Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Lisa Newmann was proud to recently accept a $380,000 grant from FFCF | Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation (Shoes for a Cure) to continue her pioneering research in breast cancer at Weill Cornell Medicine. Through Shoes for a Cure, the largest fundraising event of the footwear industry, the FFCF consistently supports Dr. Newman's dedication to closing the gap in cancer outcomes across diverse populations. The generous grant will help accelerate Dr. Newman's current studies, uncover new insights into cancer genomics and bring the field closer to transformative breakthroughs. Congratulations to Dr. Newman and thank you to the Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation and Shoes for a Cure for supporting our fight against cancer! 📷 Fashion Footwear Charitable Foundation Board Members: John Heron, Faryl Gilston, Sandi Mines, Dr. Lisa Newman, Nabil Aliffi and Sarah Lubas

For decades, hidden HIV-harboring cells in the body that evade the immune system have perplexed scientists. A new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine's Dr. Brad Jones has finally isolated these elusive HIV-infected cells called authentic reservoir clones (ARCs) and provided researchers with an unprecedented look into their inner workings. The findings suggest that the cells may be more vulnerable to the immune system than previously thought and could ultimately hold keys to a cure. The study was co-led by Dr. Isabella Ferreira and doctoral student Alberto Herrera, both in the Jones lab. Full story: https://bit.ly/4aM5kQY

It was a love for medicine that brought Dr. Nupoor Narula to the United States as a young child. Her parents, a cardiologist and cardiac pathologist, moved their family from India to the U.S. to pursue career opportunities, laying the foundation for Dr. Narula and her brother to forge their own paths in medicine. “My parents love their work, and their biggest advice was to find an interest and focus and pursue it vigorously,” says Dr. Narula, a Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital cardiologist, director of the Women’s Heart Program and Cardiology Vascular Lab, and the Bruce B. Lerman Clinical Scholar. "I also learned from them the ability to pivot and be resilient. They moved from another country and established a beautiful life in the U.S." Although Dr. Narula followed her parents into cardiology, they each have their own niches in the field, with Dr. Narula developing a passion for inherited aortic disorders. During medical school, she spent a year in Italy, where she followed individuals and families with inherited vascular conditions. "I cherished the opportunity to take care of families," she says. The experience also crystallized her commitment to becoming a physician-scientist. She has honed her distinct niche and deepened her clinical and research expertise to include vascular imaging and vascular risk assessment in patients with genetic aortic disorders. In addition to treating patients, she uniquely researches the risk of pregnancy-related aortic complications in women with genetic aortic diseases and the risk of vascular complications in individuals with aortic conditions more broadly. She also recently received her first grant from The National Institutes of Health. "I hope to answer many key questions that still exist in the aortic community. Most rewarding is seeing the direct impact of our high-level research on the care of our patients in real-time. It takes a team to move evidence-based care in the field forward. I'm grateful to my mentors, collaborators, and leaders in this field at Weill Cornell Medicine." She is also grateful for another title in her life: mom. "Being a mother is my greatest joy and has personally made me a better doctor."

Pancreatic cancer is called a “silent killer” for a reason. It often shows no symptoms until it’s already advanced, resulting in one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers. As Despina Siolas, MD, PhD, an oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, explains, “By the time many people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the tumor is already too extensive for surgery.” Currently, the first-line treatment for most patients is chemotherapy - a largely one-size-fits-all approach that is not effective for everyone. That is why Dr. Siolas and her team are focused on advancing pancreatic cancer care by working on personalized treatments and new therapies, so patients can have more options. “Academic research at places like Weill Cornell is very important because we are allowed to do more cutting-edge studies that may transform patient care in bigger leaps and bounds,” Dr. Siolas says. Her research focuses on KRAS, a gene mutated in 93% of pancreatic cancers. These mutations drive fast, uncontrolled tumor growth, but not all KRAS mutations act the same way. Dr. Siolas and her colleagues found that certain mutations influence how aggressively it behaves and even how long patients live. For example, approximately 20% of patients have a KRAS G12R mutation, and they tend to live longer than those with other KRAS mutations. By understanding these biological differences, researchers aim to design more precise treatments tailored to each patient’s cancer. Dr. Siolas believes research is the key to progress: “We need to keep innovating and investing in research because that’s the only way we’re going to make meaningful progress for patients.” This story originally appeared in Cornell University’s Research Matters. Video: https://bit.ly/4kREL1k

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Dr. Rohan Jotwani, one of five educators nationwide, has been selected for the 2026 Macy Faculty Scholars Program. Dr. Jotwani is Weill Cornell Medicine's first-ever Macy Faculty Scholar, and the first anesthesiologist ever to receive this prestigious recognition. The two-year program, led by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, focuses on promising early-career educators and future leaders in medicine and provides support for mentored education projects and professional development activities. Dr. Jotwani’s project will focus on developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered extended reality interactive learning platform that uses a Conversational Agent Learning Ethics Bot (CALEB) for medical ethics training. Full story: https://bit.ly/4u0RGT1

A new preclinical study provides insights into the process that uses fat to produce heat and increase energy expenditure. The study, led by Weill Cornell Medicine's Dr. Shannon Reilly and colleagues at The Weill Center for Metabolic Health, suggests that inducing this process could lead to significant weight loss over time and aid obesity treatments. “There is still a lot of research to do, but in principle this approach to treating obesity might be very effective and safe,” she said. Full story: https://bit.ly/3OJ5zF3