Graduate School of Medical Sciences
A partnership with the Sloan Kettering Institute

Medicare Rules May Reduce Prescription Steering

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—organizations that negotiate access to medicines for most patients in the United States—steer patients to use their own pharmacies. However, these pharmacies appear less used in Medicare than in other market segments. These PBMs are part of integrated health care conglomerates that own insurance companies and pharmacies, which may create conflicts of interest.

Diet, Microbes and Fat: A New Pathway Controlling Levels of Body Fat and Cholesterol

Beneficial gut microbes and the body work together to fine-tune fat metabolism and cholesterol levels, according to a new preclinical study by investigators from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus.

IMP Retreat 2023

This past October 2023, the IMP community gathered once more to bond and share ideas at the annual scientific retreat - this time at a new, beautiful location in Vernon, New Jersey. Nestled among the autumnal foliage at the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, Crystal Springs Resort provided the amenities and ample space for over 230 students, post-docs, and faculty to listen to a spectrum of excellent talks, engage in lively discussions, and connect with future collaborators. 

Preclinical Study Finds Surges in Estrogen Promote Binge Drinking in Females

The hormone estrogen regulates binge drinking in females, causing them to “pregame”—consume large quantities of alcohol in the first 30 minutes after it’s offered, according to a preclinical study led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine. The study establishes, for what is thought to be the first time, that circulating estrogen increases binge alcohol consumption in females and contributes to known sex differences in this behavior.

Immune Cells Digest Alzheimer's Plaques by Spitting Enzymes at Them

Immune cells in the brain called microglia can partially break down large amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease by latching on to them, forming a sort of external stomach and releasing digestive enzymes into the space, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The findings could ultimately lead to therapies that boost the ability of microglia to break down amyloid plaques.

Decades of Work Leads to Clinical Trial for Early Alzheimer’s Treatment

Neuroscientist Dr. Gary Gibson keeps a framed picture of a cell derived from the skin cells of a person with Alzheimer’s disease on his office wall.

The image is a memento of Dr. Gibson’s breakthrough hypothesis about an underlying cause of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s – that an insufficiency of vitamin B1 called thiamine alters the ability of mitochondria in brain cells to properly use glucose, directly causing neurodegeneration.

Developing Artificial Intelligence Tools for Health Care

Reinforcement Learning, an artificial intelligence approach, has the potential to guide physicians in designing sequential treatment strategies for better patient outcomes but requires significant improvements before it can be applied in clinical settings, finds a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and Rockefeller University researchers.

Putting the Brakes on Prostate Cancer Cells


Prostate cancer hijacks the normal prostate’s growth regulation program to release the brakes and grow freely, according to Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The discovery, published Dec. 13 in Nature Communications, paves the way for new diagnostic tests to guide treatment and could also help drug developers identify novel ways to stop the disease.

What a Gut Fungus Reveals About Symbiosis and Allergy

A fungus discovered in the mouse stomach may hold a key to fungal evolution within the gastrointestinal tract, according to new research led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The finding suggests that preclinical studies until now have overlooked a major influencer of mouse physiology.

Graduate Students Showcase Science Communication Skills with Three-Minute Talks

With just one slide and three minutes, fourth-year graduate student Erin Keblish described how she is developing a carbon nanotube-based sensor that could act like a “smoke detector” for early signs of deadly sepsis, during Weill Cornell Medicine’s ninth annual Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition on November 13.