All babies born to mothers infected with HIV are exposed to the virus in utero, but not all of them become infected with it. Yet, all pregnant women in the U.S. with HIV receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), so both infected and uninfected babies exposed to HIV in utero are exposed to these powerful drugs. New research published Nov. 14 in the journal AIDS reveals that these uninfected babies who are exposed to HIV and antiretroviral therapy in utero exhibit “subclinical but significant” left ventricle dysfunction early in life, suggesting that the drugs may put these babies at risk of adverse cardiac events. Take a closer look.

The risk of dying from breast, colon, liver, and prostate cancer is much greater for people who live in Washington Heights than for those living in other parts of New York City, New York state, and the United States. Researchers and physicians at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian-situated in the heart of this community-have been working to address this disparity. Take a closer look.

The names “Verma and Steidl” don’t roll off the tongue the way “Brady and Belichick” and “Bert and Ernie” do. But it would be hard to imagine a more productive research duo. That’s because over the past decade, longtime Einstein colleagues Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., and Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D., have coauthored several dozen peer-reviewed papers, adding immensely to the understanding of two closely intertwined diseases: myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia. Take a closer look.

Research has shown that adults with age-related hearing loss have higher rates of cognitive decline. Now, a study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found that even the earliest stage of hearing loss-when hearing is still considered normal-is linked to cognitive decline.  The study was published online today in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.  Take a closer look.

The gene mutation that underlies a puzzling disorder featuring skin, brain and other abnormalities has been discovered by a team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire TRANSLAD (FHU-TRANSLAD) in France. The mutation in this disorder occurs after conception in just one cell in a developing embryo; the affected cell goes on to seed only some of the mature cells in the body, in only a small set of organs and tissues. Take a closer look.

Upstate Medical University Professor Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, released the findings of his successful Citizen Science Tick Testing Program on Nov. 1, revealing that about one third of the ticks sent to his lab were carrying disease. Earlier this year, Thangamani encouraged the public to send him ticks by mail so his lab could test them for disease. From July through late October, the lab received sometimes 70 samples per day, with 1,921 total submissions from nearly every county in New York state. Take a closer look.

A clinical assistant professor of neurology at New York Medical College (NYMC), Robert Ollar, Ph.D., recently published research that seeks to shine more light on Lyme disease mimicry, a phenomenon in which Lyme manifests symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Dr. Ollar’s published report “Neurologists Take Heed, Lyme Neuroborreliosis Mimicry is Afoot,” was presented at the at the Fourth Annual Lyme Disease in the Era of Precision Medicine Conference, on October 19, in New York City. Take a closer look.

The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell hosted its eighth annual Scholarship Day on Nov. 6, 2019, including the summer research of close to 90 Zucker School of Medicine students comprised of both MD and MD/PhD candidates. The event kicked off with a special presentation hosted by the Zucker School of Medicine Academy of Medical Educators featuring John Mahoney, MD, associate dean for medical education emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Take a closer look.

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University announced today that the institution’s president, Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP was appointed to serve on the state’s Maternal Mortality Review Board by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. The newly-formed board will review the cause of each maternal death in the state and make recommendations to the New York State Department of Health on strategies for preventing future deaths and improving overall health outcomes for mothers in New York. Take a closer look.

Downstate’s very own Jeffrey S. Borer, M.D., FACC, FAHA, has been recognized with the Albert Einstein Award of Medicine by the International Association of Who’s Who for outstanding achievements in the field of Cardiology. Dr. Borer is the former Chief of Cardiology and Chair of Medicine at SUNY Downstate, and continues to serve on our faculty as Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology, Radiology, Public Health and Surgery. Take a closer look.

The Ninth Annual Assistant Professor Pediatric Research Symposium on November 6 at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, featured abstracts in an oral platform session in basic, clinical, quality and translational research areas in the field of pediatrics, followed by a general poster session. Take a closer look.

In this episode, we’re continuing our discussion of clinical trials. Part one of our series focused on what a clinical trial is, how clinical trials are organized, supported, and structured, and how these important studies help to advance and safeguard our health care. We also learned that clinical trials depend on people to enroll as study participants, a critical part of moving medicine forward that remains a great challenge for researchers. Take a closer look.

At a time when concerns about opioids and their effects are ever-present, a fascinating new book out this month by a University at Buffalo professor puts these and the myriad other psychoactive drugs in the human experience into much-needed historical and scientific context. The book, “Our Love Affair with Drugs: The History, the Science, the Politics,” (Oxford University Press) was published Nov. 25. Take a closer look.

Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to create a center aimed at developing technology to help older adults who have cognitive impairments (CIs). The five-year, $4.625 million multi-institutional grant will fund a research and development project titled “Enhancing Neurocognitive Health, Abilities, Networks and Community Engagement (ENHANCE).” Take a closer look.

Lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) is a debilitating but under-recognized condition usually caused by fatty plaque buildup in arteries carrying blood from the heart to the legs.  More commonly known as peripheral artery disease, this increasingly common condition affects more than 8 million Americans, including up to 20% of those over the age of 60, and over 200 million people worldwide. Left untreated, LEAD can result in disability, amputations, and death. Take a closer look.

Samuel A. Herberg, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology, cell and developmental biology, and biochemistry and molecular biology, has been awarded a $300,000 Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Career Development Award. The grant will support Herberg’s glaucoma research that focuses on the trabecular meshwork, an important tissue located in the anterior chamber angle of the eye between the cornea and the iris. Take a closer look.