Stony Brook University Invests in Center for Healthy Aging

Research training center is a collaborative effort between all five health science schools at Stony Brook

Researchers at Stony Brook University have studied the science of aging for more than a decade, prompting advancements in the capabilities of brain imaging and pioneering socio-psychological approaches to care. Now, thanks to a $10 million investment from the Presidential Innovation and Excellence Fund, the university will open a Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) to further revolutionize senior care in Suffolk County and beyond. 

According to the Center for an Urban Future, Long Island’s 65-plus population grew by more than 113,000 in the last 10 years while younger populations decreased significantly. These demographics emphasize the urgency of accessible senior care.

“I’m delighted that Stony Brook University is supporting this innovative venture,” said Hal Paz, MD, MS, executive vice president for Health Sciences, Stony Brook University, and chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. “This collaboration with our health sciences schools, public health program and on-campus research and education resources will bring leading-edge research and practice to our patient population and will support new interventions to slow the impact of aging, introduce new care models and encourage interprofessional education in geriatric specialties.”

“With support from the Presidential Innovation and Excellence Fund, our multidisciplinary Center for Healthy Aging will bring together resources from Stony Brook Medicine and across the university to focus on vastly improving the care of the aging across Long Island,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis, who announced the center on April 13. “By providing a centralized home for basic, translational and clinical research, along with advanced geriatric specialty care, the Center for Healthy Aging will help ensure older New Yorkers can live healthy, fulfilling lives.” 

Stony Brook’s Renaissance School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Dental Medicine and School of Social Welfare will all contribute to the operations of the CHA. Various on-campus research and education groups will also be involved, such as the Program in Public Health, the Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology.

Bringing together all Stony Brook researchers conducting studies related to aging, the mission of the CHA is to improve methods for earlier interventions so seniors can age in their own homes and with a high quality of life. It also aims to develop new treatments – and potentially utilize robots – to ensure Long Island’s seniors receive the highest quality care.

The center will be co-directed by Suzanne Fields, MD, professor of clinical medicine and chief of the Division of General, Geriatric and Hospital Medicine, and Christine DeLorenzo, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and biomedical engineering, and director of the Center for Understanding Biology using Imaging Technology.