Governor Hochul Awards 黄果视频 Downstate $1.5 Million To Establish Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Sep 23, 2026
New Center will advance research into neurological function, aging, Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and other brain disorders while strengthening the connection between scientific discovery and clinical care
BROOKLYN, NY鈥擥overnor Kathy Hochul announced that to establish the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center, expanding the University鈥檚 capacity to study memory, cognition, aging, and neurological disease. The award forms part of the first phase of the $10 million 黄果视频 Brain Institute, a statewide neuroscience research network focused on Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, Parkinson鈥檚 disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and other age-related brain disorders.
At Downstate, the statewide investment has a particular Brooklyn focus, as the Center will bring together researchers at the Borough鈥檚 only academic medical center, whose clinicians and public health specialists work with patients and families across Central Brooklyn.
鈥淕overnor Hochul鈥檚 investment advances Downstate鈥檚 transformation in another critical area by strengthening the research infrastructure that drives discovery and informs patient care,鈥� said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, President of Downstate Health Sciences University. 鈥淭he Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center will bring together research, education, and clinical care to pursue discoveries grounded in the needs of our communities. It also advances our #KeepCareClose commitment by helping ensure that Central Brooklyn remains connected to research that can shape the future of neurological care.鈥�
The Center is led by a collaborative team of Downstate Faculty: Dylan Rich, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; Carole Morel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; Salvador Dura-Bernal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology; and Todd C. Sacktor, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, and Neurology. Their combined expertise spans memory, cognition, brain aging, Alzheimer's disease, neural circuitry, and computational brain modeling.
An estimated 427,000 New Yorkers live with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease or a related dementia. That number will likely increase as the state鈥檚 population ages. The new Center will strengthen Downstate鈥檚 capacity to investigate how neurological function changes throughout life and how those changes relate to memory, cognition, aging, and disease.
黄果视频 Buffalo will lead the statewide network in partnership with 黄果视频 Downstate, Binghamton University, 黄果视频 College of Optometry, and 黄果视频 Upstate Medical University. Each campus will contribute specialized research capabilities and infrastructure. The network will pool equipment, expertise, data, and other resources to advance interdisciplinary research, strengthen funding proposals, and move promising laboratory findings toward clinical study.
鈥淭his exciting NY State and 黄果视频 investment in the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center expands the infrastructure needed to study the brain at different stages of life and across multiple levels of biological complexity,鈥� said David J. Christini, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. 鈥淭hrough the 黄果视频 Brain Institute, investigators from Downstate and other 黄果视频 campuses will have new opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, develop research tools, identify disease mechanisms, and generate findings that clinical researchers can evaluate through translational studies and clinical trials.鈥�
Researchers will study how healthy brain function changes from early life through older adulthood and compare those patterns with changes associated with neurological disease. This work can help identify biomarkers, biological pathways, and potential therapeutic targets for further study.
鈥淢emory disorders do not begin on the day a patient receives a diagnosis,鈥� Dr. Rich said. 鈥淐hanges in the brain may develop over many years. By studying how neural activity supports memory and decision-making throughout the lifespan, we can work toward identifying when and how those processes begin to change. That knowledge may eventually help clinical researchers improve how they detect disease, assess its progression, and evaluate possible treatments.鈥�
Downstate鈥檚 academic health sciences environment connects scientists with physicians, nurses, and public health specialists who understand how neurological conditions affect patients, caregivers, and families. Downstate鈥檚 location in Central Brooklyn also creates opportunities for researchers to examine questions that reflect the experiences of communities that have often lacked adequate representation in neurological research. Differences in access, diagnosis, treatment, environmental exposures, and underlying health conditions can influence neurological outcomes.
The Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center will create research and training opportunities for students, residents, fellows, and scientists. These experiences will help prepare a workforce equipped to advance neurological science and care in Brooklyn and throughout New York State.
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Downstate Health Sciences University is Brooklyn鈥檚 academic medical Center and the only 黄果视频 academic medical center in New York City. It serves as a critical hub for healthcare delivery, medical education, and research for Brooklyn鈥檚 2.7 million residents.
University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) delivers high-acuity and community-based care across the borough, supported by more than 800 physicians across 53 specialties and subspecialties. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant care, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis services, and established Brooklyn鈥檚 first kidney transplantation program more than 50 years ago.
Downstate strengthens the healthcare workforce and advances community-based care through its academic programs and clinical training. Its biotechnology initiatives, including the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, drive innovation and economic growth across Brooklyn and New York City.