Seed Grants Reap Excellence at Fall Research Symposium
By Office of the President | Nov 4, 2025
Sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, the recent 3rd Annual Fall Research Symposium last month showcased the depth, creativity, and rigor of Downstate’s research community. The daylong event brought together students, faculty, and trainees from across all five schools to celebrate scientific inquiry and collaboration in full autumn bloom.
The morning session featured seven engaging presentations from prior Seed Grant awardees, who shared progress on their ongoing projects and discussed the broader impact of their work on advancing health and science. Each talk sparked thoughtful questions and lively conversation, setting an inspired tone for the day ahead.
In the afternoon, the energy shifted to the highly anticipated Trainee Research Slam, where 15 presenters took on the challenge of distilling their research into three-minute presentations. The Slam welcomed two new judges, Joanne Constantin, Ph.D., MPH (School of Public Health), and Yu-San Huoh, Ph.D. (School of Graduate Studies), as well as returning panelists Dean Allen Lewis, Ph.D., CRC (School of Health Professions), and Elka Jacobson-Dickman, M.D. (College of Medicine).
The competition was fierce, as each trainee combined clarity, creativity, and confidence to make complex science both accessible and exciting. After careful deliberation, the judges awarded 3rd Place and the People’s Choice Award to Riley Morrone (School of Graduate Studies), 2nd Place to Joseph Fajobi (School of Graduate Studies), and 1st Place to Sabah Islam (College of Medicine).
As the symposium concluded, it was evident that research at Downstate continues to grow stronger, bolder, and more collaborative each year. The School of Graduate Studies proudly sponsors this annual celebration of discovery where innovation takes root, ideas flourish, and the next generation of scientific leaders continues to grow.
Congratulations to our winners and to all trainees who presented at this year’s symposium!