Our Team

Professional and Academic Summary:

 I am a SUNY Distinguished Professor and Professor of Neurology with tenure, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, at University of Buffalo. My clinical practice is devoted to the comprehensive care of adults and children living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating disorders. I direct the Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center for Treatment and Research (JMSCTR) at UBMD Neurology; our clinic offers state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for MS patients and for patients with other autoimmune diseases affecting the central nervous system. We provide a full spectrum of support services to patients including, but not limited to neurocognitive assessment, physical and occupational therapy and social work services that help both patients and families.

I also direct the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center of Buffalo, one of the initial six centers of excellence established by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In addition, I serve as executive director of the New York State Multiple Sclerosis Consortium (NYSMSC), one of the largest MS registries in the nation. In support of my patients, I speak to patient and family groups about our MS research and emerging therapies. My team members and I offer special patient programs where we discuss topics such as MS therapies as well as the importance of exercise, nutrition, healthy lifestyle and more specific issues such as reproduction, osteoporosis and aging.

My research interests are aimed at better understanding the heterogeneity of MS, identifying predictors of disease progression with a primary focus on genetic and environmental interactions and influences on MS disease phenotype. I am also interested in response to therapy, e.g., influences on physical and neurocognitive status. Pediatric MS, an insufficiently explored subject, is an important area of my clinical and research interests. More recent foci of my research include understanding the cholesterol link to MS and its influence on the pathobiology of MS; bone health and exercise programs for patients with MS and aging: patient characteristics and biomarkers associated with, and predictive of improved quality of life and/or MS disease stabilization in MS aging. I have up to 500 publications. 

I lecture students and residents on a regular basis. I also mentor five to seven pre-residency candidates and fourth-year medical students per year in clinical rotations and in research project design and implementation.

I am a board-certified adult neurologist with fellowship training in Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology and Diagnostic Neuroimaging. After completing medical school and residency at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, I completed my fellowship training at the Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center for Treatment and Research where I now provide care to patients with a wide variety of neurologic conditions.

I diagnose and provide comprehensive care to patients with various autoimmune neurologic disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD), autoimmune encephalitis and polyneuropathy, as well as other neurologic diseases. I also work with the UBMD Center for Specialized Care in Sarcoidosis to provide neurologic care for patients with neurosarcoidosis.

In my outpatient clinics, I strive to partner with my patients to curb progression of their autoimmune disease to prevent relapses, improve neurologic function and control various symptoms. Multiple sclerosis can affect multiple organ systems and I treat various symptoms related to this disease including neuropathic pain and various bowel and bladder issues.

I also prepare diagnostic reports of MRIs of the brain and spine in the evaluation of various neurologic diseases for the Department of Neurology. Additionally, as an attending on the in-hospital service, I evaluate and treat patients with a wide variety of neurologic conditions, supervising and teaching neurology and internal medicine residents as well as medical students.

I am committed to teaching the next generation of physicians and hope to inspire trainees to provide outstanding neurologic care for their patients in the future.  I lecture medical students, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry residents. I also mentor and offer shadowing opportunities to young pre-med and undergraduate students interested in the field of neurology.

With respect to research, I am especially interested in the pathophysiology of MS and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum disorders, including etiology and treatments. I aim to study the neurodegenerative elements of neurologic disease through diagnostic neuroimaging and neuroimaging analysis.  I also collaborate with other clinicians and researchers on numerous studies of multiple sclerosis at our MS Center.

Outside of my career, I enjoy spending time outdoors, gardening, and spending time at home with my two toilet-trained cats and two sweet dogs.

Language Fluency: I have language fluency in Spanish as well as Russian and welcome patients of all backgrounds.

After completing my Neurology residency at the University at Buffalo, I received the National Multiple Sclerosis fellowship in 2006 and trained at the Jacobs Neurological Institute, Baird MS Center. In 2007, I began fellowship training in Diagnostic Neuroimaging with William Kinkel, MD FAAN one of the founding members of the American Society of Neuroimaging. In 2008, I joined the University at Buffalo, Department of Neurology as an Assistant Professor of Neurology. I am board certified in Neurology with fellowship training in both Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology and Diagnostic Neuroimaging.

In outpatient clinical practice, I evaluate for and treat conditions in neuroimmunology such as Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s Disease), Neurosarcoiodosis and Central Nervous System vasculitis. In addition to this, I provide diagnostic reports of brain and spine MRI’s for the Department of Neurology in the evaluation of all neurologic diseases. While on hospital service, I diagnose and treat all neurologic conditions as well as provide teaching to the neurology residents and medical students in training.

My research interests include Multiple Sclerosis, its etiology and treatment, diagnostic neuroimaging and neuroimaging analysis as well as stem cell research. I am currently the site principal investigator for two emerging therapies in multiple sclerosis: Anti-LINGO, the first potential drug for remyelination of damaged nervous system tissue and daclizumab a once a month subcutaneous injection for multiple sclerosis. I also participate in numerous studies of all aspects of Multiple Sclerosis. In neuroimaging, I am involved in the development of advanced MRI techniques for many neurological conditions both for diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression.

Beth Tacca is a certified Adult Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience providing care for patients with multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. Beth completed her BSN with Honors at the State University of NY at Buffalo and furthered her education with a Masters of Science, Adult Nurse Practitioner. Many patients of the Jacobs MS Center for Treatment and Research have expressed appreciation for Beth’s skills and devotion to educating them on their complex disease and disease modifying therapies. Beth utilizes a comprehensive approach to managing symptoms such as spasticity, pain and fatigue through both holistic as well as medication therapies.