Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Oct 20, 2026
SPH Faculty Join Global Discussion at UN General Assembly
How can countries prepare for the next pandemic while making sure communities are protected? Five Downstate School of Public Health faculty members joined that conversation at the launch of the NUS–Lancet PRIME Commission report, held during United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week here in New York.
Congratulations to Aimee Afable, Ph.D., Joanne Constantin, Ph.D., Laura Geer, Ph.D., Elizabeth Helzner, Ph.D., and Sergios Kolokotronis, Ph.D., who participated in the event focused on addressing the inequities exposed by past global health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, Transforming Pandemic Readiness for Equity, calls on countries to look beyond emergency plans, laboratories, and stockpiles to consider whether those resources will protect people when a crisis arrives. That means addressing everyday barriers, including unstable housing, difficulty accessing health care, and distrust of institutions, that can become even more consequential during a pandemic.
The discussion emphasized involving communities in decisions that affect their health, building trust before emergencies occur, and strengthening health and social systems to ensure support reaches those who need it. Its central message connects closely with Downstate’s work in Brooklyn: effective public health begins with understanding people’s circumstances and working alongside them.
Thank you to our School of Public Health colleagues for participating in this international exchange and for their continued commitment to healthier, more equitable communities.
College Student Organ Donation Week
A shoutout to our Organ Donation Awareness Team for keeping an important conversation going across Downstate.
On October 14, LiveOnNY and SUNY Downstate hosted an information table near the Commons mini-mart, allowing students and the campus community to ask questions about organ, eye, and tissue donation and register as donors.
The event builds on year-round outreach through campus activities, community education, and classroom presentations that help people understand donation and make informed decisions.
Thank you to Shani Audain, MBA, PMP®, and Eric Taub of LiveOnNY; Sarah Marshall, DNP, MS, BSN, RNC, and Betty Jung, RN, of the Center for Community Health Promotion and Wellness; Denise John of Transplant Surgery; Jakarya Shuhan, MPH candidate; and Joanna Seltzer Uribe, EdD, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing Education, for making these conversations possible.
Their work helps turn awareness into action, and a decision to register could offer someone a second chance at life.
Two Surgery Residents Share Research at National Clinical Congress
Congratulations to Uma Mahajan, M.D., third-year general surgery resident, and John Perrotti, M.D., chief general surgery resident, who recently represented Downstate at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2026. Their research examined long-term outcomes after appendix removal and factors associated with hospital mortality following surgery for complicated diverticulitis.
Dr. Mahajan’s study explored whether removing the appendix affects a patient’s likelihood of developing inflammatory bowel disease later in life. Earlier studies have suggested that the appendix may offer protection through its role in gut bacteria and immune function.
Drawing on two decades of national electronic health records, the team found no significant difference in the development of inflammatory bowel disease between patients who underwent appendectomy and a surgical comparison group. The finding held for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dr. Mahajan shared the results in a long oral presentation titled “Association between Appendectomy and Future Development of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.”
Dr. Perrotti’s research focused on surgical decisions for patients with complicated diverticulitis. His retrospective study compared hospital mortality following two approaches: removal of the affected portion of the colon with creation of a colostomy, and removal followed by reconnection of the bowel.
The team found that mortality rates declined over time for both procedures and that patients’ burden of other medical conditions may be an important predictor of mortality. The findings reinforce the importance of considering a patient’s overall health when assessing surgical risk. Dr. Perrotti shared the results in a short oral presentation titled “In-Hospital Mortality Trends and Predictors after Surgical Management of Acute Diverticulitis.”
Both projects included mentorship and co-authorship from Sherene E. Sharath, Ph.D., MPH, Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Clinical and Health Services Research, and Panos Kougias, M.D., MSc, FACS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. Both projects also received support from the iNSPIRe team.
Congratulations to Drs. Mahajan and Perrotti and their collaborators for contributing to research that deepens understanding of surgical outcomes and informs future approaches to patient care.
Read both abstracts in the October supplement of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Downstate Pharmacist Helps Readers Make Sense of Supplements in New Handbook
Congratulations to Hossameldin (Sammy) Ghanem, RPh, MSc, 340B ACE, Associate Director of Pharmacy, Procurement and Contracts, on authoring The Evidence-Based Supplement Handbook. Ghanem brings his pharmacy experience to a practical question many consumers face: how to distinguish supplement claims from what research actually supports.
The handbook grew out of the challenge of navigating shelves filled with products promising better energy, sleep, immunity, and overall health. In the preface, Ghanem explains that research varies in quality and can be difficult to interpret, leaving consumers unsure about potential benefits, risks, and interactions with their medications.
His approach encourages readers to look beyond a product’s popularity and ask whether the evidence supports its use, who might benefit, and what safety concerns deserve attention. The book includes an A–Z reference covering 114 supplements, along with guidance on reading labels, evaluating research, and preparing questions for a healthcare professional.
Sammy’s background spans hospital pharmacy, medication access, procurement, and pharmacy education. That experience informs the book’s emphasis on helping readers have more informed conversations with their clinicians and pharmacists, while recognizing that supplements do not replace prescribed treatment or medical care.
Congratulations to Sammy on this accomplishment and on sharing his knowledge to help readers approach supplement decisions with greater understanding and confidence.
We celebrated National Healthcare Food Service Workers Week (October 4–10) with a well-deserved shout-out to our Sodexo and Patient Nutrition teams at University Hospital at Downstate!
From preparing nutritious meals to ensuring our patients receive the food and care they need, these dedicated colleagues bring compassion, skill, and commitment to their work every day. They remind us that a good meal, a warm smile, and a little kindness can make a meaningful difference in a patient’s experience.
Thank you to our Sodexo and Patient Nutrition teams for keeping our patients nourished and bringing an extra helping of care to Downstate. We appreciate all that you do, year-round!
