Dr. Erika Abramson is serving as a senior mentor on a newly awarded education grant that will evaluate an interprofessional PA/MD curriculum at the medical school. The project, titled “A Realist Evaluation of Longitudinal Interprofessional Identity (REAL-IPI),” has been selected to receive the 2026 NEGEA Scholars Grant, which includes $15,000 in funding. The award reflects the continued strength and culture of funded medical education scholarship within the institution.

EBRI DAY OF ACTION - Monday, December 29th 



The Office of the Research Dean at Weill Cornell Medicine is urging Governor Kathy Hochul to invest in the proposed Empire Biomedical Research Institute to protect and strengthen New York’s leadership in biomedical research.

Biomedical research plays a critical role in advancing public health, driving economic growth, and creating jobs. With new state investment, New York can seize opportunities to recruit top scientists and attract life sciences companies. Without it, the state risks falling behind other states and countries. This investment would support research, employment, and the development of new treatments and cures—areas increasingly at risk amid shifts in federal science policies and rising global competition.

To underscore the importance of this effort, Weill Cornell Medicine has joined a broad coalition of New York medical schools and leading research institutions calling for action.

Learn more about why supporters say New York must safeguard an industry that generates more than $8 billion in economic activity statewide. Learn more here!

Pediatric Fellows' Research in Progress takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Third and second-year fellows present their ongoing academic scholarship work. Stay tuned for next month's presenters.

Advocacy Actions 

There is no shortage of advocacy actions as we move into the new year. Vaccine news dominates the headlines, but in recent weeks we have also seen media cover the very issues we are focused on — gun safety, mental health, and Medicaid and the pediatric workforce. The overarching issues impacting children’s health will continue to snowball and affect workforce issues at an alarming rate, especially around burnout and recruitment. 

But we can use our collective voices to reverse this trend.

• Join a vertically integrated advocacy group. Email Ilina Ewen to join, and she’ll alert you with turnkey actions and details when an advocacy opportunity arises.
• Keep speaking up in all the spaces you are in. Face-to-face conversations about vaccine efficacy, the power of science, and workforce challenges is also a form of advocacy.
• Use your networks, online and in person, to debunk misinformation and restore trust in research, medicine, and the experts behind it all.

Your lived experience is powerful, and pediatricians continue to be among the most trusted professionals when it comes to whom parents rely on most. And if you haven’t used the 5Calls app, check it out. It makes advocacy easy from literally the palm of your hand. 

Urgent: Help Protect Medical Education Standards on Health Equity

The LCME (the accrediting body for U.S. and Canadian medical schools) has proposed changes to Standard 7 that would remove structural competency requirements and eliminate expectations for students to recognize and address bias in healthcare.

Public comment closes January 7th. 

Medical students, faculty, physicians, and the public are all encouraged to comment. We need a collective response to do the following:

1. Reinstate structural competency as required curriculum.
2. Strengthen professional standards beyond simply “caring for patients from a variety of backgrounds.”
3. Require explicit training on identifying and addressing bias at all levels.

Submit your comment here.

Below is some sample language to include, and as always, add your own voice and perspective.

Key points to make:

• The framework omits foundational competencies for contemporary practice.
• Revisions exclude evidence-based frameworks like cultural humility and structural competency.
• Without explicit expectations, students won’t be adequately prepared for equitable care.

Dr. Honghai Liu has been selected to receive a 2025 Abstract Travel Grant from the American Heart Association’s Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS). This award supports his attendance at AHA Scientific Sessions 2025, to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The BCVS Abstract Travel Grant recognizes and supports the research contributions of early career investigators and trainees from various backgrounds, highlighting Dr. Liu’s emerging impact in cardiovascular science.

Dr. Duncan Hau

Reducing Harm in Cultural Transition: Repurposing the 5 Stages of Grief Model for Global Health Experiences

Dr. Rio Miyakawa

Efficacy of isoniazid in pediatric tuberculosis: an individual participant data meta-analysis

Dr. Chani Traube

Clinician knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of delirium in patients with grade 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia: A national survey

Dr. Melody Zeng

Microbiota regulation of gut-brain neuroimmune crosstalk in early life

On December 15, Dr. Sallie Permar and the Komansky Children’s Hospital Patient & Family Advisory Council spread holiday cheer by distributing more than 130 holiday gift bags to patients across pediatric units, the neonatal intensive care unit, and Emergency Services. The effort provided a meaningful opportunity to connect with families and share moments of warmth and support throughout the hospital during the holiday season.

Our Pediatrics Department is proud to recognize and celebrate the dedication and long-standing service of our exceptional staff through this year’s Employee Service Awards. We honor Bernice Figueroa for 25 years of committed service, Dr. Aliza Solomon for 20 years of outstanding care and leadership, and Sherly Ortiz and Rosalina Montilla for 10 years each of valued contributions to our team. Their hard work, compassion, and dedication to our patients and families have made a lasting impact on our department and community, and we are grateful for the years of service they have given to pediatrics.

Dr. Jennifer Salant contributed a chapter to the forthcoming book Facing Intensive Care: A Guide for Patients and Their Families, published by the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy. The chapter, titled “What Will My Child Experience in a Pediatric ICU?”, was coauthored with E.D. Bieber and P. Pryce and provides guidance for families navigating the pediatric intensive care experience.

We’re pleased to introduce our department’s new blog, a new forum for sharing stories, research updates, and perspectives from across our community. The blog will feature everything from research highlights to personal reflections, creating space for broad voices and ideas. Our most recent post explores reasons for optimism in 2026.

Schedule your Professional Headshot

External Affairs has established "headshot days" to fill the business need for standardized institutional headshots, particularly for clinical faculty profiles. 

Employees in need of headshots may sign up for a 10-minute time slot through Microsoft Bookings (login required).

Stay tuned for upcoming headshot days here!

2nd Annual Multidisciplinary Care of Autistic Youth Conference

This two-day virtual event is open to all, including mental health and pediatric professionals and trainees, parents and caregivers, self-advocates, and members of the community.

CME and CE credits will be offered.

Dates: January 22, 2026 | 8:30am-4:30pm

January 23, 2026 | 8:30am-4:15pm

Location: Virtual

Register by emailing wcmpsychiatryce@med.cornell.edu

Global Infectious Diseases Across a Woman's Lifespan Course

Date: May 13-15, 2026

Email wgh@med.cornell.edu for more information.