Weill Cornell Medicine investigators David Lyden, MD, PhD, the Stavros S. Niarchos Professor in Pediatric Cardiology and a professor of pediatrics, and Ari Melnick, MD, the Gebroe Family Professor of Hematology/Oncology and a professor of medicine, have been awarded Outstanding Investigator Awards from the National Cancer Institute.
The NCI’s Outstanding Investigator Awards were created to support leaders in cancer research who are developing applications that may lead to major breakthroughs. Each award recipient is given $600,000 per year for seven years to fund their research. Drs. Lyden and Melnick are two of 20 researchers around the country who received Outstanding Investigator Awards this year.
The Rajadhyaksha Lab, led by Dr. Anjali Rajadhyaksha, is focused on how calcium signaling mechanisms in the brain contribute to cocaine- and mood-related behaviors. This is of particular importance and high significance given the link in patients between the Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 genes, CACNA1C and CACNA1D, and neuropsychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder accompanied with high incidence of substance abuse. The lab is utilizing animal models in combination with highly innovative genetic, cellular and molecular techniques to identify the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms to better understand how genetic predisposition can contribute to addiction and neuropsychiatric illness. Her group’s hope is that a better understanding of the brain at the molecular level will aid in therapeutic strategies for treating addiction and co-occurring mood-related conditions.
Learn more
Meet the lab team and learn more about their work at the Lab's newly launched webpage:
Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded a four-year, $2.7 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish a Diversity Center of Excellence dedicated to increasing the number of minority physicians in academic medicine. (9/28/18)
We all know that when school starts, so can the runny noses and coughs. Missed school days are most commonly due to infections such as the common cold and the flu, but there are ways to help prevent your child from getting sick. Here is a list of tips to keep your children healthy so that they can avoid those miserable sick days at home!
How can I protect my child from getting sick during the school year?
One of the most important and effective things you can do is VACCINATE your child. Vaccines have dramatically decreased the number and types of infections that children get, and are the best way to prevent your child from picking up an infection at school. Unfortunately, we are still seeing outbreaks due to infections such as measles and whooping cough as a result of children not getting vaccinated. Make sure you discuss with your pediatrician which vaccines your child needs. Also check out the CDC vaccine quiz (https://www2a.cdc.gov/vaccines/childquiz/.
Another important activity you and your children can do is to keep hands clean and prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses through HANDWASHING.
Handwashing – the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and HOW
WHO should wash their hands? Everyone! It’s easy to do and will work best if everyone does it.
Learn more about internist Dr. Hinson, who founded Weill Cornell Medicine’s Black and Latino Men in Medicine Initiative and a recipient of WCM's 2018 Pioneer in Diversity Awards— in this Weill Cornell Medicine spotlight article. (9/26/2018)
Myeloproliferative neoplasms (or MPN) are disorders where parts of the bone marrow get overproduced, such as platelets (blood cells to stop bleeding), red blood cells (blood cells that carry oxygen in the body), or fibrous tissue in the bone marrow (like scar tissue.) They can run in families but are usually sporadic, or isolated cases when they happen. The Pediatric MPN Program is a joint program of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine and the NYP Komansky Children's Hospital, and the Richard T. Silver Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Center.
Our team is also engaged in research, with the goal of bringing bench discoveries to the bedside, for better care and management of this rare disease.
Learn more
Find out more about MPN and keep up with program news at our website:
Bullying is one of the most common traumatic challenges faced by children today. In fact, New York state has the second highest rate of reported bullying for children in grades K through 12.
The majority of bullying takes place at school. Here, the Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics provides simple strategies for parents and children to deal with bullying issues, in preparation for the start of the new school year.
Child health research spotlight: Dr. Anjali Rajadhyaksha knows the effects of drug addiction, having lost a neighbor to the disease. Now a neuroscientist, she and her team hope to develop therapies to help those most vulnerable to dependence.
“It really takes teamwork and togetherness, which is what I have in my lab. They’re troubleshooting with me,” said Dr. Rajadhyaksha, an associate professor of neuroscience and of neuroscience in pediatrics. “We are always thinking about that individual who is addicted, and how can we help.”
View Dr. Rajadhyaksha's We Are WCM video:
Using the social media hashtag, #WeAreWCM, read more stories to discover the faces behind the medicine and how they are paving the future for innovative healthcare
Two thirds of children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) who receive transfusions of platelets—a component of the blood that helps it to clot—do so to prevent bleeding, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators. The other third of patients receive the transfusions to stop active bleeding.
Some children who receive platelet transfusions for preventive, or prophylactic, purposes may not need them, said the study’s lead author Dr. Marianne Nellis, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and a pediatric intensivist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Peanut allergy is becoming increasingly common in the United States, with a tripling in reported peanut allergy prevalence over 11 years. In 2015, for the first time, a landmark study provided evidence of an intervention that significantly reduces the risk of developing peanut allergy. What is this miracle treatment? As it turns out, it is peanut, early and often! Read on to learn whether your child might benefit from early introduction of peanut, and what role the allergist plays in facilitating introduction of peanut and other allergenic foods.
When should I introduce peanut to my infant?
Based on convincing evidence (detailed at the end of this document) that early introduction of peanut reduces risk of developing peanut allergy in at-risk infants, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has created guidelines for introduction of peanut as follows:
PediatricsWeill Cornell MedicineAppointments & Referrals:(646) 962-KIDS(646) 962-5437Chair's Office:Weill Cornell Medicine525 E 68th St. Box 225New York, NY 10065(646) 962-5437
