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Stony Brook University

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#2 Zaida Gonzalez takes a shot at last Thursday's game. Photo courtesy of Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team opened up their 2024-25 home slate on Nov. 7 as head coach Joy McCorvey earned her first career win, leading the Seawolves to a 53-43 victory over Le Moyne on their home court.  

Zaida Gonzalez led the squad with 20 points and eight rebounds. Janay Brantley had an all-around performance tacking on five points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals and Lauren Filien chipped in with eight points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Led by Dallysshya Moreno’s six offensive rebounds, Stony Brook did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 19 boards that resulted in 12 second chance points. The Seawolves’ defense held Le Moyne shooters to only 27.9 percent from the field, including 20 percent from three-point range. Stony Brook also kept the Dolphins’ Haedyn Roberts to 5-of-19 shooting in the game.

“I’m really proud of the team’s resiliency and the growth that we showed with such a quick turnaround after our game against Columbia,” stated head coach Joy McCorvey postgame. 

“We took a lot of teaching and learning moments from that game [Columbia] and I definitely saw some of that in tonight’s game. We’ve talked a lot about our effort and as we continue to define who we want to be as a team, we always want to be on the defensive end and that comes with resiliency and a dawg mentality. Tonight, they did just that. Shots weren’t falling for us, but they never wavered from what truly matters to our team and doing it on the defensive end,” she said.

The team returns to the court on Friday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. across the Long Island Sound at Yale. The Seawolves have gone 4-3 all-time against the Bulldogs with an 81-66 victory last season.  Coverage is available on ESPN+.

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2024 Stony Brook University iGEM team. Photo by Ethan Kim

For the third time ever, Stony Brook University’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team brought home the gold medal from the iGEM Giant Jamboree.

Held in Paris, France from October 23-26, the iGEM Giant Jamboree is a world expo for synthetic biology. This year’s competition featured 438 teams from 45+ countries, competing for medals and awards by designing, building, and testing projects using cutting edge synthetic biology.  Stony Brook University was one of 16 U.S. collegiate teams to earn a gold medal.

Stony Brook University’s project focused on developing a less invasive, more cost effective way to diagnose B-cell lymphoma. The team focused on equipping E.coli with a genetically engineered gene circuit to detect microRNAs as biomarkers for this disease.

“Stony Brook’s participation in iGEM continues to have a profound impact on our students,” said Peter Gergen, SUNY distinguished service professor, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. “This year’s team was extremely cohesive and benefited greatly from the advice and assistance provided by former iGEM team members Chris Helenek, AJ Sillato, Abhishek Cherath, Michelle Yang, Bushra Islam and Zach Don as well as input from Dr. Joshua Rest (Ecology and Evolution) and Melanie Cragan (Biochemistry and Cell Biology).”

This year’s interdisciplinary iGEM team, comprising three juniors, four sophomores, and eight first-year students when they started last January, included those with majors in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, information systems, and political science. The team was co-advised by faculty members Peter Gergen and Kathryn Gunn in the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and Gabor Balazsi, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and received support from the staff in Undergraduate Biology.

For more information on Stony Brook’s iGEM team and this year’s project, visit https://2024.igem.wiki/stony-brook/index.html

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Michael Ho will be the featured soloist. Photo from Susan Deaver

Stony Brook University’s University Orchestra will present a concert at the Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on Tuesday, November 12 on the Main Stage at 7:30 p.m. Conducted by Susan Deaver, the University Orchestra will perform Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances and Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony.

The University Orchestra is a 70-member ensemble of undergraduate students from Stony Brook University. The University Orchestra presents a series of concerts each year at Staller Center including the annual Messiah Sing-Along and the annual Family Concert. Susan Deaver, conductor of the University Orchestra, has conducted orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia and is a member of the music faculty at Stony Brook University. In 2016 she completed her 25th year as Music Director & Conductor of the North Shore Symphony Orchestra and has conducted Composers Reading Sessions with the Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra and numerous festivals in New York and New Jersey.

The featured soloist is pianist and Long Island native Michael Ho who tied as 1st Place Winner of the 2024 Undergraduate Concerto Competition. Mr. Ho will perform the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor.

Tickets are $15 adults, $10 seniors  (62+) and $5 students and are available online at www.stallercenter.com or by purchasing tickets at the Staller Box Office (631)632-2787). The Box Office is open one hour prior to the performance or you may purchase online at this link: Music Department Events

For further information about the University Orchestra, contact the Stony Brook Department of Music at 631.632-7330 or visit their website at https://www.stonybrook.edu/music.

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At the Milestones in Microbiology ceremony, standing alongside the Department’s commemorative plaque and a NYS Assembly Proclamation, are, from left: Theresa Koehler, ASM President; Carol Carter, Eckard Wimmer, David Thanassi, Jorge Benach; and Lorraine Findlay, from the ASM Committee on the History of Microbiology and Archives. Photo by Constance Brukin Photography

ASM honors the Department for its decades of work against infectious diseases

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University was named a “Milestones in Microbiology” site for its advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases globally. The designation by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognizes academic and research programs in which “major developments and pivotal discoveries occurred.”

The RSOM Department is only the 20th program nationally to receive this distinction, the third in New York State and second on Long Island. Faculty from the Department and University gathered at a Wang Center Ceremony at Stony Brook University on October 17 to commemorate the honor. They received a plaque from the ASM that commemorates the outstanding research and discoveries by the Department at large, since its inception at Stony Brook in 1972.

“The designation of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as a Milestones in Microbiology Site is an honor and recognizes the impact the Department has made through its groundbreaking discoveries,” said David Thanassi, PhD, the Zhang Family Endowed Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “This distinction not only reinforces the significant contributions of our former and current faculty, students and staff, but also raises the profile of the Department and University to the wider scientific community.”

“ASM is delighted to recognize Stony Brook University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology as a ‘Milestones in Microbiology’ site for its significant contributions to the microbial sciences,” said Theresa Koehler, PhD, ASM President. “The university’s pioneering work investigating causative agents of human diseases have had far-reaching impacts in the sciences and society at large.” 

The Department was awarded the Milestones distinction for its broad research and many discoveries. Specifically, the ASM recognized the following accomplishments:

  • The landmark discovery by Founding Department Chair Joseph Kates, PhD, that viruses could package enzymes required for their replication, with the first demonstration of the vaccinia virus encapsulating the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme. This laid the groundwork for targeting viral polymerases as a widespread therapeutic strategy.

 

  • The discovery of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, by Jorge Benach, PhD and colleagues, along with its isolation from patients and characterization of its environmental reservoir, paved the way for successful antibiotic therapies.

 

  • The first description of the de-novo chemical-biochemical synthesis of a virus (poliovirus) in the absence of a natural template by Dr. Eckard Wimmer and the co-discovery of the human receptor of polio virus. This marked the beginning of the total synthesis of microorganisms in the absence of natural templates, enabling new strategies in virus vaccine development.

 

“As a member of the faculty for several decades, it has been inspiring to witness the emergence of ideas and findings in which the outcomes have had such tremendous impact,” said Carol Carter, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “Over the years, I have worked with incredible colleagues, students and supporting staff.”

Five decades impacting infectious disease discovery 

 In addition to the highlighted research of Drs. Kates, Wimmer and Benach, the Department during its five decades made other groundbreaking discoveries. These include pioneering work in molecular biology on the structure of DNA and regulatory mechanisms of RNA, foreshadowing research by others leading to the Nobel prize this year on the role of regulatory RNAs in eukaryotic cells.

The Department has contributed major findings related to tumor formation and cancer, and has long been a leader in research on pathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi, revealing how these organisms cause infections and interact with our immune defenses. This research has yielded fundamental biological insights and provided a foundation for the development of therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of disease.

Some of the more recent work impacting the world of infectious diseases includes the role of how cancer-causing herpesviruses manipulate the host to establish life-long infections, advancing the understanding of Adenovirus replication, and unraveling the structure of bacterial appendages that enable kidney infections.

“Although the Milestones in Microbiology designation commemorates past accomplishments, it also sets the stage for future innovations and motivates the Department to keep pushing boundaries, pursue new questions, and lead the way in solving the challenges of tomorrow,”  said Peter Igarashi, MD, the Knapp Dean of the RSOM, who pointed out that the Department has had consistently strong funding success, including 17 grants totaling more than $8 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health in fiscal year 2024.

During the ceremony the department also received a Certificate of Recognition, a Proclamation by New York State Assemblyman Hon. Ed Flood. 

For more about the ASM Milestones Program and list of other awarded institutions nationally see this link.

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is one of 25 departments within the RSOM. It is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of the fundamental causes, means of prevention and treatment of human diseases, and to educating the next generation of scientific investigators in infectious diseases and related fields. For more see this link.

 

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Joe Verghese, MBBS, MD, MS

Physician researcher and educator Dr. Joe Verghese joins the RSOM

Joe Verghese, MBBS, MD, MS, has been named Chair of the Department of Neurology at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University. Appointed by Peter Igarashi, MD, Knapp Dean of the RSOM, Dr. Verghese is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of gait and cognition in aging. His appointment began on October 14.

Dr. Verghese comes to the RSOM after more than two decades at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Most recently, he served as Professor of Neurology & Medicine and was Einstein’s inaugural Chief of the Division of Cognitive & Motor Aging in the Department of Neurology. In addition to being the Murray D. Gross Memorial Faculty Scholar in Gerontology at Einstein and a former Chief of Geriatrics for Montefiore Medical Center’s Department of Medicine, he was also the Founding Director of the Montefiore Einstein Center for the Aging Brain, an interdisciplinary clinical dementia and cognitive assessment center named as a Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s disease by the New York State Department of Health in 2016.

“Our aging society has a great need for medical experts who will advance preventive and treatment strategies for age-related illnesses, and the selection of Dr. Verghese as our new Neurology Chair ensures that this area of medicine will thrive within the Renaissance School of Medicine,” says Dr. Igarashi. “Dr. Verghese is a leading physician researcher, innovator and educator in neurology and specifically with cognitive aging issues.”

Dr. Verghese’s work has helped characterize non-cognitive features in prodromal stages of dementia, such as gait, and define Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome, a pre-dementia syndrome that provides an easy and clinically assessable way to identify older adults at high risk for dementia.

Much of Dr. Verghese’s career has centered on a  broad range of investigation involving issues around aging and dementia. Early on he studied the epidemiology of dementia, particularly around pre-dementia syndromes and risk factors. Then he moved toward research of gait disorders, frailty and falling, but also investigated cognitive processes and brain substrates by way of a number of methods such as epidemiological, biological, experimental, clinical translation, and interventional research approaches.

“By harnessing the expertise of our exceptional Neurology team at Stony Brook, I believe we can deepen our understanding of neurological disorders, train the next generation of neurologists, and significantly enhance treatment outcomes for our patients on Long Island and beyond,” says Dr. Verghese. “My primary goal as Chair is to cultivate a collaborative environment that not only fosters innovative research and comprehensive patient care but also prioritizes education. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Igarashi for this opportunity.”

Dr. Verghese graduated from St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India, and completed postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Neurology in the United Kingdom. He completed a Neurology residency at Einstein in 1998, followed by a fellowship training there in Neurophysiology and in Aging & Dementia.

The author of more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and chapters, Dr. Verghese has secured more than $200 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has continually received NIH funding for his research since 2002 and is currently the Principal Investigator on five active NIH grants.

Dr. Verghese is a member and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Geriatrics Society, the Gerontological Neurological Association, and the American Neurological Association. He has received numerous accolades during this career, including the Beeson Award from the National Institute on Aging, the Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation Award from the American Geriatrics Society, and the Joseph T. Freeman Award from the Gerontological Society of America.

Having mentored more than 100 trainees and junior faculty over his time at Einstein, Dr. Verghese is the only faculty member to receive the Einstein Clinical Research Training Program’s Mentor of the Year Award twice.

 

Caption: Joe Verghese, MBBS, MD, MS

Credit: courtesy of Joe Verghese

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Stony Brook men's cross country team. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
Four Seawolves Earn All-CAA Honors

ELON, N.C.- With a chance to make history, the Stony Brook men’s cross country team did not disappoint on Nov. 1, defending its crown en route to a 2024 CAA Championship victory and a third consecutive CAA title. Four All-CAA performers led the Seawolves to the championship win, with all four runners placing inside the top-15.

Henry Gartner was Stony Brook’s top individual performer, finishing in fourth after blazing through the 8K course in 24:44.50. Right behind him in fifth was Collin Gilstrap, who completed the course in 24:48.30. Steven Struk ran to an eighth-place finish with a time of 25:02.50. Michael Hawkes (14th) completed the course in 25:19.90 joining Gartner, Gilstrap, and Struk as All-CAA performers.
 
Ethan Green just missed out on an All-CAA distinction, finishing in 17th. Wrapping up the Seawolves slate of seven top-25 finishes were Thomas Burfeind (21st) and Nick Tardugno (23rd). John Fontanez (29th), Neel Chittur (32nd), Brian Liebowitz (41st), Paul Abeln (47th), and Finn Burke (61st) rounded out Stony Brook’s competitors at the 2024 CAA Championship.

FINAL MEN’S SCORES 

  1. Stony Brook, 48 points
  2. Northeastern, 49 points
  3. William & Mary, 54 points
  4. Monmouth, 110 points
  5. Elon, 127 points
  6. Hofstra, 167 points
  7. Charleston, 214 points
  8. Campbell, 248 points
  9. North Carolina A&T, 276 points
  10. UNC Wilmington, 286 points
  11. Hampton, 302 points


HIGHLIGHTS 

  • This year’s CAA Championship was the closest ever, as the Seawolves edged out Northeastern by a point.
  • With today’s win, Stony Brook completes the three-peat with its third consecutive CAA Championship.
  • For the second straight year, Gilstrap and Struk earned All-CAA honors.

“I’m just so proud of what this group of guys achieved today,” head coach Andy Ronan said. “During the season, we never spoke about the possibility of a three-peat; we just focused on challenging for another conference title, which is what we talk about every year in this program. It was clear before the race started that it was going to be a very tight race. So we told them to go earn it by competing every step of the way to the finish, and that is what they did.”

Championship season continues in two weeks at the 2024 NCAA Division I Northeast Regional Championships at Hopkinton Fairgrounds, New Hampshire.

For an inside look at the Seawolves cross country program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

Stony Brook women’s soccer shutout the Drexel Dragons, 3-0, on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia to clinch a share of the CAA Regular Season Championship and earn the right to host the opening weekend of the CAA Women’s Soccer Championship. Linn Beck, Kerry Pearson and Reilly Rich all scored, while Nicolette Pasquarella made a season-high nine saves to earn her fourth clean sheet of the season.

Stony Brook broke a scoreless tie when Kerry Pearson netted her second goal in as many games in the final seconds of the first half. Similarly to the game-winning goal she scored against Northeastern, Pearson found a loose ball inside the box and snuck one past the keeper.

The Seawolves increased their lead to two goals when Rich scored in the opening minute of the second half. Gabby Daniels crossed in a ball that Rich redirected into the back of the net.

Stony Brook built a 3-0 lead on Linn Beck’s 81st-minute goal, her eighth of the season. Beck weaved through the defense and buried a shot past Drexel’s keeper.

“I’m happy for my team and my staff. Winning the regular season title is a great accomplishment,” head coach Tobias Bischof said. “Today was tough, Drexel is a well-coached team and we had to dig deep to get the win but that’s what my team has done all season long.”

“Congratulations to the girls. Let’s celebrate today and tomorrow we start preparing for the CAA Championship,” Bischof added.

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Sustainability Coordinator Erin Kluge and Transportation Demand Management Coordinator Greg Monaco at the Nobel Hall Wolf Ride Bike Share docking stations. Photo by John Griffin

Stony Brook University is being honored with a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University award by the League of American Bicyclists in recognition of its achievements in promoting and enabling safe, accessible bicycling on campus, according to a press release on Oct. 29.

“Each year Stony Brook University continues to take steps towards improving sustainability including our campus accessibility by bike, and we are honored to receive this designation,” noted Tom Lanzilotta, assistant director of energy management & sustainability at Stony Brook. Mobility and Parking Services (MAPS), in partnership with the Office of Sustainability, is responsible for maintaining and tracking usage of the University’s Wolf Ride Bike Share Program, one of the main biking initiatives on campus. Since its inception in 2013, the program has continued to increase ridership each year, notably achieving 72,187 rides during the 2023-2024 academic year. In addition, the university provides ample bicycle racks, hosts a six-mile long Paul Simons Memorial Bike Path, and is home to the Freewheel Collective – a group helping refurbish bicycles for students.

“Since MAPS’ creation in 2022, our team has worked diligently to onboard varying modes of transportation, including micro-mobility. We want our community to have modern, sustainable options that make their lives easier and Wolf Ride is a big part of this,” said Kendra Violet, executive director for Mobility & Parking Services (MAPS). “I’m extremely proud of our team’s efforts. We’re all in on enabling Seawolves to ‘ride green,’ and building a future-focused and flexible mobility plan.”

The League of American Bicyclists is the premier grassroots advocacy organization encouraging better bicycling and protecting the rights of people who bike. Its Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) program includes 210 colleges and universities in 44 states and the District of Columbia, and is part of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program, which also awards communities and businesses with certifications as part of its mission to make bicycling safe, comfortable and more accessible for all.

“When universities make biking easier, safer, and more accessible, they’re not just helping students get from point A to point B—they’re leading the charge in creating a more sustainable future,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “By prioritizing better biking, Bicycle Friendly Universities like Stony Brook University are empowering students and staff to make choices that benefit their health, their environment, and their communities.”

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Seawolves at Suffolk

Stony Brook University, a SUNY flagship institution, is partnering with Suffolk County Community College to support a “Seawolves at Suffolk” program. The program provides Suffolk students with a transfer pathway that moves them from admission, to academic and social engagement with the university, and through transfer and graduation from Stony Brook.

Seawolves at Suffolk

Recently, Stony Brook University received a $500,000 Innovation Driven by Evidence and Advanced Strategies (IDEAS) grant from American Talent Initiative (ATI) College Excellence Program (CEP) and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The grant aims to amplify the power and potential of transfer students from lower income communities through high impact experiences, research-centered opportunities, and the development of workforce-ready skills. The university is partnering with neighboring SUNY Suffolk to support these initiatives.

“Seawolves at Suffolk” centers around an accelerated on-ramp to a paid summer research/internship opportunity with Stony Brook researchers in the summer prior to students transferring to the university. This is complemented by providing:

  • unique workshops
  • earlier access to university campus life
  • supported student leadership pipelines
  • comprehensive advising support with university advisors at SUNY Suffolk
  • priority course registration
  • mini-grants to take upper-division courses at Stony Brook before transferring
  • additional wrap-around support from success specialists and career coaches

Within this innovative program, selected students who have been referred to SUNY Suffolk from Stony Brook University will be part of a cohort of students who begin their studies at SUNY Suffolk, with a shared goal of becoming a Seawolf. SUNY Suffolk is the largest community college in the SUNY system and sister institution to Stony Brook University. By beginning their studies at SUNY Suffolk, and meeting certain transfer milestones, students in the program will be guaranteed entry into select Stony Brook University programs, including Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, English, Psychology, and more.

SUNY Suffolk transfers hundreds of students per year to Stony Brook University, far more than any other community college. Together, the two institutions maintain a strong and ongoing partnership in areas ranging from National Science Foundation research projects to internships at Brookhaven National Laboratories.

“Thanks to Bloomberg Philanthropies, accepted transfer students from Suffolk County Community College are already a part of the Stony Brook University community prior to their first day of classes,” said Interim Stony Brook President Richard L. McCormick. “This grant, awarded by the American Talent Initiative, allows us to expand our commitment to social mobility while providing transfer students with paid experiential learning, academic advising, and career counseling opportunities.”

“SUNY Suffolk has always prepared our graduates for success at elite colleges and universities like Stony Brook. With support from the American Talent Initiative grant, we will provide Suffolk students with an accelerated pathway to engagement at SBU, as well as experiential learning. This partnership allows us to support even more deserving Long Island students and families to live, learn and stay on Long Island,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College.

 

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Pictured from left, Akhil Kolanti, Kent Christian, Professor Lance Snead, Professor David Sprouster, Saima Haque, and Mingxi Ouyang. Photo by Lance Snead

Funding Part of DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Program to Enable Commercial Fusion Energy

Stony Brook University has been selected to receive $2,500,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

The funding is part of the Creating Hardened And Durable fusion first Wall Incorporating Centralized Knowledge (CHADWICK) program. This program is focused on researching and developing new, advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to enhance the durability of the “first wall” in a fusion power plant (where energy is derived from a process called fusion). That first wall is the critical armor that surrounds the fusion reactor’s core plasma.

“The CHADWICK program represents an extraordinary opportunity for our Department and Stony Brook University to contribute to the future of sustainable energy by developing materials that can withstand the extreme conditions of fusion power,” said Dilip Gersappe, chair, Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. “This pioneering work led by Professor Snead could lead to transformative advancements in the durability and efficiency of fusion power plants.”

Under this program Professor Lance Snead will work with Co-Principal Investigator Professor David Sprouster, also from the Materials Science and Engineering Department, and collaborators from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the Massachusetts of Technology, and the Sandia National Laboratory.

Through the CHADWICK program, Stony Brook University will increase the ductility, thermal conductivity, and irradiation resistance of ceramic materials through second phase additives into low activation ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTC). In the past, ceramics materials have not been seriously considered for fusion power applications due to their brittle nature and rapid loss in thermal conductivity under irradiation. The successful development of more relevant ceramic materials for use as fusion first wall armor under excessive temperature and irradiation damage would represent a significant technological step forward.

For additional information about Stony Brook University and this project, please visit https://www.stonybrook.edu/emnl/ .

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