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.
ACHIEVEMENT and Foundations Programs
The Renaissance School of Medicine is pleased to announce two faculty development programs for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The RSOM Foundations Program is designed for early-career clinical faculty (years 2–5) and offers monthly interactive workshops, mentorship, and networking to help assistant professors build the essential skills for a successful career in academic medicine.
The RSOM ACHIEVEMENT Program (mid-cAreer faCulty leadersHIp dEVElopMENT) targets mid-career faculty with five or more years of experience and, in partnership with the Stony Brook College of Business, provides hybrid leadership training, including role plays, case studies, hands-on projects, and mentorship from senior leaders, to cultivate the next generation of health system leadership.
Nominations and self-nominations for both programs are due by June 1, 2026, with programs beginning in September 2026; please visit each program's page for full eligibility criteria, application instructions, and contact information.
Congratulations to our new Distinguished Professors!
Distinguished Professor
Dr. Joe Verghese is an internationally recognized neurologist, educator, and research leader whose pioneering work has transformed the understanding of cognitive-motor interactions in aging and dementia. In 2024, he was recruited to the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University and was appointed as Endowed Professor and Chair of Neurology and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Verghese’s research, continuously funded by NIH since 2002, has produced over 300 publications and introduced the Motoric Cognitive Risk syndrome, a clinically accessible tool for dementia risk assessment. His innovative clinical trials on non-pharmacological interventions—such as cognitive remediation, dance, and exercise—have advanced strategies to preserve cognition and mobility. Dr. Verghese is a dedicated mentor who has guided numerous scientists to independent careers. He has received multiple honors, including the Paul B. Beeson Award, Joseph T. Freeman Award, and was elected to the Association of American Physicians. His contributions exemplify excellence in scholarship, leadership, and impact on aging and dementia research worldwide.
Distinguished Service Professor
Dr. Apostolos Tassiopoulos is a Professor and Chair of Surgery at the RSOM. He has made exceptional contributions to Stony Brook Medicine. He received his medical degree from Aristotle University in Greece, followed by postdoctoral research in the US. He trained in General Surgery at SUNY Syracuse and completed a Vascular Surgery fellowship at Loyola University. He joined Stony Brook in 2006 and advanced to Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Tassiopoulos is renowned for his research in vascular disease, with numerous peer-reviewed publications and research grants. He has significantly contributed to education, creating the Integrated Vascular Surgery residency and fellowship programs. His leadership in quality improvement initiatives and establishment of specialized vascular centers has enhanced departmental reputation and patient outcomes. His service extends to numerous committees and international collaborations, community engagement, including exchange programs with international universities and expanding the RSOM international mission efforts, demonstrating the global impact of his contributions. Colleagues praise his dedication to building a nationally recognized vascular surgery program and his impact on patient care and innovative approaches to surgical education. Dr. Tassiopoulos has transformed the landscape of vascular surgery and surgery in general, and the training of many surgeons, has elevated Stony Brook Medicine, and forged strong ties serving and taking care of the community locally, nationally and internationally. ‘His career represents a rare and exemplary fusion of academic leadership, public engagement, clinical innovation, and commitment to advancing health outcomes’.
Congratulations to our new Chancellor's Awards Winners!
Chancellor's award in Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Angela Kokkosis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery. Dr. Kokkosis serves as the Program Director of the Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency and is the Medical Director of the Non-invasive Vascular Lab. She has served as the Associate Program director of the Phlebology Training Program and of the General Surgery Residency. Dr. Kokkosis’ dedication to teaching and her meticulousness and attention to detail to be outstanding. Dr. Kokkosis completed the Leaders in Medical Education Program (LiME) in 2016 here at Stony Brook, leading a project focused on how to best integrate Vascular Disease and Vascular Surgery Topics in the US Medical School Curriculum. She is a beloved educator and a favorite teaching attending among students and residents alike. She has been an Instructor for the 3rd year Surgery clerkship students, as well as an instructor for Phase I students, teaching in the PCR course. She teaches vascular surgery skills to vascular and general surgery residents, and leads the vascular surgery basic science sessions for vascular residents. She provides an outstanding clinical learning environment for students and residents and delivers high yield bedside teaching. She is a role model of humanism and compassionate interpersonal and communication skills. She explains the evidence and clinical reasoning behind each of her decisions so that the trainees develop tools that will enable them to develop into autonomous clinicians. Even beyond Stony Brook and the RSOM, Dr. Kokkosis is heavily involved in educational and training sessions and workshops in her professional societies (Society for Vascular Surgery and the American College of Surgeons).
Chancellor's award in Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
Dr. Marie Badalamente, Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, has been an exceptional scholar, working on a debilitating hand disorder called Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition that causes bending of the fingers, due to thickening of the connective tissue (composed of abnormal collagen) in the palm of the hand. Dr. Badalamente, in collaboration with Dr. Larry Hurst, studied the disease and used collagenase injections to treat the disease. Eventually the FDA approved the treatment and the drug, Xiaflex. Drs. Badalamente and Hurst were awarded The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Award. She was also inducted in the Stony Brook University chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. In collaboration with Dr. Ed Wang, she used the drug for the treatment of frozen shoulder (resulting in 2016 in the Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research Richard A. Brand Award for Dr. Badalamente), and for the treatment of cellulitis in collaboration with Dr. Dagum. Dr. Badalamente has published 74 peer reviewed publications, including in the New England Journal of Medicine and has 162 presentations at national and international meetings/conferences. She has also been funded by federal, foundation and industry sponsors. Dr. Badalamente has been honored at Stony Brook in 2023 as a leading researcher by the University Hospital’s CEO, and the same year (2023) she was recognized by the NY State Assembly as a “Woman of Distinction”. In addition to her research activities, Dr. Badalamente has been an outstanding teacher and mentor for medical and graduate students, residents and junior faculty. She has served and continues to serve at the university in numerous committees, and has been a prominent member in many committees in her professional societies.