News | Page 33 | Weill Department of Medicine

Diversity Holiday Mixer Held at Griffis Faculty Club

A Diversity Holiday Mixer; co-sponsored by the Weill Department of Medicine, the Diversity Center of Excellence of the Cornell Center for Health Equity, and the Dean's Office of Diversity and Inclusion; was held in Griffis Faculty Club on January 7, 2020. The festive and extremely well-attended event included trainees, faculty, as well as Dr. Susana Morales, Vice Chair, Office of Diversity, and many other members of diversity leadership.

Targeting the Type 1 Interferon Pathway to Treat Lupus: Dr. Crow Provides Perspective in Science

In a perspective published in Science, Dr. Mary K. Crow, Chief, Division of Rheumatology, WDOM, and the Physician-in-Chief and Chair of Medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery, has provided an analysis on new research findings involving the overproduction of type 1 interferon in lupus. The new research has yielded data on one of the mechanisms that might explain why interferon is being made in excess in lupus, and Dr. Crow notes this advance “also supports therapeutic targeting of the... Read More

The Challenges in Designing Clinical Trials for Lupus: Dr. Salmon Publishes Editorial in NEJM

Dr. Jane E. Salmon, Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, WDOM, and the Collette Kean Research Chair, Hospital for Special Surgery, has published an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine that highlights the need for greater flexibility in clinical trial design for lupus. She notes that there is a challenge in designing clinical trials for lupus in terms of selection of outcomes instruments and suggests a remedy.Related LinksEditorial in NEJMHSS Newsroom

Dr. Lo and Colleagues Publish Critical Findings on Type 2 Diabetes in Nature Medicine

Dr. James C. Lo, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and colleagues have published critical findings on type 2 diabetes in Nature Medicine. The paper is focused on adipsin, a protein produced by fat cells, and its relationship to type 2 diabetes.When insulin-secreting cells (beta cells) are not working properly in people with type 2 diabetes, injecting insulin becomes necessary to keep blood glucose levels stable. In their Nature Medicine paper (November 7, 2019), Dr. Lo... Read More

Dr. Lee and Colleagues Publish Breakthrough Paper on UTI in Nature Communications

Dr. John R. Lee, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hepatology, has published a breakthrough paper on urinary tract infection (UTI) in Nature Communications. The paper, entitled, “Gut Uropathogen Abundance is a Risk Factor for Bacteriuria and Urinary Tract Infection,” addresses the common medical problem of UTIs. In a collaborative study, Dr. Lee and colleagues revealed a first-of-its-kind discovery showing that the abundance of uropathogens in the gut is associated... Read More

Dr. Martinez Leads PRECISIONS Study on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Dr. Fernando MartinezDr. Fernando Martinez, Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, has been appointed to serve as co-Principal Investigator on a newly launched study – PRECISIONS – that aims to transform diagnosis and treatment for IPF. Funded by a $22 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and Three Lakes Partners, the PRECISIONS study will define genetic and molecular signatures to distinguish IPF from non-IPF interstitial lung diseases.IPF has no known cause... Read More

WDOM Star Performers Celebrated at 7th Annual RRR Reception

The WDOM’s Employee Recognition Program Selection Committee celebrated the department’s Star Performer winners at the 7th Annual RRR (Results, Rewards, Recognition) Reception held at the Griffis Faculty Club on November 7, 2019. Opening remarks were given by Dr. Anthony Hollenberg, Chair, Weill Department of Medicine, and Nancy Bennett, Associate Director of Faculty & Staff Support, WDOM, led the event.

Highlight on HCV: Dr. Brown Lead Author on Breakthrough Paper in Journal of Hepatology

Dr. Robert S. Brown, Jr.Dr. Robert S. Brown, Jr., the Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Medicine and Clinical Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, served as lead author and investigator on a recent study, EXPEDITION-8, that used a new drug combination for chronic HCV (hepatitis C) and compensated cirrhosis of the liver. Results of the breakthrough 8-week drug regimen (glecaprevir/pibrentasivr) were published in the Journal of Hepatology. Dr. Brown and colleagues... Read More

Pulmonary Celebrates the Career of Dr. King and Announces a New Fund to Continue his Legacy

Dr. Thomas K.C. KingOn October 2, 2019, the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine celebrated the life and career of one of their own, Dr. Thomas K.C. King. A tribute to Dr. King’s legacy was held at the Griffis Faculty Club as part of the division’s Briscoe-King Lung Club. The event commenced with opening remarks by Dr. Fernando J. Martinez, Division Chief, and Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, and was attended by members of Dr.... Read More

Dr. Fins Receives Brain Initiative Grant from the NIH

Dr. Joseph FinsDr. Joseph J. Fins, E. William Davis, Jr., Professor of Medical Ethics, Professor of Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics, has received a RO1 grant from the NIH BRAIN Initiative entitled “Cognitive Restoration: Neuroethics and Disability Rights.” The grant seeks to understand the opportunities and challenges posed by cognitive restoration for people with severe to moderate traumatic brain injury in the context of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Dr. Fins’s... Read More