ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ (UB)
Our research makes life better
UB has been changing the world through research for decades, from inventing the to revolutionizing the field of oral biology to developing handwriting recognition for the postal service—which laid the groundwork for many of today’s AI breakthroughs. And we’re continuing to innovate every day for a safer, healthier and brighter future.
UB’s Pioneering Research
Driving Medical Breakthroughs
Many dramatic medical advances that have tangibly improved patients’ lives started in the labs of UB researchers. Cystic fibrosis patients now lead rich, productive lives into adulthood, thanks to research conducted at UB, while more children with high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma survive their disease because of a UB-led clinical trial. Ongoing research is leading to novel treatments for Type 1 diabetes, closing in on a vaccine for Alzheimer’s and improving the safety and availability of a lifesaving drug for heart failure.
Realizing AI for Good
UB researchers are tackling pressing societal challenges with cutting-edge AI. One team is developing tools to support children with dyslexia and other speech and language disorders, addressing a national shortage of therapists. Another is fighting online disinformation through various means, including a free deepfake detection tool. And researchers across the university are harnessing Empire AI’s supercomputer, based at UB, to expand mental health care, enhance medical imaging, accelerate drug discovery and more.
Engineering Clean Energy
UB researchers are advancing cleaner, cheaper ways to power the world. They’re working to commercialize new membrane technology designed to replace energy-intensive molecule separation methods used in drug and food production (which would also lower the costs of many everyday goods). They’re developing affordable catalysts to make the use of hydrogen—a clean but costly fuel—more practical. And as AI demands surge, UB engineers are building energy-efficient microelectronics to ease the strain on power grids across the country.
Research Activity
$540M
annual spending on research
135
interdisciplinary centers/institutes engaged in research
294
clinical trials in 2024
4,403
participants enrolled in clinical trials in 2024
Advancing Brain Science
In recent decades, UB research has revolutionized stroke treatment, dramatically improving survival and recovery rates; transformed multiple sclerosis care through breakthroughs like the game-changing drug Avonex; and modernized concussion protocols, helping patients get back to school, work or the field faster and more safely than ever before. Higher success rates for brain aneurysm surgery may be next, thanks to AI software under development that can detect complications—and predict treatment outcomes—in real time.
Protecting Our Planet
UB’s environmental research is driven by a commitment to real-world impact. Chemists are developing innovative methods to break down “forever chemicals” and their toxic byproducts. A glaciologist is co-leading an international effort to model how melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica will affect sea levels by century’s end. And a geographer led 160 scientists in a landmark project to monitor life on Earth from space—laying the groundwork to address biodiversity loss on a planetary scale.
Living Well Longer
Aging research at UB is making life longer—and better. A study from the Women’s Health Initiative found that just 3,600 steps a day significantly reduces the risk of heart failure in women over 63. Team Alice, a research and advocacy program, is protecting older adults from preventable medication errors. The IDEA Center is incorporating age-friendly planning into public spaces. And stem cell researchers are studying a protein that may reverse aging in skeletal muscle, potentially leading to better treatments for age-related illnesses like osteoporosis.
Economic Impact
$3B+
annual economic impact
1,701
jobs created in last three fiscal years
410
startups supported since 2006
50+
technologies available for licensing
Safeguarding Space Exploration
UB aerospace engineers are leading a national initiative to track space debris, which increasingly endangers satellites, space missions and critical infrastructure. They’re also advancing the nation’s rocket technology, working on hybrid rockets that could be a safer and less costly way to deliver satellites into space and even send astronauts to Mars. Meanwhile, new solar power technologies under development are poised to improve communications, bolster national security and support a range of space-based systems.
Building Climate Resilience
As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, UB is stepping up to meet the challenge. Researchers are partnering with a local organization to strengthen Buffalo’s aging housing stock and improve community preparedness, while also leading a project in Alaska to explore how climate-adaptive innovations there can be applied more broadly. UB engineers are leveraging AI to create a “self-healing” power grid that sharply curtails outages, and another team is using AI to enhance the efficiency of indoor farming.
Centers and institutes
At the CTSI, research translates into real-world outcomes—shaping advances in childhood obesity, asthma, kidney transplant access, drug discovery and more.
For more than 30 years, the WHI has led groundbreaking research on heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, dementia and other critical health issues affecting postmenopausal women.
Food Lab research empowers planners and policymakers worldwide to build equitable food systems and healthier, more sustainable communities.
Addressing a national shortage of speech-language pathologists, this institute is developing novel AI tools to screen and support millions of children in need.