A Message from President Riley

By Office of the President | Sep 22, 2026

Service, Progress, and the Work Ahead

Dear Downstate Community,

This issue of the Bulletin shows Downstate at work. We are aligning our hospital’s name with the institution it represents, advancing neurological research, providing students with hands-on clinical experience, supporting families after NICU discharge, and helping Brooklyn teenagers become trusted health advocates.

As we share this work, we also pause to mark 25 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Under the theme “We Remember. We Honor. We Serve,” the Downstate community remembered those who died and honored the survivors, families, first responders, healthcare professionals, and recovery workers who carried New York through that day and its aftermath.

Downstate continued that service through its participation in the World Trade Center Health Program, supporting care and monitoring for responders and volunteers living with 9/11-related health effects. For Downstate, remembrance means continuing to prepare healthcare professionals, advance knowledge, and serve our communities with skill and compassion.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $1.5 million investment in Downstate to establish the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center as part of the new SUNY Brain Institute. Our researchers will join colleagues across SUNY to study Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and other neurological conditions. This work is particularly important for Central Brooklyn, where health disparities affect neurological health, access to care, and long-term outcomes.

We also welcomed SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY Board of Trustees to campus for their September meeting where they toured various part of the campus including future sites.

This issue marks the 10th anniversary of our Neurodevelopmental NICU Follow-Up Clinic, which has provided nearly 1,800 patient visits since 2016. 

Finally, we celebrate the 2026 Peer Leadership Class of Teens Helping Each Other (THEO). After completing 120 hours of training in adolescent and sexual health, research, communication, and public speaking, these young leaders put their knowledge to work as Health Education Youth Workers across Brooklyn.

Through each of these efforts, the Downstate community turns knowledge into action and service into lasting impact. That work strengthens our institution and the trust Brooklyn places in us.