Stony Brook Science Research: Top 5 News Highlights

1. Medical Center Continues Growth with New Facilities

2. Long Island SBMC Weathers Hurricane Irene Admirably

3. Biomedical Prof Honored with Presidential Award

4. SB Medical Center Used for Neurosurgery Scenes in new CBS Drama; Doctors Make Cameo Appearances

5. 9/11 Oral History Project by SB MD Airs on 60 Minutes

(The Stony Brook University Medical Center at its most striking in fall, right, rising above the turning maples on the University campus)

1. New Facilities

• Opening of the new Heart Valve Center at Stony Brook University Heart Center for the improved diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease. 
• Official opening of the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labor & Delivery Suite this month. These newly constructed areas are the most modern and advanced in New York State.
• Plans to expand SBUMC’s Bone Marrow Transplantation Program are underway, as the program has outgrown its current space.
• The addition of an open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit to the SBMC imaging suite to allow scanning of those individuals who are fearful of the tight space that is typical of standard MRI machines.
• A few months away from completing construction of the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), which will triple the capacity of the existing facility. 

2. Storm Survival

As the only major medical center on an island off the coast of the Atlantic seaboard, Stony Brook braced for Hurricane Irene by instating emergency plans in anticipation of the storm's arrival August 27-28.  Medical Center CEO Dr. Steven Strongwater had this commendation to make:

Thank you to all who were prepared, steadfast and committed to ensuring our patients’ safety throughout Tropical Storm Irene. Our nurses, doctors, healthcare teams, facility staff, transport services, linens and housekeeping crews, food services and dietary teams, emergency preparedness administrators and so many others should be commended — we can all be proud of the team effort made by our remarkable Stony Brook staff.

3. Biomedical Researcher Given Presidential Award

Dr. Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been named by President Barack Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. She is one of 94 researchers in the nation to receive the award this year, and the third from Stony Brook University in the past three years.

4. Prime Time

Stony Brook Medical Center was chosen for the filming of several important neurosurgery scenes in the new CBS drama "A Gifted Man." Director and producers wanted the scenes to be realistic and state-of-the-art, and they found the ideal setting at the Medical Center's $14 million Cerebrovascular Biplane Suite. Several doctors and assistants put in cameo appearances to further the realism (see photo at right, with actors, director, and staff, courtesy of Stony Brook).

5. Remembrance of WTC 2001

Stony Brook University Professor Dr. Benjamin Luft's oral history project, Remembering 911, documenting the experiences of 9/11 first responders in their own words, was featured on news program 60 Minutes on the 10^th anniversary of the attacks.  The first responders interviewed in the television program are currently being followed in the WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program (WTCMMTP) at Stony Brook under Dr. Luft, and took part in the oral history project.

(Dr. Luft speaking with 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley, courtesy of Stony Brook)

Long Island area biomedical and life science researchers are invited to attend Biotechnology Calendar Inc.'s 6th Annual BioResearch Product Faire on the Stony Brook University campus on October 20, 2011.  The event is an excellent place for researchers and suppliers of medical equipment and laboratory tools to meet and discuss the latest advances in technology.  See the schedule for our Northeast Region shows or all of our shows nationwide.  Click below for information on the October 20th event and a funding report: