Highlights

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: Vascular Sleuth Unlocks Origins of Congenital Limb Deficiencies—Beyond Thalidomide

A newly published review in Birth Defects Research helps unlock the 65-year-old puzzle of devastating limb malformations associated with thalidomide exposure. This review highlights the femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) and ‘phocomelia’ or flipper limb deformities, which originate from injuries to forming embryonic blood vessels during a narrow two-week window in early pregnancy. Learn More

New York Medical College: Study Calls for Nuanced Approach to Stroke Care in Sexual and Gender Diverse Patients

Health disparities and unique stressors may shape stroke risk and other cerebrovascular conditions among sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals—those who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex—according to a review study conducted by New York Medical College faculty and students and published in Neurology Clinical Practice. “Stroke risk in SGD patients may be influenced by a combination of minority stress, health care disparities, and effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) use,” explains Alice Catalano, SOM Class of 2027, one of the co-authors on the study. Learn More

Cancer

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry Researchers Find a Downside of Taurine: It Drives Leukemia Growth

A new scientific study identified taurine, which is made naturally in the body and consumed through some foods, as a key regulator of myeloid cancers such as leukemia, according to a paper published in the journal Nature. The preclinical research shows that scientists are a step closer to finding new ways to target leukemia, which is one of the most aggressive blood cancers. Learn More

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Research Team Targets Pancreatic Cancer with Light-Infused Chemotherapy

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat — and the deadliest. Fewer than 10% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer live beyond five years. A few factors account for this. One is that the tumors hide within fibrous tissue in the pancreas, which makes it difficult for chemotherapy drugs to penetrate. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine: Switch to Experimental Drug after Liquid Biopsy Detection of Breast Cancer Recurrence Improves Outcomes

A large prospective, randomized clinical trial in patients with advanced breast cancer has found that the use of liquid biopsy blood tests for early detection of a treatment-resistance mutation, followed by a switch to a new type of treatment, substantially extends the period of tumor control compared to standard care. The SERENA-6 study, published June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented concurrently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, was conducted at multiple medical centers, principally in Europe, East Asia and the United States, including at Weill Cornell Medicine and three affiliated NewYork-Presbyterian campuses. Learn More

Cardiology

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University Pioneers Use of AI Technology for Heart Disease Diagnosis on Long Island

Stony Brook Medicine is the first on Long Island — and one of a select number of healthcare systems nationwide — to implement an artificial intelligence (AI) technology, HeartFlow Plaque Analysis™, to enable its physicians to more accurately understand the blockages present in the coronary arteries of patients with suspected heart disease. This advancement, introduced at Stony Brook through a collaboration by the Division of Cardiology and the Department of Radiology, represents a significant milestone in the fight against heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Learn More

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Cardiorespiratory Effects of Wildfire Smoke Particles Can Persist for Months, Even After a Fire Has Ended

Being exposed to lingering fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke can have health effects up to three months afterwards, well beyond the couple of days that previous studies have identified, and the exposure can occur even after the fires have ended. These findings were reported in a new study in Epidemiology published on May 28, by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Learn More

New York Medical College: Psoriasis and Cardiovascular Disease Link Not Clearly Recognized by Patients

Patients with poorly controlled moderate to severe psoriasis are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, yet the link is often underrecognized and undertreated, according to a study conducted by Michelle Sikora, M.D. ’25 The findings were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, in March. Learn More

Neurology

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Brain Networks Rewire to Compensate for Difficulty Hearing Speech in Noise

As they age, some people find it harder to understand speech in noisy environments. Now, UB researchers have identified the area in the brain, called the insula, that shows significant changes in people who struggle with speech in noise. The findings, published in the journal Brain and Language, contribute to the growing link between hearing loss and cognitive impairment leading to dementia.   Learn More

Technology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Launches Data Science Institute

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has announced the launch of a new Data Science Institute, a dynamic, state-of-the-art resource that will strengthen researchers’ ability to harness vast amounts of data to drive biomedical breakthroughs and innovations in scientific discovery and patient care. Mimi Kim, Sc.D., professor and head of the division of biostatistics in the department of epidemiology & population health and associate director of the Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Einstein and Montefiore, has been named the institute’s inaugural director. Learn More

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons Initiative Seeks to Advance Health through AI Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform clinical care by helping providers make faster, safer, and more informed decisions. At Columbia, that promise is already being realized through a range of clinical tools, such as an early-warning system that decreases risk of in-hospital mortality and a tool for guiding safer infant spinal taps. Building on this momentum, the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) has launched the AI at VP&S Initiative, bringing together an interdisciplinary team of experts who are positioned to be a global leader in AI-driven innovation within healthcare. Learn More

Student News

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Students Showcase Research in Scholarly Concentrations 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 7, 2025. The annual event highlights the diverse work of medical students who have completed specialized scholarly concentration programs in leadership, medical education, humanities in medicine, interprofessional primary care, and point-of-care ultrasound. Learn More

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Hosts 60th Annual Academic Competition and Research Symposium 

Nearly 100 research posters and presentations showcasing the scholarly work of trainees and students were displayed at the 60th annual Academic Competition and Research Symposium hosted at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell on May 28. The competition, sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs at Northwell Health, is open to a wide range of healthcare learners, including medical students, residents, fellows, nursing students, and physician assistant students, as well as affiliated students from Northwell Health’s clinical campuses. Learn More

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: Fulfilling a C.O.R.E. Need in Osteopathic Medical Research

Research in osteopathic medicine enhances patient care by improving diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain and stress-related illnesses. Equally important, research mentorship allows osteopathic medical students to gain invaluable guidance from experienced faculty. Recognizing the need for greater access to research opportunities, third-year TouroCOM Harlem students Lauren Velasquez and Daniel Hahn, and second-year TouroCOM student Allison Walker-Elders developed the Center of Osteopathic Research Excellence, or C.O.R.E., a student-driven osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) research program. Learn More

Faculty News, Awards and Recognitions

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Names Britta Will Director of Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has appointed Britta Will, Ph.D., associate professor of oncology, of medicine and of cell biology, and the Diane and Arthur B. Belfer Scholar in Cancer Research, as the permanent director of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine. “After an extensive national search, Dr. Will emerged as the clear choice to lead our esteemed institute, which she has been a member of since 2015,” said Yaron Tomer, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and chief academic officer at Montefiore Einstein. Learn More

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons: Michel Sadelain Awarded Prizes for Cell Therapy Breakthroughs

Michel Sadelain, the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine, has been awarded the 2025 Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology for developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, a groundbreaking form of personalized cancer immunotherapy that turns T cells into tumor killers. In CAR T-cell therapy for cancer, a patient’s own immune cells are removed from their body, reprogrammed to attack tumor cells, and infused back in. The therapy has led to durable remissions in tens of thousands of patients with previously incurable blood cancers. Learn More

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Researchers in Semifinals of $101 Million XPRIZE Healthspan, a Competition Seeking Innovative Approaches to Aging Well

Investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been named semifinalists—and one of the Top 40 Milestone Award winners—in the prestigious XPRIZE Healthspan, a $101 million global competition dedicated to transforming how we age. XPRIZE Healthspan challenges the world’s top scientists and clinicians to develop treatments that can restore muscle strength, cognitive performance, and immune function in older adults by at least 10 years, with a bold goal of 20 years. Learn More.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: Upstate Earns Prestigious R2 Carnegie Classification for High Research Activity

Upstate Medical University has been officially designated a Carnegie R2 (Research 2) institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE), a distinction that recognizes the university’s significant research achievements and trajectory. The 2025 Research Activity Designations mark a major milestone for Upstate, placing it among 139 institutions nationwide recognized as “High Research Activity” universities. Learn More

More News

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Reports on Ethics in Gender-Inclusive Research Practices

Exclusion can begin with a single word—long before research even begins. At Downstate, a team of researchers recognized that the language used in consent forms and study materials can either invite trust or create distance. Their work is now sparking a national conversation about how ethics, inclusion, and dignity must begin with the words we choose. Learn More

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Why Urban Children Are More Prone to Allergies 

Scientists discovered that a previously uncharacterized subset of immune cells may play a critical role in the development of allergic diseases and explain differences between urban and rural populations. The finding, published in the journal Allergy, provides new insight into how the immune system is shaped in early life—and why urban children are more prone to allergies than children from rural areas. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine Researchers Find Novel Maneuver Helps Malaria Parasite Dodge the Immune System

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered how a parasite that causes malaria when transmitted through a mosquito bite can hide from the body’s immune system, sometimes for years. It turns out that the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, can shut down a key set of genes, rendering itself “immunologically invisible.” Learn More

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: On the Path to a New TB Vaccine?

There is no highly effective vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), which remains an infection of global concern. Charles Kyriakos Vorkas, MD, an infectious diseases physician-scientist at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, and colleagues identified a novel population of immune cells that could serve as an alternative target for TB vaccines and immune-directed therapy. Their findings are detailed in a paper published in Scientific Reports. Learn More

SUNY Downstate Health Science University: Changing What We Know About Alcoholism

More than 35 years ago, Downstate’s Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Lab launched a groundbreaking study on alcohol use disorders. The result, the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), continues to shape our understanding of addiction, recovery, and the influence of genes, neurodevelopment, and the social environment. Learn More