Governor Hochul Awards SUNY Downstate $1.5 Million To Establish Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Sep 23, 2026
New Center will advance research into neurological function, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other brain disorders while strengthening the connection between scientific discovery and clinical care
BROOKLYN, NY—Governor Kathy Hochul announced that SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University will receive $1.5 million to establish the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center, expanding the University’s capacity to study memory, cognition, aging, and neurological disease. The award forms part of the first phase of the $10 million SUNY Brain Institute, a statewide neuroscience research network focused on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and other age-related brain disorders.
At Downstate, the statewide investment has a particular Brooklyn focus, as the Center will bring together researchers at the Borough’s only academic medical center, whose clinicians and public health specialists work with patients and families across Central Brooklyn.
“Governor Hochul’s investment advances Downstate’s transformation in another critical area by strengthening the research infrastructure that drives discovery and informs patient care,” said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, President of Downstate Health Sciences University. “The Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center will bring together research, education, and clinical care to pursue discoveries grounded in the needs of our communities. It also advances our #KeepCareClose commitment by helping ensure that Central Brooklyn remains connected to research that can shape the future of neurological care.”
The Center is led by a collaborative team of Downstate Faculty: Dylan Rich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; Carole Morel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; Salvador Dura-Bernal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; and Todd C. Sacktor, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, and Neurology. Their combined expertise spans memory, cognition, brain aging, Alzheimer's disease, neural circuitry, and computational brain modeling.
An estimated 427,000 New Yorkers live with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. That number will likely increase as the state’s population ages. The new Center will strengthen Downstate’s capacity to investigate how neurological function changes throughout life and how those changes relate to memory, cognition, aging, and disease.
SUNY Buffalo will lead the statewide network in partnership with SUNY Downstate, Binghamton University, SUNY College of Optometry, and SUNY Upstate Medical University. Each campus will contribute specialized research capabilities and infrastructure. The network will pool equipment, expertise, data, and other resources to advance interdisciplinary research, strengthen funding proposals, and move promising laboratory findings toward clinical study.
“This exciting NY State and SUNY investment in the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center expands the infrastructure needed to study the brain at different stages of life and across multiple levels of biological complexity,” said David J. Christini, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. “Through the SUNY Brain Institute, investigators from Downstate and other SUNY campuses will have new opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, develop research tools, identify disease mechanisms, and generate findings that clinical researchers can evaluate through translational studies and clinical trials.”
Researchers will study how healthy brain function changes from early life through older adulthood and compare those patterns with changes associated with neurological disease. This work can help identify biomarkers, biological pathways, and potential therapeutic targets for further study.
“Memory disorders do not begin on the day a patient receives a diagnosis,” Dr. Rich said. “Changes in the brain may develop over many years. By studying how neural activity supports memory and decision-making throughout the lifespan, we can work toward identifying when and how those processes begin to change. That knowledge may eventually help clinical researchers improve how they detect disease, assess its progression, and evaluate possible treatments.”
Downstate’s academic health sciences environment connects scientists with physicians, nurses, and public health specialists who understand how neurological conditions affect patients, caregivers, and families. Downstate’s location in Central Brooklyn also creates opportunities for researchers to examine questions that reflect the experiences of communities that have often lacked adequate representation in neurological research. Differences in access, diagnosis, treatment, environmental exposures, and underlying health conditions can influence neurological outcomes.
The Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center will create research and training opportunities for students, residents, fellows, and scientists. These experiences will help prepare a workforce equipped to advance neurological science and care in Brooklyn and throughout New York State.
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University is Brooklyn’s academic medical Center and the only SUNY academic medical center in New York City. It serves as a critical hub for healthcare delivery, medical education, and research for Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents.
University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) delivers high-acuity and community-based care across the borough, supported by more than 800 physicians across 53 specialties and subspecialties. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant care, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis services, and established Brooklyn’s first kidney transplantation program more than 50 years ago.
Downstate strengthens the healthcare workforce and advances community-based care through its academic programs and clinical training. Its biotechnology initiatives, including the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, drive innovation and economic growth across Brooklyn and New York City.