SUNY Downstate Biotechnology Incubator Names New Executive Director

By Office of Communications & Marketing | May 7, 2024

Brooklyn, NY — SUNY Downstate Biotechnology Incubator, a cutting-edge wet-lab facility spanning approximately 63,000 square feet across two buildings at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in East Flatbush, today announced the appointment of Blake A. Adair as its new Executive Director. Mr. Adair will assume oversight of the incubator’s operations, with a primary focus on amplifying its impact and capabilities within the start-up ecosystem.

Mr. Adair’s duties encompass strategizing for facility expansions, procuring additional funding, nurturing external collaborations, and bolstering involvement within the life science realm.

Recently, Mr. Adair was Vice President of Business Operations at EpiBone, Inc., a prominent player in regenerative medicine. During his time at EpiBone, he led a period of notable expansion and innovation, achieved successful fundraising campaigns, and fostered the development of strategic partnerships.

“Blake’s biotech expertise reinforces our commitment to pioneering life sciences,” said David A. Christini, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Research. “Over two decades, we have successfully proven Central Brooklyn’s capacity for business growth. Blake’s leadership will sustain our incubator’s excellence and continue attracting entrepreneurs with competitive pricing, START-UP NY incentives, and access to university resources.”

Downstate Technology Incubator is a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship in the biotechnology sector that provides member companies with valuable access to Downstate Health Sciences University resources, including clinical scientists and graduate students, the medical and scientific library, clinical trials, and other specialized research facilities and equipment. Those companies have received investments in excess of $82.7M, which has allowed them to create more than 350 new jobs, as well as allowed them to receive more than $6.2M in non-dilutive grant funding.

“I am thrilled to be leading DTCI into its next chapter,” said incoming Executive Director Adair. “The incubator often represents a critical first step for fledgling companies. I am committed to fostering new innovative technologies and helping those technologies reach the marketplace where they can have the most impact.”

Mr. Adair holds an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and an MPA from Grand Canyon University. He has also completed advanced studies in venture capital/private equity and project management.

Mr. Adair succeeds the founding team of Eva Cramer, Ph.D., and Mr. David Norton, who successfully established the vision for a business incubator catering to start-ups addressing therapeutic, diagnostic, or medical device market needs and benefiting from interaction with the university’s diverse educational and research programs.

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About the Downstate Biotech Incubator

The Downstate Biotech Incubator (DTCI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing early-stage life sciences companies with a collegial environment in which to grow healthy in Brooklyn. Together, The Health Science Center at Brooklyn Foundation and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York oversee the operations of the incubator. Since its opening in 1992, DTCI has been home to many biotechnology start-up ventures that have brought to life impactful technology.  The incubator’s affiliation with SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University makes it an ideal place for cutting-edge R&D.

About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.

UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.

About the SUNY Research Foundation

The SUNY Research Foundation (RF) is the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country. It provides essential administrative services that enable State University of New York (SUNY) faculty to focus their efforts on educating students and performing life-changing research across a wide range of disciplines, including Artificial Intelligence, Clean Energy, Biotechnology, Longevity, Substance Addiction, Nextgen Quantum Computing, Environmental Health, and Resiliency. The RF works with the academic and business leadership of SUNY campuses to facilitate research and discovery by administering sponsored projects and delivering intellectual property and technology transfer services that fuel innovation and move ideas and inventions to the marketplace.

The RF is a private non-profit education corporation that is tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c) (3). To learn more about the RF, visit www.rfsuny.org.