News

Susan Bostwick, MD

 Dr. Susan Bostwick, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, is Executive Vice Chair for Administration and Faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. In addition, she is the Associate Dean for Affiliations at Weill Cornell. Prior to the Department of Pediatrics she served as the Vice Chair for Education (2010-2021), Director of Pediatric Graduate Medical Education at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Campus (1999-2010, Associate Director 2010-2012), Medical Director of Inpatient General Pediatrics (1997-2003) and the Physician Liaison to Information Technology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (2007-2021)

What obstacles are women in medicine still facing when it comes to inclusion, equity and diversity?

One of the obstacles that women face is since we are still underrepresented at many of the decision making "tables", decisions are made without our opinions being voiced, and yet it remains difficult to get a seat at the table. With almost 30 years of medical schools having close to even split in gender, the upper echelons, e.g. chairs, professors, CEOs, etc., are still not as equally representative. Continuing to ensure that women's voices are heard and that women have the opportunities to lead and make decisions is a continuing part of the challenges.

Congratulations to Eric Mallack, M.D., Director of the Leukodystrophy Center and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine, on being awarded a K23 award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health entitled, “Leveraging myelin-sensitive imaging to predict early lesion pathogenesis in cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy.”

Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD) is a neurologically devastating, inflammatory demyelinating disease of childhood that leads to a vegetative state or death in months to years. Treatments are most effective when initiated in the narrow window prior to the onset of neurological symptoms, however early identification of CALD is a significant challenge.  In this project, Dr. Mallack and his collaborators at Weill Cornell Medical College and Harvard Medical School will study the transition from normal brain development to cerebral demyelination using advanced imaging techniques in order to widen the treatment window, provide lead-time for possible preventative strategies, and thereby help maximize neurological outcomes.

The mental health crisis among our pediatric patients has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, children, adolescents, and their families need access to mental health care and resources.

Since the start of the pandemic, pediatricians at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have witnessed increased rates of suicidality in their patients, in an addition to increased depression, eating problems, and anxiety. As a result, more youth are being admitted to the emergency room for inpatient mental health care.

 We are pleased to announce the appointment of Perdita Permaul, MD, FAAP, FAAAAI as Director of Pediatric Research at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and Weill Cornell Medicine. In this new position, Dr. Permaul will work alongside leadership to manage and guide clinical and translational research based at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine. Through the development of a robust pediatric research infrastructure at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and providing a liaison for pediatric investigators across the New York Presbyterian enterprise, Institutional Review Boards, Joint Clinical Trials Office, and the Theresa and Eugene M. Lang Center for Research at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, Dr. Permaul will facilitate the expansion of pediatric research studies and trials, including NIH and foundation grant funded projects. This new role supports Weill Cornell Medicine’s plan to coordinate clinical research efforts at NewYork-Presbyterian clinical sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens drawing on our exceptionally diverse patient population.