Weill Cornell Medicine

Exciting news! Join us in congratulating Dr. Katzen.

Dr. Margaret “Molly” McNairy recently uncovered an epidemiological shift in Haiti, a finding with important implications for other low-income countries. Dr. McNairy of Weill Cornell Medicine and her colleagues found that cardiovascular disease, including early-onset high blood pressure and premature heart disease, had replaced HIV, malaria and TB as the most serious health risk. The researchers launched a study of 3,000 Haitian adults to identify cardiovascular risk factors that can be targeted for prevention. Their work has found significant differences between heart disease in Western countries and resource-poor countries. In Haiti, pollution and food insecurity are among the most common risk factors for heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is more likely to be brought on by untreated high blood pressure, which affects a third of adults, including many under 30. Dr. McNairy and her colleagues are now collaborating with local community and public health experts to personalize interventions. “The mission of our study is to use data to save lives, and the silver lining is that cardiovascular disease is preventable.” Read more in our latest issue of IMPACT: https://bit.ly/4dE41nb

Our inaugural Exploring Careers in Healthcare Opportunities Summer Program was a huge success! Created by our Office of Staff Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement, the program gave fifteen college students from schools such as John Jay College (CUNY), St. Francis College and CUNY Hostos Community College an opportunity to learn about various careers in healthcare with several of our clinical, research and administrative departments across Weill Cornell Medicine. On a recent Friday, several students got a glimpse of A Day in the Life of External Affairs. They were introduced to various roles in communications, development, marketing and more. Other participating departments in the program included information technology, human resources, staff and organizational development, finance, the Physician Organization, radiology, neurology, reproductive medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology. All students participated in a mock career fair, where volunteers from these departments provided advice, resume reviews, and encouragement. Join us in giving a round of applause to everyone who participated! 👏 👏 👏

Join us in celebrating the recent achievements of our community members! ⭐ Dr. Marc Boom was named the chair-elect designate of the American Hospital Association. ⭐ Dr. Alberto Jesus Gonzalez-Hernandez and Dr. Qianyi Wu were both awarded the Charles H. Revson Senior Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences Program. ⭐ Dr. Julianne Imperato-McGinley was honored with the Lifetime of Medical Research, Scholarship, and Community Health Award at the 2024 CUNY Hostos Community College Foundation's Annual Scholarship Benefit. ⭐ Dr. Rahul Sharma received the 2024 New York American College of Emergency Physicians Advancing Emergency Care Award. ⭐ Dr. Yi Wang was awarded the 2024 INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE Gold Medal Award. Full announcement: https://bit.ly/4fyAeOd

The general anesthetic propofol may hold potential in the development of new treatment strategies for epilepsy and other neurological disorders, a new study has found. Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Linköpings universitet determined the high-resolution structural details of how propofol inhibits the activity of HCN1, an ion channel protein found on many types of neurons. Drug developers consider inhibiting HCN1 a promising strategy for treating neurologic disorders including epilepsy and chronic pain. The researchers also found, to their surprise, that when HCN1 contains either of two epilepsy-associated mutations, propofol binds to it in a way that restores its functionality. Read more: https://bit.ly/3A98UWO

Kristen Brady has always found her work rewarding as assistant director of research administration at Weill Cornell Medicine, and it took on a deeper meaning when she became pregnant with her first child five years ago. Kristen's daughter Gemma was born with a hypoplastic right ventricle, a condition where the right half of her heart was not developed. Gemma has thrived under the care of her Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital team, including surgeon Dr. Emile Bacha and cardiologist Dr. Patrick Flynn. By age three, she'd had three open heart surgeries to divert the venous blood to the pulmonary arteries, the first of which took place during the height of the pandemic. When Kristen's third child, Dylan, was born in 2023, she discovered that he, too, had a heart condition called a vascular ring where his aorta was wrapped around his esophagus. At six months old, he had surgery to correct it. Thinking about their futures, Kristen wonders about their health into adulthood and has become an advocate for research. "Understanding the research process through my work was helpful with my kids, because I know how much work goes into it, and how important it is to fund these projects," she says. She's worked hard to raise money for The Children's Heart Foundation, running marathons and half marathons on behalf of her children. Most recently, she ran the 2024 Disney Half Marathon, raising more than $3,000. While training is much harder now with three kids, she is motivated to keep going because of them. "As I was running, I just kept thinking of my kids. I didn't care much about my time, I was just having fun and it felt good raising funds for the cause," she says. Her kids are taking notice and want to join and lately Gemma has been asking to run with her mom. "It might look different than my typical run," says Kristen, both because of Gemma's age and her condition, "but I think it shows that she doesn't think of herself as unable."

Many people enrolled in Medicaid who require psychiatric care have difficulty accessing mental health providers, according to new research. A team led by Dr. William Schpero of Weill Cornell Medicine found that few psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who are listed as accepting new patients enrolled in Medicaid can be reached and have available appointments. The results suggest that despite recent regulations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that require states to perform “secret shopper” surveys evaluating access to care for Medicaid enrollees, greater enforcement is necessary to ensure those patients receive the treatments they need. Read more: https://bit.ly/4c2T8dn

A dual-chamber wireless pacemaker provides reliable performance under varying conditions over three months, according to a new study by Dr. James Ip of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. “We have proven that the two separate pieces of the new pacemaker system communicate with each other very well even when people change positions, engage in activities, or when their heart rates rise," says Dr. Ip. Pacemakers deliver an electrical signal to regulate the heartbeat in people with slow heart rhythms. A traditional pacemaker is implanted under the skin in the chest and has wires (leads) threaded through veins to the heart. However, the devices can lead to potential complications. About ten years ago, new wireless pacemakers became available that can stimulate the heart’s lower chamber, the ventricle. These pacemakers provide an alternative to wired pacemakers for patients with some types of heart rhythm problems. More recently, wireless pacemakers were developed that can be implanted in the heart’s upper chamber, the atrium, and can stimulate both the upper and lower chambers. The tiny devices are threaded through a blood vessel in the groin to the heart and screwed in place, a procedure that is less invasive than the implantation of wired devices. The new study evaluated the performance of the dual chamber stimulating device in various circumstances, such as when patients are engaged in activity that raises their heart rate or when they change positions, such as standing up or lying down. Full story: https://bit.ly/3A1hRkR

Why do certain New York neighborhoods have disproportionately higher rates of diagnosis and deaths from detectable cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer? This is a question that Dr. Erica Phillips had. To get answers, Dr. Phillips, co-leader for the Center for Social Capital (SoCa Center) and Multigenerational Health, went straight to the source and sought input from the community. Through community-engaged research, she learned that earlier education and interventions—starting in middle school—were a priority. Now, her team is challenged to turn community feedback into action and integrate cancer risk reduction and the science of cancer into the school system. Part of the hope is that this cancer information will flow from school into homes, to parents and caregivers. "How do we channel students' energy into understanding how their environment and public policies can contribute to cancer risk and activate their desire to be influencers around these policies?" asked Dr. Phillips of Weill Cornell Medicine. Could this drive the next generation of cancer researchers from underrepresented communities? If so, her center has developed programs to provide experiential and employable skills to young adults from persistent poverty areas. "We hope the clinical research coordinator program will not only impact the diversity of clinical studies and participants in those studies, but also the diversity of the biomedical workforce to ultimately advance health equity," said co-leader Dr. Yazmin Carrasco of Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. https://bit.ly/3Yretdm

This past weekend, Swim Across America hosted a charity swim in Larchmont, NY, to raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Our Weill Cornell Medicine community turned out to swim, volunteer, and raise awareness and funds for cancer research. Thanks to their incredible efforts, they raised a staggering $1.8M, a significant contribution that will significantly impact patient programs, research, and clinical trials.