Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Oct 6, 2026
A Full Plate, a Little Breathing Room: EAP Talks Family Caregiving
Family caregiving has a way of adding a second shift to an already full day. Appointments need to be scheduled, medications need to be tracked, and someone always seems to need a callback. Where does the caregiver fit on that list?
That question was at the heart of the Employee Assistance Program’s (EAP) September 24th Lunch & Learn, “Understanding the Family Caregiver Experience.” Presented by Michelle Melendez, MS, LCSW, CASAC, and hosted by Magda Alliancin, Ed.D., CEAP, SAP, the conversation gave employees space to talk about the emotional demands of caregiving alongside its daily logistics.
Participants explored how to recognize stress and burnout, manage competing responsibilities, and ask for help. The reminder was a caring one: making time for yourself belongs on the list, too. Support and resources can make the work feel less lonely, and no caregiver has to figure everything out alone.
Thank you to Michelle for sharing her expertise and to the employees who joined the conversation. EAP continues to offer programs, resources, and confidential support for the challenges employees and their families face beyond the workday.
Backpack Awareness Gets an A+ at P.S. 235!
Our School of Health Professions Occupational Therapy students deserve an A+ for this year’s Backpack Awareness event at P.S. 235! They brought energy, teamwork, and practical advice into the School, helping children learn how to carry their books and supplies more comfortably. Special applause goes to the student leaders of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) and the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD). They read the room, welcomed questions, and made the lessons stick.
Backpack health matters because a bag that is too heavy or worn poorly can cause shoulder, neck, and back pain. The take-home assignment for students, parents, and guardians is simple: carry only what is needed, pack heavier items closest to the back, wear both shoulder straps, and adjust the bag so it sits close to the body. A weekly backpack cleanout can make a difference, too. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping a packed backpack at no more than 10-15 percent of a child’s body weight.
Congratulations to Team SoHP, led by Brigitte C. Desport, DPS, OTR/L, BCP, ATP, Interim Dean of the School of Health Professions; Vanessa V. Vales-Lewis, Ph.D., MAT, Assistant Dean; Efekona Nuwere, Ed.D., MPH, OTR/L, Chair and Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy; and Vikram “Vik” Pagpatan, Ed.D., OTR/L, BCP, CLA, ATP, FAOTA, Interim Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, for supporting our students and helping to make this experience possible.
Thank you to the administration, faculty, teachers, and staff of P.S. 235 for welcoming us back, continuing this valued partnership, and helping pack a lot of learning into one school day! You’ve earned a gold star!
Downstate Supports Student Suicide Prevention Month
Downstate was among the SUNY campuses highlighted by Chancellor John B. King Jr. in a September 29 announcement marking Suicide Prevention Month and recognizing campus efforts to support student mental health.
At Downstate, students have access to confidential counseling and psychiatric services, crisis-resource education, and other mental health support. University Hospital at Downstate also provides emergency psychiatric assessments, while its Adult Mental Health Outpatient Service offers crisis intervention and treatment for depression and other mental health conditions.
These resources reflect Downstate’s continuing commitment to student well-being and to ensuring that members of the campus community know where to turn when they need support.
New Federal Grant Advances Research on Aging and Metabolic Disease
Xian-Cheng Jiang, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology has received a new R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to study biological mechanisms linking aging and diet to insulin resistance and atherosclerosis,
the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
The project, “Effect of SPTLC3 on Aging- and Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis,” examines the role of SPTLC3, an enzyme involved in how the body produces and processes certain fats. Dr. Jiang and his research team will investigate how changes involving SPTLC3 may contribute to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, abnormal blood lipid levels, and atherosclerosis, particularly with aging and high-fat diets.
The nearly four-year project runs through April 2030. First-year funding is nearly $800,000, with total funding over the life of the grant potentially reaching approximately $3.1 million, including $1.95 million for direct costs + $1.15 million for indirect costs. This is his 7th RO1 since he joined Downstate.
Dr. Richard Rosenfeld Brings Downstate Expertise to National Lifestyle Medicine Conference
Richard M. Rosenfeld, M.D., MPH, MBA, Distinguished Professor and past chair of Otolaryngology at Downstate, will be among
the presenters at Lifestyle Medicine 2026 (LM2026), the annual conference of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM), November 8–11, 2026, in Orlando, Florida, and online.
Dr. Rosenfeld serves nationally as ACLM’s Director of Guidelines and Quality, bringing more than three decades of experience in evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guidelines, health policy, and measures of healthcare quality to the organization’s efforts to establish evidence-based guidance for lifestyle medicine.
At LM2026, Dr. Rosenfeld will join Micaela Karlsen, Ph.D., MSPH, ACLM’s Senior Director of Research & Quality, for “Research & Quality Department Updates on ACLM Guidance and Quality Projects” on Monday, November 9.
Dr. Rosenfeld has played a central role in that work. He is the first-listed author of ACLM’s first clinical practice guideline, published in 2025, on lifestyle interventions for the treatment and remission of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in adults. The guideline has been endorsed by eight national professional organizations.
Dr. Rosenfeld is also scheduled to participate in an earlier LM2026 session on November 9 providing an update on ACLM’s development of an expert consensus statement on shared medical appointments.
At Downstate, Dr. Rosenfeld founded the Committee for Plant-Based Health and Nutrition and serves as faculty advisor to medical students involved in the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group and the Downstate Initiative for Nutrition Empowerment.
Virtual Registration Still Available
While in-person registration for LM2026 has reached capacity, online registration remains available, providing virtual access to conference programming and recordings.
Verified student and resident trainee members of ACLM may register for online attendance for $99. ACLM is also offering a limited number of scholarships for online attendance to eligible student and resident trainee members. Students must meet ACLM eligibility and enrollment-verification requirements. The deadline to apply for the student rate or an online scholarship is October 19 at 2 p.m. ET.
For conference information, programming, and virtual registration, visit the LM2026 Lifestyle Medicine Conference website.