New York News in Research: August  2017
Highlights
University of Rochester Awarded $19 Million to Coordinate National Clinical and Translational Science Program

The University of Rochester has been awarded $19 million from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health to coordinate a network of more than 50 institutions across the country. The network aims to help researchers turn scientific discoveries into health benefits faster.  Take a closer look.
  
Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Brain Cells Found to Control Aging

Scientists  have found that stem cells in the brain's hypothalamus govern how fast aging occurs in the body. The finding, made in mice, could lead to new strategies for warding off age-related diseases and extending lifespan. The paper was published online in Nature.  Take a closer look.
  
Stem Cells
University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Which Research Results in Mice Will Help Humans with MS? Now There's a Way to Tell

  
Weill Cornel Medicine: Plant-Derived Drug Shows Powerful Ability to Eliminate Zika Virus Infection from Brain Cells

A compound used in traditional Chinese medicine to lower blood pressure also strongly combats Zika virus infection of the brain, and may protect against Zika-associated birth defects, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center scientists. In the study, published July 20 in Cell Stem Cell, the scientists screened more than 1,000 U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs and traditional medicines for their ability to block Zika virus infection in human fetal brain cells.  Take a closer look.
  
Cancer
NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Researcher Discovers Potential Cancer Treatment Breakthrough

Patients undergoing conventional chemotherapy for certain cancers could potentially receive more effective and less toxic drug treatment. In the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Dong Zhang Ph.D., associate professor of Biomedical Sciences at NYITCOM and team detail findings that suggest new synthetic lethal interactions could inhibit the growth of tumors in mesenchymal cells, cells that develop into connective tissue such as those found in bones, soft tissues, and the central nervous system.  Take a closer look.
  
Cardiology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Technology from a Mount Sinai Startup (Cardea Sciences) That Will Improve Outcomes for Cardiac Patients Wins the NYC Life Science Innovation Showcase

Technology for identifying at-risk atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients was chosen as the winner of the inaugural Alexandria LaunchLabs Scholarship Award, which recognizes excellence in health care technology, entrepreneurship and business competencies.  Take a closer look.
Genetics
NYU Langone Health: Mutant Ants Provide Insights into Social Interaction

Ants genetically engineered to lack their "sense of smell" became unable to communicate, forage, or compete to be a queen, as their antennae and brain circuits failed to fully develop. This is the finding of a study published online August 10 in the journal Cell.  Take a closer look.
  
Neurology
Columbia University Medical Center: In Witnessing the Brain's 'Aha!' Moment, Scientists Shed Light on Biology of Human Consciousness

  
Columbia University Medical Center: Brain Aging May Be Accelerated By 'Inflammatory' Diet

The brain-healthy effects of a Mediterranean-type diet and similar dietary patterns may be due to nutrients that decrease inflammation in the brain and slow brain aging, suggests a new study from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers.  Take a closer look.
  
University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Fight Frailty With Intense Bursts of Exercise, Research Shows

Growing older may not have to mean growing frail. A preclinical study has revealed that brief periods of intense physical activity can be safely administered at advanced age, and that this kind of activity has the potential to reverse frailty.  Take a closer look.
  
University of Rochester Medical Center Researchers Developing New Tool to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotics are lifesaving drugs, but overuse is leading to one of the world's most pressing health threats: antibiotic resistance. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are developing a tool to help physicians prescribe antibiotics to patients who really need them, and avoid giving them to individuals who don't.  Take a closer look.
  
SUNY Upstate Part of Research Team Aimed at Halting the Spread of Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya

  
Weill Cornell Medicine: Dr. Bishoy Faltas Wins Prestigious Grant from the Department of Defense

Dr. Bishoy Faltas, an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and an oncologist at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, has been awarded a Career Development Award from the Department of Defense to investigate the biology of a family of proteins thought to drive resistance to chemotherapy in the advanced stages of bladder cancer.  Take a closer look.
  
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Researchers Receive $13 Million NIH Grant to Study Impact of Genome Sequencing on Children's Health Outcomes and Health Care Costs

  
Albert Einstein College of Medicine: First Long-Term Study on Medical Marijuana's Impact on Opioid Use for Pain

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System a five-year, $3.8 million grant for the first long-term study to test whether medical marijuana reduces opioid use among adults with chronic pain, including those with HIV.  Take a closer look.
  
SUNY Downstate Researchers Receive Award from National Science Foundation to Study Restoring Vision

Researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center are among the recipients of 19 awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF) made to cross-disciplinary teams from across the United States to conduct innovative research focused on neural and cognitive systems. Each award provides a research team with up to $1 million over two to four years.  Take a closer look.
  
New York Medical College Receives Federal Grants to Support Vascular Disease and Heart Failure Research

New York Medical College announced they will be receiving $503,938 in federal funding for medical research through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  The HHS funding will support the work of Sachin Gupte, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology, who is studying the development of vascular disease and heart failure.
  
New York Medical College Search for Dean of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences

  
NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine's Martin Gerdes Honored for Contributions to Heart Disease Research

Martin Gerdes, Ph.D., chair of the Biomedical Sciences department at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), has received the prestigious Hans Peter Krayenbuehl Memorial Award from the International Academy of Cardiology for his contributions to the field of cardiac function. Take a closer look.
  

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