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Tag: stony brook medicine

  • Stony Brook neurology researcher wins NIH award for fall-risk app | Long Island Business News

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Jeannette Mahoney‘s CatchU app predicts fall risk in older adults.

    • NIH NIA names the app a 2025 Start-Up Challenge winner.

    • App integrates multisensory data and CDC fall-prevention guidance.

    • Supports healthy aging and early detection of mobility risks.

    A smartphone app developed by a Stony Brook Medicine neurology researcher that uses data to measure a person’s risk of falling has earned national recognition from the National Institutes of Health‘s National Institute on Aging (NIA) as a promising new technology to support healthy aging.

    The multisensory digital app, “CatchU … Before You Fall,” was created by Jeannette Mahoney, who last week was named one of seven winners of the NIA’s 2025 Start-Up Challenge, selected from 275 competitors nationwide. Winners each receive $65,000 to continue working on technology that is designed to improve healthy aging.

    The 10-minute digital health app measures simple reaction time by asking users to respond as quickly as possible to targets they can see, feel or experience at the same time. The program analyzes how the brain processes information from multiple sensory signals and delivers results along with fall-prevention recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries program.

    “It is an honor to be selected as a winner in this competition and that our work aligns with the NIH’s mission to advance transformative science and improve health outcomes for older adults,” Mahoney, professor of neurology and chief of the Division of Cognitive and Sensorimotor Aging in the Renaissance School of Medicine (ROSM) at Stony Brook University, said in a news release about the recognition.

    “The prize that comes with this honor will afford us the opportunity to strengthen our leadership team, create deeper healthcare relationships to accelerate our commercial rollout, and showcase CatchU at premier medical conferences to drive visibility and traction of the product,” Mahoney said.

    Nearly 30 percent of Americans over the age of 65 experience a fall annually, according to the CDC. And more than 3 million older Americans require an emergency room visit every year because of fall-related injuries.

    These numbers are expected to rise sharply: The American Association of Retired Persons estimates that the population of older adults will more than double to over 88 million – more than 20 percent of the U.S. population – by 2050.

    By 2030, it is estimated that the U.S. will spend over $101 billion on treating injuries from falls every year, making a digital health app to predict and prevent falls key, according to Mahoney.

    Falling can be a major health risk for millions of Americans, particularly for older adults, and can lead to or cause reduced mobility, lack of independence and death, she said.

    She designed CatchU to address a critical need for older adults. Experts say that existing fall assessments often rely on subjective self-reports, which can be limited, particularly for those with cognitive impairments. In cases of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, self-reporting can become largely unreliable.

    Mahoney designed CatchU after a colleague, Claudene George, a geriatrician, considered the clinical significance of lab findings linking impaired multisensory integration to poor motor outcomes. She requested this test be available on a smartphone so that patients could be tested in the clinic. From there, the idea for CatchU was born.

    Mahoney then developed and cultivated her app through her start-up company, Jet Worldwide Enterprises. The company holds an exclusive license for the patent-pending intellectual property from Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

    She and her colleagues published their results around CatchU use in peer-reviewed scientific journals. For the NIA Start-Up Challenge, they tested CatchU’s ability to detect preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.

    In 2025, Mahoney received $10,000 for her start-up company when she was named one of 21 stage one finalists of the Start-Up Challenge. Mahoney dedicated the project to her grandmother, Jean Sisinni, who had fallen before she died in 2021.


    Adina Genn

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  • Long Island Hospitals ranked among Healthgrades’ best | Long Island Business News

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Healthgrades evaluated over 4,500 hospitals based on risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates.

    • Stony Brook, NYU Langone, and Mather recognized for consistent high-quality patient care.

    Hospitals on Long Island have been named among Healthgrades’ best hospitals in the nation, ranking within the top 5 percent for clinical care.

    Stony Brook Medicine and NYU Langone—Long Island were among those named one of Healthgrades’ America’s 50 Best Hospitals. Mather Hospital, part of the Northwell Health system, was ranked among the top 250.

    A platform for finding doctors and healthcare information, Healthgrades aims to help millions of consumers each month locate and schedule appointments and access treatment-focused content. Its 2026 hospital ranking list was released earlier this week.

    “This honor speaks to the shared focus across Stony Brook Medicine on providing exceptional care for each and every patient,” Dr.  William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine, which earned this recognition for the fourth consecutive year, said in a written statement. “Receiving this achievement for the fourth year in a row reflects the daily collaboration of our teams in maintaining an exemplary standard of care throughout the organization.”

    To determine America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2026, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for more than 30 of the most common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide.

    “This year’s America’s Best Hospitals list gives patients a clearer picture of where high-quality care is delivered most consistently,” Dr. Alana Biggers, medical advisor at Healthgrades, said in a written statement.

    Dr. Ilseung Cho, chief quality officer for NYU Langone Health, highlighted the health system’s approach to providing care.

    “NYU Langone Health has consistently provided our patients with one high standard of care across all of our locations, delivering the best outcomes in a system with the lowest mortality rate in the country among comprehensive academic medical centers,” Cho said in a written statement. “This recognition is another validation of the fantastic work performed by our exceptional teams, who have developed trust and confidence in so many communities that have selected NYU Langone as their trusted healthcare provider.”

    Mather President Kevin McGeachy described the hospital’s patient care, safety and clinical quality following the recognition.

    “This recognition is not just an award; it’s a testament to the fact that Mather consistently delivers top-tier patient care, safety, and clinical excellence across the board,” Mather President Kevin McGeachy said in a written statement. “Four years of consecutive recognition is only possible due to our exceptionally dedicated staff who continuously provides compassionate, high-quality care.”

    Healthgrades’ full list is available here.


    Adina Genn

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  • Stony Brook Medicine gynecology practice opens in Mattituck | Long Island Business News

    Led by Dr. Alison Madden, the new Stony Brook Medicine gynecology practice in Mattituck expands access to women’s healthcare on the North Fork

    Adina Genn

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  • Stony Brook Medicine leads PTSD resilience training program | Long Island Business News

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • Stony Brook Medicine leads Worker Resilience Training program to prevent PTSD in first responders.

    • Program supported by a $3.3M NIH/NIMH grant running through 2030.

    • Training offered in 2026 across fire stations and EMS organizations in New York and Texas.

    • Clinical trials aim to recruit 800 firefighters and EMS workers to evaluate program effectiveness.

    Stony Brook Medicine is leading a resiliency training program with Texas A&M University, aimed at preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in first responders. The Worker Resilience Training (WRT) program is supported by a five-year, $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health‘s National Institute of Mental Health that runs through June 2030.

    “We are conducting a research study to evaluate the effects” of the WRT program “on preventing PTSD and improving resilience in firefighters and EMS workers,” Adam Gonzalez, a professor Stony Brook University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), said. “This study will allow us rigorously evaluate the impact of the WRT program over the course of  one year. The primary goal is to prevent PTSD in first responders.”

    Beginning in 2026, the training will be offered in New York and Texas at fire stations and emergency medical services organizations.

    “First responders risk their lives every day to protect our communities,” Gonzalez said in a news release about the study.

    “We are honored to have the opportunity to give back and to work collaboratively to support their physical and mental health,” said Gonzalez, who is the principal investigator and founding director of the Mind-Body Clinical Research Center in RSOM’s Stony Book Neurosciences Institute. 

    The program’s implementation is taking place at a time when medical experts say that first responders routinely face hazardous situations and traumatic events that can affect the mental health of millions each year, both in the short and long term.

    Developed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, WRT is a four-hour interactive workshop that educates first responders on the health effects of traumatic exposure and PTSD. Training includes coping strategies and resilience practices, including stress management and healthy lifestyle behaviors.

    The Stony Brook team is collaborating with Texas A&M University, whose team is led by  Anka Vujanovic. They will recruit participants for a clinical trial to evaluate the WRT program. Rebecca Schwartz will lead the data coordinating site at The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, according to the news release.

    Gonzalez and colleagues previously tested WRT in a clinical trial with 167 participants, finding that compared to a control group, the training reduced PTSD and depression symptoms and improved key resilience indicators – including stress management, physical activity and healthy lifestyle behaviors – over three months.

    Stony Brook and its partners plan to recruit about 800 firefighters and EMS workers for the five-year study, building on prior research. Recruitment will begin in early spring 2026, working directly with fire stations and EMS organizations on Long Island, in Westchester and Rockland counties, and in Houston.

    They anticipate that evaluating WRT will offer valuable insights into building resilience and preventing PTSD in first responders. If effective, the program could be adopted nationwide to support mental health and strengthen resilience training across the profession.

     


    Adina Genn

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  • Stony Brook Medicine launches clinical trials unit in Commack | Long Island Business News

    THE BLUEPRINT:

    • 6,000 sq. ft. Clinical Trials Unit now open at Commack

    • Features 12 exam rooms, infusion bays, and specialized testing labs

    • Supports trials for all ages

    Stony Brook Medicine opened its 6,000-square-foot Clinical Trials Unit at the Advanced Specialty Care at Commack center. Celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Monday, the unit provides patients with a chance to take part in advanced therapeutic studies and offers physicians and researchers a shared space to conduct clinical trials.

    The space expands Stony Brook’s capacity and research infrastructure to support scientifically rigorous clinical trials that integrate discovery and development to explore new treatments and improve patient outcomes. The facility accommodates trial participants across the lifespan, including children, older adults and individuals with physical disabilities.

    “As we cut the ribbon on this new Clinical Trials Unit here in Commack, we’re celebrating the opening of a new facility, but more importantly, we’re opening doors to discovery and to hope,” Dr. William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine, said in a news release about the unit.

    The unit includes 12 examination and consultation rooms, a cardiopulmonary exercise testing facility and a physical performance and gait testing suite. It also features a three-bay infusion area for trials involving chemotherapeutic and intravenous infusions, a procedure room for outpatient trials and a wet lab equipped with a refrigerated centrifuge and a minus-80 F freezer for processing blood and other human samples.

    “This space represents the bridge between groundbreaking research in the laboratory and the patients and families we serve every day, right here in our communities,” Wertheim said.

    The new unit is designed to make advanced clinical trials more accessible to the people served by the health system.

    “For decades, Stony Brook Medicine has been known for translating research from bench to bedside,” Wertheim said. “With this new unit, for the first time, we’re extending that promise beyond the hospital, bringing access to advanced clinical trials closer to where people live and work. It’s a tangible example of how we’re strengthening our connection to the community and ensuring that participation in world-class research is not limited by distance or circumstance.”

    Dr. Peter Igarashi, the dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, shared that sentiment.

    “Academic medicine brings added value in the form of expertise of our academic faculty clinicians, as well as access to state-of-the-art technologies and access to clinical trials, and that’s why we have built this facility,” Igarashi said in the news release. “We look forward to the exciting discoveries that will emerge from the research program for years to come.”

    Now fully operational, the unit is staffed with specialists and principal investigators to manage trials from planning to execution. The unit will conduct studies on a range of conditions, including neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, kidney, cancer, mental health and infectious diseases.

    “Currently, we have 260 active clinical trials,” Dr. Susan Hedayati, vice dean for research in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, said in the news release.

    “These trials account for a vast majority of all of the clinical trials within SUNY academic institutions,” Hedayati added. “By building this Commack Clinical Trials Unit, we’re very enthusiastic that we will have the capacity to significantly and substantially increase this number.”


    Adina Genn

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