We strive to provide the highest quality healthcare education, and this begins with the ability to help our students afford tuition, ultimately lessening their financial burden upon graduation. NYMC will host our annual “Days of Giving” fundraising campaign to raise money for student scholarships in GSBMS, SOM and SHSP. You can support this important initiative by making your gift early or by joining us during March 28 and 29.

The Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology hosted its first Research Symposium on December 8. The day-long symposium featured oral presentations and poster presentations by students, residents and trainees on a range of topics, including peanut allergies, traumatic stress, thyroid cancer and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in ticks. Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, delivered the keynote address. Read the full story on the symposium.

The NYMC community gathered to view the documentary, Aftershock, and engaged in in-depth discussion on the U.S. maternal health crisis on February 9, in recognition of Black History Month. The documentary examined the preventable deaths of two young Black women in New York City due to childbirth complications and followed their bereaved families who fought for justice and galvanized activists, birth workers and physicians to reckon with the U.S. maternal health crisis. The event was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Christian Medical and Dental Association, Obstetrics and Gynecology Student Interest Group, Student National Medical Association and the Universal Health Club. Read the full article on the movie screening and discussion.

Two innovative programs are on the horizon at NYMC thanks to recent federal funding. A $1,900,000 award from the Community Project Fund will support “Equity and Compassion in Medical Education Through Advanced Real-Time Simulations” and $825,000 of Congressionally directed spending will help launch the Women’s Institute for Science Entrepreneurship. Read the full article on the awards.

The GSRF sponsored by the Graduate Student Association on March 14, was a success on all fronts: stellar oral and poster presentations of student-conducted research, a keynote address by Susan J. Baserga, M.D., Ph.D., the William H. Fleming, M.D. Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Professor of Genetics and of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale University, and an opportunity for the New York Medical College community to engage in scientific dialogue and learn about the research accomplishments in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Read the full article on the 34th Annual Graduate Student Research Forum and view the photo gallery. 

After growing up in Southern California, M.D./Ph.D. candidate Jacob Hehir went to school at the University of Chicago where he studied neurobiology and music. It was there that he had his first lab experience and gained a love for science. Read the full story on Jacob Hehir.

Debra Bessen, Ph.D., professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, has been awarded a five-year $2,931,474 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health to support the discovery and design of a vaccine to prevent Group A streptococci (Strep A) infection, which annually causes more than 750 million infections and over 500,000 deaths throughout the world. Read the full article on Dr. Bessen's grant.

Sachin Gupte, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology, received a $2,773,836, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop new personalized treatments to reduce vascular disease. “Vascular diseases continue to be a major cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Dr. Gupte. “The goal of our research is to develop new therapies for three human diseases – pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), PAH-induced heart failure and metabolic syndrome-associated coronary artery disease.” Read the full article on Dr. Gupte's grant.

We would love to share your most recent news and accomplishments in our next issue of Chironian. If you have any accomplishments or developments, published a book, or have any family news to share we would love to hear from you. 

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We are excited to invite you to join the NYMC alumni platform interactive site that provides opportunities for direct communication between NYMC alumni and students, faculty and staff who wish to engage in the exchange of advice, career counseling, professional guidance, volunteerism and much more. More than 1,500 members of the NYMC community are registered and we hope that you will join today.