Dear Members of the Englander Institute,
Thank you all so much for a very successful and productive September!
I'm thrilled to share that the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine will host the 20th International Cancer Genome Consortium Scientific Workshopfrom November 7-9. The program is still coming together and we hope to share additional information with you soon.
I'll be presenting at several upcoming events this fall, including the Virtual Human Global Summit 2023, at the SUNY Global Center on October 4th; The New York Stem Cell Foundation annual conference on October 24th; and the Milken Institute's Future of Health Summit in early November. These events can help raise our profile, develop important collaborations, and attract new sources of funding to support our mission.
I hope you enjoy reading about our September accomplishments, including new awards, media coverage of our work, upcoming meetings, and impressive publications by a range of EIPM colleagues.
Thank you again for your continued hard work and dedication to our mission.
Sincerely,
Olivier Elemento, Ph.D.
News Coverage & Awards 
Team SAMBAI, a collaborative project addressing cancer inequities and headed by myself, former colleague Dr. Melissa B. Davis, WCM colleagues, and partners at 14 research institutions located in 4 countries has been shortlisted for the $25M Cancer Grand Challenges awards!
Dr. Bishoy Faltas has received the NoA of an R01, converted to the prestigious MERIT R37, funding for the next 7 years for his work on "targeting APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases as drivers of resistance in bladder cancer."
WCM and NY-P have together been named a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders. The designation adds the academic medical center to NORD's collaborative network of 40 participating institutions that research and treat rare diseases. EIPM's Director of Clinical Genetics Dr. Abdul-Rahman steered the rigorous application process that ultimately made our institutions part of a unique, collaborative network dedicated to providing outstanding treatment to patients with rare diseases. 
Dr. Iman Hajirasouliha received the Irma T. Hirschl and Monique Weill-Caulier Research Award. This award "will enable more AI in Medicine research in my lab @WeillCornell, especially related to AI in IVF and Embryology."
EIPM's Scientific Director Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli will lead a Phase II trial of a new immunotherapy for early-stage, newly diagnosed, high-risk, triple-negative breast cancer, in collaboration with BriaCell Therapeutics.
Dr. Manish Shah was interviewed for the article "Zolbetuximab Plus CAPOX Beneficial for Advanced mG/GEJ Adenocarcinoma. Progression-free survival and overall survival prolonged with zolbetuximab plus CAPOX versus placebo plus CAPOX," which appeared in HealthDay on September 1st. Dr. Shah was also interviewed by Oncology Times for the article, "Targeted Treatment Promising for Some Stomach Cancer Patients," about new research he published in July in Nature Medicine. 
Director for Liquid Biopsy Research Dr. Pashtoon Kasi discussed data presented at ASCO23 focusing on genetics and racial diversity against patterns seen in metastatic colorectal cancer with Oncology Practice Management on September 7th. Dr. Kasi's research with Dr. Erika Hissong from the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department on colorectal cancer in young people (see below) attracted news media attention from The Daily Mail and Forbes. 
Dr. Allyson Ocean was interviewed for the article, "Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes And Treatments," which appeared in Forbes on September 13th. 
New research by Clinical Director Dr. Cora N. Sternberg, "Avelumab First-line Maintenance for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: Analysis from JAVELIN Bladder 100 by Duration of First-line Chemotherapy and Interval Before Maintenance," was summarized in UroToday on September 19th. 
I was interviewed for the article "AI in Oncology: Current and Future Applications," that appeared in the publication Cancer Therapy Advisor on September 29th.
Events
Alexandros Sigaras, Director of the EIPM AI-XR Lab, participated in The Wilson Center's "XR for Learning Showcase panel," on September 19th as part of the U.S. Department of Education 2023 ED Games Expo focused on demonstrating how XR technology is being used to innovate learning & training in medical education.
Dr. Ekta Khurana presented, "Non-neuroendocrine lineage plasticity in Prostate Cancer," during the Weill Cornell Medicine Cell and Cancer Pathobiology Symposium, hosted by the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department and Meyer Cancer Center on September 14th. 
Dr. Shahin Rafii presented a WCM Physician Scientist Seminar Series talk, "Molecular determinants of vascular heterogeneity for therapeutic organ regeneration," on Sept. 27th.Dr. Pashtoon Kasi presented "Incorporation of Liquid Biopsies (ctDNA and CTCs) for patients with GI malignancies: Opportunities and Challenges," at the 6th ACTC conference on September 22nd.
Publications
"Evolution of structural rearrangements in prostate cancer intracranial metastases. Median overall survival after the development of intracranial metastasis was 11.2 months." NPJ Precision Oncology article by current and former EIPM and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department colleagues, including Francesca Khani, Xiaofei Wang, Michael Sigouros, Vincenza Conteduca, David Pisapia, Brian Robinson, Juan Miguel Mosquera, Andrea Sboner, Himisha Beltran, and myself, September 13th. 
"Molecular features of prostate cancer post-neoadjuvant therapy in the Phase 3 CALGB 90203 trial," was published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute by current & former EIPM colleagues Dr. Misha Beltran, Drs. Xiaofei Wang & Andrea Sboner, and Michael Sigouros on September 7, 2023. 
"Type I interferon and cancer," was co-authored by Dr. Lorenzo Galluzzi and published in Immunological Reviews on September 4th. Dr. Galluzzi also published "Molecular determinants of immunogenic cell death elicited by radiation therapy," in Immunologic Reviews on September 7th. Dr. Galluzzi also published "Chromosomal instability drives immunosuppression and metastatic dissemination," in Cell Research on September 22nd. 
"The importance of escalating molecular diagnostics in patients with low-grade pediatric brain cancer," was published by Drs. Juan Miguel Mosquera, David Pisapia, Majd Al Assaad, and Andrea Sboner from the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department and the EIPM; Clinical Director Dr. Cora N. Sternberg, Jeffrey Greenfield and myself from the EIPM; and Dr. Benjamin L. Liechty from the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department in Molecular Case Studies on September 1st. "Latest advances in clinical studies of circulating tumor cells in early and metastatic breast cancer," was published by our Scientific Director Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli in the International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology on September 1st. "Recapitulation of patient-specific 3D chromatin conformation using machine learning," was published by Drs. Ekta Khurana and Duo Xufrom the Meyer Cancer Center and EIPM, et al, in Cell Reports Methods on September 5th. "Advanced age in humans and mouse models of glioblastoma show decreased survival from extratumoral influence," was published by Dr. Derek A. Wainwright from Loyola University Chicago, myself and colleagues, in Clinical Cancer Research on September 19th. "Neoadjuvant botensilimab plus balstilimab response pattern in locally advanced mismatch repair proficient colorectal cancer," was published by the EIPM's Director for Liquid Biopsy Research Dr. Pashtoon Kasi, our colleagues Drs. Manish A. Shah and Allyson J. Ocean, Dr. Erika Hissong from the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine department, and additional WCM colleagues in Nature's Oncogene on September 21st. Dr. Kasi also published "Liquid biopsy kinetics and detection of ERBB2 amplification/HER2-positivity in refractory hepatocellular carcinoma," in The Journal of Liquid Biopsy on September 26th. And Dr. Kasi also published "Pan-Cancer Prevalence of Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) Identified by Circulating Tumor DNA and Associated Real-World Clinical Outcomes," in JCO Precision Oncology on September 28th.