Shout Outs
By Office of the President | Nov 3, 2026
Halloween at Downstate Pediatrics: Bringing Smiles to Our Youngest Patients
Halloween brought a little extra magic to Downstate Pediatrics as our youngest patients enjoyed a festive celebration filled with costumes, treats, laughter, and fun!
Thank you to Lisa Smith and the Child Life Center team for organizing a memorable celebration that brought joy to pediatric patients and their families. The festivities highlighted the importance of creating positive experiences for children receiving medical care.
Thank you to everyone who helped make Halloween a frightfully fun celebration and brought smiles brighter than jack-o’-lanterns to our youngest patients!
#Pink Thursday: Downstate Unites for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
A special thank-you to the Downstate students, faculty, and staff who wore pink and came together on Pink Thursday, October 29, for our annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month group photo! Your enthusiastic participation and show of solidarity helped raise awareness, honor those we have lost, celebrate survivors, and support those currently facing breast cancer.
By proudly wearing pink, you reinforced Downstate’s commitment to early detection, education, compassionate care, and supporting patients and families throughout their breast cancer journeys.
Your participation reminds us that awareness saves lives, early detection matters, and together, we can make a difference. Thank you for showing your Downstate pride and standing together in support of this important cause!
Downstate Stands Together Against Domestic Violence
A special thank-you to the Downstate students, faculty, and staff who wore purple and joined us on Purple Thursday, October 22, for our annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month group photo! Purple Thursday is a national day of action encouraging individuals to wear purple to show solidarity with survivors of domestic violence and raise awareness.
We extend our appreciation to Damali M. Wilson, Ph.D., APRN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, for her informative lecture, “Intimate Partner Violence in the Perinatal Period.” Her presentation addressed the serious public health consequences of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the postpartum period, including its contribution to maternal morbidity and mortality and its lasting physical and mental health effects on mothers and their children.
Special thanks also go to Cepeda Johnson, MPA, PHR, SHRM-CP, LSSG, Assistant Vice President and Ethics Officer, and Nicole Sharpe, ADA Ethics Analyst, Downstate’s Domestic Violence Agency Liaisons, for their continued dedication to raising awareness, supporting survivors, and connecting employees with valuable resources.
Your participation and show of solidarity reflect Downstate’s commitment to fostering a safe, compassionate, and supportive community. Thank you for standing together and making a difference!
Family Nurse Practitioner Program Ranks No. 1 in Affordability in NY
Downstate’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program earned the top affordability ranking in allnurses.com’s comparison of New York nursing programs, highlighting an accessible pathway to advanced nursing education.
The publication’s Affordable New York Family Nurse Practitioner Programs 2027 analysis identified Downstate as having the lowest estimated base tuition among the programs reviewed, at approximately $20,253 for its 43-credit Master of Science in Nursing FNP program.
The comparison examined tuition, required credits, program length, clinical hours, accreditation, and other factors. Downstate’s program combines online and in-person instruction, offers full- and part-time study, and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Congratulations to the College of Nursing on this recognition of its commitment to preparing advanced practice nurses while keeping graduate education affordable.
Dr. Louissaint Named Head Team Physician for Haiti Women’s National Team
Congratulations to Laurenie Louissaint, M.D., physician and physiatrist in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine, on her appointment as Head Team Physician for the Haiti Women’s National Team with the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, as the team works toward qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
photo: Belleimageplusmedia
At Downstate, Dr. Louissaint brings that same commitment to sports outreach and mentoring fellows, residents, medical students, college students across disciplines, and high school students. Colleagues praise her generosity with her time and the encouragement she offers those learning alongside her. She recently joined Sports Medicine Fellowship interviews from France, continuing to support the program while abroad.
We celebrate this international appointment and thank Dr. Louissaint for the expertise, care, and dedication she shares with our students, colleagues, and communities.
Dermatology Research Addresses Health Equity in Skin and Hair Care
Two recent Downstate studies highlight how dermatology research can address concerns that are sometimes overlooked in clinical practice.
Fourth-year medical student Beylul Negassi is the lead author of a Cureus study examining exogenous ochronosis, a condition characterized by skin discoloration that may develop after prolonged use of hydroquinone-containing products and can be mistaken for other dermatologic conditions.
In a separate study published in Archives of Dermatological Research, dermatology resident Victoria Palmer, M.D., and colleagues examined 31 conditioners marketed for textured hair. Their findings
identified higher costs and limited product availability, raising questions about
affordability and access.
Together, the studies underscore the importance of accurate diagnosis, culturally responsive care, and attention to costs that can affect patients’ everyday health decisions.
Congratulations to our student and resident investigators!
Dr. Janet Rosenbaum Appointed to AJPH Editorial Board
Congratulations to Janet Rosenbaum, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology
and Biostatistics, on her appointment as Vice Chair of the Editorial Board of the
American Journal of Public Health (AJPH).
Selected by the American Public Health Association’s Executive Board, Dr. Rosenbaum will serve as Vice Chair from November 5, 2026, through November 10, 2027. She was also reappointed to a second three-year term on the journal’s Editorial Board, ending November 10, 2029.
Her research examines how educational and economic circumstances influence adolescent health, with an emphasis on rigorous methods for understanding the effects of policies and social experiences. The appointment builds on Dr. Rosenbaum’s national contributions to public health scholarship, placing her in a leadership role supporting one of the field’s leading journals.
Congratulations to the New University Faculty Senate Representatives
Left to Right: Chella Kamarajan, Ph.D., Michele Renee Adams, Ph.D., MSN-CNS, RN, Rena Orman, Ph.D., Mohammad A. Faysel, Ph.D., FAMIA, Laura Martello-Rooney, Ph.D.
Please join us in congratulating our newly elected Senators and Alternate Senators, whose election results have been certified by the Downstate Assembly of Faculty and Professional Staff.
Chella Kamarajan, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, was elected in a special election to complete a senatorial term ending June 30, 2028.
Elected Senators, serving through June 30, 2029:
- Michele Renee Adams, Ph.D., MSN-CNS, RN, Senior Staff Associate and Clinical Case Manager
- Rena Orman, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
Elected Alternate Senators, serving through June 30, 2029:
- Mohammad A. Faysel, Ph.D., FAMIA, Associate Professor and Chair of the Health Informatics Program
- Laura Martello-Rooney, Ph.D., Director of GI Research, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Members also approved the proposed amendment to Article XI.B of the Assembly’s Bylaws.
We thank the election committee and the 376 members who participated in the election. Congratulations to our representatives, and thank you for contributing to shared governance and ensuring that Downstate’s perspectives are represented in SUNY-wide discussions.