Highlights

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Researchers Engineer Rare Immune Cells to Create Powerful New Cancer Vaccine

In a breakthrough study published in Cancer Immunology Research, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a novel method to generate billions of rare immune cells known as conventional type I dendritic cells (cDC1s), potentially paving the way for a new class of off-the-shelf cellular cancer vaccines. These dendritic cells play a central role in triggering and sustaining immune responses against tumors. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Can AI Detect Hidden Heart Disease?

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), an inexpensive test found in many doctors’ offices may soon be used to screen for hidden heart disease. Structural heart disease, including valve disease, congenital heart disease, and other issues that impair heart function, affects millions of people worldwide. Learn more.

Cancer

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Respiratory Viruses Can Wake Up Breast Cancer Cells in Lungs

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), and Utrecht University have found the first direct evidence that common respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, can awaken dormant breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs, setting the stage for new metastatic tumors. The findings published today in Nature, obtained in mice, were supported by research showing increases in death and in metastatic lung disease among cancer survivors infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Quick, Pain-Free Breast Imaging System Shows Promise in Early Clinical Tests

A breast scan for detecting cancer takes less than a minute using an experimental system that combines photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging, according to a study in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. The system does not require painful compression like mammography. Learn more.

New York Medical College: Mitchell Cairo, M.D., Engineers Hope to Cure Childhood Cancer

For Mitchell Cairo, M.D., professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology, and immunology, and cell biology and anatomy at New York Medical College, the relentless pursuit of a cancer-free future for children inspires his prolific research, empathic patient care, and courageous clinical trials. While proud of the staggering progress in his field, this physician scientist remains focused on breakthroughs to yield even better results. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Association Between Air Pollution and Multiple Myeloma Mortality

Exposure to outdoor air pollution (OAP) has been associated with increased risk for blood cancers including multiple myeloma. Studies using county- and state-level data on multiple myeloma risk from OAP exposure have been inconclusive. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: New Precision Medicine Approach Identifies a Promising Ovarian Cancer Treatment

A pairing of two experimental drugs inhibits tumor growth and blocks drug-induced resistance in ovarian cancer, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The research reveals a promising strategy against this hard-to-treat malignancy, and more generally demonstrates a powerful new approach for the identification of effective regimens to treat genetically diverse cancers. Learn more.

Neurology

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Tackling Brain Disorders by Targeting the “Junk” in Their Genes

If you could look at the entire human genome, you might notice that large sections seem to have been created by a photocopier stuck in the on position. Fully half of our genome consists of recurring DNA sequences, from short, three-letter strings arranged one right after another to long stretches of hundreds of base pairs scattered over multiple chromosomes. Learn more.

New York Medical College: The Promise and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence to Transform TBI Management

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide, impacting 50 to 60 million people each year. A new study by students and faculty at New York Medical College, published in Life, emphasizes how artificial intelligence is quickly transforming TBI management with the potential to do even more in the future. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Study Suggests an Expanded Role of the Brain’s Thalamus

Research that is taking a closer look at activity in the thalamus – a region long considered a relay station for the brain and involved in consciousness and motor activity – reveals the thalamus may play a decisive role in abstract thinking and executive control. The collaborative work by researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Stony Brook University and their findings are detailed in a paper published in the journal Neuron. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Postoperative Delirium – Preventable “Acute Brain Failure” with Major Health and Cost Impacts

A new large-scale study spotlights postoperative delirium as a preventable and high-impact complication, which is driven by patient frailty and surgical stress—and one that can be addressed through low-cost, evidence-based interventions. The findings, which appear in JAMA Network Open, provide a call to action for clinicians, health systems, patients, and families to prioritize brain health throughout perioperative care. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Fat May Play an Important Role in Brain Metabolism

While glucose, or sugar, is a well-known fuel for the brain, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have demonstrated that electrical activity in synapses—the junctions between neurons where communication occurs—can lead to the use of lipid or fat droplets as an energy source. Learn more.

Digestive & Urologic Health

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Researchers Uncover Unique Biological Markers in Patients With Mild Crohn’s Disease

A new study led by researchers at Mount Sinai Health System has identified distinct biological signatures in patients with mild Crohn’s disease, offering a potential pathway toward more personalized and less aggressive treatment strategies. Published in Gastroenterology, the research is the first of its kind to use multi-omics data to study the biology of mild Crohn’s disease, a condition that affects nearly one in four patients but is often overlooked, as most Crohn’s disease research focuses on moderate-to-severe disease. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Stony Brook Medicine Urology Team Among First in Nation to Use New Technology to Monitor Bladder Dysfunction in Patients

Dr. Jason Kim and Dr. Steven Weissbart of the Women’s Pelvic Health and Continence Center at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) have successfully performed one of the nation’s first—and the East Coast’s very first—Glean™ Urodynamics procedures using Bright Uro’s ambulatory urodynamic system. This innovative diagnostic technology represents a significant advancement in the evaluation of bladder function for the estimated 17 million people who experience daily bladder control problems in the United States. Learn more.

Student Research & News

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Medical Student Recognized for Cardiovascular Research

A student researcher from the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) has secured a prestigious Scholarship in Cardiovascular Disease from the American Heart Association (AHA). Each year, the Scientific Councils of the AHA award $2,000 to students researching cardiovascular disease topics within basic, clinical, translational, or population sciences. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell: Fostering the Leaders of Tomorrow – Klar Leadership Development and Innovation Management Summer Immersion 2025

On Wednesday, August 5, 2025, the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell hosted a reception at the Hofstra University Club in Hempstead, celebrating six medical students, and their mentors from Northwell Health, upon the successful completion of their summer projects for the Klar Leadership Development and Innovation Management (LDIM) program. The reception marked the culmination of the ninth year of this mentoring initiative, which equips medical students with leadership skills in healthcare administration, teamwork, policy development, decision-making, and quality improvement. Learn more.

More Studies

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Healthcare Providers Feel Unprepared to Counsel Patients on Medical Marijuana

A new study by researchers from the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) finds that most healthcare professionals in the United States feel they lack the training and knowledge to discuss medical cannabis with their patients. Learn more.

Albany Medical College: Review Examines Impact of Trauma-Informed Care on Patient Health, Experience

Trauma impacts most of the U.S. population at some point: Up to 90 percent of adults and 72 percent of children in the U.S. have experienced some form of lifetime trauma. Studies have also shown that trauma occurring during childhood can affect brain development and lead to lifelong health consequences, including higher risk for COPD, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Western New York Women Who Are Food Insecure, Overweight and Want to Eat Healthy Are Being Recruited for Clinical Trial

Women who can’t regularly access the food they need are at a 50% greater risk of becoming obese, even though they don’t consume more calories. The phenomenon is called the food insecurity-obesity paradox. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Forever Chemicals, Lasting Effects – Prenatal PFAS Exposure Shapes Baby Immunity

New research reveals that tiny amounts of PFAS—widely known as “forever chemicals”—cross the placenta and breast milk to alter infants’ developing immune systems, potentially leaving lasting imprints on their ability to fight disease. University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) researchers tracked 200 local healthy mother–baby pairs, measuring common PFAS compounds in maternal blood during pregnancy and then profiling infants’ key T‑cell populations at birth, six months, and one year. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine Faculty Publish Research on the Trend of Open-Ended Questions in Teaching and Learning in Medicine

On Sunday, August 3, 2025, new research was published from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, in Teaching and Learning in Medicine, an international academic journal that focuses on medical education. The study titled, “Are Open-Ended Question Assessments an Emerging Trend in US Medical Education?” was conducted by a team from the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and other institutions, and included contributions from Zucker School of Medicine faculty and staff members, Doreen M. Olvet, PhD, associate professor of Science Education, Joanne Willey, PhD, Leo A. Guthart Professor of Biomedical Science and chair, Department of Science Education and Jeffrey B. Bird, director of Educational Data and Analytics. The study investigates whether or not open-ended question exams are an emerging trend in medical school in the United States and the benefits they serve. Congratulations to Dr. Olvet and the entire team on this amazing accomplishment! Learn more.