall quality system, showcasing our comprehensive approach to excellence in all operational facets.

The Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) enjoyed the spotlight at the recent European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2023 where its researchers were recognized for an unprecedented array of publications that are shaping the field of neuroimaging in multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and related disorders.

Recent advancements in multiple sclerosis (MS) research, including improved diagnostic criteria and novel MRI techniques, have been highlighted in a new Lancet paper by researchers from the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) and the Jacobs MS Center for Treatment and Research.

On October 5th Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center celebrated the opening of its new headquarters located at the University at Buffalo's Downtown Gateway Building.

Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center presents the Grand Opening of our New Offices on October 5th, 2023.

The massive 5.5-ton Philips MR 7700 that was installed in June in the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CBI) in UB’s Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) is now operational.

Retinal nerve fiber thickness may serve as a potential biomarker for cognitive impairment in people with MS, possibly predicting future cognitive decline.

Robert Zivadinov, MD, Ph.D., has been named a SUNY Distinguished Professor – the highest faculty honor in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

BNAC researchers develop a novel MRI technique that predicts staging of Paramagnetic Rim Lesions, a biomarker of chronic brain inflammation believed to be associated with progressive MS. They presented their work at ACTRIMS Forum 2023.

Each year, we share highlights of our patient-centered research, news about our scientists, core laboratory services, and our many collaborations at the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center. Thank you for taking an interest in our work. As always, we welcome your inquiries, comments, and suggestions and invite you to stay in touch with our progress on the developments that matter most to you.

Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) director and University at Buffalo Professor of Neurology Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, is among six UB faculty honored as recipients of the 2022 State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. The SUNY system-wide Chancellor’s Awards recognize “consistently superior professional achievement and the ongoing pursuit of excellence” and the award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities specifically recognizes “those who engage actively in scholarly and creative pursuits beyond their teaching responsibilities.” 

Initiating MS Research Breakthroughs While Building on Consensus

In a recent University at Buffalo’s Department of Neurology “Grand Rounds” presentation to research colleagues, doctoral candidates, and other students, BNAC Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, provided a comprehensive discussion of how a combination of traditional and novel imaging methods open the door wider to targeting microglia activation as a viable MS therapy. New imaging methods used in the study make it possible or easier to reliably assess microglia activation in living patients in addition to guiding pharmaceutical companies developing new microglia-focused MS treatments.

Zivadinov and his BNAC colleagues are delivering therapy-accelerating imaging of microglia activation, a long-trusted but hard-to-measure biomarker for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Currently it is not possible to predict who will eventually develop SPMS in which lost or damaged nerves worsen MS symptoms.

The first head-to-head comparison using microglia imaging of two FDA-approved disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis is underway. Watch Center Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD explain a study underway at the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (BNAC) on NeurologyLive®.

Brain atrophy is one of the most destructive consequences of Multiple Sclerosis. In this recent episode of the “The MS Podcast” presented by Sanofi Genzyme, BNAC Center Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, takes a closer look at brain atrophy and other brain measures in explaining physical disability with MS.

In an interview by NeurologyLive® from the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, BNAC Center Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, explains the significance of the DeepGRAI registry study. The study applied an Artificial Intelligence algorithm developed by BNAC’s Michael Dwyer, Ph.D., to analyze routine, clinical MRI (T2FLAIR) scans taken in 30-35 different centers of approximately 1,000 people with MS. The use of AI on widely-available MRI scans reliably measured thalamic volume—an established marker for disease progression including disability and declining cognition in people with MS.

In the interview, now available on NeurologyLive®, Zivadinov notes that, “This is important because… it is now possible to have this done on every clinical patient. It clearly gives providers a tool to better measure what's happening from a gray matter point of view.”

The AI tool is named DeepGRAI—Deep Gray Rating via Artificial Intelligence—for its use of imperfect information to generate reliable measurements, is now available to clinicians.

BNAC Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, is lead author of “Population Health Guide to the Evolution of Endpoints in Multiple Sclerosis.” The AJMC-published whitepaper, sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, addresses the challenge to formulary and clinical decision makers in comparing the efficacy of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Zivadinov, along with Michael J. Fine, MD, Krishna R. Patel, PharmD, RPh, and Neil Minkoff, MD, have provided a framework for providers and payers to better understand the methodologies employed in clinical trials on the increasing number of MS DMTs.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the herpes virus family and one of the most common human viruses found all over the world. In this recent episode of the “The MS Podcast” presented by Sanofi Genzyme, BNAC Center Director Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, takes a closer look at the role of EBV in MS and its association with brain MRI images.