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SBU Center for Healthy Aging Seminar Series

Established in April 2023, Stony Brook University’s Center for Healthy Aging aims to promote healthy aging and extend physical and mental well-being through innovative research solutions. Please join them for our inaugural virtual seminar series.

Dr. Payel Sen, Stadtman Investigator, NIH
Epigenetic mechanisms of tissue aging
September 25th at 11 am
https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/98037022918?pwd=XT2p35EKbehaazZpb0aLJtOW3a8gE1.1
Meeting ID: 980 3702 2918
Passcode: 426599

As we age, changes in our “epigenome” alter how our genes are regulated, ultimately impacting organ function. Our research focuses on understanding epigenomic changes in different organs. In this presentation, I will focus on skeletal muscle, which makes up 40% of our body weight and plays a key role in metabolism. As we age, our muscles tend to weaken, partly because the stem cells in our muscles that help repair and grow reduce in number and function. In our study, we looked at muscle stem cells from young, old, and geriatric mice and uncovered that as these cells age, they show signs of increased immune activity and start to lose their ability to stay dormant, which is vital for their function. We also identified specific areas of the genome that might be responsible for these changes. By targeting these areas, we could potentially restore the function of these stem cells and help maintain muscle health as we age.

Upcoming Topics & Dates:

  • October 30th, 11 am: Samantha Rossano, PhD, Medical Science Liaison, Life Molecular Imaging, Inc., Brain imaging biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease
  • November 20th, 11 am: Gregorio Valdez, PhD, GLF Translational Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, Slowing muscle degeneration
  • February 26th, 11 am: Christopher Barrett Bowling, MD, MSPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor in Population Health Sciences, Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Geriatricizing chronic disease research
  • March 26th, 11 am: Dr. Frank Lin, MD, PhD, Director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health, Professor of Otolaryngology, Medicine, Mental Health, and Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Team, Baltimore HEARS and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
  • April 30th, 11 am: Dennis Selkoe, MD, Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases, Harvard University, Role of soluble oligomers of amyloid beta in synaptic injury

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                    [post_date] => 2026-09-01 14:03:32
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Applications are now open for the 12th BioREACH Award Program from the Center for Biotechnology, which provides $50,000 in translational research funding for Stony Brook faculty and postdoctoral researchers to generate the evidence needed to advance promising innovations to the next stage of development.

BioREACH funds milestone-driven studies and welcomes biomedical innovations as well as platforms, tools, computational technologies, and other enabling technologies with the potential to contribute to solutions addressing unmet needs in health.

Application deadline: October 29, 2026, 5:00pm ET

For info sessions, eligibility and deadlines visit our REACH Website and FAQ.

The Center for Biotechnology (CfB) has helped advance some of Stony Brook University’s most impactful biomedical innovations, among them the yeast two-hybrid system, Xiaflex®, ReoPro®, Oracea®, and 3D virtual colonoscopy. The CfB has supported more than 475 faculty-led translational research projects and contributed to 306 license agreements generating $51 million in royalty returns to the University.

Questions? Reach out to our program contacts or sign up for office hours:

Dee Dao, PhD, Associate Director, dee.dao@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 2–3:30 PM | Sign up Here

Zelda Mendelowitz, PhD, Venture Associate, zelda.mendelowitz@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 8–11 AM | Sign up Here

[post_title] => BioREACH: Translational Research Funding Opportunity [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bioreach-translational-research-funding-opportunity [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2026-09-04 11:55:36 [post_modified_gmt] => 2026-09-04 15:55:36 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=5065 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2060 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2015-12-14 20:06:35 [post_date_gmt] => 2015-12-14 20:06:35 [post_content] => Entrepreneur Derek Brand Selected to Facilitate New Bioscience Ventures STONY BROOK, N.Y. – December 14, 2015 – The Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University announced today the appointment of Derek Brand as BioEntrepreneur-In-Residence (B-EIR) for the Long Island Bioscience Hub.  The Long Island Bioscience Hub is a National Institutes of Health-designated Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub, and represents a partnership between Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, to commercialize technology emerging from their institutions. Mr. Brand most recently served as Vice President of Business Development at Enumeral Biomedical Corp., which licensed a single cell immunology platform out of MIT and is now a publicly traded biotechnology company with a pipeline of novel immunotherapies in oncology.  In addition to Enumeral, Mr. Brand has held both business and scientific roles at multiple early-stage, venture-backed biomedical startup companies; he has also held commercial leadership roles at GE and the New York Academy of Sciences and presently serves on the advisory board of Allovate LLC, a novel allergy immunotherapy company in NYC. He received his MBA from Babson College and his B.A. in biology from Hamilton College. “I’m excited to take on the role of BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence and looking forward to bringing a diverse array of startup experience to the LIBH community” Mr. Brand stated. “The opportunity to dig in at the earliest stages of innovation with the exceptional scientists at Long Island institutions is a terrific opportunity, and it’s an honor to have been selected.” “Mr. Brand is an excellent addition to the team of entrepreneurs engaged in the B-EIR initiative” Diane Fabel, Director of Operations for the Center for Biotechnology stated. “We are excited to see the positive impact these entrepreneurs will have as new companies are launched within the Hub.” Mr. Brand joins an impressive roster of seven B-EIRs that was expanded in November to include Drs. Brian McCarthy and Gian Luca Araldi. Dr. McCarthy has an extensive background as an investment analyst and as the President and CEO of the startup Influmedix while Dr. Araldi has had a distinguished career in drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry and as the Founder and Principal of US Pharma Services. LIBH B-EIRs are tasked with identifying technology or technologies from within the partner institutions that will create the foundation for licensing and company formation.  B-EIRs will have the support of the LIBH business and technology development staff, along with external industry advisors to develop successful commercialization strategies, and position the company for SBIR/STTR grant opportunities, and Angel and VC investment. The LIBH can also provide opportunities to access development funding to help advance technologies towards commercialization.  Ultimately, the goal is to foster the creation and growth of new ventures that leverage the exceptional scientific and technological advances taking place at LIBH institutions. [post_title] => Long Island Bioscience Hub Selects Third Bioentrepreneur-In-Residence [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => long-island-bioscience-hub-selects-third-bioentrepreneur-in-residence [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2016-03-29 20:14:04 [post_modified_gmt] => 2016-03-29 20:14:04 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2060 [menu_order] => 194 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4919 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2025-09-02 09:51:29 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-09-02 13:51:29 [post_content] =>

Dr. Yusuf Hannun and his team at Stony Brook Medicine Cancer Center have been awarded a competitive $11 million NIH Program Project Grant to advance groundbreaking research on sphingolipids in cancer biology and therapy.

This is a major milestone for the institution and a testament to the team’s innovative work in understanding how lipids drive cancer development and how that knowledge can lead to new treatments, especially for breast and liver cancer—the two leading causes of death both locally and nationwide.

Dr. Hannun’s legacy continues to shape the future of cancer research at SBCC, and this award reflects the growing global impact of our work with promising life science companies.

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Applications are now open for the 12th BioREACH Award Program from the Center for Biotechnology, which provides $50,000 in translational research funding for Stony Brook faculty and postdoctoral researchers to generate the evidence needed to advance promising innovations to the next stage of development.

BioREACH funds milestone-driven studies and welcomes biomedical innovations as well as platforms, tools, computational technologies, and other enabling technologies with the potential to contribute to solutions addressing unmet needs in health.

Application deadline: October 29, 2026, 5:00pm ET

For info sessions, eligibility and deadlines visit our REACH Website and FAQ.

The Center for Biotechnology (CfB) has helped advance some of Stony Brook University’s most impactful biomedical innovations, among them the yeast two-hybrid system, Xiaflex®, ReoPro®, Oracea®, and 3D virtual colonoscopy. The CfB has supported more than 475 faculty-led translational research projects and contributed to 306 license agreements generating $51 million in royalty returns to the University.

Questions? Reach out to our program contacts or sign up for office hours:

Dee Dao, PhD, Associate Director, dee.dao@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 2–3:30 PM | Sign up Here

Zelda Mendelowitz, PhD, Venture Associate, zelda.mendelowitz@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 8–11 AM | Sign up Here

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