Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Despite AI Advancements, Human Oversight Remains Essential

State-of-the-art artificial intelligence systems known as large language models (LLMs) are poor medical coders, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Their study, published in the April 19 online issue of NEJM AI, emphasizes the necessity for refinement and validation of these technologies before considering clinical implementation. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: On the Horizon: A Robot to Assist ALS Patients

The debilitating disease of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) leads to loss of mobility and an inability for patients to complete even basic tasks like lifting their arms, eating, or moving their hands. This brings great stress to patients and their caregivers. A team of Stony Brook University researchers is aiming to alleviate the many difficulties that accompany advancing ALS by using computer and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, mechanical engineering, and consultation by medical experts to create a Caregiving Robot Assistant (CART) for ALS patients and their caregivers. Learn more.

New York Medical College: Myocardial Scarring Persists in Patients with COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Myocarditis

The latest findings from the longitudinal multicenter study on COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis (C-VAM) called MACiV (Myocarditis After COVID Vaccination) in 333 children, adolescents, and young adults led by Supriya Jain, M.D., FSCMR, FACC, FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics, radiology, and of public health, showed that while 82 percent of the patients in the study had evidence of myocardial injury on cardiac MRI at initial presentation, 60 percent of those patients had persistence of myocardial scarring on follow up examinations. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Increased Long-Term Risks for Patients with Acute COVID-19 Neurological Conditions

Patients with COVID-19 can experience acute neurological problems including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, encephalitis, and encephalopathy. Do these COVID-19 survivors face a greater long-term risk for health problems or death compared with other patients with COVID-19? Learn more.

Cardiology

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Clogged Arteries Worsened by Cells That Behave Like Cancer Cells, Study Finds

Columbia researchers have found cells inside clogged arteries share similarities with cancer and aggravate atherosclerosis, raising the possibility that anticancer drugs could be used to treat atherosclerosis and prevent heart attacks. Their study found that smooth muscle cells that normally line the inside of our arteries migrate into atherosclerotic plaques, change their cell identity, activate cancer genes, and proliferate inside the plaques. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Clinical Trial Finds Nasal Spray Safely Treats Recurrent Abnormal Heart Rhythms

A clinical trial led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators showed that a nasal spray that patients administer at home, without a physician, successfully and safely treated recurrent episodes of a condition that causes rapid abnormal heart rhythms. The study, published March 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, provides real-world evidence that a wide range of patients can safely and effectively use the experimental drug, called etripamil, to treat recurrent paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) episodes at home, potentially sparing them the need for repeated hospital trips for more invasive treatments. Learn more.

Albany Medical College: The Foundations of Advanced Heart Care

The latest therapies and leading-edge surgical techniques used by Albany Med Health System’s cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons were all made possible by previous clinical, translational, and basic science research. Within the System, our scientists and clinicians are also advancing the understanding of heart diseases and related conditions. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: On World Parkinson’s Day, a New Theory Emerges on the Disease’s Origins and Spread

The nose or the gut? For the past two decades, the scientific community has debated the wellspring of the toxic proteins at the source of Parkinson’s disease. In 2003, a German pathologist, Heiko Braak, MD, first proposed that the disease begins outside the brain. More recently, Per Borghammer, MD, with Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and his colleagues argue that the disease is the result of processes that start in either the brain’s smell center (brain-first) or the body’s intestinal tract (body-first). Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: With Hybrid Brains, These Mice Smell Like a Rat

If mice ever wonder what it’s like to experience the world as a rat, some are now able to live that dream, at least when it comes to the sense of smell. Researchers led by Columbia’s Kristin Baldwin have created mice with hybrid brains—part mouse, part rat—that sense the odors of the world with their rat neurons. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Human Neuron Model Paves the Way for New Alzheimer’s Therapies

Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have developed an innovative human neuron model that robustly simulates the spread of tau protein aggregates in the brain—a process that drives cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. This new model has led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets that could potentially block tau spread. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: First-Ever Combined Heart Pump & Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant Gives New Hope to Patient with Terminal Illness

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the first combined mechanical heart pump and gene-edited pig kidney transplant surgery. The patient was a 54-year-old woman with heart and kidney failure, and the procedure represents a confluence of advances that showcase the possibility and hope of modern medicine. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Study: Some of Us Have a Uniquely Human Gene That Enhances Immune Function

The University at Buffalo team that discovered how a gene found in 75% of us protects against neurodegeneration has now found that this same gene enhances immune function as well. The new findings were published in eBioMedicine online before print on April 2. CHRFAM7A is a uniquely human gene that occurred after humans split from a common ancestor with chimpanzees millions of years ago. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Revolutionizing Understanding of Mitochondrial Phospholipids and Implications it Can Have on Health

A study on Mitochondrial Phospholipids conducted by researchers at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, including second-year medical students Jacob Kazmi and Liam McDevitt, and Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on April 24, 2024. The study showed that contrary to prior beliefs, the brain does not exhibit a significantly higher abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) compared to other tissues. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Research by Einstein Scientists Featured in Special Issue of Diabetes Care

Three papers co-authored by diabetes researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine are included in a special collection of reports in the April issue of Diabetes Care describing results of the multicenter Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE). The Einstein papers focus on whether the emotional distress often associated with type 2 (T2D) diabetes affects adherence to treatment and success in controlling blood-sugar levels and whether particular diabetes therapies influence patients’ emotional distress levels. Learn more.

New York Medical College: New Study Calls for More Medical Training on Menopause

Dermatologists regularly encounter a spectrum of skin-related conditions tied to menopause ranging from hair loss and resurgent acne to vaginal dryness and hyperhidrosis. Yet, despite the frequency and significance of these symptoms, there remains a conspicuous gap in training in menopause care for dermatologists. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Artificial Intelligence Feedback on Physician Notes Improves Patient Care

Artificial intelligence (AI) feedback improved the quality of physician notes written during patient visits, with better documentation improving the ability of care teams to make diagnoses and plan for patients’ future needs, a new study finds. Since 2021, NYU Langone Health has been using pattern-recognizing, machine-learning AI systems to grade the quality of doctors’ clinical notes. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Microplastics Research Hub Aims to Unravel Health Impact in Changing Climate

A new Rochester-based research center will study the lifecycle of microplastics, including its origin as plastic waste, distribution and movement in the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem, and human exposure and health impact. The research will also focus on how climate change could intensify the environmental and health threats posed by microplastics. Learn more.

Faculty

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Carol A. Carter Elected Member of National Academy of Sciences

Carol A. Carter, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), was elected as a member to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a society made up of the country’s leading researchers. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Team Receives Funding to Demonstrate Effectiveness of ‘Food-Is-Medicine’ in Health Care

A team of University at Buffalo researchers has received funding from the American Heart Association (AHA) for research that will focus on the implementation of innovative food prescription programs in older adults. The AHA has awarded UB $400,000 for the 18-month project as part of the organization’s Health Care by Food initiative, which is leveraging research to build the evidence needed to show the clinical and cost-effectiveness of so-called “food-is-medicine” programs. Learn more.

More News

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Advancing Heath Equity With Data: Collaborating With Stakeholders at Mount Sinai Queens

At Mount Sinai, a key pillar in advancing health equity focuses on the collection and use of self-reported patient demographic data to identify gaps in care. The Health Equity Data Assessment (HEDA) team is engaging key stakeholders across the Health System and collaborating to address variances. Learn more.