National Grand Rounds - April 2025

Dr. David Auerbach is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, specializing in the overlap of cardiac and neurological disorders. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology from Skidmore College, followed by a master’s in Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from SUNY Upstate, where his research advanced the understanding of cardiac arrhythmia mechanisms. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, he demonstrated that severe genetic forms of epilepsy also affect cardiac function, linking seizures to arrhythmias. In 2019, Dr. Auerbach returned to SUNY Upstate to establish his own research team, focusing on the multi-system factors underlying Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). He frequently lectures at scientific meetings and patient advocacy events, driven by a commitment to understanding and addressing the cross-system impact of genetic electrical diseases.

Dr. Nacca is the director of Medical Toxicology and Medical Toxicology Fellowship Director at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In addition to being faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine he holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Environmental Medicine. His primary role is staffing the educational and clinical medical toxicology consultation service, with educational responsibilities to medical toxicology fellows, multidisciplinary teams of medical residents, pharmacy residents and students, as well as medical students. He staffs and directs a referral based outpatient Medical Toxicology Clinic.