New Faculty Enhance Downstate’s Research Leadership

By Office of the President | Sep 9, 2025

We are proud to welcome an inspiring group of new faculty members whose expertise and vision will enrich our institution and expand our impact. Their arrival signals more than just individual appointments; it reflects Downstate’s ability to attract exceptional talent committed to discovery, education, and the advancement of health equity.

• Carole Morel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology (School of Graduate Studies), studies how brain circuits adapt to life experiences and how their disruption contributes to anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. Recently awarded an NIH R01 grant, Dr. Morel brings significant momentum to Downstate’s growing neuroscience enterprise.
• Yu-San Huoh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology (School of Graduate Studies), investigates how nuclear proteins regulate immune tolerance, emphasizing autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Her work expands Downstate’s footprint in immunology and molecular biology.
• Dylan Rich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology (School of Graduate Studies), explores how memories are formed and used across the lifespan, focusing on aging and conditions such as Alzheimer’s. His expertise strengthens our leadership in cutting-edge brain and behavioral science.
• Joanne Constantin, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management (School of Public Health), brings a health economics lens to maternal and child health and substance misuse, focusing on racial and ethnic inequities. Her research bridges policy and practice to inform more equitable health systems.
• Filippa Juul, Ph.D., MSc, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology (School of Public Health), is a nutritional epidemiologist who studies how diet influences cardiometabolic health and health disparities. Her research on ultra-processed foods, chronic disease prevention, and public health policy strengthens Downstate’s impact on population health.
• Seth Prins, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences (School of Public Health), examines how mass incarceration and workplace dynamics shape mental illness and substance use. His NIH R01 funding on the school-to-prison pipeline and scholarship on structural inequities align with Downstate’s mission to address the root causes of health disparities.

Our new faculty members will play central roles in advancing Downstate’s mission of interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative research, and community impact. Their expertise strengthens the connection between biomedical science and public health, ensuring that discoveries in the lab lead to tangible improvements in people’s lives, especially in underserved communities such as Central Brooklyn. Their arrival also supports the goals of TRANSPORT, our translational research program dedicated to building a diverse biomedical workforce of scientists and health leaders committed to uplifting the communities we serve.

This work also embodies Downstate’s #KeepCareClose belief that healthcare and scientific discovery must remain accessible to those who need it most. By focusing on pressing challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune conditions, maternal and child health, substance misuse, incarceration, and workforce-related stressors, these scholars are ensuring that groundbreaking research informs care and policy rooted in Brooklyn while extending its impact across New York and beyond. Their advances in global science reinforce our promise to keep care and hope close to home.

We welcome Drs. Morel, Rich, Huoh, Constantin, Juul, and Prins to the Downstate family.