Weill Cornell Medicine

We understand that early screening for breast cancer saves lives. Whether it's your tenth or first mammogram, we've created this video guide to help you understand what to expect and how to prepare. By following these tips, you can help ensure that your mammogram is as effortless and effective as possible in detecting potential breast health issues. Please share this valuable resource with a loved one. Their support and understanding can make a significant difference in your journey.

Our students are committed to changing the future of medicine. To mark National Latino Physicians Day, our faculty and students from The Latino Medical Student Association met to talk about how their Latinx identity has shaped their lives and careers. After the discussions, students and faculty socialized and enjoyed food. National Latino Physicians Day, observed annually on October 1, recognizes the tremendous achievements of Latino physicians and shines a light on the critical need to increase the number of Latinx physicians. A workforce survey found that just 7 percent of physicians identify as Hispanic, according to the American Medical Association. Doctors who can provide culturally and linguistically-centered care are essential to addressing health care inequities in Latinx communities. Thank you to the outstanding doctors who participated: Dr. Jonathan Villena-Vargas, Dr. Minerva Romero Arenas, Dr. Joy Howell, Dr. Edgar Figueroa, Dr. Andrea Heras, Dr. Moises Dominguez, Dr. Edward Amores and Dr. Edwin Homan. We are proud of your contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice! ❤️ 🧡 💛

In People Magazine, Dr. Jedd Wolchok discusses the Immunotherapy method that treated President Jimmy Carter’s melanoma and extended his life, as he celebrates his 100th birthday https://bit.ly/3ZLSmyE

Over the weekend, Weill Cornell Medicine took the Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn by storm! Team members from the Meyer Cancer Center, Reproductive Medicine, Primary Care, ObGyn, and Otolaryngology (head and neck) were there to spread joy, provide information, and offer tests, screenings, and giveaways. In collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the Meyer Cancer Center brought their Cancer Services Program team members to promote their program. The program offers free mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, and colorectal cancer screenings to uninsured or underinsured people over 40. Our presence at events like this shows that we're not just about white coats and stethoscopes - we're all about taking our healthcare expertise to the streets and positively impacting the community. #BreastCancerAwareness

Alzheimer's researchers have discovered that a pair of genetic variants working together can trigger a harmful inflammatory response in the brain’s immune cells, particularly in females, according to a new preclinical study. AD affects millions of people worldwide, with women disproportionately impacted – nearly twice as many females develop the disease compared with males. Previous studies have shown that a gene variant called APOE4 increases AD risk more in women compared with men. The current study, led by Dr. Li Gan of Weill Cornell Medicine and Dr. Gillian Carling of Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, focused on cellular activities that go awry when APOE4 and a variant of the TREM2 gene, which also raises AD risk, are present together in females. The findings highlight the importance of considering sex differences in Alzheimer’s research. Understanding these differences could ultimately lead to more precise and effective treatments. Full story: https://bit.ly/4gJKVhG

What a fantastic Reunion 2024 last weekend! Weill Cornell Medicine alumni from 1953 to 2019 returned to campus. Classes from 1973, 1974, 1998, and 1999 celebrated special milestone 50th and 25th anniversaries. It was wonderful reconnecting with old friends, reminiscing about the good old days, and seeing what's new on campus. A hard-hat tour of the new student residence was definitely a highlight. We can't wait for the next one.

New preclinical findings suggest a potential strategy for enhancing the potency of anticancer immunotherapies. Researchers, led by Dr. Vivek Mittal and Dr. Geoffrey Markowitz of Weill Cornell Medicine, found that stimulating a key metabolic pathway in T cells can make them work more effectively against tumors when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Full story: https://bit.ly/3Bl3Sac

What a remarkable achievement!

Mark your calendars! This is an event you don't want to miss.

From the time she was a little girl, Dr. Mariam Ashraf wanted to become a doctor like her mother. Dr. Ashraf, now a pain management specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, spent many hours shadowing her mother, a family medicine doctor, as she cared for her patients at a solo practice she opened herself. "She had her work cut out for her. But she truly loved her job," says Dr. Ashraf. "It's hard to see so many patients everyday by yourself and then come home to take care of a family. On the flip side, I saw how much she enjoyed seeing her patients, which I think made it all worthwhile." Dr. Ashraf found her love for pain medicine during her anesthesiology rotation in medical school. She shadowed a pain physician who "was like a magician with her patients. She was so skilled and so adept at addressing pain in a way that I never realized was possible." “Watching a pain procedure provide immediate results was really satisfying,” she recalls. Dr. Ashraf treats patients with various ailments: headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, and knee pain. She says people often associate the field of pain management with opioid therapy. But Dr. Ashraf says her toolkit is much broader, and includes multimodal pharmacologic therapy as well as neuromodulation, a technique that allows for pain relief by altering neuronal transmission. “There’s a lot of new technology in our field, allowing us to grow and advance upon the traditional approach to pain management" she says. Dr. Ashraf enjoys collaborating with specialists in other areas of medicine to identify ways to improve patients' quality of life. “There's so much ongoing interdisciplinary discussion about options for treating pain. In ten years, I think the field will look completely different." As she looks ahead, Dr. Ashraf remains inspired by her first role model: her mother, who continues to care for patients in her practice.