Urothelial cancers and their genetic roots traditionally have been understudied, and treatments for these cancers are
The Study of Gene-Environment Interactions
January 5, 2021
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University’s Ithaca campus have developed a new computational method for studying genetic and environmental interactions and how they influence disease risk.
The research, published Jan. 7 in The American Journal of Human Genetics, makes the process of finding these interactions much less difficult and demonstrates their importance in determining body mass index and diabetes risk.
GenomeWeb: Utility of Clinical WGS Across Diseases
January 5, 2021
NEW YORK – A clinical research study recently launched by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian, and the New York Genome Center, with support from Illumina, aims to determine the diagnostic value of clinical whole-genome sequencing in a variety of disease types.
Podcast: Breast Cancer and Diverse Populations
January 4, 2021
In this episode of Back to Health, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine Member Lisa Newman, M.D. (left) and Vivian Bea, M.D. discuss the importance of early detection and diagnosis for breast cancer within minority populations. They focus on why there is such a disparity in access to care and how to close those that gap.
Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
December 28, 2020
Immunotherapy drugs, also known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, target cancer cells by recruiting and activating the body’s own immune cells to kill cancer cells. This approach—used for about seven years—has dramatically changed the treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer. The hope is to use immunotherapy on patients who are at even earlier stages of the disease.
Dr. Lisa Newman Receives Breast Cancer Research Grant
December 22, 2020
A recent grant from Susan G. Komen Greater NYC has funded the Breast Health Equity and International Breast Cancer Research Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. The generous $100,000 Catalyst Research Grant will support the program in addressing breast-cancer disparities through a multi-pronged approach. The program is led by Englander Institute for Precision Medicine Member Dr.
COVID Summit: Social Science Perspectives
December 21, 2020
How should models of pandemic illnesses be constructed? What are the racial disparities in clinical outcomes for patients with COVID-19? How are emergency room physicians coping with the stress of an overwhelmed hospital system? These are just some of the questions explored by panelists who took part in a session on social sciences and modeling during the Cornell COVID-19 Summit, held virtually November 4–5.
Potential New Treatments for Bladder Cancer
December 10, 2020
A significant percentage of patients with urothelial cancers have inherited gene variants that drive the progression of these cancers, according to a study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
EIPM Leads Scalable Clinical WGS Initiative
December 3, 2020
Seeking to advance the scope of precision medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Illumina, Inc. are entering into a collaboration to sequence the complete human genomes of thousands of consenting patients, in order to identify genetic alterations driving disease and potentially reveal previously unidentified therapies for treatment.
Esophageal Cancer Survival Extended
December 2, 2020
The immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, known by its brand name Keytruda, is a safe and effective option for patients with locally advanced and metastatic squamous cell esophageal cancer who have already received standard chemotherapy, according to a new study co-authored by a Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigator. The study reports results of a phase 3 clinical trial in which Weill Cornell Medicine, with NewYork-Presbyterian, was a lead site.
December 2020 EIPM Director’s Memo
December 1, 2020
December 01, 2020
Dear Members of the Englander Institute,
The past year will be remembered for the heroic response by the medical community to treat Covid-19 patients, and by the investigators who developed effective treatments and vaccines with amazing speed and precision.
We have a lot to be thankful for despite the pandemic’s deadly impact. I’m especially thankful for the hardwork and dedication of our EIPM and Weill Cornell Medicine colleagues who met these challenges head-on as the virus tore through New York City in the early days of the pandemic.