Dear Department of Medicine Community:
It is with warm wishes that we announce the retirement of Gerald Smaldone, M.D., Ph.D., and his transition to the role of Toll Professor. Dr. Smaldone has provided 47 years of dedicated service to the Department of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University and has served as the Division Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine from 1996 until 2022. 
Under his divisional leadership, he worked closely with the GME Office to revamp our fellowship training program to incorporate a year of research training to help foster interest and demonstrate the importance of translational research to our fellows and its impact on clinical care.
His primary research focus was on pulmonary mechanics and the use of aerosols as special tools to study respiratory behavior, and the development of better techniques for aerosolized drug delivery. Dr. Smaldone has become an expert in the field and has been involved in multiple projects utilizing monodisperse and polydisperse aerosols directed towards the study of inflammatory airway disease, airway geometry, and drug delivery. He is nationally recognized for the numerous patents filed with the United State Patent and Trademark Office, some of which have been granted, and some are still pending.
Notable achievements include a 35-year collaboration and joint patent portfolio with Lucy Palmer, M.D., at Stony Brook testing inhaled antibiotics in intubated patients. This work led to an international phase 3 trial and is continuing today as part of the Toll Professorship to define this form of therapy. Further, in 2012 with Stony Brook colleagues and Dr. Rany Condos, Associate Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, NYU School of Medicine a joint effort yielded an exclusive license agreement with Nostrum Pharmaceuticals for the development of aerosolized interferon gamma for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic and progressive form of lung disease. This research effort advanced the treatment of respiratory failure that often results in death within three to five years of diagnosis. Dr. Smaldone's expertise in this field was recognized by his peers at the national level when he was named founding editor of the Journal of Aerosol Medicine.
Dr. Smaldone is a Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Biophysics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering at New York University School of Engineering in 1969. In 1975, he completed a combined M.D., Ph.D. program under the tutelage of Edward H. Bergofsky, M.D., at New York University School of Medicine. His thesis was in pulmonary mechanics. Dr. Smaldone received his clinical training as an intern and resident in the medicine program at The University of Rochester, New York, Strong Memorial Hospital. Between 1977 and 1980 he completed fellowships in Pulmonary Medicine and Environmental Physiology at The Johns Hopkins University.
His many research activities include a long-standing interest in pulmonary mechanics, the use of aerosols as special tools to study respiratory behavior, and the development of better techniques for aerosolized drug delivery.
Presently, he is actively involved in multiple projects utilizing monodisperse and polydisperse aerosols directed towards the study of inflammatory airway disease, airway geometry, and drug delivery. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Smaldone also actively practiced at Stony Brook University Hospital. 
His current research interests are focused on translational research involving new treatments of chronic lung diseases thought to involve aberrant wound healing and fibrosis; specifically, the small airways disease found in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the parenchymal fibrosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). These studies have led to a well-developed portfolio of issued patents held by Stony Brook University designed to develop inhaled interferon gamma as a therapeutic agent for all forms of fibrotic lung disease. The pulmonary division's patent portfolio has been licensed to InspiRx, Inc., and pulmonary's recent interest in fibrotic diseases is the newest therapeutic focus for inhaled drugs to emanate from their program.
In addition to interferon, Dr. Smaldone has developed a patent portfolio for inhaled antibiotics for the intubated patient. He has invented aerosol delivery systems for the spontaneously breathing as well as the intubated, mechanically ventilated patient. The patent portfolio for this therapy has also been licensed to InspiRx, Inc. 
Congratulations to Dr. Smaldone on an illustrious career! We wish to thank him for his services to the University, and we extend our best wishes to him in his future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Sahar Ahmad, M.D.
Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Vincent W. Yang, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, AGAF, FAAAS
SUNY Distinguished Professor
Simons Chair of Medicine
Professor, Department of Medicine
Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine