Program Research Highlights

Newsday

Program in Public Health faculty members Dr. Sean Clouston and Dr. Jaymie Meliker, research scientists Dr. Frank Mann and Dr. Minos Kritikos, postdoctoral associate Dr. Tesleem Babola, and PhD student Yuan Yang, were among the first to examine the link between World Trade Center (WTC) exposures, the use of protective equipment, and the incidence of dementia before age 65. Their findings indicated that dementia rates were lowest among those who experienced minimal exposure or consistently wore protective equipment, and highest among those who worked in dusty areas near or on the pile for extended periods. Click here to view the publication.

Read the Newsday article here.

Student & Post-Doctoral Research Highlights

Gabriella Pandolfelli's (PhD student) most recent Healthy Libraries Research publication.

Ph.D. student Gabriella Pandolfelli presented research to the 2023 ASAHP Annual Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This project describes the mixed-methods evaluation of the Stony Brook Medicine Healthy Libraries Program (HeLP), an IPE program with teams of BSN-MPH-BSW/MSW and Physician Assistant (PA) students supervised to screen, educate, and provide case management for free to patrons in partnering public libraries. The poster can be viewed here.
Yuan Yang (PhD student) presents research on cognitive performance and exposures to different rescue activities at the world trade center following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Ph.D. student Yuan Yang presented research to the XXVI World Congress of Neurology (WCN 2023). This project applied Natural Language Processing (NLP) to create validated activity variables, representing various Particulate Matter (PM) exposure levels, and analyzed their associations with cognition scores and plasma biomarkers. Findings revealed that supervisory activities have a protective effect on cognitive health, a trend also observed in telecommunications/enclosed activities. The poster can be viewed here.
Dr. Lissa Suares presented at ISCHE 2024. Postdoctoral Associate Lissa Soares, Ph.D. recently attended International Society for Children's Health and the Environment's (ISCHE) 2024 retreat in Campeche, Mexico. She presented her work titled: "Risk and Risk Benefit of Fish Consumption during Pregnancy in Suriname."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about our Ph.D. program, click here. 

Alumni Research Highlights

Ph.D. Alumni Yun Zhang presented her dissertation work to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2023 Conference and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023. Ph.D. Alumna Yun Zhang presented her dissertation work to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2023 Conference and the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023. The research focused on examining how changes in social networks and cognitive decline are associated longitudinally and testing how neighborhood social cohesion and cognitive decline are associated in late life. Findings indicated bidirectional longitudinal relationships between social network structure and cognitive decline. Social networks may improve cognitive health but are also vulnerable to cognitive decline related to disorientation. The poster can be viewed here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faculty Research Highlights

Dr. Benny Ren Assistant Professor and Speaker Series panelist Dr. Benny Ren discussed nonparametric statistics, functional data analysis, and survival analysis in the field of biomedical research. 
Director of Public Health Research and Speaker Series panelist Dr. Sean Clouston discussed the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster and it's repercussions to those responders who survived and helped in search, rescue, and response activities. Using cognitive and blood-based biomarkers, he reflected on the symptoms resulting from both physical and psychological exposures at the WTC. Director of Public Health Research and Speaker Series panelist Dr. Sean Clouston discussed the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster and it's repercussions to those responders who survived and helped in search, rescue, and response activities. Using cognitive and blood-based biomarkers, he reflected on the symptoms resulting from both physical and psychological exposures at the WTC.
Dr. Minos Kritikos presented at the PPH Speaker Series event on his research surrounding 9/11 survivors and cognitive decline. Senior Research Scientist and Speaker Series panelist Dr. Minos Kritikos discussed 9/11 World Trade Center disaster first responders, focusing on neuroimaging and biomarkers.