NATIONAL CENTER FOR SUBURBAN STUDIES

Supported by the National Center for Suburban Studies (NCSS), which advances student research in the Biology Department through the Sustainability Institute, this project focused on tracking environmental indicators of wastewater in local ecosystems.

Samir Patel and Shiloah Lewis developed a method to measure artificial sweeteners and related compounds as markers of municipal wastewater in Long Island’s receiving waters, contributing to efforts to monitor and protect environmental health.

Patel (2025 Summer Fellowship recipient) and Lewis (2026 Summer Fellowship recipient) conducted their research at the Long Island Native Habitat Conservancy under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Bisceglia of Hofstra’s Department of Chemistry. They presented their findings at the Long Island Natural History Conference on February 27, 2026.

Project Images:

Students presenting research at the Long Island Natural History Conference

Samir Patel at the Long Island Native Habitat Conservancy (LINHC)

Shiloah Lewis at the Long Island Native Habitat Conservancy (LINHC)

Student research presented during Medical Student Research Week is supported by the Center’s Foundation for Innovations in Medical Education.

At the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, second-year medical students complete mentored research during the summer between their first and second years, collaborating with faculty and researchers at Northwell Health, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. These projects are a core component of the curriculum and allow students to explore individual research interests.

Presented annually during Medical Student Research Week, student work spans a wide range of topics, including maternal health education, care for patients with developmental disabilities, clinical trial participation among diverse populations, and lifestyle interventions to improve outcomes for aging adults with chronic disease.

Student Research Posters:

This work was supported by NCSS and made possible through generous funding from Robert Catell.