A Message from President Riley

By Office of the President | Oct 20, 2026

Campus Updates and Community Accomplishments

Dear Downstate Community,

At our October 15 Town Hall, we discussed changes at Downstate, including renovations of the Medical Research Library, and what needs greater attention. Thank you to everyone who posed questions and expressed concerns. This issue includes a recap of that conversation, from employee survey findings and workplace priorities to hospital transformation and campus improvements.

Helping people navigate challenges is also central to our Patient Navigator Program, which is expanding into Family Medicine and adding a collaboration with the School of Public Health. Our students and faculty are helping patients address transportation, medication access, and other barriers that can interrupt treatment. Their work puts #KeepCareClose into practice.

That attention to patients’ circumstances carries into our research. Sherene E. Sharath, Ph.D., MPH, and her colleagues examine how poverty, racial disparities, and hospital resources relate to the risk of major leg amputation. We also congratulate surgery residents Uma Mahajan, M.D., and John Perrotti, M.D., on presenting their research at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress.

Two stories highlight Downstate’s contributions to the safe and equitable use of artificial intelligence (AI) in mental health care. Through the Global Center for AI in Mental Health, Salvador Durá-Bernal, Ph.D., and collaborators are bringing the needs of Brooklyn’s communities into international discussions while developing tools and standards to help clinicians evaluate these technologies.

We also feature Michael F. Myers, M.D., whose new video series explores what physicians’ personal experiences can teach us about care, recovery, and professional culture. His conversations invite us to listen carefully and consider how we support one another.

Our Staff Spotlight introduces a colleague who has spent four decades helping preserve Downstate’s story: Cheryl M. Marriott, DRE. Whether she is researching an archival photograph or volunteering at a campus event, Cheryl brings patience, knowledge, and a welcome sense of calm.

Finally, our shoutouts recognize our Organ Donation Awareness Team; campus mental health support efforts; and Hossameldin “Sammy” Ghanem, RPh, MSc, 340B ACE.

Thank you to the colleagues whose work fills these pages, and to everyone helping Downstate care, teach, discover, and move forward.