News

Dr. Nitya Gulati has been awarded the Department of Pediatrics 2023 Pilot Award for her research project titled "Risk Stratification using Tumor Microenvironment Signatures in Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma." The project focuses on studying the tumor microenvironment so that it can be leveraged to predict outcomes and design effective treatment methods for children and young adults diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma (PMBCL).

PMBCL is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) primarily affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. However, optimal therapy for PMBCL remains a subject of debate, as the current approaches yield suboptimal results regardless of treatment strategy. Moreover, clinical and biological factors that can guide risk stratification and predict patient prognosis remain undefined. A well-established fact is that non-cancerous cells present in the tumor microenvironment play a crucial role in influencing and communicating with cancer cells. This knowledge has proven valuable in identifying predictive biomarkers and designing targeted therapeutic strategies for diseases like Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma and Hodgkin Lymphoma. Unfortunately, the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment in PMBCL are not well-defined.

We are delighted to welcome Jennie G. Ono, M.D., M.S. as the new Chief of Pediatrics at NewYork- Presbyterian Queens (NYP-Q), effective October 1, 2023. Dr. Ono is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She received her undergraduate degree at Vassar College and earned her medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine, Dr. Ono has extensive experience and expertise in inpatient care, newborn medicine, and pediatric asthma. Dr. Ono is also a leader in research and education, with a master's degree in clinical and translational science, and has authored numerous prestigious publications in peer-reviewed journals. She joins NYP-Q from NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she most recently served as the Medical Director for Inpatient Pediatrics and the Director of the Pediatric Asthma Program.

Dr. Damla Gonullu-Rotman is a second-year fellow in the Divisions of Medical Genetics at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). She was a member of the inaugural class of New York University Abu Dhabi. Afterwards, she attended the NY State-American Program of Tel Aviv University School of Medicine. Dr. Gonullu-Rotman went on to complete her residency in OB/GYN at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

What's life like for a fellow at WCM and MSKCC?

As of July 2023, I am the second year Medical Genetics fellow here at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I spent most of my first year in the WCM and MSKCC outpatient genetics clinics, as well as doing inpatient consults at WCM. My second year will again be a mix of the outpatient clinics and inpatient WCM consults with six months dedicated to research, which I am very excited about.

We are pleased to announce Perdita Permaul, M.D. FAAP, FAAAAI has been named Section Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine, effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Permaul, an expert in pediatric asthma, will provide strong leadership and oversight for the Division’s activities, including liaising with Department administration and supporting the Department’s vision and missions in patient care, research, and education as well as quality, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Permaul, who has been serving as Interim Section Chief, will continue to serve as Director of Pediatric Research at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.