Born and raised in Naples, Italy, Trevisan always dreamed of one day becoming a physician. Today, as the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health professions and a leading researcher in his field at UB and in Italy, Dr. Maurizio Trevisan can say he achieved that vision.
After attending an all boy's military high school called "Nunziatella," Trevisan went on to attend a six year medical program at the University of Naples, graduating in 1977. From there he ventured to the U.S. for the first time, where he completed his medical residency at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago and discovered his passion for medical research.
"I really fell in love with the research aspect of medicine," Trevisan said, his Italian accent still thick after years residing in the U.S. "I liked the prevention aspect of medicine, trying to prevent people from getting sick."
After spending three years in Chicago, Trevisan returned home to Naples with his future wife to work at Naples University hospital, but the young medical doctor's heart remained in the U.S. He yearned to grow as a researcher, but the hospital he was working at wanted him to practice strictly medicine, so back to the U.S. he came to permanently live and work.
After job searching all across the U.S., Trevisan said he fell in love with the Buffalo area. In 1985 he permanently moved to the U.S. with his wife and became an assistant professor in the medical school.
"UB and the United States have allowed me to pursue my dreams," Trevisan said. "I love teaching. I love the interactions with the young minds."
In 2001, Trevisan wrote a memo to the chief academic office suggesting the opening of the School of Public Health and Health Professions. He wanted to create a school for students who share his same passion for medical research and to support those already in a similar profession.
The school received the approval to open, and Trevisan was named Dean after being the chair of the medical school for nearly ten years.
With the opening of the School of Public Health, Trevisan is currently researching cardiovascular disease and the relationship between oral health and lifestyle.
He has even brought some of this research back to his hometown of Italy, so he can compare Italian life styles to American lifestyles and its relation to cardiovascular disease. In doing this, he said he will be able to get a better idea of how lifestyle relates to cardiovascular disease, since there is a large gap between the Italian and American lifestyle.
Trevisan travels to Italy about four times a year for his research, where he also visits with his father and sister who still reside in Naples. This semester his two daughters are studying abroad in Naples and Rome, so he is able to visit them as well.
Aside from the cardiovascular research, Trevisan is focusing on the continual development of the School of Public Health. For now, he'd like to see the school receive accreditation as a school of public health. In the future, he hopes to build the school's reputation as one of the top in the country.
Despite a busy schedule, the doctor still finds time to enjoy the more typical American dream. He resides in Amherst with his two daughters and one son, and is specially known for his great Italian meals.
He even hosted a dinner for his Italian UB colleagues, and was once auctioned off as a prize to cook a dinner for ten people. He is the biggest of Sabres fans and a dedicated Buffalo Bills season ticket holder.
"I really see myself as a Western New Yorker," Trevisan said. "It's a good place to be, and there are great people."
