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SBU Student & CFB Fundamentals Program Alum
Wins NIH Pitch Competition

Christopher Ashdown, a Stony Brook University MD/PhD student and alumnus of the CFB’s Fundamentals of the Bioscience Industry Program, has won the Innovator Showcase Pitch Event at the 2022 Proof of Concept Network (POCN) Annual Meeting hosted by National Institutes of Health SEED (Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development). Chris pitched on behalf of Lahara Bio.

Chris advanced through multiple rounds of pitching and was selected to present at the POCN Innovator Showcase with two other exceptional POCN innovators. Congratulations Chris!

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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] => 4095 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2023-05-12 17:13:13 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-05-12 17:13:13 [post_content] =>

Learn how to expand your presence in the global marketplace. Empire State Development’s Global New York Division is taking its expertise on the road - Global New York programs connect companies with sales agents and distributors abroad and offset the costs of exporting with grants and loans, as well as help New York businesses enter or expand their presence in the global marketplace.

From June 12 - 16, Global New York is bringing its eight foreign office representatives from Canada, Mexico, Europe (U.K.), South Africa, Israel, India, the Caribbean, and China on an seven-stop export promotion tour to regions across New York State.

Long Island: June 12
Central New York: June 14
New York City:June 12
Finger Lakes:June 15
Mid-Hudson:June 13
Western New York: June 16
Capital District: June 13

Learn more and register: https://esd.ny.gov/global-ny-trade-promotion-tour

[post_title] => 2023 Global NY Export Experts Tour [post_excerpt] => Learn how to expand your presence in the global marketplace by attending Empire State Development’s 2023 Global NY Export Experts Tour this June. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => 2023-global-ny-tour [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-05-12 17:31:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-05-12 17:31:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4095 [menu_order] => 1 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3046 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2018-08-22 20:10:08 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-08-22 20:10:08 [post_content] => Seasoned Industry Veterans Join Long Island Bioscience Hub’s BioEntrepreneur-in Residence Initiative The Long Island Bioscience Hub, a collaboration between Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Feinstein Institute at Northwell Health, announced the appointment of Dr. Boris Shor and Mr. Peter Young as its newest BioEntrepreneurs-In-Residence (BEIRs). Dr. Shor and Mr. Young have extensive bioscience industry experience affording them unique perspectives in the role of Bio Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Each will work with the Center for Biotechnology to identify commercially promising academic technologies that have the potential to support company formation. Dr. Shor has nearly 15 years of experience in leading oncology programs and external R&D partnerships at the large pharmas and biotech companies, with specific focus on preclinical development of small molecule kinase inhibitors and biologics. Previously at Pfizer, Dr. Shor led internal and external collaboration project teams to develop novel antibody-drug conjugates and supported BLA filing for Inotuzumab, which was approved for the treatment of leukemia in 2017. Prior to that, he was a project team leader at the Oncology Unit of Wyeth, managing the discovery of novel kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. He currently serves on the executive management team of early-stage biotech companies and is a founder of BioIDEA, a biotech pitch event in New York City. Dr. Shor received a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and performed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Inflammation Research team at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D prior to joining Pfizer. Mr. Young is an experienced life science industry consultant with over thirty-five years experience and currently serves as an executive-in-residence with Pappas Capital, where he leads the firm’s initiatives in translational research. He also serves on the Oversight Committee for the University of Miami Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research and the Long Island Bioscience Hub External Review Board. He is a past member of the BIO board and chairman of NCBIO, the North Carolina industry trade association. Mr. Young earned a BA in History and an MBA from Indiana University. “We couldn’t be more delighted to add Boris and Peter to the Center for Biotechnology’s roster of BioEntrepreneurs-in-Residence. The ongoing expansion of the BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence program is critical for the continued development of the bioscience industry in the region” Diane Fabel, Director of Operations at the Center for Biotechnology said. “The attraction and retention of skilled bioscience management talent is an important component of ensuring companies can be launched and also grow here.” “I am thrilled to join the Center for Biotechnology as a BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence” Dr. Shor stated, “and I have already begun the work of assessing technologies and building a company. I appreciate the resources the Center for Biotechnology offers through their many programs not only to me, but to emerging companies throughout New York.” “Having worked with the Center for Biotechnology as an advisor for several years, I am pleased to formally join the Center as BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence” Peter Young stated. “There is an incredible amount of activity related to bioscience development currently taking place right now in the region, and the Center's many entrepreneurial programs provide a great springboard for significant industry expansion - I'm thrilled to be a part of it.” In their roles as BEIRs, Dr. Shor and Mr. Young will work to identify a technology or technologies from within partner institutions that will create the foundation for licensing and company formation. They will have the support of the Center for Biotechnology business and technology development staff, as well as the support of external industry advisors to develop successful commercialization strategies. Ultimately, the goal is to help the company position itself prepare for SBIR/STTR grant opportunities, and Angel and VC investment. Dr. Shor and Mr. Young join the eight BEIRs already working with the Center for Biotechnology who collectively have launched ten new companies in the last five years. [post_title] => Long Island Bioscience Hub Appoints Additional BioEntrepreneurs-In-Residence [post_excerpt] => Seasoned Industry Veterans Join Long Island Bioscience Hub’s BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence Initiative [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => libh-beir-2018 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-08-22 20:10:08 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-08-22 20:10:08 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3046 [menu_order] => 114 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2965 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2018-03-08 15:43:23 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-03-08 15:43:23 [post_content] => SUSTAINED NANO SYSTEMS ACHIEVES POSITIVE IN-VITRO RESULTS ON LONG TERM SUSTAINED DELIVERY OF LATANAPROST FOR GLAUCOMA TREATMENT. New York, NY – March 6, 2018 (NEWSFRONT MEDIA). Sustained Nano Systems, LLC (“SNS”), a biopharmaceutical company utilizing its platform technology of bio-resorbable nano and microparticles for long term drug delivery, is pleased to announce positive results for the in-vitro presence of Latanaprost for the treatment of glaucoma over a duration of 159 days. Latanaprost, a prostaglandin analogue, is the #1 glaucoma drug in the world, with dosing of up to four eye drops every day for the remainder of a patient’s life. Latanaprost reduces elevated intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. At the present time, there is no long-acting formulation for glaucoma, only multiple daily eyedrops. SNS LAT-LA (Latanaprost Long Acting) is designed to be administered by a single periocular injection with a duration of six months. “The potential for SNS LAT-LA to sustain deliver for six months, would fulfill an important unmet need in replacing the more burdensome and potentially less compliant regimen of daily eye drops,” said Dr. Barry Libin, CEO of SNS. LAT-LA will now undergo further studies to indicate its efficacy in the long term reduction of intra-ocular pressure. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, in which abnormally high intraocular pressure may cause damage to the optic nerve, resulting in irreversible vision loss. In the U.S. alone, 2.7 million people suffer from glaucoma. According to IMS Health data, there were 34 million prescriptions and sales of over $2.7 billion of drugs administered by eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma in the U.S. in 2017, and global spending was over $6 billion. Compliance is the biggest problem with existing therapies for glaucoma, with more than 50% of patients on topical prostaglandin analogs not compliant within the first six months of treatment ABOUT SUSTAINED NANO SYSTEMS (SNS) SNS is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions in ophthalmology, oncology and other areas. The Company’s research facility is located on the campus of Stony Brook University as part of the Long Island High Technology Incubator. The SNS platform is the result of a comprehensive research effort that allows for long term micro-dosing for the continuous release of drugs to targeted tissues as prescribed. The basis of the SNS pipeline is its patented technology that incorporates bio-resorbable nano and micro carriers to deliver sustained delivery of important therapeutics, including anti-inflammatories and monoclonal antibodies for immunotherapies in cancer, retinal disease, and other disease states. For further information, visit: www.sustainednanosystems.net Forward-Looking Statements SNS Disclosure Notice: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statements contained herein or which are otherwise made by or on behalf of the Company that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed forward looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “to,” “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “estimate,” or “continue,” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward looking statements. Investors are cautioned that all forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: the success of research and development activities and the speed with which regulatory authorizations and product launches may be achieved; government regulation generally; competitive developments; the ability to successfully market products domestically and internationally; difficulties or delays in manufacturing or issues relating to manufacturing capacity; commercial obstacles to the successful introduction of brand products generally; legal defense costs, insurance expenses, settlement costs, and the risk of an adverse decision or settlement relating to product liability, patent protection, governmental investigations, and other legal proceedings; the Company’s ability to acquire and protect patents and other intellectual property both domestically and internationally; the absence of certainty regarding the receipt of required regulatory approval or the timing or terms of such approvals; any changes in business, political and economic conditions; business interruption due to hurricanes or other events outside of the Company’s control. Investors are cautioned not to place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are valid only as of the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Contact: Dr. Barry Libin  (516) 353‐7983, barlibin@gmail.com Media Relations: info@newsfrontmedia.com [post_title] => Sustained Nano Systems Reports Positive In-Vitro Results Glaucoma Treatment [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => sustained-nano-systems-achieves-positive-in-vitro-results-on-long-term-sustained-delivery-of-latanaprost-for-glaucoma-treatment [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-08-20 14:51:29 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-08-20 14:51:29 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2965 [menu_order] => 123 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 4 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5065 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2026-09-01 14:03:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-09-01 18:03:32 [post_content] =>

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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