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What's New In Medicine
March & April 2025
News & insights from across the Weill Department of Medicine - share your latest staff and research updates with Larissa Breedlove.
| | Save the Date: Covid-19 Remembrance Day | | Join us Tuesday, May 6 as we come together to remember the impact of Covid-19, honor the resilience of our communities, and reflect on the path forward. Our program will be led by former Weill Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Tony Hollenberg and Chair Dr. Myles Wolf. Learn More | | |
Islet Transplantation with Blood Vessel Cells Shows Promise to Treat Type 1 Diabetes
Findings published in Science Advances from a team led by senior author Dr. Shahin Rafii, Chief of the division of Regenerative Medicine, found that adding engineered human blood vessel-forming cells to islet transplants boosted the survival of the insulin-producing cells and reversed diabetes in a preclinical study. The new approach, which requires further development and testing, could someday enable the much wider use of islet transplants to cure diabetes.
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The figure above shows a stained graft retrieved six weeks after islet and reprogrammed vascular endothelial cell (R-VEC) co-transplantation. The white islet, revealed by insulin staining, is vascularized by green blood vessels derived from co-transplanted R-VECs, which are connected to host blood vessels (red).
Credit: Dr. Ge Li
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Islets, found in the pancreas, are clusters of insulin-secreting and other cells enmeshed in tiny, specialized blood vessels.
The insulin cells are killed by an autoimmune process in type 1 diabetes, which affects roughly nine million people worldwide. Although islet transplantation is a promising approach for treating such cases, the only FDA-approved method to date has significant limitations.
The study’s research showed that special blood vessel-forming cells they developed, called “reprogrammed vascular endothelial cells” (R-VECs), can overcome some of these limitations by providing strong support for islets, allowing them to survive and reverse diabetes long-term when transplanted under the skin of mice.
“This work lays the foundation for subcutaneous islet transplants as a relatively safe and durable treatment option for type 1 diabetes,” said first author Dr. Ge Li, a postdoctoral research associate in Dr. Rafii’s laboratory. Read More
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Immune Complex Shaves Stem Cells to Protect Against Cancer
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A new preclinical study published in Nature Immunology may lead to therapies that target the earliest stages of cancer, bolstering the idea the inflammasome has a dual role—that while it promotes inflammation associated with poor outcomes in late cancer stages, early on it can help prevent cells from becoming cancerous in the first place.
“We found that it functions in maintaining homeostasis in the tissue, keeping an eye on whether stem cells are proliferating too much. By doing so, it prevents cells from becoming cancerous and this activity is independent of inflammation," said lead author Dr. Julie Magarian Blander in the division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
The co-first authors of the study are Dr. Kristel Joy Yee Mon, a postdoctoral associate in Dr. Blander’s lab, and Dr. Andrew Kent, an assistant professor of medicine-hematology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Read More
| AI Meets Oncology: New Model Personalizes Bladder Treatment | |
Leveraging the power of AI and machine learning technologies, researchers co-led by Dr. Bishoy Faltas in the division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, has developed a more effective model for predicting how patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will respond to chemotherapy.
The study identifies key genes and tumor characteristics that may determine treatment success. Read More
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Grant from Hearst Foundations to Support Caregivers
A generous grant from The Hearst Foundations will fund a new Program for the Study and Support of Caregivers, developing new strategies to help people cope with the challenges of caring for friends or family members at home.
The award represents the latest in a multi-decade history of generous Hearst gifts to the institution, now totaling more than $6 million in philanthropy across the institution’s mission to care, discover and teach.
“We are gratified that Hearst sees this project as a valuable contribution to caregiver welfare,” said Dr. Mark Lachs, co-chief of the division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine.“ Caregivers are often called ‘the hidden patients’ because they go ignored when their loved ones are in treatment. Read More
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We are pleased to kick off Operations Lab, our new Weill Department of Medicine series celebrating operational wins that showcase the contributions of our extraordinary faculty, administrative and operational teams.
Watch Dr. Robert Brown, left, discuss the division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology’s creative approach to adjusting clinical rotations, which
-Maximized room utilization
-Better balanced faculty’s clinical and academic duties
We are grateful to the many faculty and staff who helped GI make these key changes, including Dr. Reem Sharaiha, Director of Endoscopy; Andrew Crawford, Division Administrator; and Yahaira Delgado, Practice Administrator.
| Upcoming Symposium Underscores Crucial Need to Study Women’s Global Health | |
The Women in Global Health Research’s upcoming intensive course on Global Infectious Diseases Across a Woman’s Lifespan, capped off by their 10th annual Scientific Symposium, takes place May 19-22, with the final day—May 22—open to the Weill Cornell Medicine community, including students and trainees. All are welcome to register.
The selective four-day intensive course will include topics such as 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. The May 22 scientific symposium will feature a keynote address by Dr. Carmen Logie, a pioneer in the field, and will feature a panel discussion with Dr. Lauren Osborne, Vice Chair of Clinical Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Dan Fitzgerald, Director of the Center for Global Health.
The expansion of the traditionally one-day event is supported in part by a key $2 million grant awarded last year 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. The undertaking employs a multi-pronged approach: (1) growing research around women’s infectious diseases; (2) supporting and mentoring the researchers producing these studies; and (3) increasing the number of researchers working to improve women’s health worldwide. Read More
| | Celebrating Match Day 2025! | The Weill Department of Medicine is thrilled to welcome 45 incoming residents this July! The Class of 2025 represents 34 different medical schools, with 6 residents from Weill Cornell Medical College. Match results were revealed simultaneously at noon Eastern time on March 21, 2025 to medical students nationwide. Read More | |
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Historical Vignettes is a retrospective highlighting prominent physicians and topics connected to the Weill Department of Medicine.
A Pioneer in Hypertension Research
Dr. John Henry Laragh, the first chief of cardiology in the now-Weill Department of Medicine, was a 1948 graduate of the then-Cornell University Medical College. In 1975, he was named the Hilda Altschul Master Professor of Medicine and appointed director of the newly established Cardiovascular Center of what is now NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. It was the same year he made the cover of Time.
Dr. Laragh’s pioneering research demonstrated the importance of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in regulating blood pressure, leading to a classification and treatment of hypertension based on renin activity. His fundamentally novel pharmacological strategy for the treatment of hypertension continues to influence clinical practice today. A founder of the American Society of Hypertension and first editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Hypertension, Dr. Laragh received numerous awards throughout his career, including the American Society of Hypertension’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He passed away in 2015 at age 90 with a legacy of innovations to the field of hypertension.
Historical Vignettes is coordinated by Dr. Joseph J. Fins, Sana Masood, M.A., (author), and Dr. David J. Wolf. Photograph and historical resources used for research are courtesy of the Medical Center Archives of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Visit us to learn more.
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Congratulations to Dr. Orli Etingin and Dr. Anyanate Gwendolyne Jack, who were honored during this week's Diversity Awards. Dr. Etingin received the Jessica M. and Natan Bibliowicz Award for Excellence in Mentoring Women Faculty and Dr. Jack won the Bruce Laine Ballard, MD Award for Excellence in Mentorship. Read More
Dr. Lisa Kern recently presented her study, Care Fragmentation, Care Continuity, and Care Coordination - How They Differ and Why It Matters, at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Kern addressed how care fragmentation occurs and the need for greater national dialogue and research around developing evidence-based strategies to reduce the occurrence of fragmentation and its associated harms.
Dr. Ching-Lan Lu, visiting fellow in Sonnenberg Lab, received the 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation- E-Gen Award.
As part of the Cornell Initiative on Aging and Adaptation to Extreme Heat, Dr. Arnab Ghosh and his research team were invited to the Administration for Strategic Planning and Evaluation’s Special Symposium on Health Equity to discuss their work on Climate Justice. Read more in the Cornell Initiative on Aging and Adaptation to Extreme Heat Annual Report.
| | Congratulations to our 2025 Star Performers! | Congratulations to our 2025 Star Performers so far this year, including first-year performers Katherine Nunez, Meghan Napolitano, N.P., Amanda Resto, Cristina De La Cruz and Latisha Sims; bronze stars Su Thaw and Vanessa Urbina; gold star Michelle LoPiccolo and super stars Cindy Perez and Giavanna Castro Plewa. | |
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. Parag Goyal, division of General Internal Medicine, has received funding from the National Institute on Aging to support a double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial that will test whether deprescribing beta-blockers improves clinical outcomes in older adults with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in the amount of $3.4 million.
Dr. James Lo, division of Cardiology, has received funding from the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute for a project titled “Mechanisms of Obesity-induced Atrial Fibrillation” in the amount of $2.9 million.
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Johnston CD, Pang APS, Siegler EL, Thomas C, Burchett CO, Crowley M, O'Brien R, Ndhlovu LC, Glesby MJ, Corley MJ. Sex differences in epigenetic ageing for older people living with HIV. EBioMedicine. 2025 Feb 8;113:105588. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105588. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39923742
Maldarelli GA, Metz M, Oguntunmibi S, Tran N, Xiang G, Lukin D, Scherl EJ, Longman RS.Gut Microbes. IgG-seq identifies immune-reactive enteric bacteria in Crohn's disease with spondyloarthritis. 2024 Dec;17(1):2464221. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2025.2464221. Epub 2025 Feb 13. PMID: 39949039
Marks KM, Kang M, Umbleja T, Cox A, Vigil KJ, Ta NT, Omoz-Oarhe A, Perazzo H, Kosgei J, Hatlen T, Price J, Katsidzira L, Supparatpinyo K, Knowles K, Alston-Smith BL, Rathod P, Sherman KE; ACTG 5379 (BEe-HIVe) Study Team. HepB-CpG vs HepB-Alum Vaccine in People With HIV and Prior Vaccine Nonresponse: The BEe-HIVe Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA. 2025 Jan 28;333(4):295-306. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.24490. PMID: 39616603
Walker, J. M., & Melo-Martín, I. (2025). Leaving Against Medical Advice: What's a Nurse to Do?. The American journal of nursing, 125(3), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJN.0000000000000031. A full story will be featured in the WNIM May/June newsletter.
Prescott NA, Biaco T, Mansisidor A, Bram Y, Rendleman J, Faulkner SC, Lemmon AA, Lim C, Tiersky R, Salataj E, Garcia-Martinez L, Borges RL, Morey L, Hamard PJ, Koche RP, Risca VI, Schwartz RE, David Y. A nucleosome switch primes Hepatitis B Virus infection. Cell. 2025 Feb 16:S0092-8674(25)00102-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.033. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39983728. WCM newsroom: Digging Into a Decades-Old Hepatitis B Mystery Suggests a New Potential Treatment.
Won TH, Arifuzzaman M, Parkhurst CN, Miranda IC, Zhang B, Hu E, Kashyap S, Letourneau J, Jin WB, Fu Y, Guzior DV; JRI Live Cell Bank; Quinn RA, Guo CJ, David LA, Artis D, Schroeder FC. Host metabolism balances microbial regulation of bile acid signalling. Nature. 2025 Feb;638(8049):216-224. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08379-9. Epub 2025 Jan 8. PMID: 39779854; PMCID: PMC11886927. WCM newsroom: Diet, Microbes and Fat: A New Pathway Controlling Levels of Body Fat and Cholesterol.
Liao Y, Gao IH, Kusakabe T, Lin WY, Grier A, Pan X, Morzhanaeva O, Shea TP, Yano H, Karo-Atar D, Olsen KA, Oh JH, Vandegrift KJ, King IL, Cuomo CA, Artis D, Rehermann B, Lipman N, Iliev ID. Fungal symbiont transmitted by free-living mice promotes type 2 immunity. Nature. 2024 Dec;636(8043):697-704. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08213-2. Epub 2024 Nov 27. PMID: 39604728. WCM newsroom: What a Gut Fungus Reveals About Symbiosis and Allergy.
Zhang GY, Brandman D. A Clinical Update on MASLD. JAMA Intern Med. 2025 Jan 1;185(1):105-107. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.6431. PMID: 39585671.
Bar-Mashiah AS, Mason K, Marsiglio M, Lukin DJ. Forecasting IBD Activity Using Wearable Devices. Gastroenterology. 2025 Feb 10:S0016-5085(25)00359-2.doi 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.02.001. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39938809.
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