The C. Olsten Wellness Program at The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis Helps Patients Take Control of Their Health

Updated on Jan 17, 2025 | Featured, Your Health

“Learning to live with MS is an enduring, educational process. We feel strongly that this holistic approach improves people’s long-term prognosis and significantly improves their quality of life,” says Ilana Katz Sand, MD,Co-Director of the C. Olsten Wellness Program. “We want to be able to offer this to every person we treat.”

A multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is life-changing. The challenge of managing doctor appointments, MRI exams, and treatments, while also focusing on how you feel, can be extraordinarily stressful. Many essential things in life, such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, work, and family, often receive insufficient attention in the face of these demands.

“Many of our patients seek and can benefit from a more holistic approach to their MS,” says Ilana Katz Sand, MD, Co-Director of the C. Olsten Wellness Program at The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis. “Empowering people living with MS to take ownership of their health is the goal of our Wellness Program.”

The Wellness Program is designed to enable people with MS to live their lives as fully as possible by creating healthier habits. Since its inception in 2020, more than 500 people have participated in this program, the first of its kind at a comprehensive MS care center in the United States.

The program is open to both newly diagnosed patients and those who have been receiving care from neurologists, nurse practitioners, and other Center staff for many years. Some of the original participants from 2020 are still engaged in their wellness activities, while others have found satisfaction in charting a course of action after just a few visits.

“The duration of participation is up to the patient,” Dr. Katz Sand says. “We partner one-on-one with our patients, offering each individual options that help with changing behaviors, such as assistance with scheduling workout routines, adjustments to food shopping and eating habits, or support for addressing mental health. These are all key components of comprehensive MS care.”

Deciding to participate in the Wellness Program begins with conversations between patients and their health care providers. Before the first visit, patients undergo an evaluation through the Center’s Comprehensive Annual Assessment Program at the MS Neuropsychology Clinic, which helps identify potential areas of need. The initial visit is extensive, lasting two and a half hours, and involves individual meetings with staff.

Each specialist—nurse practitioners, dietitian, physical therapist, and social worker—assess various aspects of the patient’s health, including their abilities, living environment, and support systems. Nurse practitioners Stacie Lyras, FNP-BC, and Gretchen Mathewson, NP, conduct an overall assessment and help each patient set goals. Dietitian Jessica Gelman, MS, RDN, CDN, reviews food choices, eating schedules, how groceries are obtained, and how meals are prepared. Elizabeth Pike, PT, DPT, NCS, physical therapist, evaluates the patient’s current physical activity level and exercise program. Finally, social worker Konul Azimzade, LCSW, assesses the patient’s emotional health.

At the end of each new evaluation session, the Wellness staff meet with Belenmarie Mixon, program coordinator, and Dr. Katz Sand to make sure all providers are on the same page. Each patient has a unique set of circumstances and different ways that MS affects their life. A customized plan is prepared for and discussed with the patient.

Dr. Katz Sand notes that several of her patients have had life-changing experiences with the Wellness Program. Using strategies learned from the program, some patients regained mobility through exercise. Others addressed longstanding mental health issues, or were finally able to manage their fatigue by changing diet or other lifestyle habits.

“Patients are so appreciative of the way our team listens to what is going on in their lives and what they need to feel better. Providing care that is truly holistic is a different approach that puts patients at the center,” says Dr. Katz Sand.

Dr. Katz Sand joined the Center in 2011 on a National Multiple Sclerosis Society-sponsored fellowship and became a full-time staff member in 2013. Today, she serves as the Center’s Associate Director. In addition to treating MS patients, she has spearheaded research for more than a decade on the connections between gut health and MS. Her groundbreaking work on nutrition and how food choices affect MS was key to forming the holistic approach embraced by the Wellness Program.

To further encourage people living with MS in managing their nutrition, Dr. Katz Sand’s team, led by Ms. Gelman, has produced a 73-page cookbook. It puts into practice the nutrition guidance Dr. Katz Sand has long advocated. The cookbook covers the basics of kitchen equipment, nutrition guidelines, and detailed recipes. It’s user-friendly for both beginners and more experienced home chefs. The Wellness Program cookbook is available to Wellness Program participants upon request.

As the Wellness Program becomes more popular, expansion will be necessary to accommodate more patients. This growth will require more space and staff so that more patients can take advantage of its unique offerings.

“Learning to live with MS is an enduring, educational process. We feel strongly that this holistic approach improves people’s long-term prognosis and significantly improves their quality of life,” says Dr. Katz Sand. “We want to be able to offer this to every person we treat.”

By Kenneth Bandler, a multiple sclerosis patient, advocate, and member of The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis Advisory Board

 

Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing Celebrates December 2024 Commencement

Updated on Jan 9, 2025 | Featured, Nursing

Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing graduates attend commencement at The Stern Auditorium at The Mount Sinai Hospital on December 19, 2024.

On December 19, 2024, the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing celebrated the graduation of 103 students of Cohort 12, the class of students who began their studies in September 2023. The Stern Auditorium at The Mount Sinai Hospital was filled to capacity with proud families and friends of the graduates and school faculty.

Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, while in transit, offered her congratulations virtually. She stated that nursing is a profession not just known for clinical skill but significant for the compassion, resilience, and dedication to the well-being of others. And she emphasized the importance of direct patient care.

“The bedside, or chairside, is where the essence of nursing comes alive. You may step into roles as educators, researchers, administrators, or leaders in the field of nursing. You will become the mentors, advocates, and champions for the next generation of nurses. But regardless of where your path takes you, always remember the foundation of your practice: bedside is the best side. Every role you take on will ultimately come back to that fundamental connection with the people you serve.”

Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, with Kimberly Glassman, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN (left) and Vivian Lien, DNP, RN, CNE, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Wellbeing and Clinical Associate Professor at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing

Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer, Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair, Mount Sinai Health System, spoke to the new graduates about their essential role in health care, how nurses make special connections not only to patients and patients’ families, but also to their colleagues.

“As a young physician, I learned that nurses are the engine of teamwork, especially with physician partners, because they understand the patient as a whole. You have a superpower.” He added that the graduates were very special to Mount Sinai and hoped they would continue as professional nurses in the Mount Sinai Health System.

Janet Green, Chair of the Board of the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, whose family was integral to the founding of the school, relayed congratulations, noting that nursing is a calling and “an integral part of patient health care.”

The Valedictorian, Jennifer Moffa, thanked her fellow classmates and faculty, giving them credit for her achievement. She added that it was “bittersweet” to complete her education at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, but was thankful for “everlasting connections” and reminded her peers to “choose kindness.”

Before the recitation of the International Pledge for Nurses by the graduating class, and the flipping of their cap tassels from right to left, Kimberly Glassman, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN, Dean, Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, reiterated that there are diverse career paths open to the graduating class, saying, “the entire world is open to you.”

Levy Library Celebrates 50 Years of Supporting Learners

Updated on Nov 19, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence, Featured, School

Levy Library staff celebrating the 50th anniversary in 2024.

The Levy Library at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has gone through many revamps and reiterations, but one thing remains the same—its steadfast mission of helping students, researchers, faculty, staff, and clinicians get the knowledge and information they need. November 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the library, and for some staff, looking back at how it has grown is a source of pride.

“Over the past 12 years, I’ve had the privilege of leading the team providing library and digital services that support Mount Sinai’s entire scholarly and research community,” says Paul Lawrence, MFA, Dean for Scholarly and Research Technologies at the Icahn School of Medicine.

“I am incredibly proud to be part of a team and a 50-year legacy that exemplifies unwavering support for our mission, continually adapting and innovating while remaining committed to exceptional service,” says Mr. Lawrence, who is also Vice President for Information Technology of the Mount Sinai Health System.

The Library was named in honor of Gustave Levy and his wife, Janet Levy. Gustave Levy had been Chairman of the Boards of then-named Mount Sinai Medical Center and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and The Mount Sinai Hospital. He helped with a $154 million fundraising effort for the medical school building and endowment, and the planning and erection of the Annenberg Building in which the Library is located.

“Witnessing the evolution and modernization of the Library’s physical spaces throughout the Health System, fostering partnerships with our research community, and advancing the Library’s commitment to supporting artificial intelligence initiatives have been true highlights for me,” says Mr. Lawrence.

Indeed, at the two-floor library, the space has constantly been updated to meet the needs of patrons. Use the sliders to look at how the Levy Library has changed over the decades.

Photo of Gustave (left) and Janet (right) Levy, taken in 1973.

Comparing Levy Library, 1980s and now

Levy Library staff have flourished alongside the library’s many changes. “I first worked at Mount Sinai in the 1990s as a lab technician; during that time, I loved to visit the Levy Library to read print journals and books,” says Jill Gregory, MFA, CMI, Associate Director for Scholarly Publishing and Visualization at the Library.

“Three decades and a medical illustration graduate degree later, I’m so excited to be a part of the Levy Library team itself,” says Ms. Gregory. “The Library is constantly evolving, from the print materials I used to reference to now being a hub of digital resources and scholarly activity. I find it so gratifying to support Mount Sinai’s clinical and scientific excellence through our team’s research and visualization skills, and I look forward to all that the future holds.”

From November 2024 through November 2025, the Levy Library is celebrating its history, its present-day achievements, and its view toward the future through a series of showcases and activities.

Click to learn more about the Levy Library 50th anniversary activities

Curious about how far the Levy Library has come? Here’s a timeline and some quick facts.

Nov. 22, 1974

Levy Library is dedicated.

1982

First identified documentation of the Library Committee as a Standing Committee of the Academic Council with student members from each class year.

1990

Division of Academic Computing is created.

1994

Implemented computer-assisted instruction programming for the school.

1995

Associated Alumni provided funds to establish the Electronic Information Center.

2001

WebCT launched to allow access to course materials from any site, any time.

2018

10th floor renovated to a 24-hour study space, and 11th floor transitioned from bookstacks to shared learning spaces.

2019

Levy Library Press publishes the first article in Journal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine.

2022

Scholars Portal (scholars.mssm.edu) launched.

2023

Educational Technology rejoins the Library and partners fully with the Medical Education ASCEND curriculum transformation.

In 2023, more than 217,000 people visited the Levy Library

Patrons accessed more than 8.2 million items in 2023

The Library transitioned its books and journals primarily to digital in the 2000s, now offering more than 350,000 e-books and 3,500 print books

Publications by Mount Sinai authors have grown from 698 in 1974 to a peak of 7,686 in 2021

Mount Sinai’s Lab Coat Ceremony: Instilling the Rigors and Responsibility of Science in PhD and MD-PhD Students

Updated on Dec 6, 2024 | Featured, Research, School

“Persistence, resilience in the face of criticism, combined with a willingness to listen and adapt, is the thing that can most define your success,” says Neil Dhawan, PhD.

Neil Dhawan, PhD, had a story to share with the audience of new PhD and MD-PhD students who attended the 2024 Lab Coat ceremony at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Graduate School Biomedical Sciences. He was on familiar ground: Dr. Dhawan received both a master of science and PhD degree in biomedical sciences at Mount Sinai, and his story was one of encouragement and success.

Dr. Dhawan, whose training area was in cancer biology, is a co-founder of two companies, starting with Dual Therapeutics LLC, a venture-backed biotechnol­ogy company that he established as a student, where he helped to develop the lead drug program, small molecule agonists of PP2A, which led to a collaboration deal with Bristol Myers Squibb that was valued at up to $225 million.

He is also Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer, and Head of Research and Development at Totus Medicines, where he focuses on combining small molecule design, structural biology, genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology to create new classes of drugs to target untreatable diseases. “Over the past three years, we have raised more than $100 million, we advanced our first drug targeting one of the most common oncogenes in cancer, and we presented our first clinical data showing tumor responses in late stage cancer patients,” he said.

“When I first started at Mount Sinai, the idea of discovering and developing a drug to the clinic seemed almost impossible. I always would hear that it could take a lifetime and hundreds of millions of dollars. There were even skeptics who doubted the value of my work because I was just starting out. When I set out to develop my drug idea, most people told me ‘Most biotechs fail,’ or, ‘Do you think you can compete with Pfizer?,’ or ‘Why would investors give you money?’”

And, he gave this advice: “So, what should you do when you feel frustrated and things are confusing? I encourage you to put your head down and do the work—read every paper, read through patents, study the leaders in the field, and most importantly go and speak to those leaders who are a floor or hallway away at Mount Sinai…Persistence, resilience in the face of criticism, combined with a willingness to listen and adapt, is the thing that can most define your success.”

The Lab Coat ceremony symbolically represents the beginning of the students’ academic research and training at Mount Sinai and reinforces the responsibility and professionalism they will cultivate and uphold as they pursue their degrees.

Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, opened the ceremony. “Our PhD programs in biomedical sciences, clinical research, and neuroscience offer rigorous, collaborative training that equips our students to lead the next generation of scientific and medical advances,” she said. “These programs are essential in addressing complex challenges and finding solutions grounded in data and robust statistical analysis.”

Dr. Filizola is also the Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein/Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, Professor of Neuroscience, and Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health.

Marta Filizola, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

“We are branching out into new research frontiers, leveraging artificial intelligence and other technologies in medicine to improve both patient health and quality of life,” she said. “Our students are integral to this process, bringing  diverse perspectives and experiences that drive innovation in both basic and translational research.”

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean for Academic Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, welcomed the students, faculty, and guests. “The core process of science is the scientific method, which describes a systematic process—to quote from the dictionary, ‘for acquiring knowledge that involves making observations, collecting data, and testing hypotheses.’ We can all appreciate the paramount significance of the integrity of science,” he said. Dr. Nestler is also Director of The Friedman Brain Institute, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience, and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System.

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean for Academic Affairs

“Science and the scientific method, with its embrace of empiricism and causality, represent the proud tradition that created all of us, and that each of us in turn has the responsibility to promote, protect, and defend,” he said. “By earning a PhD degree, you are the new generation upon whom society will depend to continue this tradition, with the goal of further improving the health and lives of its citizens.”

 

 

Why an MD-PhD and PhD degree? Watch these video interviews with three students to learn more about the programs—and their passions.

Nicole Hirsh is a third-year student in the MD-PhD program studying Cancer Immunology.

Vivek Kanpa is an aspiring AI scientist and a first-year student in the PhD in Biomedical Sciences program.

Brooke Friedman completed the SURP program and is a first-year doctoral student in the PhD in Neuroscience program.

A New Hope on Organ Transplants for People With HIV

Nov 29, 2024 | Featured, HIV AIDS, Research

People with HIV are now living healthier, longer lives thanks to advances in antiretroviral therapy, but they can still have chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Eventually, they might need organ replacements, like kidneys, but this group of people has been at a disadvantage.

Patients with HIV have been known to receive lower priority on waitlists given the shortage of organs and misconceptions about the patients’ ability to receive them. But what if we could increase the pool of available organs by allowing the use of organs from donors with HIV for recipients with HIV?

A new milestone was achieved in a first-of-its-kind study in the United States in which Mount Sinai was a major player. The HOPE study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that not only are kidney transplants from HIV+ donors safe and effective, they are just as much so as transplants from HIV- donors.

“It had been illegal, by federal law, to use HIV+ organs,” says Sander Florman, MD, Director of the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai and an author of the paper. “Prior to the HOPE Act signed by then-President Obama, organs with HIV had to be discarded. But if we can show it is safe to use organs from people with HIV, why not use them, so that HIV+ people can get transplanted quicker?”

“Eventually, the goal of this study is to move HIV-to-HIV kidney transplants out of just research and into a standard of care,” says Meenakshi Rana, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and an author of the paper. “This has larger implications not just for people with HIV, but for everyone who’s on a waitlist—if a person with HIV can receive an organ faster from a donor with HIV, then everyone on the list also moves up.”

Drs. Florman and Rana discuss the importance of the HOPE study, how it could destigmatize organ transplants for people with HIV, and future impacts.

What’s the history of organ transplantation for people who are HIV+?

In the past, people with HIV were considered not medically suitable for organ transplants. It was thought that the immune-suppressing drugs required to prevent organ rejection might cause the HIV to develop into AIDS, says Dr. Florman.

In the late 1990s, Mount Sinai showed that it was possible to do a living liver donation to a patient with HIV. “It was extremely controversial,” says Dr. Florman. “At the time, nobody was doing HIV transplants. And second of all, very few centers in the country were doing living-donor liver transplants.”

Sandy Florman, MD, Director of the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute at Mount Sinai (left) and Meenakshi Rana, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases (right).

What is the current law on use of organs from donors with HIV?

In regulations dating to 1988, it was made illegal to transplant or even study organs from donors with HIV. In 2013, President Obama signed the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act, which lifted the research ban.

On November 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a final rule stating kidney and liver transplants involving donors and recipients with HIV no longer need to be done under the auspices of a clinical trial. The decision was motivated by evidence from studies enabled by the HOPE Act that showed such procedures were safe and effective.

In the 2000s, Mount Sinai participated in another trial that showed it was possible to transplant kidneys from donors without HIV to recipients with HIV—a trial that was the predecessor to the HOPE study.

However, people with HIV faced more than just medical skepticism—they also faced social stigma.

What does having an undetectable HIV load mean?

Having an undetectable load, or simply being undetectable, means HIV levels in a person are so low that they cannot transmit the virus to another person sexually. This is typically achieved through antiretroviral therapy.

“Even with the advent of the medications, where your HIV can be well controlled and you could live a normal life, there is stigma among some medical professionals about getting a needlestick or getting splashed in the eye with blood,” says Dr. Florman. “The reality is that part of the criteria for doing these transplants is that the candidates need to have well-controlled HIV, even undetectable viral load. And so the risk of getting HIV from a needlestick or a splash is actually very low, although not zero.”

What were the HOPE study results?

The HOPE study transplanted 198 kidneys into recipients with HIV. Half of those kidneys were from donors with HIV and the other half from donors without. Mount Sinai was the largest enroller of the trial, transplanting 55 patients.

  • There was no significant difference in outcomes between both groups, including overall survival at one year and three years, survival without graft loss at one year and three years, and rejection at one year.
  • Adverse events, infections, and complications were similar between both groups, and any HIV-related infection events were able to be treated.

What impacts could this study have?

“Even though we’ve had previous findings that people with HIV could receive transplants, historically, people with HIV have had longer wait times in terms of access to an organ, and higher mortality rates,” says Dr. Rana. “So one of the huge implications of this study is that it could really reduce the wait time of access to organ transplantation for people with HIV, and that’s really important for reducing disparities in transplant.”

That goal is one step closer to becoming reality. On November 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a final rule stating that after a decade of studies enabled by the HOPE Act, kidney and liver transplants between donors and recipients with HIV are now permitted, and no longer have to be done as clinical trials.

This announcement will hopefully encourage organ procurement organizations (OPOs) to be more inclusive of donors with HIV. “Some OPOs have been good and pursued donors with HIV. Others have not been interested for a variety of reasons. Hopefully, as more HIV patients are able to access transplants, these OPOs would follow the demand and seek more donors with HIV,” says Dr. Florman.

Additionally, the study could expand awareness among patients with HIV and providers that access to life-saving transplantation is more a possibility than ever, says Dr. Rana.

Want to know about a referral for organ transplants at Mount Sinai? Click to learn more.

Does this mean people with HIV should consider becoming donors?

“I would definitely want to encourage people with HIV to become donors,” says Dr. Rana. “This would help destigmatize what it means to be a person living with HIV.”

“The patients we helped transplant have always been very grateful, especially because other centers often wouldn’t offer them the procedure,” says Dr. Florman. “But I was surprised that people with HIV who don’t need transplants are grateful that they can now be organ donors. Because now they feel a sense of pride in the idea that they, too, can be organ donors and help save other lives.”

From Brain Scans to Wearables, Learn More About the Research at Mount Sinai’s New AI Center

Nov 26, 2024 | Artificial Intelligence, Featured, Research

The Mount Sinai Health System has been an early adopter of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving patient care and health over the past few years, innovating in various clinical areas such as in imaging and patient monitoring. Now, the Health System is doubling on its investment in the field, and is opening the Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health on November 25, a 12-story, 65,000-square-foot facility at 3 East 101st Street. The facility aims to organize Mount Sinai’s artificial intelligence (AI) efforts under one roof, to facilitate collaboration and innovation.

“Mount Sinai sees artificial intelligence and machine learning as key to our continued successes in making critical discoveries in science and in advancing medicine,” says David Reich, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Hospital.

The co-location of data scientists with the basic science and clinical scientists on the campus shared by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Mount Sinai Hospital is a strategic decision to create a community of clinical, basic, and data scientists that interact seamlessly.

The new building houses Mount Sinai’s core AI facilities: the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health; the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai; the Institute for Genomic Health; the Mount Sinai BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute; and the Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine.

Exterior of the Hamilton and Amabel James Center for Artificial Intelligence and Human Health.

Investing in AI is key to Mount Sinai’s commitment to patient health. “Science and medicine are advancing rapidly and artificial intelligence is the key to scaling our ability to help our staff be more effective in creating better outcomes and enhancing safety in multiple clinical domains and to speed scientific discovery,” says Dr. Reich.

What do the core facilities do, and what are some of the research activities going on inside? Click on each button to find out more.

Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health
Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai
Institute for Genomic Health
Mount Sinai BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute
The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine

The Department was founded more than two years ago. Its inaugural Chair, Thomas Fuchs, Dr.sc., Dean for Artificial Intelligence, set a goal of designing an “intelligent fabric”—a platform containing various AI tools and services that can be easily integrated into clinical applications at hospitals within the Health System. This centralized platform would help clinicians get a holistic view of the patient, which not only helps on the diagnostic side, but also for treatment decisions, better follow-up, and better prevention of disease, says Dr. Fuchs.

The Department has more than 80 faculty members, spanning clinicians, basic scientists, computer scientists, and engineers. In addition to creating AI tools for the Health System, it hosts the annual New Wave of AI in Healthcare conference to share findings with Mount Sinai researchers and other institutions around the country. Research areas include computational pathology and machine learning in chronic disease characterization and management. Some activities include:

  • Oncology: In collaboration with The Tisch Cancer Institute, an ongoing project involves the development of computational biomarkers for cancer, which could be used to predict patient outcomes and recommend treatment options or clinical trials for patients.
  • Neurology: The Department is involved in the 10,000 Brains Project, a philanthropic initiative that uses AI in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It intends to digitize neuropathology slides of brains across diverse populations, aiming to uncover underlying mechanisms and shed light on diagnostic and treatment options in the future.
  • Pathology: Team members are building what could be considered the largest academic foundation model in pathology. It comprises billions of images from millions of digitized slides to provide data and information about the microscopic world. This data could be used as a foundation for AI applications to build biomarkers, create predictive models, or answer questions about cancer and tissues.

Learn more about the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health

The institute was formed in 2019 through a collaboration with the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering in Potsdam, Germany. With a focus on software and digital health solutions, the Institute builds computational frameworks and architectures for rapid scientific discovery, and mobile applications that integrate health data from patients via wearables. With more than 12 concurrent ongoing studies, some key projects include:

  • AI-Ready Mount Sinai (AIR·MS): Patient data, such as scans or clinical reports, can often be siloed in separate departments. AIR·MS is a cloud-based platform that integrates Mount Sinai patient data into a consistent format. This platform allows researchers access to information about Mount Sinai’s 12 million patients to build out AI applications at scale or to conduct research.
  • Ehive: A platform involving a mobile application, available on the Apple App Store or Google Play, that conducts digital health studies. Participants answer questions on the app and provide other health information via wearables, such as an Apple Watch, for the study’s duration. Ehive helps researchers understand complex diseases and wellness.

Learn more about the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai

Genomics involves the study of genes and genetic material and how they might affect health. Led by Eimear Kenny, PhD, Director of the Institute, teams use AI to analyze and characterize the vast information from DNA and genetic material, collected from biobanks such as the BioMe® and Mount Sinai Million Health Discovery programs, to examine the health impact of disease-associated genes and variants in real-world settings. Some key focus areas include:

  • Genomic discovery: Teams are involved in large-scale projects that infer population history through genetic sequencing. These studies provide information about how genetic diversity has changed throughout history, evolution, and disease. Ongoing projects vary in scope from the local population in East Harlem in Manhattan to continental populations in North and South America.
  • Medical genomics: With a better understanding of genetic data, researchers can infer the prevalence, clinical impact, and comorbidities associated with a particular variant. The institute is involved in the NYCKidSeq clinical trial, a collaboration between Mount Sinai, the New York Genome Center, and Montefiore Medical Center and its Albert Einstein College of Medicine, to find genetic causes of health problems in children. Other efforts look at the intersection of genomics and infectious diseases, screening, and electronic health records.

Learn more about the Institute for Genomic Health

With a team of more than 45 members and under the leadership of its Director, Zahi Fayad, PhD, the Institute works at the forefront of imaging, nanomedicine, and drug delivery, with a focus on brain, heart, and cancer research. The Institute has a track record with wearable innovations, but it is also making strides in AI-powered digital solutions. Some recent innovations include:

  • Warrior Watch: By applying AI to analyze heart rate and other variables collected via an Apple Watch, researchers developed a way to monitor and assess psychological states remotely without requiring the completion of mental health questionnaires. The study found the AI model to be predictive in identifying resilience or well-being states.
  • “Digital twin”: By computationally modeling pathway interactions of cells and organs, researchers at the institute have created essentially a “digital twin” of organs. This allows researchers to make predictions about gene expression and organ function, which in turn allow for better understanding of health and disease states.

Learn more about the Mount Sinai BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute

Spearheading the biobank programs, including the BioMe® and Mount Sinai Million Health Discovery programs, the Institute, guided by co-Directors Alexander Charney, MD, PhD, and Girish Nadkarni, MD, works closely with the Institute for Genomic Health and others to understand human disease through cohort studies. AI is the backbone for genetic sequencing to provide insight into how one’s genes might influence health, but also other factors including environmental and socioeconomic.

  • Mount Sinai Million Health Discoveries Program: This endeavor aims to carry out genetic sequencing of 1 million Mount Sinai patients in five years, and is considered one of the largest sequencing projects of its kind. With understanding of health at a local and population level, the program hopes not only to discover new therapeutics to treat and prevent disease, but also to integrate genomic profiling into routine clinical decision-making.
  • BioMe®: A vast, ongoing collection of de-identified data comprising information about DNA, plasma, clinical medical records, and questionnaire data, and large-scale genome-wide genotype and exome-chip data. Since its creation in 2019, the biobank has acquired information from more than 52,500 patients. The database allows genetic, epidemiologic, molecular, and genomic studies in many different fields, including inflammatory bowel disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer, allergic conditions, and more.

Learn more about The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine

Pin It on Pinterest