SUNY Downstate Email - Presidents Bulletin

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I am elated to share that The State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor Jim Malatras recently announced the Inaugural Chancellor Distinguished Ph.D. Graduate Dissertation Awards—and two Downstate Scholars were named as top five finalists from a SUNY System-wide pool of candidates!

Downstate scholar Emiliya M. Storman, M.D., Ph.D., a member of the Class of 2021 from our School of Graduate Studies, was honored for her dissertation, “CNS Aromatase and Estrogen Receptors: Subcellular Organization and Its Functional Implication.”

photo of Emiliya Storman

Dr. Storman is originally from Moscow, Russia, but is a New Yorker at heart. She received a BS in Neural Science from NYU where her research focused on the pathogenic mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. Driven by her interest in medicine and research, she pursued the dual MD/PhD degree at Downstate, with a focus in Neural and Behavioral Sciences. Under the mentorship of the late Alan Gintzler, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry in the School of Graduate Studies, Dr. Storman learned first-hand what it takes to translate an idea into a grant proposal, from which discoveries stem and publications emerge. Her research focused on defining an oligocrine modality of estrogenic action. In this modality, estrogen acts as intracellular messengers within the same oligomer in which they are produced, enabled by the physical association of aromatase and a membrane-associated estrogen receptor (mERα). Dr. Storman investigated the plasticity of aromatase-mERα associations as a consequence of sex, estrous cycle stage, and central nervous system (CNS) regional functionality. Main findings indicated that aromatase-mERα associations and the resulting estrogenic signaling vary between functionally-distinct CNS regions, and CNS aromatase activity can be modulated independently of systemic aromatase, revealing a remarkable complexity of estrogenic regulation. This research could inform potential therapies for restoring impaired estrogen-dependent CNS functionalities, such as chronic pain, while limiting undesirable effects by targeting specific subpopulations of aromatase and mERα. Currently, Dr. Storman is a first-year pediatric resident at Cohen Children's Medical Center. She hopes to contribute to the field of pediatric endocrinology through research and a commitment to children's health and well-being.

photo of Zachary Olmsted

Zachary Tyler Olmsted, Ph.D., third year student in our College of Medicine, was honored as a finalist for his dissertation, “Human Trunk Development and Innervation in a Dish to Facilitate Neurotherapeutics.”

Dr. Olmsted is originally from Oneida, New York. He attended the University at Albany and majored in Nanoscale Engineering at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (now SUNY Polytechnic Institute). Dr. Olmsted conducted biomedical research in the Janet Paluh lab throughout his undergraduate tenure, from which he earned the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. To pursue a career as a physician-scientist, he matriculated in the dual MD/PhD program in Nanomedicine between SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Olmsted continued his graduate work in the Janet Paluh lab at SUNY Polytechnic Institute to develop stem cell-based models of human embryology and nervous system innervation in a dish. He extended these findings to generate stem cell-derived, transplantable neuronal network therapies for animal models of spinal cord injury. This work resulted in a Ph.D. in Medicine and Nanoscale Engineering from SUNY Polytechnic. The impact of his dissertation research is reflected in 13 publications this year that include Nature and Cell Press family journals, an invited talk at the Society for Neuroscience international conference, an abstract and poster for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and pending U.S. patents. He is currently finishing core year clinical rotations as an MS3 at Downstate and plans to pursue residency training in neurosurgery.

Both Drs. Storman and Olmsted were awarded $1,000 for their dissertation work and will be published by SUNY Press in Spring 2022. CONGRATULATIONS to our incredible School of Graduate Studies and College of Medicine scholars for their seminal work that will serve to advance both their professional journeys and the legacy of excellence at Downstate.

For more information on all five finalists and a closer look at the submissions of Drs. Storman and Olmsted, CLICK HERE!