|
What's New In Medicine
June & July 2025
News & insights from across the Weill Department of Medicine - share your latest staff and research updates with Larissa Breedlove.
| | Covid-19 Remembrance Day Brings Our Community Together | | |
The Weill Department of Medicine commemorated the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic with an intimate gathering honoring the resilience of our community. Dr. Kirana Gudi, who led the organization of the May 6 event, delivered opening remarks. During the earliest days of the pandemic, Dr. Gudi worked closely with then-Chair Dr. Tony Hollenberg to organize faculty and trainees from across Weill Cornell Medicine to care for the sickest patients. All of the Department's clinical areas with ventilators were converted into Medical Intensive Care Units (MICUs).
At the same time, Dr. Gudi worked vigilantly to ensure that year's Internal Medicine (IM) residents remained safe. A poignant moment was when Dr. Hollenberg shared the band Semisonic's specialized rendition of its hit, Closing Time, in honor of the Class of 2020.
Chair Myles Wolf and Drs. Hollenberg, Trip Gulick, Todd Cutler and Harsimran Singh gave remarks. Additionally, the Department commissioned prints by multimedia artist Quinn Gorbutt titled, respectively, Heart, Mirror, Crown; Sunrise; and High Tide. Gorbutt developed the project after collecting discarded objects in the streets during the pandemic. His work integrates these objects into art, breathing new life into items once deemed useless. These pieces are on permanent display in the hallways of M5.
| | Dr. Kirana Gudi (top) delivers opening remarks; Dr. Myles Wolf (above) reflects on artist Quinn Gorbutt's work; Semisonic (right) honors the Class of 2020; and Dr. Trip Gulick (bottom) shares the critical, real-time research done on the virus and Weill Cornell Medicine's pivotal role in creating life-saving vaccines. | | Dr. Tony Hollenberg, above, speaks about innovations in care during the pandemic. The unprecedented time allowed the Weill Cornell Medicine community to come together to care for some of the Tri-State area's sickest patients. New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. | | Study Reveals New Clues in Liver Disease Prevention | | |
The aging liver undergoes dramatic changes in its functional organization and other key attributes, which may underpin its increasing susceptibility to disease, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine, including senior author Dr. Robert Schwartz and Dr. Saloni Sinha, right, a postdoctoral research associate in the Schwartz laboratory.
The findings suggest the possibility of future therapies that would block or reduce such changes to treat or prevent age-related chronic liver diseases—effectively making the liver more youthful and resilient. In the study, published on July 4 in Hepatology, the researchers compared gene activity and other features of the cells in aged versus young mouse livers. Among the major aging-related changes they observed were enlargements of many liver cells, inflammation and blurring of the functional zones of normal livers. The researchers observed similar changes when comparing older and younger human livers. Read More
| | |
How Vessels in the Lungs Switch Gears to Promote Healing
A protein called PAR1 helps lymphatic vessels structurally transform to boost fluid drainage and support healing when the lungs are injured, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine. Injury can cause fluid buildup in the lungs, making it hard to breathe. In response, the body’s lymphatic system ramps up to clear inflammation. Excess fluid is removed and returned to the blood for disposal. But the underlying mechanism of this process was unknown.
The study, published July 17 in Nature Cardiovascular Research, demonstrated that PAR1 triggers a change in the spaces between endothelial cells lining the inside of the lymphatic vessels of the lungs. This transformation makes the vessels permeable, so they can absorb more fluid and immune cells, a response distinct from blood vessels, where similar changes result in leakage and disease.
“These junctions govern how lymphatic vessels are able to perform fluid and cell uptake,” said the study’s principal investigator Dr. Hasina Outtz Reed.
Read More
| | Patient Story: HCM Program Transforms Man's Quality of Life | |
Last summer, Rich Meissner (above) was involved in a serious car accident. While uninjured, the event left a devastating secondary impact: shortly after, Meissner experienced a major atrial fibrillation episode. A longtime patient of Dr. Adam Cheriff's, Meissner was diagnosed with HCM by Dr. Robert Kim and referred to Weill Cornell Medicine's HCM Program, led by Dr. Diala Steitieh. Read More
We welcome patient stories, which are cross-promoted on Weill Cornell Medicine's patient blog, social media channels, and additional potential outlets, including podcasts, national media, and Impact, our institutional magazine. Have a lead? Contact Larissa Breedlove.
| | Immune Tolerance to Gut Microbes Initiated by Key Bacterial Sensor | | |
Thousands of bacterial and other microbial species live in the human gut, supporting healthy digestion, immunity, metabolism and other functions. Precisely how these microbes are protected from immune attack has been unclear, but now a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators has found that this immune “tolerance” to gut microbes depends on an ancient bacterial-sensing protein called STING—normally considered a trigger for inflammation. The surprising result could lead to new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and other conditions involving gut inflammation. In their study, reported June 16 in Immunity, investigators led by Dr. Greg Sonnenberg focused on group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), immune cells that dwell in the mucosal lining of the gut. Read More
| | Switch to Experimental Drug after Liquid Biopsy Detection of Breast Cancer Recurrence Improves Outcomes | |
The SERENA-6 study, published June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented concurrently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, was conducted at multiple medical centers, including at Weill Cornell Medicine and three affiliated NewYork-Presbyterian campuses: NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. It is one of the first demonstrations that treatment switching guided by liquid biopsy results brings better outcomes for patients.
“The main message here is that liquid biopsy technology allows us to intervene sooner when the tumor burden is lower and the chance of a good outcome is higher,” said study co-author Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli. Read More
| | |
This summer, the WDOM announced key leadership changes and an updated Vice Chair structure. These changes are effective Aug. 1, 2025.
Education
We welcome Dr. Adrian Majid as the new Program Director of our Internal Medicine (IM) residency program. Dr. Majid previously served as our Senior Associate Program Director before taking on another opportunity. We are thrilled to have him back with us. Dr. Majid succeeds Dr. Kirana Gudi, who will focus on her myriad contributions as Vice Chair of Education.
General Internal Medicine
Dr. Judy Tung now serves as Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Monika Safford takes on a new position as Director of Research for the Division.
Dr. Maya Hogg has been named Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine for NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She succeeds Dr. Margaret “Molly” McNairy, who leaves this fall for another opportunity.
Dr. Fred Pelzman has been named Chief of Ambulatory Medicine, succeeding Dr. Tung.
Hematology & Medical Oncology
Dr. Manuel Hidalgo has left his role as Chief of the Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology. Dr. David Nanus serves as Interim Chief. We are embarking on a new national search for our next Chief.
Rheumatology
Dr. S. Louis Bridges, Jr. will retire as Chief of the Division of Rheumatology on Dec. 31, 2025. A nationwide search for a new Chief of Rheumatology at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and WDOM will begin soon.
Vice Chair Restructuring
Dr. Kyu Rhee now serves as Vice Chair of Research, succeeding Dr. Steven M. Lipkin. In addition, Dr. Gregory Sonnenberg will serve in a newly created role as Associate Vice Chair of Research.
Dr. Christine Garcia serves as Associate Vice Chair of Quality and Patient Safety. She succeeds Dr. Jennifer “Ara” Lee.
Dr. Tsiporah Shore will continue serving as Associate Vice Chair of Compliance.
Dr. Rebecca Berger will now serve as Assistant Vice Chair of Operations.
Dr. Dana Zappetti will continue serving as Vice Chair of Clinical Operations.
Dr. Marshall Glesby's role has been refined to Vice Chair of Faculty Development.
We appreciate our leaders' contributions and wish them all the best in their new roles.
| |
| | |
We were thrilled to welcome Chloe Collins, left, a rising junior at Virginia Tech, to the Weill Department of Medicine this summer as our inaugural administrative intern. Arriving in July, Chloe shadowed our divisions' key staff, including DAs, to better understand each specialty, and worked closely with Paige McMillan, our Chief Administrative Officer.
A Certified Nursing Assistant initially interested in clinical care, Chloe is now focused on exploring hospital operations as a potential career path. She finds particular inspiration in the academic medical setting. A highlight of her WDOM experience was visiting three outpatient clinics. We wish her all the best as she prepares for the new academic year.
| | | | |
We are pleased to present Operations Lab, our Weill Department of Medicine series celebrating operational wins that showcase the contributions of our extraordinary faculty, administrative and operational teams.
Watch Dr. Laura Alonso, left, discuss the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism's usage of Advance Practice Providers (APPs) to improve their practice's patient access by implementing:
-Team-Based Care, and
-Specialized Care Teams
We are grateful to the providers and staff who helped facilitate this effective model, including Maria Spinelli, RN, MSN, ANP-BC and Susan Chung FNP-BC, MPH.
| 10th Annual Symposium Highlights Global Women's Health | | More than 100 researchers, above, gathered for the 10th annual Scientific Symposium in May.
The Women in Global Health Research’s 10th annual Scientific Symposium explored topics including sex differences in global infectious diseases; host immunology across the woman's lifespan; and the treatment, prevention, and social determinants that contribute to poorer health outcomes for women during a four-day intensive course May 19-22. It was the first in-person event of its kind since 2019. The final day, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Carmen Logie, was open to all.
The expansion of the traditionally one-day event was supported in part by a key $2 million grant awarded in 2024 to Drs. Jennifer Downs, Jyoti Mathad and Margaret “Molly” McNairy from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for an initiative on developing research leaders in women’s global infectious diseases.
| | |
Congratulations to our 2025 Fund for the Future winners Drs. Kristen Berger and Daniel Choi! Our third awardee, Dr. Ching-Lan Lu, recently received a K award effective Aug. 1, 2025, which supersedes her original Fund for the Future award. Read More
Dr. Warren Johnson, founding director of the Center for Global Health, was honored with the Weill Award in May.
Dr. Marshall Glesby received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship during the annual faculty awards on commencement. This honor recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to supporting colleagues to become academic leaders in clinical care, research or education.
The Weill Department of Medicine held its annual Medicine Grand Rounds awards in June. These include the Young Investigators Award, Young Fellows Award, Wallis Prize for Women's Health Research and the David E. Rogers Memorial Research Award. Congratulations to our 2025 recipients.
Dr. Arnab Ghosh was selected as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar
Read More
Drs. David Artis and Chun-Jun Guo, both in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Dr. Frank Schroeder of Cornell University, have been awarded the 2025 Biocodex International Microbiota Grant. Read More
Dr. Russell Rosenblatt received a Gilead Research Scholars Program in Primary Biliary Cholangitis.
Dr. Veronika Horn, a postdoctoral researcher in the Sonnenberg Lab, received a 2025 Charles H. Revson Senior Fellow in Biomedical Science award.
Dr. Silvia Pires received a Career Development Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Dr. Mohammad Arifuzzaman was recently named a 2025 AAI ASPIRE Award winner by the American Association of Immunologists. The award recognizes up to six outstanding early career investigators for research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
In a recent viewpoint published in JACC: Advances, Dr. Madeline Sterling emphasized the importance of integrating home health care into the learning health system (LHS) to strengthen care delivered to patients with heart failure. Dr. Lisa Kern also contributed to the report. Read More
The new Program for the Study and Support of Caregivers was featured in Impact's Summer 2025 edition in a lead article titled "Labor of Love" featuring Drs. Ronald Adelman and Mark Lachs, Co-Chiefs in the Division of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine.
Read the latest in Cornell Chronicle's five-part series on women's health in Tanzania featuring Drs. Jennifer Downs and Orli Etingin.
Drs. Anyanate Gwendolyne Jack and Sangeeta Kashyap, both in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, along with colleagues at Houston Methodist Hospital, recently published a review highlighting disparities in the use of SGLT2i in populations with T2D, chronic kidney disease, heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Mohammad Arifuzzaman was named a 2025 AAI ASPIRE Award winner by the American Association of Immunologists. The award recognizes up to six outstanding early career investigators for research accomplishments and professional promise in the field of immunology.
| | Congratulations, 2025 Star Performers! | |
Congratulations to our latest 2025 Star Performers, including Bronze performers:
Vanessa Urbina, Lead Medical Assistant (Pulmonary)
Jaeliana Veras, Lead Medical Assistant (Hematology & Medical Oncology)
Aisha Farris, Patient Access Coordinator (Cardiology)
Katherine Nunez, R.N. (Pulmonary)
Fanta Jobarteh, Patient Lab Technician (Infectious Diseases)
We also congratulate our recent Super Stars, including:
Ashley Soliwoda, Assistant Research Coordinator (Infectious Diseases)
Aliya Mohammed, R.N.(Hematology & Medical Oncology)
Kathryn Zhu, Fellowship & Educational Manager (General Internal Medicine)
| | |
As Assistant Research Coordinator in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Ashely ensures studies are accurately tracked, meet deadlines and set enrollment milestones. "This is truly a role in which you create your own opportunities," she says. She finds joy in showing up for her colleagues and study teams.
Outside of work, Ashley enjoys hot yoga, running and traveling.
| |  | Meet Aliya Mohammed, R.N.! | |
Aliyah is proud of being a Registered Nurse in the Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, where she often works with some of Weill Cornell Medicine's sickest patients. "I find being a nurse challenging and rewarding," she says.
Aliyah enjoys spending time with her family and experimenting in the kitchen. She is also a fan of Disney and Pixar films.
| | |
Cheers for Peers is a peer recognition program to help doctors recognize their colleagues for going the extra mile.
Send a big “thank you” to your colleague, fellow or resident for brightening your day by completing our short survey.
| | Sponsored Research Awards | |
Dr. Joseph Scandura, Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, has received funding from the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute to support a project titled "Controlling the Niche to Control Clonal Hematopoiesis" in the amount of $3.2 million.
Dr. Chun-Jun Guo, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, has received funding from the National Cancer Institute to support a project titled "The role of microbiota amino acid metabolism in cancer" in the amount of $3.0 million.
| | |
Gogokhia L, Tran N, Grier A, Nagayama M, Xiang G, Funez-dePagnier G, Lavergne A, Ericsson C, Ben Maamar S, Zhang M, Battat R, Scherl E, Lukin DJ, Longman RS. Donor composition and fiber promote strain engraftment in a randomized controlled trial of fecal microbiota transplant for ulcerative colitis. Med. 2025 May 28:100707. doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2025.100707. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40460824.
Rodriguez N, Katzenstein C, O'Kula S; Mount Sinai MFM ICP Care Group; Kushner T. Use of maralixibat in severe and recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy with concurrent benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC). J Hepatol. 2025 Jun 18:S0168-8278(25)02249-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2025.05.018. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40541743.
Kumar S, Lahooti A, Hajifathalian K, Critelli B, Hassan A, Johnson KE, Baig MU, Akagbosu C, Canakis A, Hassan K, Lahooti I, Dawod Q, Wong R, Buckholz A, Newberry C, Sampath K, Carr-Locke D, Mahadev S, Sharaiha RZ. Prospective, Matched Case-Control Study of Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty and Semaglutide in Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease at One Year. Dig Dis Sci. 2025 Jul 8. doi: 10.1007/s10620-025-09218-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40629230.
Ehrenberg PK, Geretz A, Volcic M, Izumi T, Yum LK, Waickman A, Shangguan S, Paquin-Proulx D, Creegan M, Bose M, Machmach K, McGraw A, Narahari A, Currier JR, Sacdalan C, Phanuphak N, Apps R, Corley M, Ndhlovu LC, Slike B, Krebs SJ, Anonworanich J, Tovanabutra S, Robb ML, Eller MA, Laird GM, Cyktor J, Daar ES, Crowell TA, Mellors JW, Vasan S, Michael NL, Kirchhoff F, Thomas R. Single-cell analyses identify monocyte gene expression profiles that influence HIV-1 reservoir size in acutely treated cohorts. Nat Commun. 2025 May 29;16(1):4975. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025- 59833-9. PMID: 40442100.
Gramatica A, Miller IG, Ward AR, Khan F, Kemmer TJ, Weiler J, Huynh TT, Zumbo P, Kurland AP, Leyre L, Ren Y, Klevorn T, Copertino DC, Chukwukere U, Levinger C, Dilling TR, Linden N, Board NL, Falling Iversen E, Terry S, Mota TM, Bedir S, Clayton KL, Bosque A, MacLaren Ehui L, Kovacs C, Betel D, Johnson JR, Paiardini M, Danesh A, Jones RB. EZH2 inhibition mitigates HIV immune evasion, reduces reservoir formation, and promotes skewing of CD8+ T cells toward less-exhausted phenotypes. Cell Rep. 2025 May 27;44(5):115652. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115652. Epub 2025 May 5. PMID: 40333189.
Kern LM, Riffin C, Phongtankuel V, Banerjee S, Ringel JB, Aucapina JE, Tobin JN, Fisseha S, Meiri H, Han J, Wu K, Bialor J, Bell SK, Casale PN. Comparative Effectiveness of Two Methods for Assigning Care Coordinators to People Living With Dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc.
Reif LK, Rouzier V, Yan LD, Sabwa S, Hilaire G, Pierre MJ, Riche RC, Peck R, Ogyu A, Sufra R, Pape JW, Fitzgerald DW, McNairy ML. Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Young People in Haiti: Implications for Low-Income Countries. Glob Heart.
Wardle, C., Scales, D. Advocating for a community-centred model for responding to potential information harms. Nat Hum Behav (2025)
Abraham BK, Vogler M, Talati A, Suresh P, Gill B, Ravikumar S, Shepard C, Gulick R, Nash D, Peters V. Pregnancy Outcomes and All-Cause Mortality After Pregnancy Among US-Born Women With Perinatally Acquired HIV. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2025 Jan 1;98(1):20-28. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000003535.PMID: 39642019
Omoding D, Musinguzi N, Boum Y 2nd, Muzoora C, Kigozi S, Hunt PW, Martin JN, Bangsberg DR, Haberer JE, Siedner MJ, McCluskey SM, Lee GQ. Subtypes A1 and D, and recombinant HIV-1 natural polymorphisms associated with lenacapavir drug resistance in Uganda. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2025 Apr 2;80(4):955-961. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkaf018.PMID: 39881519
| | | | |
