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Awards Recognize Diversity Champions Across Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine’s Celebration of Diversity honored leaders who go beyond their official roles, dedicating time, energy and empathy to build inclusive environments. The ceremony, part of the institution’s seventh annual Diversity Week, was held April 7 in Griffis Faculty Club.

“This is one of the most important evenings of the year at Weill Cornell Medicine,” said Dr. Robert A. Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in opening remarks. “We are...

When Protective Lipids Decline, Health Risks Increase

New research from Weill Cornell Medicine has uncovered a surprising culprit underlying cardiovascular diseases in obesity and diabetes—not the presence of certain fats, but their suppression. The study, published Feb. 25 in Nature Communications, challenges the conventional belief that a type of fat called ceramides accumulates in blood vessels causing inflammation and health risks. Instead, their preclinical findings reveal that when ceramides decrease in endothelial cells lining...

line of vegetable oils in industrial setting

Omega-6 Fatty Acid Promotes the Growth of an Aggressive Type of Breast Cancer

Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in seed oils such as soybean and safflower oil, and animal products including pork and eggs, specifically enhances the growth of the hard-to-treat “triple negative” breast cancer subtype, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery could lead to new dietary and pharmaceutical strategies against breast and other cancers.

In the study, published March 14 in Science, the researchers found that...

AI Meets Oncology: New Model Personalizes Bladder Cancer Treatment

Leveraging the power of AI and machine learning technologies, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine developed a more effective model for predicting how patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will respond to chemotherapy. The model harnesses whole-slide tumor imaging and gene expression analyses in a way that outperforms previous models using a single data type.

The study, published March 22 in npj Digital Medicine, identifies key genes and tumor characteristics that may determine...

Telehealth Restrictions May Limit Opioid Use Treatment

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers found that restricting telehealth prescriptions for opioid use disorder could keep thousands from accessing buprenorphine, a medication that helps people recover from addiction. The study, published March 3 in JAMA Network Open, warns that requiring in-person visits—as had been proposed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)—may undo the progress made during the COVID-19 pandemic when telehealth increased access to this life-saving treatment. Previous studies...

Lowering Bioenergetic Age May Help Fend Off Alzheimer’s

A person’s “bioenergetic age”—or how youthfully their cells generate energy—might be a key indicator of whether they’re at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, new research from Weill Cornell Medicine shows. The study, published Feb. 24 in Nature Communications, suggests healthy living can turn back the bioenergetic clock for some people, helping them fend off Alzheimer’s as effectively as a new drug called lecanemab.

“That’s quite big because it means some people can lower their...

image of a pregnant woman getting a vaccine

New Targets Needed for Vaccine that Blocks Maternal Herpesvirus Transmission

A new Weill Cornell Medicine and Oregon Health & Science University co-authored study provides critical insight for the development of a vaccine that can more effectively block the spread of cytomegalovirus, or CMV, across the placenta to babies before they are born.

CMV is one of the most common viruses and most people don’t even know they’ve been infected. However, it carries significant risks to the developing fetus, including lifelong health complications such as hearing loss,...

Study Discovers Tuberculosis Genes Necessary for Airborne Transmission

Tuberculosis bacteria rely on a family of genes that help them survive the challenging journey from one person’s lungs to another person’s during coughing, sneezing or talking, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The findings provide new targets for tuberculosis therapies that could simultaneously treat infection and prevent the spread of bacteria.

Until now, very little was known about this transmission process—when...

colorized greyscale image of blood cells expanding on top of vascular endothelial cells

FLIpping the Switch: Boosting Stem Cell Numbers for Therapies

A single molecular switch is essential for blood stem cells to enter an activated, regenerative state in which they produce new blood cells, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery could lead to more effective bone marrow transplants and gene therapies.

Stem cells are immature cells that have a basic regenerative role in virtually all tissues. They normally exist in a quiescent, slowly dividing state, but after an injury can replace...

illustration of the different joints affected in spondyloarthritis

Possible Biomarker Identified for Crohn’s Disease with Arthritis Type

People with Crohn’s disease and related joint inflammation linked to immune system dysfunction have distinct gut bacteria or microbiota, with the bacterium Mediterraneibacter gnavus being a potential biomarker, according to new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

The study, published Feb. 13 in Gut Microbes, also demonstrated that the gut microbiota of people with Crohn’s and axial spondyloarthritis, which is joint inflammation of the spine and lower back, differs from...