Paying Tribute to a Giant in Medicine

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Featured, Research

Dr. Holland’s children, from left: David Holland; Diane Holland; Sally Holland; Peter Holland; Mary Holland; and Steven Holland, MD.

Family, friends, and colleagues of the late James F. Holland, MD, Distinguished Professor of Neoplastic Diseases at The Tisch Cancer Institute, gathered in May at the Mount Sinai Health System to celebrate his work as a renowned physician-scientist who helped cure acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children.

Dr. Holland’s work helped establish oncology as a medical discipline. In the 1950s, when chemotherapy was a relatively new treatment, he and his colleagues began treating seemingly incurable patients with drug combinations rather than administering each one sequentially. Nine out of 10 patients successfully responded to the therapy. Combination chemotherapy remains the standard of care today.  Dr. Holland encouraged physicians to share data and create common protocols. In 1972, he received the prestigious Albert Lasker Clinical Medical Research Award.

James F. Holland, MD

Speakers at Mount Sinai’s Celebration of Life event included many esteemed physicians from around the country whom Dr. Holland influenced and once mentored, as well as Mount Sinai leaders in academic affairs and cancer research. Dr. Holland’s six adult children attended the event, with several sharing their thoughts and memories.

In his opening remarks, William K. Oh, MD, Deputy Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute and Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology, said Dr. Holland “was absolutely committed to changing the poor outcomes of patients with leukemia, breast cancer, and other devastating cancers by investing in translational research and clinical trials, principles that drive our work at The Tisch Cancer Institute today.”

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Supporting Vital Research on Ovarian Cancer

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

From left, Abigail Shaw, Patient Care Associate, and Irena Durkovic, RN, Clinical Nurse, at the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Run/Walk.

Staff members of the Women’s Health Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital (Klingenstein Pavilion 4) recently braved the rainy weather to participate in the New York City chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer, which was held on Roosevelt Island.

Led by team captain Irena Durkovic, RN, the staff raised $5,095 for the 5k fundraiser—the second highest amount of any participating group. In total, the event collected $86,920 that will be used by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition to promote awareness, provide support, and fund vital research on ovarian cancer.

“As health care providers, we were grateful to be able to take a moment to commemorate the lives of the brave women we have lost and celebrate the lives of our incredible survivors,” said Godsfavour Guillet, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager, Women’s Health Unit, who participated in the event.

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Two Honors for a Leader in Emergency Medicine Education

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

Saadia Akhtar, MD, and Thomas J. Nasca, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Saadia Akhtar, MD, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency training program at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, has received two national awards for educators who foster innovation in graduate medical and emergency medicine education and who demonstrate a deep love of teaching. Dr. Akhtar received the Michael P. Wainscott Program Director Award from the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors.

She also received the 2018 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, which was given by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to only nine Program Directors nationwide.

“Dr. Akhtar continues to exemplify excellence in our teaching mission at Mount Sinai,” says I. Michael Leitman, MD, Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

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Residents Win a Fun Quiz Show on Emergency Medicine Fundamentals

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community

The Mount Sinai Beth Israel team, from left: Anthony Sielicki, MD; Avir Mitra, MD; Jeffrey Nahn, MD; and Nayan Patel, MD.

A team from Mount Sinai Beth Israel recently won the Emergency Medicine Residents Association Quiz Show, competing against 12 teams of residents from across the country at the Council of Emergency Medical Directors Academic Assembly in San Antonio, Texas. In the lighthearted spirit of the contest, the Mount Sinai team wore I ♥ NY T-shirts and foam Statue of Liberty crowns; others were dressed as pirates or Dr. Seuss characters.

But the medical questions were detailed and serious. For example, when a patient has a rapidly swelling eye, what is the ocular pressure at which a vision-saving lateral canthotomy is indicated? (For the record, the answer is 40 mmHg.)

“Congratulations to our team for coming out on top in this national competition,” says Jeremy Boal, MD, President of Mount Sinai Downtown, adding, “Best uniforms ever.”

 

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Honoring Leadership Excellence in Cardiovascular Care for Women

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cardiology, Community, Women's Health

Roxana Mehran, MD, an internationally renowned clinician and researcher in the field of interventional cardiovascular disease, received the 2018 Wenger Excellence in Medical Leadership Award from WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease during a dinner on Monday, May 7, in Washington, D.C. Dr. Mehran is Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), and Population Health Science and Policy, and Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Trials at the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The Wenger Awards are named for Nanette Kass Wenger, MD, a pioneer in women’s cardiovascular medicine and research, who trained at Mount Sinai. During the award presentation, WomenHeart cited Dr. Mehran’s work in promoting the inclusion and enrollment of women in clinical research, her numerous publications related to sex-based outcomes for women with cardiovascular disease, and her involvement in multiple organizations promoting the advancement of women’s causes in cardiovascular care and professionalism. In 2017, Dr. Mehran received the Bernadine Healy Leadership in Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Award from the American College of Cardiology.

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Raising Awareness for Biomedical Research

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community, Research

Panelists included, from left: Anthony Fargnoli, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine (Cardiology); Jonathan A. Cohen, DVM, Director, Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery; Paula Croxson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry; Yasmin Hurd, PhD; Stacey Baker, PhD, Assistant Professor, Oncological Sciences; and Randy Albrecht, PhD, Associate Professor, Microbiology. Not pictured, Giorgio Martinelli, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurology.

Seven researchers and veterinarians from the Mount Sinai Health System discussed humane animal research at a panel held at Hatch Auditorium to commemorate Biomedical Research Awareness Day (BRAD) on Thursday, April 19. They joined more than 110 other international institutions in acknowledging the important role that laboratory animals play in advancing new treatments for complex conditions that include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and addiction.

“Animal models that mimic the human condition can help us focus on one chemical in an effort to start to figure out new treatments,” said Yasmin Hurd, PhD, Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai, who works with rodents to study the developmental effects of cannabis. Through these studies, Dr. Hurd has found that cannabidiol—a chemical found in marijuana—can be used in humans to decrease opioid-seeking behavior.

“For a very long time, the scientific community has been quiet about animal research,” said Jaclyn R. Steinbach, BVetMed (Hons), MRCVS, Clinical Veterinarian and Instructor, Center for Comparative Medicine and Surgery, who was the organizer of the event. “We need to share what we are doing and show that we are proud.”

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