News from AMSNY

New Round of NYFIRST Grants to Recruit Top Researchers to New York

In September, National Medical Research Month, the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) highlighted the latest recipients of the state’s New York Fund for Innovation in Research and Scientific Talent (NYFIRST). Since its launch in 2018, NYFIRST has helped New York’s medical schools recruit and retain world-class researchers while delivering a nearly 12:1 return on the State’s investment. Its $13.7 million in funding has generated nearly $180 million in matching dollars and created 177 high-paying jobs. The latest grants supported the recruitment of leading scientists to Columbia University, Stony Brook University, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and the University of Rochester in areas including RNA therapeutics, biotechnology, HIV, coronaviruses, and global blood supply innovation, ensuring that lifesaving discoveries continue to be made in New York while strengthening the state’s economy.

Highlights

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Including More Females in Cardiac Device Trials Benefits All Patients

A cardiac device trial published in eClinicalMedicine shows that improving enrollment of females in such trials can better guide care for all patients.The BIO-LIBRA study investigated how well implantable cardiac defibrillators work for patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, a weakening of heart muscle that is more common in females. Because nearly 48 percent of study participants were assigned female at birth—a number that is unheard-of in cardiac device trials—the one-year interim study results revealed that participants assigned male at birth were twice as likely to die or experience life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities. Learn More

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell: Professors Embrace Reimagined Care Model for Primary Care

Zucker School of Medicine doctors Joseph Conigliaro, MD, professor and vice president of the Faculty Council, and Jonathan Grecco, MD, assistant professor, co-published a viewpoint, Optimizing Transitional Care Management: A Framework for Enhanced Primary Care Delivery, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine on Aug. 29, regarding the challenges faced by primary care and possible solutions. Advocating for a transformative approach for change, they embrace a reimagined care model prioritizing proactive care transitions, adoption of team-based care, and the optimization of virtual care technologies to create a more resilient, efficient, and patient-centered primary care system. Learn More

Cancer

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: In Prostate Cancer, Intermittent Fasting Found to Enhance Efficacy of Therapy

Researchers have shown for the first time that intermittent fasting increases the efficacy of anti-androgen therapy in prostate cancer, according to a paper reporting preclinical results published in Cancer Research on Aug. 8. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are necessary for the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells and the typical Western diet in particular, with its heavy animal fat and protein content, has been linked to increased incidence of cancer and poor prognosis. Learn More

Neurology

Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai: Single Hair Strand Could Provide Biomarker for ALS, Mount Sinai Study Finds

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have shown for the first time that a single strand of hair can reveal unique elemental patterns that distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy individuals. The findings, published in eBioMedicine, suggest that a simple, non-invasive hair-based test could one day speed ALS diagnosis and improve patient care.

ALS is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease, typically taking 10 to 16 months from symptom onset to diagnosis in the United States. Learn More

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons: Will Making Neurons Young Again Stop ALS?

In the beginning, not even Hynek Wichterle’s postdoc thought his idea to slow the progression of ALS had a chance. “When Hynek proposed this, I thought it would never work and was maybe a little bit of a waste of my time,” says Emily Lowry, now co-director with Wichterle of the Project ALS Therapeutics Core at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. The idea itself was simple. Because aging is often the trigger for many neurodegenerative diseases—including ALS—Wichterle reasoned that restoring vulnerable neurons to a more youthful state could make the neurons more resilient to the disease’s assault and slow disease progression. Learn More

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Finding a Cause for Impaired Communication in Autism

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges understanding spoken language, especially in noisy or everyday environments. Until now, most research has relied on simplified models that examined isolated syllables or words, leaving key questions unanswered. In a study published online on July 30 in NeuroImage, Théo Vanneau, Ph.D., Sophie Molholm, Ph.D., and colleagues used advanced neuromodeling techniques to better understand how people with ASD process multisensory speech in a more natural, continuous context. Learn More

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Using OMM to Fight MMA Head Injuries

Jayme Mancini, D.O., Ph.D., enjoyed both the spiritual and athletic elements of mixed martial arts (MMA) when she trained in MMA sports as a college student, but she also witnessed friends getting hit in the head during sparring and other full-contact combat. Now, as assistant professor of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) at the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the principal investigator of a new translational research project, Mancini is studying how she can use her passion as an osteopathic clinician to help MMA fighters recover from head injuries. Learn More

Artificial Intelligence

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biological Sciences at University at Buffalo: Revolutionizing the Way in Which Proteins Are Studied

Imagine a world where a new generation of targeted, precision medicine enables drugs to be rapidly designed for individual patients based on their own DNA. It’s a lofty goal, but one that may soon be closer to becoming a reality thanks in part to research led by Thomas D. Grant, PhD, assistant professor of structural biology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Learn More

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: AI-Driven, Instructor-Free Platform Could Transform Surgical Training

Surgeons in training have traditionally learned by watching an experienced mentor in the operating room, then gradually taking on parts of the procedure themselves. But this “see one, do one, teach one” model depends on having a skilled instructor present, which isn’t always possible. Variability in who’s available, differences in teaching styles, and the pressures of a busy hospital can leave trainees with uneven experiences and gaps in their skills. To overcome these challenges, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have developed an autonomous educational system that pairs realistic, 3D‑printed organs with an augmented‑reality headset and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a closed-loop training environment. Learn More

More Studies

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Elucidating Cell Death Mechanisms in Heart Attacks

Coronary heart disease, also known as ischemic heart disease, is the most common cause of death worldwide, primarily due to heart failure following a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI). Necroptosis, a regulated form of cell death, is known to play an important role in heart damage during MI. In a new study, Richard N. Kitsis, M.D., and colleagues report that the pathway by which necroptosis was assumed to operate during MI is incorrect. Learn More

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons: One Universal Antiviral to Rule Them All?

For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower—the ability to fight off all viruses. Columbia immunologist Dusan Bogunovic discovered the individuals’ antiviral powers about 15 years ago, soon after he identified the genetic mutation that causes the condition.At first, the condition only seemed to increase vulnerability to some bacterial infections. But as more patients were identified, its unexpected antiviral benefits became apparent. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine: Immunological Study Provides New Insights into Post-Pandemic Return of Respiratory Viruses

COVID-19 prevention methods such as masking and social distancing also suppressed the circulation of common respiratory diseases, leaving young children lacking immunity to pathogens they otherwise would have been exposed to, a new multi-center clinical research study reveals. The investigators say their findings help explain the large post-pandemic rebound in these diseases and enable more accurate predictions for the future.The study, published Aug. 6 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and funded by the National Institutes of Health, followed 174 children under the age of 10 from 2022-2023 across four academic medical centers across the country: Weill Cornell Medicine; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children’s Hospital Colorado; University of North Carolina; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Learn More

Building on its pioneering work in the field of palliative care, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announced today that it and four partner institutions have been awarded a five-year, $64 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a nationwide consortium dedicated to palliative care research for the benefit of patients and their caregivers. The Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan (ASCENT) consortium will transform the field by providing resources, expertise, and coordination that support high-quality research for enhancing care for people living with serious illness and those who care for them. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine: MERIT Grant Awarded to Study Cure for HIV

Nearly 20 years ago, a man named Timothy Ray Brown who was living with HIV and cancer, underwent two courses of stem cell transplantation to treat his acute myeloid leukemia. By using donor cells that lacked a key molecule needed for HIV to enter and infect immune cells, the procedures not only led to remission of his cancer but also cured him of HIV. Now, a scientific team co-led by Dr. Lishomwa Ndhlovu at Weill Cornell Medicine and Dr. Jonah Sacha at Oregon Health & Science University have received an NIH MERIT Award to provide long-term grant support to study a handful of people who, like Brown, have managed to clear HIV after a stem cell transplant and those who did not. Learn More

New York Medical College: Data Reveal Obesity Raises Thrombosis Risk in Geriatric Trauma

As the U.S. population continues to age—and rates of obesity climb—clinicians are increasingly faced with the complex challenge of managing trauma in older, obese individuals.This vulnerable demographic faces a significantly heightened risk of thromboembolic complications, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), stroke, and myocardial infarction, after sustaining severe trauma. A new large-scale study conducted by New York Medical College (NYMC) faculty, published in The American Journal of Surgery, offers compelling evidence that underscores this critical association. Learn More

New York Medical College: Disparities in Pain Management for Pediatric Femur Fractures Highlight Need for Equity in Care

Pediatric femur fractures represent a significant challenge in orthopedic practice, often necessitating surgical intervention for optimal recovery. Yet, while pain management in these cases is crucial not only for immediate comfort but also for long-term outcomes, a recent study published in Injury by New York Medical College faculty and students found that not only were patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds less likely to receive a peripheral nerve block, but overall regional anesthesia for pediatric femur fractures was underutilized nationally. Learn More

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Early Career Investigator Receives Grant to Advance Kidney Disease Research

Robert Bronstein, PhD, a faculty research investigator in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, has received a grant from KidneyCure to advance his research on the kidney glomerulus, the central filtration unit of the organ. Dr. Bronstein is one of 23 early career kidney disease researchers nationally to receive a 2025 award from KidneyCure. Learn More

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Surgery Research Team Awarded Close to $700K in Grants for High-Tech Wound Care Solution

A research team led by Research Associate Professor of Surgery, Gurtej Singh, PhD, of the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) and Stony Brook Medicine’s Department of Surgery, has been awarded two grants totaling $696,431. These grants will build on previously awarded seed grants from the Department of Surgery and enable the team to continue research into tissue regeneration and the future of wound healing for patients with severe injuries.The awards from The Mathers Foundation and the Technology Accelerator Fund are for $646,431 and $50,000, respectively. Learn More