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The President's Bulletin

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The President’s Bulletin is a bi-weekly publication created to keep students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends, and others informed about the latest news at Downstate Health Sciences University. We hope you enjoy reading the articles and find them informative and useful.

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PA Graduate Receives SUNY Mental Health Scholarship

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

Congratulations to Girgis Welsen, a 2025 graduate of the School of Health Professions Physician Assistant (PA) Program, and one of only 15 students statewide to receive the SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship—a transformative initiative advancing...

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Tags: Physician Assistant, School of Health Professions

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Ethics in Gender-Inclusive Research Practices

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

Exclusion can begin with a single word—long before research even begins. At Downstate, a team of researchers recognized that the language used in consent forms and study materials can either invite trust or create distance. Their work is now sparking...

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Tags: Research

poster session

Where Questions Become Impact

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

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The Science of Stillness to the Heart of Downstate

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

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Shout Outs

Shout Outs

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

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In Case You Missed it

In Case You Missed It

by Office of the President - May 22 , 2025

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Dr Riley

A Message from President Riley

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

As the academic year ends, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating Class of 2025. Your resilience, discipline, and hard work have brought you to this defining milestone of the walk across the stage and the beginning of your professional...

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Transforming Occupational Therapy Training

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

At Downstate, the Occupational Therapy Program deepens its decade-long partnership with Adapt Community Network—formerly United Cerebral Palsy of New York—by giving students direct access to individuals living with disabilities. Through this...

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Tags: Occupational Therapy Program

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Say “Yes” to Organ Donation

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

In March, Governor Kathy Hochul signed a new law, supported by LiveOnNY, to expand public education about organ donation across New York State. According to the New York State Donor Registry, nearly 10,000 New Yorkers are waiting for a transplant....

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Tags: Division of Transplantation, Kidney

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Conversations about Purpose, Empowerment, and Psychiatry

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

We are excited to share the news that Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., Dr.Med.Sc., as President of the American Psychiatric Association, will take the national stage at the APA 2025 Annual Meeting for two extraordinary conversations about health, leadership,...

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Tags: Psychiatry

the two researchers

Changing What We Know About Alcoholism

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

More than 35 years ago, Downstate’s Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab launched a groundbreaking study on alcohol use disorders. The result, the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), continues to shape our understanding of addiction,...

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Tags: Psychiatry, Research

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Earth Day Groove in the Grove

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

What began as a single Earth Day table in the Atrium is now an annual campus-wide event. This year, more than 800 students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Grove to mark the occasion with activities focused on environmental awareness and sustainab...

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Tags: Campus Events, Events

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Lifting Every Voice for Downstate

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

Congratulations to Meliah McPhie, a student in Downstate’s School of Public Health student and a Brooklyn resident, who was recently recognized for her powerful op-ed supporting Downstate, published in the BK Reader.

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Tags: School of Public Health

Shout Outs

Shout Outs

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

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In Case You Missed it

In Case You Missed It

by Office of the President - May 6 , 2025

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Dr Wayne J. Riley

A Message from President Riley

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

At Downstate, redefining healthcare in Brooklyn is more than medicine—it’s about imagination, partnership, and the courage to explore extensive possibilities.

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Gowanus

Environmental Study Offers Blueprint for Urban Health

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

A new study co-led by Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, Elizabeth Hénaff, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, and...

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Emergency Preparedness Youth

Stop the Bleed, Pack the Bag, Ready, Set, Go!

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

When you hand the mic to the next generation of leaders, you get an educational, energizing, and game-changing experience—like Downstate’s Youth-Led Emergency Preparedness Day, which introduced middle and high school students to critical skills...

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Dr. Quadros

Understanding the Folate Connection to Autism

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

For more than three decades, Edward V. Quadros, Ph.D., Hematology/Oncology Division Research Professor in the Department of Medicine, has been chasing the answer to a question that did not make sense: Why do some children with autism show signs of...

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Tags: Department of Medicine

Asthma

The Hidden Connection Between Allergies and the Heart

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

Most people consider allergies minor—sneezing, itchy eyes, or a lingering cough. Few connect them to heart disease. New research from Downstate suggests that it may need to change. Common allergic conditions like asthma and hay fever may increase...

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Bernal & Christini

AI Meets Mental Health with New Global Research Hub Partnership

by Office of the President - April 22 , 2025

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that Downstate is one of eight SUNY campuses selected to receive state funding to develop new academic departments, centers, and institutes focused on Artificial Intelligence and Society. At Downstate, this...

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