Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Research means new Alzheimer’s treatments. Columbia researchers discovered a genetic variant that reduces the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 70%. This exciting finding opens the door to new treatments that could mimic the gene’s effect in order to slow—or even prevent—the disease. Research Means #BetterTomorrows Learn more: https://lnkd.in/enjuddw5

Research means more effective cancer treatments. Brain cancer is often fatal, partly because chemotherapy doses that are safe aren’t strong enough to reach the brain. Columbia Department of Neurological Surgery researchers developed an implantable pump that sends higher doses directly to brain tumors without side effects, which could transform treatment options and help patients live longer. Research Means #BetterTomorrows Learn more: https://lnkd.in/euuiSPdc

Six #ColumbiaMed faculty members have been elected to prestigious medical honor societies for physician-scientists. Elected to the Association of American Physicians (AAP): 🔹 R. Graham Barr (Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) 🔹 Ana Navas-Acien (Columbia Public Health - Department of Environmental Health Sciences) 🔹 Aimee Payne (Dermatology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) 🔹 Muredach Reilly (Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) Elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI): 🔹 Kelley Yan (Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) 🔹 Elizabeth C. Verna (Surgery, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons) Congratulations to all! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e6Q9B6Cw

Congratulations to Hashim Al-Hashimi, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, on being elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 👏 Over the past two decades, Al-Hashimi has developed techniques to determine 3D dynamic ensembles of RNA and DNA molecules at atomic resolution. These studies have reshaped structural biology, revealing dynamic ensembles as the fundamental behavior of biomolecules needed to understand and predict cellular activity quantitatively. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e_vvNpQg

Research means reversing hair loss. Millions of Americans lose their hair because their immune system attacks their hair follicles. Columbia research uncovered the immune system’s tactics and found a drug to counteract them, resulting in a transformative treatment. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/emCjB4AG

Research means healthier babies. Even minor mistakes in the neonatal ICU can have enormous consequences. A Columbia researcher identified a naming practice for newborns as a major cause of patient errors around the country and designed a simple solution—assigning more distinctive names—that reduces those errors by 36%. Based on the research, nearly all U.S. hospitals have adopted this safety procedure. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e67nRcuk

We are honored to share the Department of Pediatrics Annual Report for the 2024 calendar year, which highlights our efforts to further the department’s mission: to positively impact the health and well-being of children and community through innovation, advocacy, learning, and care. Our teams at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Irving Medical Center serve one of the nation’s most culturally diverse communities. Guided by equity, excellence, and kindness, our pediatrics faculty members continue to innovate and provide cutting-edge subspecialty care for some of the sickest and most complex children. We hope you enjoy this year's report, and thank you for your engagement and support! https://bit.ly/4iz6xgu

Congrats to Columbia University scientists Gary Struhl & Iva Greenwald for winning the prestigious Canada Gairdner Foundation International Award! The prize is for their research yielding critical insights on how cells communicate with their neighbors during development, a crucial factor to embryos growing properly. Read: https://lnkd.in/eg7yT76Y #award #neuroscience #development

Until a few years ago, most men who needed radiation therapy for prostate cancer received 35-40 days of radiation, spread over 6-8 weeks. In 1999, scientists in Columbia’s Center for Radiological Research reasoned that most prostate cancers, which grow slowly, might respond to radiation differently than other cancers that grow faster. Their calculations indicated that radiation for low- to moderate-risk prostate cancer could be delivered in just 5-10 days, using an approach called “hypofractionation,” without reducing radiotherapy’s effectiveness. Multiple clinical trials have been performed or are ongoing to test hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer, and the results have been consistent with the Columbia scientists’ predictions. Prostate hypofractionation is now the almost-universal standard of care for prostate cancer radiotherapy. Research Means Better Tomorrows.

“Scientific research is the foundation for your health care,” - James McKiernan, MD, CEO of ColumbiaDoctors. “It allows researchers to understand how diseases work, what kinds of treatments would be safe and effective, and how to prevent you from getting sick. Much of this research takes place in universities, where doctors, #scientists, and engineers make critical discoveries that lead to treatments people use every day.” A pill might take just seconds to swallow, but decades of #research to create. Behind every treatment is a journey of discovery. Research Means Better Tomorrows. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e566rWAV