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Stony Brook Medicine awarded new $2.35 million state-funded grant to battle Alzheimer’s

by Press Release - June 3, 2022

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0-4 — Nikhil Palekar, MD. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease selected as the only recipient on Long Island, and one of only 10 NYSDOH-supported, hospital-based centers of its kind in New York State

Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD) was awarded a new $2.35 million, state-funded grant over five years (2022-27 grant cycle) by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and renews on June 1. Of the 10 NYSDOH-supported, hospital-based centers in the state, Stony Brook Medicine is the only recipient of this competitive grant on Long Island and will continue to serve the growing needs of communities in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.

To qualify as a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, a hospital-based center must meet rigorous standards which are measured and reviewed annually. These include: high quality diagnostic and assessment services for people with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia; patient management and care; referral of patients and their caregivers to community services; training and continuing education to medical professionals and students on the detection, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

With scientific strides being made in identifying potential new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Stony Brook’s efforts during this five-year grant cycle will also include a continued focus on research.

“The renewal of this important NYSDOH grant comes at a time when there are a growing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease in our state, many of whom reside in underserved communities right here on Long Island,” said Harold Paz, MD, MS, Executive Vice President Health Sciences, Stony Brook University, and Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “It reinforces the strong reputation Stony Brook has built over the years, as an expert in diagnosis, care, training and resources, and as an institution committed to being at the forefront of research and clinical trials seeking effective treatments and a cure.”

A Growing Population of 65+

According to the DOH, 410,000 New Yorkers age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2025, this number is expected to increase to 460,000 New Yorkers needing care for Alzheimer’s disease. Long Island has the second-highest age 65+ population in New York State after New York City. On Long Island’s East End, approximately 36 percent of homes have at least one person in the household who is over 65 years of age.

“We are honored once again to be recognized for all that our team and community partners have accomplished as we continue to serve this vulnerable population,” said Nikhil Palekar, MD, Director, Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Palekar, who joined Stony Brook in 2017, has been instrumental in developing the Center’s mission and services.

An expert in the treatment and research of cognitive and mood disorders in older adults with grant funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, Dr. Palekar encourages people who are having trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions to get screened and diagnosed — the sooner the better. “When the brain is unable to function well, your entire health starts to suffer. If you’re having memory issues, you’re probably forgetting to take your medications for blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, causing a worsening of chronic medical conditions,” he noted.

Cognitive Screenings, Clinical Trials, Federally Qualified Health Center Partnerships

The Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, part of the Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute, now offers free cognitive screening clinics to the community at CEAD’s offices at Putnam Hall on the campus of Stony Brook University, as well as at Stony Brook’s Advanced Specialty Care location in Commack. The Stony Brook CEAD staff is also available to conduct free screenings in communities on Long Island upon request. Each individual screened will receive the screening results on the spot so that they can bring the results to their primary care physician for further assessment and treatment if needed.

The Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease also offers a variety of clinical trials in support of groundbreaking research studies on aging, memory, and dementia. Stony Brook has been selected as a study site for several clinical trials, including monoclonal antibody therapy trials that target amyloid plaque for the treatment of mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Another new initiative of the Stony Brook CEAD is the establishment of partnerships with several federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on Long Island to help meet the needs of unserved and underserved people spanning communities from the east end to those bordering Queens. Stony Brook CEAD will provide free cognitive screening assessments, educational resources, training for physicians, and opportunities to participate in research studies and clinical trials, which will help improve early diagnosis and quality of life for people in these communities living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

For more information about the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, visit ceadlongisland.org.

About the Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute:

Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute is the regional leader in diagnosing and treating a full range of brain, neurological and psychiatric disorders in adults and children. As a tertiary care center, we also serve as the “go-to” medical facility for community physicians and other specialists in the region who have complicated cases and seek advanced care for their patients. We bring the expertise of renowned specialists together with the use of sophisticated technology to deliver high-quality, disease-specific, comprehensive care for patients, while providing peace of mind to their families. This care includes access to various resources and therapies to assist with rehabilitation and reintegration into everyday living during and after treatment. The Institute features more than 15 specialty centers and programs — several that are unique to our region — and more than 70 research laboratories dedicated to the study of various neurological and psychiatric disorders and diseases. The Institute also provides challenging yet supportive educational experiences that prepare graduates to practice in a variety of clinical and academic settings. To learn more, visit www.neuro.stonybrookmedicine.edu.

SBU’s Ellen Pikitch helps show gaps in U.S. marine protected areas

by Daniel Dunaief - June 3, 2022

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Power of 3 map — This map shows of the status of marine protected areas in the United States. Credit: Sullivan-Stack et al., Frontiers in Marine Science 2022

By Daniel Dunaief

Time is not on our side.

That’s one of the messages, among others, from a recent paper in Frontiers in Marine Conservation that explored Marine Protected Areas around the United States.

In a study involving scientists at universities across the country, the researchers concluded that the current uneven distribution of MPAs do not offer sufficient protection for marine environments.

Left, Ellen Pikitch holds gooseneck barnacles in The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, an MPA in Washington State.

“The mainland of the United States is not well protected” with no region reaching the 10 percent target for 2020, said Ellen Pikitch, Endowed Professor of Ocean Conservation Sciences at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and a co-author on the study. “The mid-Atlantic is one of the worst of the worst in that regard. We’re not well positioned and we have no time to waste.”

Indeed, the United States, through the administration of President Joe Biden (D), has committed to protecting 30 percent of the oceans by 2030. At this point, 26 percent of the oceans are in at least one kind of MPA. That, however, doesn’t reflect the uneven distribution of marine protection, Pikitch and the other authors suggested.

As much as 96 percent of the protection is in the Central Pacific Ocean, Pikitch explained. That compares with 1.9 percent of the mainland United States and 0.3 percent of the mid-Atlantic.

“We are denying the benefits of ocean protection to a huge portion of the U.S. population,” Pikitch said. “This needs to change if we want the full spectrum of marine life in U.S. ocean waters and to obtain the many benefits to human well-being that this would provide.”

The researchers in the study used a new science-based framework called “The MPA Guide,” which Pikitch helped create. This study represents the first application of this guide to the quantity and quality of marine protection around the United States.

The Guide, which was published in September in the journal Science, rates areas as fully, highly, lightly or minimally protected and is designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and government policies.

Jenna Sullivan-Stack, a research associate at Oregon State University and lead author on the paper, credits Pikitch with helping to create the guide.

Pikitch made “key contributions to this work, especially putting it in context relative to international work and also thinking about how it can be useful on a regional scale for the mid-Atlantic,” Sullivan-Stack explained in an email.

“These findings highlight an urgent need to improve the quality, quantity and representativeness of MPA protection across U.S. waters to bring benefits to human and marine communities,” Sullivan-Stack said in a statement.

Pikitch said MPAs enhance resilience to climate change, providing buffers along shorelines. Seagrasses, which Long Island has in its estuaries, are one of the “most powerful carbon sequesters” on the planet, she explained.

Pikitch suggested there was abundant evidence of the benefits of MPAs. This includes having fish that live longer, grow to a larger size and reproduce more. Some published, peer-reviewed papers also indicate the benefit for nearby waterways.

“I have seen the spillover effect in several MPAs I have studied,” Pikitch said.

To be sure, these benefits may not accrue in nearby waters. That depends on factors including if the area where fishing is allowed is downstream of the protected area and on the dispersal properties of the fished organism, among other things, Pikitch explained.

Lauren Wenzel, Director of NOAA’s Marine Protected Areas Center, said the government recognizes that the ocean is changing rapidly due to climate change and that MPAs are affected by warmer and more acidic water, intense storms and other impacts.

“We are now working to ensure that existing and new MPAs can help buffer climate impacts by protecting habitats that store carbon and by providing effective protection to areas important for climate resilience,” Wenzel said.

The researchers made several recommendations in the paper. They urged the creation of more, and more effective, MPAs, urging a reevaluation of areas with weak protection and an active management of these regions to generate desired results.

They also suggested establishment of new, networked MPAS with better representation of biodiversity, regions and habitats. The researchers urged policy makers to track areas that provide conservation benefits, such as military closed regions.

The paper calls for the reinstatement and empowerment of the MPA Federal Advisory Committee, which was canceled in 2019.

While the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has no plans to reinstate this committee, is it “considering ways to expand the dialogue and seek advice from outside the government on area-based management,” Wenzel said.

The paper also urges the country to revisit and update the National Ocean Policy and National Ocean Policy Committee, which were repealed in 2018 before plans were implemented.

Wenzel said that the United States recently joined the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a multi-national effort to ensure the country commits to developing a national plan within five years to manage the ocean under national jurisdiction sustainably.

In terms of enforcing MPAs, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries supports enforcement that fosters voluntary compliance through educating sanctuary users and promoting a sense of stewardship toward the living and cultural resources of the sanctuary, Wenzel added.

“The sanctuary system’s goal is to provide a law enforcement presence in order to deter and detect violations,” she said.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries works with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of the Interior.

In terms of the impact of the paper, Pikitch said she hopes the paper affects policies and ignites change.

“We need to ramp up the amount and quality of protection in U.S. ocean waters, particularly adjacent to the mainland U.S. and the mid-Atlantic region,” she said.

‘The Kat & Dave Show’ heads to SBU’s Staller Center on December 1

by Press Release - June 2, 2022

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katharine-mcphee-david-foster-show — Photo from Staller Center

In their only New York appearance, 16-time Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television and Broadway star Katharine McPhee will bring their viral Instagram sensation “The Kat & Dave Show,” direct from their living room to Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts for one live show, Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.

In her first appearance at the Staller Center since 2010, McPhee will perform some of her biggest songs from American Idol, Smash, and Broadway’s Waitress. ‘The Kat & Dave Show” will also showcase Foster’s hit songs created for countless music legends including Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Gloria Estefan, and many others.

“We are thrilled to welcome back Katharine McPhee and for the first time, David Foster,” said Alan Inkles, Director of Staller Center for the Arts. ‘The Kat & Dave Show,’ their ‘quaranstream’ Instagram Live concerts, delighted legions of fans during the early days of the pandemic. The combination of these two powerhouse entertainers is sure to be a treat for our audiences.”

Tickets for “The Kat & Dave Show,” starting at $62, are on sale online at www.stallercenter.com. For a limited time, ticket buyers can receive 10% off by using code KAT10DAVE.

Stony Brook University appoints new School of Dental Medicine Dean

by Press Release - May 27, 2022

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Patrick Lloyd — Patrick M. Lloyd, DDS, MS Photo provided by Ohio State University

Stony Brook University has named Patrick M. Lloyd, DDS, MS, as Dean of the School of Dental Medicine (SDM). Lloyd’s appointment, effective July 1, was announced by Hal Paz, MD, executive vice president of health sciences at Stony Brook University and chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. Lloyd joins Stony Brook after a decade spent as the dean of the College of Dentistry at Ohio State University.

Dr. Lloyd succeeds Margaret M. McGovern, MD, PhD, who was named Interim Dean of the School of Dental Medicine on Dec. 1, 2021. While at Ohio State some of Lloyd’s accomplishments included increasing college funding support for student research, forming a college-wide workgroup to identify priorities and develop strategies to improve the school’s environment, and initiating the CARE (Commitment to Access Resources and Education) program aimed at recruiting and supporting dental students from underserved communities in Ohio, and oversaw the planning, design, and fund raising for a ninety-five million dollar expansion and renovation of the college’s clinical and administrative facilities.

Dr. Lloyd is an international lecturer on a variety of issues related to geriatric dentistry and has published widely on treatment strategies for the aged dental patient. His diverse clinical experience includes private practice in prosthodontics with an emphasis on care of the older adult and educating and training students in the area of special patient care.

Dr. Lloyd is a graduate of Marquette University School of Dentistry and earned his specialty certificate in prosthodontics from the V.A. Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as a master of science from the Graduate School of Marquette University. After completing his specialty training, Lloyd served as chief of dental geriatrics and directed a fellowship in geriatric dentistry at the Milwaukee V.A. Medical Center.

In 1985, he was appointed to serve as national coordinator for geriatric dental programs for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1992, he joined the faculty at Marquette University, where he was head of the Special Patient Care Clinic. He held that position for four years before being named executive officer of the Department of Family Dentistry at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 1996. In 2004, Dr. Lloyd was named dean at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry before heading to Ohio State University, where he has been the dean of the College of Dentistry since 2011.

“Dr. Lloyd’s vision and extraordinary experience positions him well to lead the next era of Stony Brook’s School of Dental Medicine and build upon the School’s focus to advance its dental education, research, patient care, and service to the community,” said Dr. Paz. “He has the strategic acumen and leadership skills to ensure we meet the highest professional standards, provide the best education and training experiences to our students and residents, and high-quality care for our patients.”

SBU News: Facebook posts may reveal individuals at risk for excessive drinking

by Press Release - May 27, 2022

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0-1 — This visual presentation shows the words and phrases used on Facebook posts from individuals in the study considered either high- or low-risk for excessive drinking. Credit: Rupa Jose and Andrew Schwartz

Alcoholism can be a difficult condition to diagnose, especially in cases where individuals’ drinking habits are not noticed and physical symptoms have not yet manifested. In a new study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, co-author H. Andrew Schwartz, PhD, of the Department of Computer Science at Stony Brook University, and colleagues determined that the language people used in Facebook posts can identify those at risk for hazardous drinking habits and alcohol use disorders.

Collaborating with Schwartz working on The Data Science for Unhealthy Drinking Project is Stony Brook University doctoral candidate Matthew Matero, and Rupa Jose, PhD, lead author and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

Key to the research was the use of Facebook content analyzed with “contextual embeddings,” a new artificial intelligence application that interprets language in context. The contextual embedding model, say Schwartz, Jose and colleagues, had a 75 percent chance of correctly identifying individuals as high- or low-risk drinkers from their Facebook posts. This rate at identifying at risk people for excessive drinking is higher than other more traditional models that identify high-risk drinkers and those vulnerable to alcoholism.

“What people write on social media and online offers a window into psychological mechanisms that are difficult to capture in research or medicine otherwise,” says Schwartz, commenting on the unique aspect of the study.

“Our findings imply that drinking is not only an individually motivated behavior but a contextual one; with social activities and group membership helping set the tone when it comes to encouraging or discouraging drinking,” summarizes Jose.

Investigators used data from more than 3,600 adults recruited online — average age 43, mostly White — who consented to sharing their Facebook data. The participants filled out surveys on demographics, their drinking behaviors, and their own perceived stress — a risk factor for problematic alcohol use. Researchers then used a diagnostic scale to organize participants — based on their self-reported alcohol use — into high-risk drinkers (27 percent) and low-risk drinkers (73 percent).

The Facebook language and topics associated with high-risk drinking included more frequent references to going out and/or drinking (e.g., “party,” “beer”), more swearing, more informality and slang (“lmao”), and more references to negative emotions (“miss,” “hate,” “lost,” and “hell”). These may reflect factors associated with high-risk drinking, including neighborhood access to bars, and personality traits such as impulsivity.

Low-risk drinking status was associated with religious language (“prayer,” “Jesus”), references to relationships (“family,” “those who”), and future-oriented verbs (“will,” “hope”). These may reflect meaningful support networks that encourage drinking moderation and the presence of future goals, both of which are protective against dangerous drinking.

Overall, the authors conclude that “social media data serves as a readily available, rich, and under-tapped resource to understand important public health problems, including excessive alcohol use…(The) study findings support the use of Facebook language to help identify probable alcohol vulnerable populations in need of follow-up assessments or interventions, and note multiple language markers that describe individuals in high/low alcohol risk groups.”

Stony Brook University celebrates the Class of 2022

by Rita J. Egan - May 23, 2022

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More than 7,600 Stony Brook University students filed into Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to take part in the 2022 Degree Commencement Celebration ceremony Friday, May 20.

The students were part of one of the largest graduating classes in the university’s 65-year history. They were awarded a combined 7,610 degrees and certificate completions. The Class of 2022 included students from 68 countries and 45 states, and the students ranged from 19 to 71. In addition to the in-person event, it was live streamed.

During the ceremony, film director Todd Haynes received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree. Over the past four decades, he has taken part in several films and television projects as a film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his work on “Poison,” an American science fiction drama horror film that he also wrote. Haynes is a longtime friend of Christine Vachon, founder of Stony Brook’s MFA in Film, and has collaborated often with her and guest lectured to students in the program.

Haynes had advice for the graduates.

“I just wanted to acknowledge the remarkable teachers in my life, who I feel gave to me the tools to engage with a history and a culture that contained all the contradictions and many of the challenges that we confront today, that you guys confront today,” he said. “They helped me feel inspired to engage with those challenges, not to retreat or even impose my own solutions, but to dig deeper, to raise questions and respond to them in my own way, which is what I have the unique privilege of doing as a filmmaker. I wish for every student here today those kinds of openness, those kinds of tools as you guys all step out into this wild world. You deserve to feel as optimistic and inspired as I did at your age and know that you embody all our very best hopes and finest dreams.”

Among the speakers at the event were SBU President Maurie McInnis, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and student speaker for the Class of 2022 Ahmed Syed, a biology major. During his speech, Syed told his fellow SBU students about his parents who moved to the U.S. from India when they were in their 30s. Syed’s three brothers also graduated from SBU, and his older sibling, who is now a doctor in Florida, was the student speaker when he graduated from the university.

“Stony Brook wasn’t just a college our family went to, it’s been our legacy,” Syed said. “Understand that my parents came here with nothing and now all four of their sons are college graduates. Not just four college graduates, but four Seawolves. This is nothing more than a testament to what Stony Brook stands for.”

After acknowledging exceptional students in the graduating class, McInnis had praise for all the members who she said inspired her and others.

“As you join Stony Brook’s more than 200,000 alumni across the globe, I hope you’ll stay connected to this unique and passionate community,” the university president said. “I hope you’ll continue to see Stony Brook as a second home, one that celebrates all you accomplish, strengthens your critical perspectives and supports your most ambitious endeavors.”

She quoted Jackson Pollock who once said, “Each age finds its own technique.”

“With the Class of 2022, it is very clear to me that your technique is to maintain a truly creative and collaborative spirit that will be your path forward,” McInnis said. “I know you will move together as individuals with a sense of discovery, ambition, innovation and artistry. Stony Brook University is incredibly proud of all you have achieved here — and all you will go on to create.”

A year later, Stony Brook University LEND trainees reflect on lessons learned

by Daniel Dunaief - May 15, 2022

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LEND PROGRAM 1 — Pallavi Tatapudy with her husband Nishank Mehta.

By Daniel Dunaief

Bringing together people from a range of experiences and perspectives, Stony Brook University is preparing to complete the first year of its LEND training program, which is designed to help provide support and services for people with autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Over 100 trainees will complete the course this month, as the leaders of LEND, which stands for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other related Disabilities, prepare to educate a second year of participants that is expected to exceed 300 people.

Top row: Dr. Matthew Lerner, Dr. Michelle Ballan (co-director and director)
2nd row: Pallavi Tatapudy, Isaac Rodriguez, Morgan McNair
3rd row: Sarah Grosser, Anjolie Nagarwalla, Jenny Andersson
Bottom row: Christopher Rosa, Ava Gurba

Matthew Lerner, LEND Center Co-Director, Research Director of the Autism Initiative, and Associate Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, and Michelle Ballan, LEND Program and Center Director, Professor, and Associate Dean for Research in the School of Social Welfare and Professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, run the program, which is the first on Long Island to receive a federal grant that supports training students, families, professionals and self-advocates.

Lerner described three key takeaways for the $2.2 million, five-year grant.

First, “if we want to be effective in supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders we have to be interdisciplinary,” he said.

Second, the group, which includes trainees at three different levels depending on their time commitment to the program, needs to “listen to the voices of autistic people,” Lerner added. For too long, “they’ve been an afterthought at the table of care.”

Third, the work is a “process and not an outcome,” he said.

Many of the participants in the program appreciated the opportunity to engage in an interdisciplinary effort.

Self-advocate

Ava Gurba, a self-advocate and master’s student at Stony Brook University who has autism and cerebral palsy, said she saw LEND as her chance to “reframe the professional discipline” and inform people in a range of fields about what life is “really like” for her and others.

Many professionals in health care have limited experience working with self-advocates.

“They have only interacted with disabled people as clients in a therapeutic setting or as research subjects,” Gurba said.

Researchers and service providers don’t often know how to incorporate the lived experience for the family and from self- advocates, she added.

Gurba suggested that some professionals need to “unlearn” practices that don’t incorporate the values and needs of people with disabilities.

The medical community is often looking for cures, while Gurba said she and others with disabilities are more often looking for ways to be integrated into the community, through social, employment, or educational opportunities.

Clinical training

For Alan Gerber, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook, LEND provided autism-specific clinical training, including planning treatment and reviewing the progress for specific patients.

“It gives me an opportunity to get together with an inter-disciplinary cohort and see things from a different lens,” Gerber said.

Gerber plans to be a clinical researcher and will conduct post doctoral research at the Yale Child Study Center.

LEND “made me think very deeply about what is clinically meaningful research,” Gerber said. When he speaks with families, pediatricians and social workers, he wants to do the kind of research that is “really going to change a family’s life.”

Gerber hopes to remain in contact with other members of the LEND community, where he felt he was part of a team.

Paradigm shift

As a high school bilingual speech language pathologist who works closely with individualized education plans, Jenn Solomon wanted to understand more about the lives and challenges of people with developmental disabilities.

LEND provided a paradigm shift for Solomon in helping her understand disability. “I can listen to what people with disabilities have to say, and I can reflect and learn,” Solomon said.

One of Solomon’s broader goals is to advocate on behalf of students who have obstacles to overcome.

Jenny Andersson, who works for the New York State Department of Education Office of Special Education funded project called the Educational Partnership, suggested that LEND “exceeded what I had imagined.”

Like other trainees, Andersson, who is Director of the Early Childhood Family and Community Engagement Center, appreciated the participation of self-advocates.

“I approach everything in my work now and ask, ‘Did we invite all stakeholders to the discussion?’”

Ripple effects

Andersson is excited to see the ripple effect of the program, where other professionals benefit from what trainees learn and discuss and change their practices.

Indeed, Dr. Pallavi Tatapudy, a second-year psychiatry resident at Stony Brook, said her husband Nishank Mehta, who is a first-year orthopedic surgery resident at Stony Brook, has learned about advocacy from some of the discussions she had through LEND.

“This experience of working together and hearing all of these personal insights, you cannot get from a textbook,” Tatapudy said.

Tatapudy understands the value of consulting with people who have disabilities and with their families. “The patient is the expert,” she said.

When she worked in the inpatient psychiatric unit on the 12th floor of Stony Brook Hospital, Tatapudy said she spoke to a family who was admitting a child with a neurodevelopmental disability. She asked parents for an idea of ways to comfort their child that de-escalate emotionally charged moments at home. His parents said a particular blanket from home provided comfort, which they brought to the hospital.

Tatapudy is “proud” that Stony Brook is a LEND center, joining 60 others throughout the country.

For Lerner, who was a LEND trainee about a dozen years ago and continues to stay in touch with his LEND cohort, the effort helps experts learn from each other and from self-advocates who can share their perspectives. “None of us has enough expertise to do this alone,” he said.

Simons Foundation partners with SBU to improve diversity in STEM fields

by TBR Staff - May 12, 2022

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Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Simons Foundation Gift — David Spergel, Simons Foundation president, and Maurie McInnis, SBU president, announced on May 11 that SBU would be the recipient of a $56.6 million gift from the Simons Foundation to fund a STEM program. Photo from Stony Brook University

At a press conference held May 11 at Stony Brook University it was announced that the Simons Foundation along with its sister foundation, Simons Foundation International, was gifting $56.6 million to SBU.

The funds will be used in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics program to be launched in the fall of 2023. The Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program will provide scholarships, housing and stipends to 50 new students each year in the STEM fields.

“We could not be more excited and grateful to enter this new partnership with the Simons Foundation,” said SBU President Maurie McInnis, in a press release. “The Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program will allow young people to reach their potential as they bring new, much-needed diversity of perspective to science and innovation. At any given time, we will have 200 future STEM leaders on our campus, forging their way in the STEM fields and setting the stage for future generations of students to follow in their footsteps.”

Simons Foundation’s new president David Spergel was on hand for the presentation. The $56.6 million gift is the Simons Foundation’s largest gift under his leadership.

“We need scientists and mathematicians who are reflective of our diverse world, and the scientific and educational communities must work together to find, train, and support underrepresented scientists and mathematicians,” Spergel said. “That’s why the foundation is making its largest investment yet in diversity through the Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program. Stony Brook University has shown a real commitment already to access and opportunity. They’re our ideal partners in this.”

In a joint statement, Jim and Marilyn Simons, co-founders and co-chairs of the foundation, said they were “proud to see the foundation taking steps to increase diversity in STEM fields.”

“The support network, tight-knit community, and sense of belonging that students will find in this program will be life-changing,” the couple said. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of a program like this, with positive implications not just for Stony Brook, but for New York State and the broader scientific and mathematical communities.”

Justin Fincher, SBU vice president for advancement, said, “The power of this gift is that it is not dedicated to existing programmatic or budget needs; rather, it will exclusively support hundreds of Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars students.”

According to SBU, there is a major need for programs such as the Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program to address the lack of diversity in STEM fields. STEM careers have seen a 79% growth in employment in the past 30 years, making STEM one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. workforce. Yet Black and Hispanic workers only make up 17% of the U.S. STEM workforce, compared to 28% of the total workforce. Only 12% of full-time faculty at PhD-granting institutions are Black or Hispanic, a disparity that also exists in STEM higher education programs.

Underrepresented college and university students are much more likely to switch from a STEM major to another course of study than their peers, according to SBU. 40% of Black STEM students switch their major during undergrad, compared to 29 percent of white STEM students, and Black STEM students are also twice as likely as their white peers to leave college without a degree. Just 7% of all STEM Bachelor’s degrees were awarded to Black students in 2018

Stony Brook University Hospital appoints new Chief Medical Officer

by Press Release - May 4, 2022

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0-3 — Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook University Hospital has appointed Jonathan M. Buscaglia, MD, FASGE, AGAF, as Chief Medical Officer, effective as of April 28. In his new role, Dr. Buscaglia will oversee all clinical operations, including the quality of care and patient safety, coordination of clinical care, development of clinical information systems and physician engagement. Reporting to Carol Gomes, CEO of Stony Brook University Hospital, Dr. Buscaglia and the entire senior executive leadership team will work collaboratively to champion the continuous improvement of patient care.

Dr. Jonathan M. Buscaglia
Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine

“The role of chief medical officer is a critical component of hospital operations and I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Buscaglia to this role,” said Hal Paz, MD, executive vice president of health sciences at Stony Brook University and chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “I look forward to working together as he continues to build on our commitment to prioritize quality throughout the system.”

“Dr. Buscaglia brings more than 20 years of experience as a physician leader to his new role, including more than ten of those years right here at Stony Brook Medicine,” said Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, chief executive officer for Stony Brook University Hospital. “His proven dedication to the growth of our healthcare system, and multidisciplinary approach to deliver the highest level of care, is pivotal as we continue to meet the healthcare needs of our community.”

Dr. Buscaglia earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from Union College. He then completed his MD at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo. After his internal medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Buscaglia completed both his gastroenterology fellowship and interventional endoscopy fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He joined Stony Brook Medicine in 2008 as Medical Director of Endoscopy where he established quality metrics for the delivery of care in digestive diseases across several medical specialties.

In 2012, he initiated Stony Brook University Hospital’s first interventional endoscopy training program and inpatient consult service. Dr. Buscaglia was appointed Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2016 and was elected President of the Medical Board for Stony Brook Medicine in 2021. He holds the Stony Brook University academic appointment of Professor of Medicine with tenure and is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of pancreatico-biliary disorders and quality metrics in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Stony Brook University names new Executive Vice President and Provost

by Press Release - May 3, 2022

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Carl Lejuez has been appointed Stony Brook Univerity’s new executive vice president and provost, announced SBU President Maurie McInnis. Lejuez will be joining Stony Brook on July 1, 2022. He presently serves as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut (UConn).

As the chief academic officer at Stony Brook, Lejuez will be responsible for oversight of the academic mission of the university, providing direct supervision for all academic units, support services and operations, including enrollment management and student success, and coordinating all academic programs. In addition, the deans and directors of the colleges, schools, libraries, centers and institutes, including those in the Health Sciences related to nonclinical matters, will report to him. He will also work collaboratively with Harold Paz, executive vice president of health sciences and CEO of Stony Brook University Medicine.

Prior to his affiliation with UConn, Lejuez served as interim provost and executive vice chancellor and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at The University of Kansas. He was also a professor of psychology and associate dean for research for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, a research professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and an adjunct faculty member at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, CT.

“In Dr. Lejuez, we have a leader who comes to the table with a strong track record of experience in public higher education,” said President McInnis. “I am confident Carl will help Stony Brook University meet its ambitious goals around research and academic excellence, and will be a stalwart supporter of our students, staff and faculty. He will help us find additional ways to strategically elevate our research, scholarship and art making while raising the bar even higher for amplifying our efforts to improve student success.”

“Joining Stony Brook University offers a tremendous opportunity to build upon the university’s long-standing commitment to excellence,” said Lejuez. “As a leading Association of American Universities public research institution, Stony Brook excels in educating students, creates a supportive and inclusive working environment, attracts outstanding faculty and spearheads research that improves the world. I am excited to work with President McInnis and the university community to elevate our academic programs and celebrate the accomplishments to come.”

Lejuez holds an MA and PhD in clinical psychology from West Virginia University and earned his BA in psychology from Emory University.

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