Downstate Awarded $1.5 Million to Establish Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center
By Office of the President | Sep 22, 2026
Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced a $1.5 million award to Downstate to establish the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center, expanding the University’s research into memory, cognition, aging, and neurological disease.
The award forms part of the $10 million SUNY Brain Institute, a statewide network focused on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and other age-related brain disorders.
From Left to Right: Salvador Dura-Bernal, Ph.D.; Carole Morel, Ph.D.; Dylan Rich, Ph.D.; Todd C. Sacktor, M.D.
The investment advances Downstate’s transformation by strengthening the research infrastructure that drives discovery and informs patient care. It also supports #KeepCareClose by connecting Central Brooklyn to research that could shape neurological care.
An estimated 427,000 New Yorkers live with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. That number will likely rise as the population ages. The Center will examine how neurological function changes throughout life and how those changes relate to aging and disease.
SUNY Buffalo will lead the network in partnership with Downstate, Binghamton University, SUNY College of Optometry, and Upstate Medical University. The campuses will share equipment, expertise, and data to advance interdisciplinary research and translate promising laboratory findings into clinical studies.
The Center will conduct research rather than provide direct patient care. Its work may support earlier detection, more precise diagnosis, improved disease monitoring, and new treatment strategies. Downstate’s academic health sciences environment will connect this research with clinicians and public health specialists who understand the needs of patients, caregivers, families, and Central Brooklyn communities.
The Center will also provide research and training opportunities for students, residents, fellows, and early-career scientists.