The mission of this office is to provide support to Renaissance School of Medicine faculty, particularly in the areas of career advancement, faculty development, professional satisfaction, faculty mentoring, and faculty diversity and inclusion.
If you would like to add an event to the Faculty Affairs Calendar, please contact Stefani Seals with the details of your event.
Congratulations to our new Distinguished Professors!
Distinguished Professors
Ramana Davuluri is a world leader in Molecular Data Science, with research focuses on computational analysis of non-coding genomic regions and isoform-level gene regulation. He is well-known for his pioneering efforts to use machine learning in biomedical applications. Recently, Dr. Davuluri has developed novel deep learning approaches for understanding the DNA language, and how genetic and epigenetic changes in the non-coding genome alter the DNA linguistics. Working at the interface of artificial intelligence and genomics, he is one of the first groups to develop a genomic large language model, called “DNABERT”. His group is currently developing informatics methods to calculate genome-wide mutational scores, and integrate other biomedical data, such as histology and RNA expression to improve prognosis and cancer outcome prediction. Dr. Davuluri has also distinguished himself in the Department of Biomedical Informatics educational mission, serving as the director of the Biomedical Informatics Graduate program. He is a dedicated mentor and has supervised numerous Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty.
Kenneth (Ken) Shroyer, the Chair of the Department of Pathology, has been a leader in experimental pathology with a strong focus on biomarker discovery and mechanistic studies on novel cancer-regulating genes. Dr. Shroyer invented the first PCR-based method to analyze X-chromosome inactivation in formalin-fixed surgical specimens, a method used to define clonal composition of numerous pathologic entities. He was also the first to report telomerase expression as a biomarker of cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and many others. His team also determined that keratin 17 (K17) is a powerful negative prognostic biomarker across a broad range of cancer types, and can impact multiple hallmarks of malignancy, including reprogramming of the cancer metabolome to confer chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Shroyer’s research has generated close to 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and five US patents. He has mentored numerous undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, medical residents, postdoctoral research and clinical fellows, and faculty members, and guided them to conduct basic and translational cancer biomarkers research over the course of over three decades.
Wei Zhao serves as the Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Radiology. She is an expert in the area of medical imaging for over 25 years with extensive research in flat-panel detectors in breast radiography. She has co-invented, or developed novel, imaging technologies used in several areas of medical imaging to improve diagnosis. Her research focus over the years has been on maximizing the image quality and minimizing radiation exposure for patients subjected to imaging procedures that involve ionizing radiation. She is nationally and internationally recognized for the development of highly sensitive, state-of-the-art imaging detectors. Her partnership with industry led to the first prototype, and clinical translation of her research in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis for early breast cancer detection. She has been a committed mentor to medical and graduate students, postdocs, residents and fellows.
Distinguished Service Professor
Patricia K. Coyle is a Professor of Neurology. She is an internationally known scholar for her expertise in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), neuroimmunology, and neurological infectious disease. Dr. Coyle has initiated and is involved in a number of therapeutic trials testing new immunotherapies for Multiple Sclerosis, as well as studies addressing neurologic aspects of Lyme disease. Her research has had tremendous impact in the development of diagnostics for Lyme disease, and for setting the guidelines for the treatment of pregnant MS patients. In addition to her clinical and research careers, Dr. Coyle has held active leadership positions in a number of national and international organizations and academic societies. Dr. Coyle has served for many years as the interim chair of the Department of Neurology, she has served on NIH and National Multiple Sclerosis Society study sections, on FDA Advisory Panels and has been a leading active educator of patients and the community about MS. She is tireless in her mission to share her time and extensive knowledge for the education of MS healthcare professionals, and ultimately the improvement of quality of care for every MS patient. She is a steadfast advocate for her patients, ensuring they receive the highest level of support.
Congratulations to Dr. Abi-Dargham!
Anissa Abi-Dargham, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology and the Lourie Endowed Chair in Psychiatry, has been selected to receive the 2025 Award for Research in Psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association.
Abi-Dargham, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health and associate dean and associate vice president for clinical and translational science at the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, was recognized for her distinguished contributions to schizophrenia research that has had a major impact on the field.
Congratulations to Dr. Rajupet!
Sritha Rajupet, chair of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine at the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, was awarded by her peers the designation of Fellow of AMIA (American Medical Informatics Association), or FAMIA.
Rajupet will be honored along with 87 FAMIA recipients for her contributions to informatics and AMIA at the AMIA 2025 Clinical Informatics Conference in May 2025, where she will be formally inducted into the Fellowship of AMIA.
Congratulations to Drs. Gomes, Schachter, Gemmill, and Huston!
Carly Gomes, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, is one of 10 emerging Hispanic leaders and allies named as fellows of the State University of New York (SUNY) Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) class of 2025.
Dr. Gomes is an expert in neonatal intensive care with experience caring for premature and critically ill newborns. Her research is focused on understanding the role of NMDA receptors in early brain development and in neonatal neuropathologies. Dedicated to increasing diversity in medicine and science fields, Dr. Gomes is actively involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives locally, regionally, and nationally.
Dr. Lindsey Schachter and Dr. JulieAnne Gemmill have been accepted to attend the AAMC Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar. This interactive seminar provides women at the assistant professor level with foundational leadership knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve their career goals, advance, and thrive as a successful leader in academic medicine and science. Dr. Schachter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine/Geriatrics and serves as a hospitalist on the inpatient teaching service, Associate Program Director for the Geriatrics Medicine Fellowship, and Core Faculty for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Gemmill is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and serves as Program Director for the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program.
Dr. Tara Huston has been selected by competitive application to participate in the 2024-2025 Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program. ELAM is a year-long part-time fellowship for women faculty in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. The program is dedicated to developing the professional and personal skills required to lead and manage in today's complex health care environment, with special attention to the unique challenges facing women in leadership positions. Dr. Huston is Professor of Surgery and Dermatology in the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She is President of the Stony Brook Medicine Medical Staff and Chair of the Renaissance School of Medicine Committee on Admissions.
Congratulations to 2024 School of Medicine Awards Winners!
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Aesculapius Award for Excellence in Medical Education Dr. Roderick A. Go, Dept. of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) |
Early Career Research Excellence Award Dr. Helen Hsieh, Dept. of Surgery |
Early Career Research Excellence Award Dr. Sima Mofakham, Dept. of Neurosurgery |
Senior Research Excellence Award Dr. Hyungjin Kim, Dept. of Pharmacological Sciences |
Excellence in Medical Student Mentoring Award Dr. Lisa Strano-Paul, Dept. of Medicine |
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Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Dr. Markus Seeliger, Dept. of Pharmacological Sciences |
Excellence in Resident/Fellow Mentoring Dr. Lisa Fisher, Department of Medicine, Northport VA Medical Center |
Excellence in Resident/Fellow Mentoring Dr. Lovedhi Aggarwal, Dept. of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine |
Excellence in Faculty Mentorship Dr. Bettina Fries, Dept. of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) |
Excellence in Clinical Service Dr. Alpa Desai, Dept. of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) |
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Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Dr. Kerim Odekon, Dept. of Medicine |
Excellence in Student Mentoring at an Affiliate Site Dr. Bushra Wazed, Dept. of Medicine, Northport VA Medical Center |
Excellence in Clinical Practice in the Community Dr. Anshu Singh, Dept. of Medical Services, LI State Veterans Home |
The Office of Faculty Affairs is growing! We are delighted to welcome:
- Dr. Susan Lane, Associate Dean for Clinical Faculty Development, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, who will provide support to our clinical faculty, especially as they first transition into faculty positions.
- Dr. Maria Athanasopoulou, Faculty Development Specialist, who will be critical for our Faculty Development programs, including the ACES academy.
- Ms. Stefani Seals, Administrative Assistant, who will be making sure we stay organized and communicative!
They will be joining the team that includes, besides Dr. Stella Tsirka, Ms. Kimberly Malamutt, Senior Administrative Assistant, and Dr. Andrei Antonenko, Senior Analyst. Stay tuned for new workshops, new initiatives in mentoring and faculty development and support.
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Drs. Adam Singer and Susan Lane Appointed SUNY Distinguished Professors Two members of our Renaissance School of Medicine faculty to the rank of Distinguished Faculty. Adam Singer, MD, FACEP, Interim Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, has been appointed as Distinguished Professor, and Susan Lane, MD, MACP, Director of our Internal Medicine Residency Program, Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Medicine and faculty member in the Division of General, Geriatric, and Hospital Medicine, has been appointed as Distinguished Service Professor. These appointments, made effective April 16, are a prestigious honor bestowed upon professionals of the highest caliber with a continued dedication to excellence. The Distinguished Professorship is conferred upon faculty who have attained national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within their chosen field through significant contributions to research and scholarship, or through artistic performance or achievement in the fine and performing arts. The Distinguished Service Professorship is conferred upon instructional faculty who have achieved a distinguished reputation for service—not only to the campus and the university, but also to the community, the State of New York or the nation—through sustained efforts in the application of intellectual skills drawing from their scholarly research interests to issues of public concern. In their new appointments, Dr. Singer and Dr. Lane will work with other active members of the SUNY Distinguished Academy to encourage a renewed commitment to scholarship, quality instruction and service across SUNY campuses.
After earning his medical degree at the Medical School for International Health (MISH) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Dr. Singer completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital. His main areas of research include cutaneous wound healing, burns, tissue adhesives, pain management and cardiovascular disease. In addition to being credited with over 400 publications, including several in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, Dr. Singer serves as Editor in Chief of Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine. He has received several million dollars in extramural research support from the NIH, BARDA, DOD and Office of Naval Research, as well as from industry, and he is the recipient of multiple national awards including the American College of Emergency Physicians Outstanding Contribution in Research Award and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Junior Investigator Award. Dr. Lane received her BA from Amherst College and MD from the University of Connecticut, then completed her Internal Medicine residency training at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester. Her areas of interest include graduate medical education, physician communication and health policy. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Lane currently serves as Vice Chair of the AAIM (Alliance for Academic Medicine) Board of Directors, and she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) Honor Society. She has won numerous awards for her research and excellence in education and leadership, including the RSOM Aesculapius Award for Excellence in Medical Education, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) Inspire Award and the RSOM Department of Medicine Outstanding Service Award. This past April, Dr. Lane was also inducted as a Master of the American College of Physicians (MACP), the world’s largest medical specialty society—making her only the third Stony Brook physician to become an MACP. Holly Colognato, PhD and Ken-Ichi Takemaru, PhD receive Chancellor's Awards for Excellence Congratulations to Holly Colognato, PhD, and Ken-Ichi Takemaru, PhD, from the Renaissance School of Medicine's Department of Pharmacological Sciences, for being recognized as 2023–2024 Chancellor's Award winners. Dr. Colognato is the recipient of the 2023–2024 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, an award developed by faculty for faculty, recognizing those who have demonstrated a record of sustained, superior service to a wide range of diverse constituents. Dr. Takemaru received the 2023–2024 Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, an award developed by faculty in recognition of peers who have demonstrated a record of sustained scholarship in the sciences, humanities, and professional studies, or consistent creative productivity in the fine and performing arts.
Carol A. Carter Elected to U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Carter is the 18th Stony Brook University faculty member elected to the NAS, and is only the second elected member from the RSOM. World-renowned virologist and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology Eckard Wimmer was elected in 2012. “Carol has been active in translational research and has exploited her discoveries for the identification of new antiviral compounds,” said David Thanassi, professor and Zhang Family Endowed Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “Her research illustrates the power of basic science to lead to unexpected insights and generate new avenues for therapeutic development.” Carter was one of 120 new members elected by their peers at the NAS annual meeting on April 30, bringing the total number of NAS members to 2,617 since the society’s inception in 1863. Approximately 500 NAS members have earned a Nobel Prize. “Frankly speaking, I’m stunned, thrilled and honored to be joining the company of those I have admired throughout my career,” said Carter. “This recognition from the Academy opens the door to the possibility of shining more light on feasible ways to approach targeting non-traditional cellular systems for drug discovery, systems that have long been exploited by viral pathogens for their production.” Carter is best known as an early pioneer in HIV research. At the onset of the AIDS pandemic, she advanced understanding of the viral-encoded protease and purified the viral capsid protein for structural and biochemical studies. She has also conducted research on Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Virus-2 (SARS CoV-2), pathogens causing organ transplant rejection and COVID-19, respectively. In 2001, her groundbreaking research, published in PNAS, identified an interaction between HIV and a host protein (Tsg101) that is essential for the assembly and budding of HIV viral particles from infected cells. Her findings opened a new field of research on host factors in microbial pathogenesis and suggested the possibility of targeting host proteins for developing antimicrobial therapeutics, with implications beyond HIV. Carter has also served as a member of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Advisory Council from 2007 to 2011. She received the Stony Brook University Presidential Award for Promoting Diversity and Academic Excellence in 2013, and the Suffolk County, NY, Martin Luther King Jr Commission Public Service Award in 2016. Currently, she collaborates with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center staff and Stony Brook Faculty in the RSOM, the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Health Professions, and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, in efforts to mentor high school students interested in pursuing careers in health sciences professions. She continues her research focus on several areas, including the role of cellular proteins in assembly of HIV and other members of the Retrovirus family; Tsg101 structure/function analysis; and antiviral drug development, to name a few. Carol A. Carter received her PhD from Yale University in 1972. She has been a faculty member at Stony Brook University since 1975.
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