by Aimee Larson | Oct 7, 2025 | Staff
Happy PA Week! This week, we celebrate the incredible impact of Physician Associates who bring compassion, expertise, and teamwork to every corner of healthcare. PA Appreciation Week is a time to recognize the dedication of current and future PAs who improve lives every day through high-quality, patient-centered care. At Canisius University, we are proud to educate purpose-driven PAs who lead with empathy, advocate for their patients, and make a lasting difference in their communities.
Health Equity Week is our annual tradition of giving back to local organizations as a way of celebrating this week in true Jesuit fashion. For more information on our students’ 2025 service plans, please see the attached flyer — and don’t forget to thank your favorite PA!

by Aimee Larson | Jan 24, 2025 | Staff

The Physician Assistant Studies program was a fortunate recipient of an additional grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, with a five-year total now at over $2.2 million. This initiative has supported talented students of diverse backgrounds who have committed to serving the underserved while also facing personal hardship. This year’s recipients (pictured from left to right) are Suraj Dhankikar, Hannington Semitala, Tressa Weddington, Rachel Nordblum, Marwah Abdulridha, and Nabeel Magsoosi. We are so moved by their journey to PA school and look forward to watching what they do to improve health care in the future.
Submitted by: Aimee Larson, Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies
by Aimee Larson | Nov 7, 2024 | Staff
The Physician Assistant Studies program is proud to announce the recent publication of one of our clinical year students. Matthew Levenson, PAS-2, had his graduate research article on “Developing a Treatment Protocol for Shark Attack Victims” accepted for publication in the Open Journal of Emergency Medicine. Levenson’s fascinating article will appear in their December 2024 volume — read it here.
Submitted by: Aimee Larson, Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies
by Aimee Larson | Sep 26, 2024 | Staff
Every year, students from the Physician Assistant Studies program perform service to a number of local organizations in honor of our Health Equity Week.
This week of service coincides with annual PA Appreciation Week from October 6 -12.
Please keep your eyes peeled around campus for our efforts, and you can also help by donating items to the International Institute of Buffalo. Donation boxes can be found on the lower level of Science Hall near the living wall, or on the first floor of the library. Any contributions are greatly appreciated. We will be delivering these goods at the end of Health Equity Week.
Submitted by: Aimee Larson, Program Director, PA Studies
by Aimee Larson | Feb 2, 2024 | Staff

The PA program was fortunate again this year to receive a substantial grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to continue our efforts toward diversifying the healthcare workforce. This grant allows us to provide seven scholarships that will cover half of each student’s tuition in addition to the ability to cover diversity initiatives and support for smaller daily living burdens for our students. While there are a number of very deserving students who applied, these seven recipients stood out for the adversity they faced on their journey to PA school and their overwhelming commitment to our mission. Congratulations to (from left to right): Tagreed Al Abed, Farrah Shidid, Danielle Haynes, Moamal Flayh, Fattimah Fakih, Shwe Aye, and Karishma Agarwal.
Submitted by: Dr. Aimee Larson, Program Director, PA Studies