Governor Hochul Announces First Phase of the SUNY Brain Institute to Fuel SUNY Excellence in Life-Saving Research

The $10 Million Multi-Campus Initiative Will Expand SUNY’s Neuroscience Research To Combat Age-Related Brain Disorders, Including Alzheimer’s Disease, a Growing Public Health Crisis

Today An Estimated 427,000 New Yorkers Have Alzheimer’s or Related Dementias

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the first phase of the SUNY Brain Institute, a statewide, federated neuroscience research network focused on new capabilities to combat age-related brain disorders. The $10 million multi-campus initiative will expand the State University of New York’s neuroscience research to combat age-related brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as strokes and cognitive decline. Today, an estimated 427,000 New Yorkers have Alzheimer’s or related dementias, which is expected to rise with an aging population.

"New York State is investing in transformative research that dives into issues affecting communities throughout the state," Governor Hochul said. "By connecting leading researchers and advanced infrastructures across New York, the SUNY Brain Institute will accelerate work on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and other age-related brain disorders to find cures so families in every community have the quality time together that they deserve.”

Led by the State University of New York at Buffalo, and including the State University of New York at Binghamton, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, SUNY College of Optometry, and SUNY Upstate Medical University, the network announced today will bring together complementary infrastructure, scientific expertise, and research capabilities to accelerate discovery, advance technological innovation, and improve health outcomes for New Yorkers.

The SUNY Brain Institute was launched in 2025 with a $10 million investment made possible by the capital support SUNY received from the 2025-26 enacted state budget. By creating shared access to advanced equipment and research capabilities, the SUNY Brain Institute will enable collaboration among SUNY’s more than 600 faculty researchers working in neuroscience and strengthen their ability to accelerate discoveries, compete for external funding, and translate research into improved health outcomes.

The $10 million investment includes:

• State University of New York at Buffalo – $5 million: As the lead of the first phase of the Institute, the university will coordinate the formation and scientific direction of the statewide network while expanding translational neuroscience infrastructure and capabilities focused on age-related brain disorders.
• State University of New York at Binghamton – $500,000: The university will establish multiscale research infrastructure for microphysiological study of dementia arising from multiple causes.
• SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University – $1.5 million: SUNY Downstate will create the Lifespan Neural Dynamics Center (LNDC) to contribute advanced research capabilities for investigating neurological function and disease across the lifespan.
• SUNY College of Optometry – $1.5 million: The campus will establish the SUNY Eye Biobank, a shared research resource to advance the study of age-related neurological and visual disorders.
• SUNY Upstate Medical University – $1.5 million: SUNY Upstate will establish the ‘BiO’ Node, integrating biospecimens, induced pluripotent stem cells, and organoid models to support human-centered neuroscience research.