Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Case-Based Training on Social Determinants of Health to Better Equip Future Doctors

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, new research was published by a group of researchers from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell including Class of 2023 graduate, Danielle Howell, MD, and faculty members, Ellen Pearlman, MD, Rebecca Dougherty, MD, Melissa Pawelczak, MD, Alice Fornari, EdD, RD, Joseph S. Weiner, MD, PhD and Robert O. Roswell, MD and others. Previous research and testimonies have shown that without explicit education and training on how social determinants of health (SDoH) impact patient care and health outcomes, medical schools are failing to effectively equip future physicians to serve their patients. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Using AI and Social Media to Track Depression in Communities

A study that used artificial intelligence (AI) and social media posts to assess the rates of depression and anxiety in nearly half of American counties found that the AI-generated measurements produced more reliable assessments than population surveys. Led by Stony Brook University researchers in collaboration with computer scientists and psychologists at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania, the study assessed rates at a weekly level and enabled the team to also track changes for smaller regions. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Prenatal Testing Offers a Window for Finding a Mother’s Cancer Risk

Harmful variants in the BRCA1 gene greatly increase a person’s lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, but most people are unaware they are carriers. In a new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC)  and NewYork-Presbyterian explored the possibility of including BRCA1 testing at the time of obstetrical prenatal carrier screening. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Strengthening CAR-T Therapy to Work Against Solid Tumors

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) have shown that a breakthrough therapy for treating blood cancers can be adapted to treat solid tumors—an advance that could transform cancer treatment. The promising findings, reported today in Science Advances, involve CAR-T cell therapy, which supercharges the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: New Cancer-Related Fatigue Treatment Guidelines Urge Exercise, Talk Therapy, Mindfulness, Tai Chi

Karen Mustian, PhD, MPH, a Wilmot Cancer Institute leader, is senior author on a new set of national guidelines for easing fatigue in cancer patients. The clinical practice guidelines, which came about after an extensive review of 113 published clinical trials by a panel of experts, conclude that doctors should recommend exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based programs, Tai chi, qigong, and American ginseng to reduce fatigue severity during cancer treatment. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Identifying the Initial Steps in Colorectal Cancer Formation

Research led by Weill Cornell Medicine provides new evidence that most colorectal cancers begin with the loss of intestinal stem cells, even before cancer-causing genetic alterations appear. The results, published on May 29 in Developmental Cell, overturn the prevailing theory for colorectal tumor initiation and suggest new ways to diagnose the disease before it has a chance to become established. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: New Tool Flags Hidden Sexual Struggles in Female Partners of Patients with Prostate Cancer

The partners of patients with prostate cancer grapple with their own quality of life issues that impact their sexual wellbeing, a new study shows. Using the first questionnaire of its kind, the authors uncovered key challenges faced by patients’ wives and female partners, including difficulties with communication about their sexual needs, inadequate sexual health counseling by physicians, and feelings of isolation and loss of intimacy. Learn more.

Cardiology

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Team at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital Performs First U.S. Procedure With New Implant to Improve Circulation Below the Knee

A team at the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital has successfully performed the first procedure in the United States using an innovative drug-eluting, below-the-knee resorbable scaffold. The team was led by Prakash Krishnan, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Assistant Professor, Medicine (Cardiology and Radiology), and Director of Endovascular Interventions at The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The Food and Drug Administration approved the device in April. Learn more.

New York Medical College: Study Suggests Risky Diagnostic Surgery Can Be Used Safely on Young Children With Epilepsy

A diagnostic surgery that implants electrodes to identify areas of epileptic onset in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, known as stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), can be safely used in young children according to a new study published in Child’s Nervous System by New York Medical College faculty and students. SEEG had been contraindicated in patients who are very young because their skulls are so thin, creating concerns that the insertion of electrodes would be more likely to cause damage to the skull and the surrounding structures. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Emergency Departments Frequently Miss Signs of Epilepsy in Children

A subtle type of seizure goes undetected two-thirds of the time in pediatric emergency departments, a new study shows. The work focuses on “nonmotor” seizures, which cause children to zone out and stare into space or fidget. They may also feel sudden changes in emotions, thoughts, or sensations, in contrast to motor seizures, which cause muscles to move in abrupt, jerking motions. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: New York City Virus Hunters Detect H5N1 Avian Influenza in New York City Wild Birds

The bird flu virus H5N1, which has caused outbreaks in birds and other animals across the country, is present in a small number of New York City wild birds, according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in collaboration with BioBus and the Wild Bird Fund, published on May 15 in the Journal of Virology. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Study: RNA Editing Sites Likely Play a More Significant Role in Genetic Disease

New findings by University at Buffalo researchers reveal that RNA editing may play a larger role in human biology and in the development of human disease than has generally been understood. Published in Nature Communications Biology on May 4, the study’s authors conclude that the work provides evidence for a more nuanced understanding of how molecular biology works, especially in terms of how proteins and genes respond to environmental challenges. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: RNA Center of Excellence to Develop New Treatments, Train Future Scientists

The field of RNA biology has catapulted to the forefront of health and medicine over the past decade as the work of scientists like Lynne E. Maquat, PhD, director of the University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology, and others revealed the role that RNA plays in a multitude of diseases. Myotonic dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, fragile X syndrome, and many other inherited disorders can be targeted with RNA-based treatments. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: A Fasting-Refeeding Paradigm Rejuvenates Old Stem Cells

Feeding after fasting could provide an answer to combatting the effects of old age on the blood stem cells that often lead to life-threatening blood cancer, greater susceptibility to infections, and can even contribute to degenerative disorders in the elderly, according to a study in mice led by researchers in the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Study: For Treating Retinopathy of Prematurity, UB-Led Research Proves That Ranibizumab is Safe

A University at Buffalo researcher who is a leading expert on retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has published a study that could change the standard of care for the condition. ROP occurs in low birthweight premature babies; if not treated, it can lead to blindness. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine online before print on April 11, answers a longstanding concern about which is the safest, most effective agent for treating ROP. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Expert Panel Says Screen Use Impairs Sleep Health of Children and Adolescents

Since the smartphone’s emergence in 2007, digital screen time has ballooned in use over the years for children and adults. How use of smartphones and other digital screen devices affects sleep continues to be debated. In a review of 574 peer-reviewed published studies on the issue, an international panel of sleep experts selected by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has drawn up a consensus statement about digital screen use and sleep. Learn more.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine Researchers Publish Innovative Esports Medicine Textbook

A pioneering new textbook by researchers from the Center for Esports Medicine aims to help fellow healthcare professionals better understand and manage the unique demands placed on competitive gamers. The book marks a significant milestone for the Center for Esports Medicine, which has been at the forefront of research and esports healthcare since opening in 2018. Learn more.

Student Research

New York Medical College Student Sheds Lights on New Cancer Treatments With Publications in Nature

New York Medical College student Harry Fruchtman has long planned a career in researching and caring for patients afflicted by malignant hematological disorders. Demonstrating remarkable initiative, he is already making a significant impact with two publications in the highly prestigious journal Nature: Leukemia, while pursuing his medical studies. The studies focus on treatments for acute myeloid leukemia and improved outcomes in stem cell transplantation. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Fourth-Year Medical Students Highlight Research and Teaching Innovations During Capstone Presentations

Fourth-year medical students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell presented their research during a Capstone Presentation at the medical school on May 8, 2024. The students showcased research posters from various capstone projects undertaken as part of the Zucker School of Medicine programs, including Klar Leadership Development and Innovation Management, IMPACcT (Improving Patient Access, Care, & Cost Through Training), Humanities in Medicine, and Special Proficiency in Medical Ultrasound. Learn more.

Faculty News

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Scott Emmons, Ph.D., Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Scott Emmons, Ph.D., who completed the first complete wiring diagram of an animal’s entire nervous system, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Dr. Emmons is distinguished professor emeritus of genetics and in the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Learn more.

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan Named President of the American Psychiatric Association

Congratulations to Ramaswamy Viswanathan, M.D., DrMedSc, professor and interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, on his appointment as President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). This prestigious position marks a first for both Brooklyn and the entire SUNY system. Dr. Viswanathan’s term began this month and will continue through May 2025. Learn more.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: Samuel Herberg Wins National Research Award for his Work on Glaucoma

Upstate Medical University’s Samuel Herberg, PhD, assistant professor in the Center for Vision Research and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Douglas H. Johnson Award for Glaucoma Research. The award, from the BrightFocus Foundation is presented annually to the top-rated proposal in the National Glaucoma Research program. Learn more.

Albany Medical College Researchers Receive $2.6M NIH Grant to Study Nerve Repair

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded scientists at Albany Medical College a five-year, $2.6 million grant to study the role of a specific protein in peripheral nerve disorders. The study will focus on peripheral demyelinating neuropathies, which affect approximately three million people worldwide. Symptoms occur most often in the hands and feet and include numbness, muscle weakness, fatigue, and chronic pain. Learn more.

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: Dr. Gayathri Pandey Receives $905K NIH Alcohol Use Disorder Research Grant

Congratulations to Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences assistant professor Gayathri Pandey, Ph.D., was awarded a prestigious five-year K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award. This $905K grant from the NIH National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will support her groundbreaking research titled “Interplay of Parenting, Genetics, and Brain Function in Trajectories of Resilience and Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder among High-Risk Adolescents and Young Adults. Learn more.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University Researcher Awarded Federal Grant to Develop of 3D-Model of Optic Nerve Head Cells for Use in Glaucoma Research

Using a grant from the National Eye Institute, an Upstate researcher and ophthalmologist plans to create a new way to test the potential causes of and contributors to glaucoma. Preethi S. Ganapathy, MD, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences was awarded $447,000 over two years to develop a model that could help overcome a hurdle researchers face while studying the neurodegenerative disease. Learn more.

More News

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Breaks Ground on New Biomedical Research Building

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) broke ground on an eight-story biomedical research building in Washington Heights in New York City. The flagship facility, located at the intersection of West 167th Street and Audubon Avenue, will house state-of-art research laboratories and community engagement spaces, and will be the first university-owned research building in New York City that does not rely on fossil fuels. Learn more.