A Message from President Riley
By Office of the President | Nov 4, 2025
Leading Public Health with Evidence, Equity, and Purpose
Dear Downstate Community,
One of Downstate’s greatest strengths is its ability to bring together science, community, and service. Our faculty, students, and staff advance health equity and uphold evidence-based medicine, proving that leadership in public health begins where knowledge meets purpose—at the profound intersection of care, courage, and community. Across every school, clinic, and lab, our students, faculty, and staff are translating expertise into impact, scholarship into service, and awareness into action.
Last month’s Domestic Violence Awareness panel, From Harm to Healing, powerfully reframed domestic and gender-based violence as a public health issue, one that demands compassion, coordination, and courage. Our panelists, including Priyanka Datta, M.D., Commissioner Saloni Sethi, Marlon Peterson, and University Police Insp. Allen Haynes discussed how trauma-informed care, survivor leadership, and stronger legal frameworks are reshaping the way we prevent harm and promote healing. The work of ending violence requires us as clinicians, advocates, educators, and neighbors to listen, lead, and stand with survivors.
The same spirit of purpose animates the work of Jane R. Zucker, M.D., MSc, Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health, whose recent JAMA publication, “The Measles Resurgence,” confronts a growing crisis in national vaccine confidence. Drawing on more than a century of public health data, Dr. Zucker warns that the resurgence of measles and the erosion of trust in science reflect a deeper dismantling of evidence-based policy at the federal level. At a time when political forces seek to redefine vaccine policy through ideology rather than evidence, Dr. Zucker grounds the national dialogue in facts, ethics, compassion, and history.
That same dedication shines through in our clinical teams at the UHD, recently recognized by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) for achieving meritorious outcomes in surgical patient care. This national distinction, awarded to only 77 hospitals nationwide, affirms UHD’s excellence in patient safety, surgical outcomes, and the collective skill of our surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and residents. I am proud of UHD for setting the standard for quality and compassion in care.
Our commitment to discovery is equally strong. The 3rd Annual Fall Research Symposium, hosted by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, showcased a new generation of scientists and clinicians whose innovation continues to shape the future of medicine. And as we closed LGBTQ+ History Month, we were honored by the Stonewall Community Foundation’s $35,000 grant to Downstate’s HEAT Program, now in its 33rd year. Founded by Dr. Jeff Birnbaum, HEAT remains Brooklyn’s only comprehensive program serving LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.
That same commitment to compassion and global citizenship extends to the devastation of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. As the island faces widespread power outages, destroyed homes, and overburdened hospitals, Downstate stands with our Jamaican and Caribbean communities, both in Brooklyn and abroad. Many of our students, colleagues, and patients trace their roots to Jamaica, and the recovery of its people is personal to us all.
In every challenge, whether local or global, Downstate’s mission is to heal, teach, and lead with compassion. Whether advancing science, advocating for equity, or standing with our neighbors in times of crisis, we remain united by purpose and strengthened by community. Together, we are proving that public health is not only a profession, but also a promise to care for one another, to lift every life we touch, and to #KeepCareClose.