‘Opening Doors To Discovery’: Stony Brook Medicine Expands Clinical Trials Access In Commack

COMMACK, NY — For Long Islanders facing serious illnesses, cutting-edge treatments once only available through hospital-based research are now within reach. Stony Brook Medicine has opened a new Clinical Trials Unit in Commack, a first-of-its-kind space designed to make participation in medical research easier and more accessible for local patients without traveling to the main hospital.

Officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday at the 6,000-square-foot space, located inside the Advanced Specialty Care facility at 500 Commack Road. The center includes 12 exam and consultation rooms, a cardiopulmonary exercise lab, a physical performance suite, a three-bay infusion area for chemotherapy and IV trials, and a wet lab for processing blood and tissue samples.

“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,” said Dr. William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine. “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 added that the project builds on Stony Brook’s mission to extend advanced research opportunities beyond the hospital setting.

“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.”

The Clinical Trials Unit will support studies across a range of disciplines, including neurology, cardiology, pulmonary care, kidney disease, oncology, mental health, and infectious diseases.

“Academic medicine brings added value through access to expertise, new technologies, and clinical trials,” said Dr. Peter Igarashi, Knapp Endowed Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine. “We look forward to the discoveries that will come from this research program.”

The facility is staffed by a team of specialists and investigators who manage clinical trials from design through completion. Currently, Stony Brook Medicine has more than 260 active clinical trials — the majority of all trials within the SUNY academic system.

“By expanding our research footprint in Commack, we’re ensuring that participation in world-class clinical trials isn’t limited by distance or circumstance,” Wertheim said.