Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives Major Federal Grant to Help Lead National Effort for Pandemic Preparedness

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has received a five-year, $14 million per year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to participate in a broad national effort to develop “plug-and-play” vaccines and antibody-based therapies against a wide range of emerging viruses. The grant is part of NIAID’s new Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness Network, which was announced last month. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Results From the Feasibility Study of the First Permanently Implanted Brain-Computer Interface Will Be Presented at CNS by a UB Neurosurgeon

Results of the clinical trial that assessed the safety of Synchron’s endovascular brain-computer interface in people with severe paralysis will be presented Sept. 30 at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS). The results will be presented by Elad I. Levy, MD, a principal investigator,  SUNY Distinguished Professor and L. Nelson Hopkins Endowed Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Study: For long COVID, Lithium Aspartate at Low Doses Is Ineffective, But Higher Doses May Be Promising 

A small University at Buffalo clinical trial has found that at low doses, lithium aspartate is ineffective in treating the fatigue and brain fog that is often a persistent feature of long COVID; however, a supplemental dose-finding study found some evidence that higher doses may be effective. Published in JAMA Network Open on Oct. 2, the study was led by Thomas J. Guttuso, Jr., MD, professor of neurology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and a physician with UBMD Neurology. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: New Cancer Cachexia Treatment Boosts Weight Gain and Patient Activity

Researchers discovered a drug that safely and effectively helped cancer patients when they suffered from cachexia (ku-KEK-see-uh), a common condition related to cancer that involves weight loss and muscle wasting. The results of the randomized phase 2 clinical trial, which included 187 individuals who experienced cachexia with lung, pancreatic, or colorectal cancer, were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on Sept. 14, 2024. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Long-Term Metastatic Melanoma Survival Dramatically Improves on Immunotherapy

Long-term data from a landmark international trial show about half of patients with metastatic melanoma treated with a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors survive cancer-free for 10 years or more, according to a new report from Weill Cornell Medicine and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators and their colleagues. The 10-year follow-up study, published Sept. 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine, will bring the phase 3 CheckMate 067 trial to a close. Learn more.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Unlocking Cancer’s Molecular Processes

New research, led by a medical student and a cancer biologist at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, aims to continue the historic work of a world-renowned Nobel laureate and explain why some human cells become cancerous, spread, and resist treatment. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Using Mathematical Models and AI to Improve Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

A team of Stony Brook University researchers, led by two scientists in the Department of Biomedical Informatics in the Renaissance School of Medicine and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, are developing a new way to analyze breast cancer imaging that incorporates mathematical modeling and deep learning. The approach will be much more interpretable and robust compared to previous methods. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Bacteria Involved in Gum Disease Linked to Increased Risk of Head & Neck Cancer

More than a dozen bacterial species among the hundreds that live in people’s mouths have been linked to a collective 50 percent increased chance of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a new study shows. Some of these microbes had previously been shown to contribute to periodontal disease, serious gum infections that can eat away at the jawbone and the soft tissues surrounding teeth. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center Establishes New Immunotherapy Institute

The National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center has announced the new Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Institute for Immunotherapy for Cancer and Inflammatory Disorders. Xingxing Zang, Ph.D., an international leader in developing novel immunotherapies, has been named its inaugural director. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Brain Bank Spurs Research Into Essential Tremor

Well into Katharine Hepburn’s film career, moviegoers noticed a warble in her voice and a quaking of her head and hands. In the 70s and 80s, many speculated that she had Parkinson’s disease, but years later it was revealed that the Oscar-winning actress had essential tremor, a progressive neurological disorder that causes involuntary, rhythmic trembling of the hands, head, and/or other body parts. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Brain Scanning Approach Shows Wiring of Depression

By repeatedly scanning the brains of a small group of patients for a year and a half, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified a distinct pattern of neuronal interactions that appears to predispose some people to developing depression. Published Sept. 4 in Nature, the work highlights the potential of a new “deep scanning” approach to help predict a person’s susceptibility to depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions and may guide the development of novel treatments. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Predicting Patient Outcomes Via Machine Learning Models

Two Stony Brook University researchers are developing a way to use machine learning models to predict patient outcomes. The collaboration involves Richard N. Rosenthal, MD, a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in the Renaissance School of Medicine, and Fusheng Wang, PhD, a Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Informatics and Computer Science in the RSOM and College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Pandemic-Era Babies Do Not Have Higher Autism Risk, Finds Study

Children born during the first year of the pandemic, including those exposed to COVID in utero, were no more likely to screen positive for autism than unexposed or pre-pandemic children, found researchers from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, is the first report on autism risk among pandemic-era children. Learn more.

New York Medical College: Shock Index is a Superior Predictor in Geriatric Trauma Care

Shock index, a known indicator of unfavorable outcomes in trauma, was found to be a more robust predictor of prognosis in geriatric patients with severe trauma as compared to younger patients in a new study by New York Medical College faculty that was recently published in The Journal of Surgical Research. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Antibodies in Breast Milk Provide Protection Against Common GI Virus

A study led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that breast milk provides protection against rotavirus, a common gastrointestinal disease that causes diarrhea, vomiting and fever in infants. Babies whose mothers had high levels of specific antibodies in their breast milk were able to fend off the infection for a longer period than infants whose mothers had lower levels. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Breastfeeding Is Crucial to Shaping Infant’s Microbes & Promoting Lung Health

Human breast milk regulates a baby’s mix of microbes, known as the microbiome, during the infant’s first year of life. This in turn lowers the child’s risk of developing asthma, a new study shows. Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health and the University of Manitoba, the study results showed that breastfeeding beyond three months supports the gradual maturation of the microbiome in the infant’s digestive system and nasal cavity, the upper part of the respiratory tract. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Ulcerative Colitis May Find Significant Relief as New Treatment Option Shows Good Results in Clinical Trial

A phase 2 trial of a monoclonal antibody known as tulisokibart for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis showed promising results for those who have not responded to conventional inflammatory bowel disease treatment. The Mount Sinai-led trial was the first large study to demonstrate tulisokibart’s significant benefits in reducing inflammation and inducing remission in these patients. Learn more.

New York Medical College: New Study Shows Older Donor Livers Hold the Key to Saving More Lives

As the need for liver transplants continues to surge globally amid a critical shortage of organs, a study published in the Journal of Liver Transplantation by New York Medical College faculty reveals promising advantages of using older donor livers for older recipients. The approach not only expands the donor pool but also decreases recipient wait times and lowers the discard rate of less-than-optimal organs. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: An Aspiring Physician-Scientist Explains How an Award Will Support His Research and His Career

Ayman Mohammad is a scholarly-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in between his third and fourth years of medical school pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Research. Mr. Mohammad recently received an ASH Medical Student Physician-Scientist Award, which provides an opportunity for medical students to gain experience in hematology research under the mentorship of a member of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and to learn more about the specialty. Learn more.

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Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: Senator Schumer Gives Nod to Upstate’s Vector-Borne Disease Research in Pushing for Greater Remedies to Disease-Carrying Mosquitoes

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, using the site of Upstate’s Vector Biocontainment Laboratory at the Institute of Human Performance on Tuesday, called for more funding for the CDC’s Vector-Borne Diseases programs, which includes EEEV and West Nile, with $65 million in new funding to stem the threat to communities from mosquito populations that spread disease. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Students and Professor Experience a Summer of Anatomy in Germany

This summer, students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell became the first medical students to be invited to combine their passion for anatomy with hands-on experience learning at the von Hagens/Body Worlds Plastinarium, located in Guben, Germany. The students spent five weeks working alongside professionals, honing dissection skills and preparing specimens for the Plastinarium, which is best known for creating the world-famous plastinate specimens featured in the global Body Worlds exhibits. Learn more.