A Generous Gift Advances Breast Cancer Screening at Mount Sinai

Updated on Nov 21, 2022 | Featured, Your Health

Joyce Glasgold and her daughter, Ellen Glasgold Lange, know firsthand how important early detection can be in breast cancer, which is why a generous gift from the Glasgold Family Foundation made possible the purchase of an ultrasound reading platform powered by artificial intelligence. From left: Alexandra Lange, Ellen Glasgold Lange, Joyce Glasgold, Olivia Lange, and Trevor Lange.

When it comes to breast cancer, Joyce Glasgold and her daughter, Ellen Glasgold Lange, know firsthand how important early detection can be.

Joyce Glasgold’s mother died of breast cancer, and many of her family members had the disease. Mrs. Glasgold herself was diagnosed in 1991 at age 50. Fifteen years later, her daughter Ellen was diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), a condition that indicates an increased risk of developing breast cancer and that, along with her family history, led her to have a bilateral mastectomy.

So when they learned about Koios DS Breast—an AI-powered, ultrasound-reading software platform that can spot cancer in two seconds—they were eager to make it available to women throughout New York City. A generous gift from the Glasgold Family Foundation to the Department of Radiology supported the purchase and installation of the software at The Mount Sinai Hospital, ensuring that physicians have advanced technology to aid them in making rapid, accurate diagnoses and reducing unnecessary biopsies.

This is particularly important for women with dense breasts, which can make it much more difficult to spot cancers. Nearly 50 percent of women over age 40 have dense breast tissue, and mammograms miss more than half of cancers present in those individuals. These women often require an ultrasound in addition to mammography to capture images of areas of the breast that may be harder to see.

“This new software potentially allows us to increase the ability of breast ultrasound to find cancer that might have gone undetected,” says Laurie R. Margolies, MD, FACR, FSBI, System Chief of Breast Imaging for the Mount Sinai Health System. “The radiologists at Mount Sinai are excited to be able to use cutting-edge technologies for the betterment of our robust ultrasound screening program and the benefit of all our patients.”

Using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, Koios DS Breast compares ultrasounds to an archive of hundreds of thousands of images from patients from around the world with confirmed benign or malignant diagnoses, providing radiologists with an instant “second opinion” in classifying suspicious lesions. The technology not only helps clinicians identify cancer sooner so patients can begin treatment as quickly as possible, but it also reduces the need for biopsies in benign tissues.

Because the Mount Sinai Health System serves a large and diverse patient population, the Glasgolds are also pleased that women from medically underserved communities will now have access to state-of-the-art diagnostics.

“We all know that catching breast cancer early saves lives, so our family was compelled to accelerate the adoption of this exciting new innovation,” says Joyce Glasgold. “We are honored and thrilled to help bring this game-changing technology to Mount Sinai.”

Learn more about the Center of Excellence for Breast Cancer at Mount Sinai

‘What a Wonderful World’ Gala Benefits Music Therapy

Updated on Nov 18, 2022 | Community, Featured, Inside Mount Sinai Psychiatry, Mental Health, Psychiatry

From left, Honoree David Sanborn, Shantelena Mouzon, administrative coordinator at the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine,  and musician Paul Shaffer

The 17th annual “What a Wonderful World” gala benefiting the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, was a festive evening of jazz and expressions of gratitude to three honorees for making the world more wonderful through their contributions to music and music therapy.

The event, held Monday, October 24, at the Angel Orensanz Foundation and hosted by the Wonderful World Friends of Music Therapy Inc., honors the legacy of the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy and their commitment to music therapy at Mount Sinai hospitals.

The event recognizes a dynamic group of individuals chosen from a variety of fields including music, medicine, and patients who have benefitted from receiving music therapy at Mount Sinai hospitals.

This year’s honorees were Grant Mitchell, MD, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai Beth Israel; David Sanborn, the multi-Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, who was presented the Phoebe Jacobs Award by Paul Shaffer (pianist of the former Late Night with David Letterman); and patient Rosemarie Greene.

From left, Honoree Grant Mitchell, MD, Joanne V. Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, Prameet Singh, MD, and Daniel S Safin, MD

The gala was hosted by Mercedes Ellington, dancer, choreographer, and granddaughter of Duke Ellington, and Bill Daughtry, the retired radio and TV host. The co-chairs were Karen and Doug Seidman from the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine’s Steering Committee. The event featured performances by Rema Webb from the Broadway production of The Music Man; Antoine Smith from the Broadway production of MJ: The Musical; saxophonist Erik Lawrence, Lou Marini, a saxophonist and an original member of The Blues Brother, and jazz pianist Garry Dial. Mr. Shaffer and Mr. Sanborn, along with Will Lee (bass), performed jazz and Louis Armstrong’s ‘Wonderful World’.

“We are proud to bring together members of the music, medicine, and patient community who through the gala learn of the breadth and scope of patients we serve and our research projects with doctors and nurses, from neonatal care to oncology, Alzheimer’s disease and psychiatry,” said Joanne V. Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, Founder and Director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, which provides music therapy services throughout the Mount Sinai Health System.

The Department of Music Therapy, with support from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation and other grants, provides a range of clinical services for infants, children, and adults, and day treatment at the Mount Sinai-Union Square clinic and within the community. Its music therapists are licensed and board certified to provide care that complements medical treatment, assisting with sedation, pain management, and neurologic and respiratory function.

Learn more about the Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy

Celebration Week for Nurse Practitioners—Ever Rising to Meet the Needs of Patients

Updated on Nov 18, 2022 | Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, Nursing, Stories of Excellence

The Mount Sinai Health System celebrates nurse practitioners (NPs) during the week of Sunday, November 13, to Saturday, November 19—and recognizes their commitment toward furthering the mission and vision of the organization. “Nurse practitioners are a critical link in the comprehensive compassionate care we provide,” says Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive, Mount Sinai Health System.

Since the NP role began more than 50 years ago, nurse practitioners have risen to meet each challenge, worked to eliminate health care disparities, and strengthened the nation’s ability to ensure patients have equitable access to high-quality care, says Priscilla Samuel, DNP, FNP-BC, Vice President of Advanced Practice Nursing, Mount Sinai Health System.

“NPs are integral in promoting clinical excellence and fostering patient safety and quality,” Ms. Samuel says. “In collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, we provide exceptional patient care while ensuring that patient preferences and values guide all clinical decisions.”

Here are the thoughts of several of Mount Sinai’s dedicated nurse practitioners on what inspires them, what fills them with pride, and what they wish people knew about their role:

Lena Chang, MSN, RN, ANP-BC
Clinical Program Manager, Cardiology
Mount Sinai Beth Israel

I’ve been working at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Mount Sinai Union Square for 28 years, 24 of which have been in the Cardiovascular Services Department.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as an NP?
​As a nurse practitioner and Clinical Program Manager, I am able to involve myself directly with the patients along with system-wide projects. I have a wonderful team of nurse practitioners and am so proud of their hard work to make the department excel.

I am also a co-chair of the Mount Sinai Downtown and Mount Sinai Heart Diversity Councils. This work is extremely important to me, and so relevant during these tumultuous times. I also enjoy community projects, such as my involvement in American Heart Association community events. Aside from my hospital involvement, I sit on the Leadership Council for the Chinese-American Planning Council, which provides resources for senior and youth programs in New York City. I was recently accepted onto the Board of Directors of New York City’s Home Care Program. I look forward to doing more important work for senior programs in the city.

I am involved in wellness programs within the Cardiovascular Services Department, and like to encourage participation in our walking events, including the Heart Walk, the premier event of the American Heart Association, and meditative practice within our staff. I am most proud of all the work we have done as a department to provide the highest standards of care, as well as the work of the Mount Sinai Downtown Diversity Council to strive toward diversity, inclusion, and equity.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
I wish people knew how much nurse practitioners do for our patients, using the latest evidence-based research treatment protocols. They are also excellent problem solvers and strong patient advocates.

Charleen Jacobs, MS, ANP-BC
Sickle Cell Nurse Practitioner
The Mount Sinai Hospital

I work in the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your job?
As a sickle cell nurse practitioner at The Mount Sinai Hospital, the most interesting aspect of my job is having the ability to provide longitudinal care to a unique population. Sickle cell disease requires specialized care. Our approach to care is holistic, preventative, and lifespan-focused.

Every day at work, I have the opportunity to care for patients in inpatient and outpatient settings. The sickle cell nurse practitioners provide consult services to inpatient teams once a patient arrives in the Emergency Department, and continue to follow them throughout their hospital course. Once a patient is discharged, we can provide outpatient follow-up care, as well. With this approach, we can provide high-quality, evidence-based care, identify potential gaps, and prevent long-term complications associated with sickle cell disease.

As a Black health care provider, I am most proud that I can provide care for my community, which is disproportionately affected by sick cell disease. As their nurse practitioner, there is no feeling more incredible than knowing I can serve people with this disease. It is one of the most fulfilling parts of this role.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
I hope that others in the larger health care community understand the value of nurse practitioners. There is so much diversity among nurse practitioners—from those in leadership, academia, clinical care, and research. With this, nurse practitioners are well-posed to participate in significant decision-making due to our wide experience in a variety of health care roles.

David Skovran, NP
Internal Medicine Associates
Respectful and Equitable Access to Comprehensive Healthcare (REACH) Program
Division of General Internal Medicine
Director of Nursing, East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership

I am a primary care provider currently with Mount Sinai Doctors Internal Medicine Associates at The Mountain Sinai Hospital.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
The most inspiring aspect of my role is having the opportunity be a primary care provider with my own panel of patients. I have cared for some patients for the past six years, which has allowed me to establish long-term relationships with my patients, encourage open communications, and strive to provide personalized care.

I am proud to be part of the Respectful and Equitable Access to Comprehensive Healthcare (REACH) Program. As part of this program, I am able to provide a comprehensive, patient-centered, harm reduction approach to primary care for persons who use alcohol or other drugs, and for individuals living with hepatitis C. As part of this program, I have had the opportunity to present at national conferences on buprenorphine treatment, stigma-free risk reduction counseling, hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, and overdose response training. I am most proud of being able to educate people about the important work this program does within the Mount Sinai Health System.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
Nurse practitioners play a vital role in our nation’s health care system. They provide acute and primary care to patients across the health care continuum, from assessing, diagnosing, and treating illnesses to educating communities on disease prevention.

Katherine D. Reina, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C
Clinical Program Director, Delirium Program
Mount Sinai Morningside
Faculty Member, Committee on Professionalism

 I work for the Mount Sinai Health System’s Delirium Program, a one-of-kind approach that enables early recognition and treatment of patients who develop delirium while hospitalized, which I oversee at Mount Sinai Morningside.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
As a nurse practitioner, I am honored and humbled to be a part of the Health System’s interdisciplinary team caring for some of our most vulnerable patients and their families. I feel that nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to manage patients across their lifespan. As nurse practitioners, we get to combine the best of nursing and medicine to optimize the health care delivery model. I truly believe the Health System is at the forefront of innovation and research in health care.

I am most proud of first being a part of the Delirium Program. As a nurse practitioner, I have helped expand the program at Mount Sinai Morningside while helping to manage patients. My work within the program has helped reimagine the role of the nurse practitioner as one that includes serving as a lead consultant for a clinical program. It has also increased awareness of delirium and best evidence-based practices to improve management of our patients.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
Nurse practitioners are the fastest growing career field in the United States, with more than 355,000 nurse practitioners practicing across the country. Nurse practitioners hold the potential to become the foundation of health care delivery models and standards.

Luz Lucero-Calabro, MS, RN
Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Specialist
Mount Sinai Brooklyn

I am a nurse practitioner engaged in system policy changes, standardizing pressure injury prevention practices, managing products, and providing education for the staff.

I started in 2019 as the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (WOCN) Nurse Practitioner specialist at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, with a unique position as an educator, provider, and nurse administrator. While I work mainly at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, I am also engaged in a number of Mount Sinai Health System initiatives related to the prevention of hospital acquired-pressure injuries.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
I have the autonomy to plan and develop treatment plans as a provider while also engaging in a holistic approach due to my nursing roots. I take into account the patient as a whole. It is rewarding to make a difference in the wound and ostomy community.

I am most proud of helping to create the Mount Sinai Brooklyn Skin Care team with registered nurses and personal care assistants. I am also proud of collaborating on the development of a program to improve electronic reporting to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators®, which provides reporting of structure, process, and outcome indicators to evaluate nursing care at the unit level, and using the data for quality improvement projects. I am also proud of my engagement in standardizing the WOCN practice throughout the Mount Sinai Health System, and serving as chair of the WOCN Steering Committee.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
We uphold the highest professional standards for ourselves, and desire to succeed and model care through our practice.

James Murphy, DNP, ANP-C
Administrative Director
Advanced Practice Nursing
Mount Sinai South Nassau

I am currently the Administrative Director of Advanced Practice Nursing at Mount Sinai South Nassau. Clinically, I work with the Critical Care team as a provider on the Rapid Response team.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
I love clinical work and being able to spend time caring for and speaking with patients and their families regarding care. I also enjoy assisting the resident physicians with their education through the Rapid Response team. Both are very rewarding.

I am co-chair of the Resuscitation Committee at Mount Sinai South Nassau and love working on this proactive committee. I believe we all work well together and make changes where it counts most—through policies and at the bedside of patients. I am also called upon to review charts and medical team cases when questions arise. I have also had the pleasure of working on the Mount Sinai Health System CPR Committee, which worked on a system-wide medical team policy.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
I wish more people knew who we are and what we can offer. Nurse practitioners take time with our patients and are holistic in looking at all aspects of our patients’ physical and emotional care. We see the whole patient.

Kimberley Ennis DNP, APRN-BC
Senior Director of Nursing
Mount Sinai Queens

I am a nurse practitioner currently practicing as a nurse leader at Mount Sinai Queens, overseeing all operations of medical-surgical units, cancer center, dialysis, catheterization/electrophysiology, and hospital administrator team. I also act as liaison to the Magnet Recognition Program for nursing excellence, and oversee advanced practice nurses.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
The most inspiring part of my role is the ability to mentor, coach, and inspire new and experienced nurse leaders and other nurses and nurse practitioners who aspire to leadership roles.

I am proud to be a part of a system that is leading change in diversity, equity, and inclusion and a system that has many opportunities for RNs to advance to nurse practitioners.  I am proud of the projects and initiatives I have led, in opening a new clinical unit and lab and significantly impacting multiple quality metrics at Mount Sinai Queens.  I am even more proud to be a mentor to Mount Sinai Health System nurses and nurse leaders.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
I want more people to understand the multifaceted roles of a nurse practitioner in the health care setting.

Monica An, PhD, RN
Inpatient Oncology Nurse Practitioner
Hematology and Oncology Infusion Center
Mount Sinai West

I am currently an inpatient consultant for a non-teaching service in the Hematology/Oncology program.

What is the most interesting and inspiring aspect of your role as a nurse practitioner?
Inpatient consultants have a big responsibility to optimize the patient’s oncologic care during hospital admission. My role is to provide a unique inpatient nurse practitioner service, which bridges oncologic care with that of the primary medicine and primary oncology teams.

I am proud that the Mount Sinai Health System supports our nurse practitioner service as an advanced practice provider in many ways, such as orientation programs that combine essential, detailed information with extensive mentorship for new nurse practitioners. The Health System also supports nurse practitioners in initiating research projects. And leadership consistently provides a supportive environment for nurse practitioners who want to advance their degrees, which was instrumental in my earning a PhD. Working as a nurse practitioner at the Health System has been a precious and extraordinary experience that has allowed me to grow in my profession.

What do you wish people knew about nurse practitioners?
Everything we do, including the critical role we play in nursing and medicine. Nurse practitioners practice with independence, profound knowledge, and experience. As such, we are crucial in ensuring better outcomes and greater satisfaction for our patients.

COVID-19 Travel Tips for This Holiday Season

Updated on Nov 10, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured

We are approaching the third holiday season during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this one is different from the others: Masking requirements and other social distancing guidelines are largely gone.

So what should you do if you are concerned about COVID-19 possibly interfering with your holiday plans? Just take some common-sense precautions, experts say. Here are some suggestions from Bernard Camins, MD, MSc, Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Medical Director for Infection Prevention for the Mount Sinai Health System.

Pay attention to all your vaccinations. Continue to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations. On September 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that those over age 12 get the newest COVID-19 boosters that also target the Omicron variant, and on October 12, the CDC extended that recommendation to those ages 5-11. You should get this vaccine if it has been at least two months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose. Also, don’t forget your flu shot, as this season is expected to be worse than normal. And remember these shots may take up to two weeks for full protection to kick in.

It’s just as important to stay up to date even if you had COVID-19. The newest vaccine provides added protection, according to the CDC. If you recently had COVID-19, you may delay the next vaccine dose for three months from the onset of symptoms or from your first positive test.

When traveling, consider wearing a high-quality mask in crowded public areas. A surgical mask, which is more comfortable than a snug-fitting KN95 mask, provides some protection against viral infections. That might be prudent for a long plane ride. But to ensure better protection, wearing a clean cloth mask on top of the surgical mask, or wearing a KN95 mask or N95 mask is recommended. Also, onboard the plane, the most important time to consider wearing a mask is while the plane is still on the ground; once airborne, the plane’s sophisticated air filtration systems come on. (Two important footnotes on masks: Masking is still required in health care facilities in New York State, and health care facilities in areas where there is high COVID-19 transmission may require them. You are supposed to wear a mask in public if you are just getting over COVID-19.)

Be especially careful at gatherings and celebrations. If you have been dining at restaurants indoors or attending gatherings indoors without a mask on, then you have been exposed to respiratory viruses already. This holiday season, you are probably more likely to get infected during the many hours you are with friends and family around the dinner table or celebrating inside. That’s what happened a year ago when social distancing guidelines were relaxed. So general guidance on gatherings remains: Remember that some people may be more at risk, such as such as older adults, those with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, and those with reduced ability to fight infections, such as those being treated for some cancers. More fresh air is better. You may want to ask those gathering to consider taking an at-home test in advance.  Keep in mind these tests are not always sensitive enough to detect the onset of COVID-19 (home antigen tests should be performed at least three times, 48 hours apart after a high-risk exposure), and you could be infected and spreading the virus without showing any symptoms.

Have a plan. Talk with your primary care provider in advance about what you should do if you are at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 and think you have been exposed or start to show symptoms of COVID-19. For example, some clinicians may prefer you get a more sophisticated PCR test, rather than the simple at-home antigen tests. Some people with COVID-19, notably those over 65 or with other health conditions, might benefit from the antiviral therapy Paxlovid—though this must be taken within five days after symptoms start. Talking to your provider in advance can help you know precisely what to do, such as getting a prescription for Paxlovid, especially if you must take action over the weekend.

Recognize we are all learning to live with COVID-19. This viral disease, much like the flu or the common cold, is not going away. But with some basic precautions, it should not stand in the way of spending time with friends and family.

Learn more from the CDC about COVID-19 and travel

Eighth Annual Mount Sinai Innovation Awards

Nov 9, 2022 | Featured, Research

Erik Lium, PhD, Executive Vice President, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, left, presents the Mount Sinai Inventor of the Year Award to Steven J. Burakoff, MD.

Individuals and teams from the Mount Sinai Health System were honored for significant advances in biomedical research, technology, and medicine at the eighth annual Mount Sinai Innovation Awards ceremony held Monday, October 24.

Through the dedication of presenters, participants, attendees, and event organizers, the Innovation Awards showcase and inspire ingenuity and advances in research, technology, medicine, and health care.

Steven J. Burakoff, MD, Dean for Cancer Innovation and Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, received the Mount Sinai Inventor of the Year Award for developing small molecule therapeutic inhibitors targeting HPK1 to regulate the immune response against cancer. This technology entered phase 1 clinical trials in spring 2022. The award recognizes individual or collaborative investigators in the Mount Sinai Health System whose research is making, or has the potential to make, significant positive and product-driven impacts on health.

The Mount Sinai Transaction of the Year Award was given to Manish Arora, PhD, BDS, MPH, Professor and Vice Chairman; Christine Austin, PhD, Associate Professor; and Paul Curtin, PhD, Associate Professor, all at the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health. They are co-founders of Linus Biotechnology, which aims to develop and commercialize a novel precision exposome sequencing platform for complex diseases. The company received Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for StrandDx™-ASD, a diagnostic aid for autism spectrum disorder. The award recognizes a notable technology from the Mount Sinai Health System that represents a major breakthrough in research and a strong commercial partnership for advancement,

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Robert J. Desnick, MD, PhD, Chair Emeritus and Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, whose research led to the development of Fabrazyme® and GIVLAARI®, drugs for treating lysosomal storage disease. He co-founded Amicus Therapeutics, a company that aims to develop and deliver medicines for rare metabolic conditions, including olipudase alfa.

Scott Friedman, MD, Dean for Therapeutic Discovery, served as host of the event.

The Mount Sinai Pitch Challenge Award was given to Tyree Williams, MEng, a biomedical engineering doctoral researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a visiting graduate student researcher at Sinai BioDesign.  He is the founder of Kratos Orthopedics, which is developing a novel mortar bone cement system to improve mechanical responses and post-operative care in patients who have undergone spinal surgeries. The award is the capstone event for Mount Sinai Innovation Partner’s Entrepreneurship Program, where finalists compete for a cash prize and pro-bono services to continue the development of health care solutions.

The Faculty Idea Prize was given to Sairam Geethanath, PhD, Assistant Professor, Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, and Shilpa R. Taufique, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, for their work on substance use disorders, which affect brain health, especially in underserved populations, due to inequitable health care access. The award aims to support a collaborative, innovative, research idea by junior faculty that can potentially be translated into a marketable product through the development of therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, digital health applications, and/or data driven educational or community-based interventions.

The KiiLN Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Award was given to Joon Ho Seo, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow, and SmartMazes, LLC. This project is focused on designing and manufacturing economical, modular, and modifiable rodent behavioral apparatuses that can serve as multiple mazes for the purpose of basic and translational neuroscience. The award is designed to highlight entrepreneurial endeavors of Mount Sinai postdoctoral fellows who co-found or lead companies by advancing their discoveries beyond the bench to create diagnostics, devices, and therapeutic products or by applying other solutions, in order to address unmet needs in life sciences.

The i3 Prism Award was given to Benjamin Rodriguez, a medical student, and Maddison Archer and Emelie Lassen, PhD, both postdoctoral fellows. The Mount Sinai i3 Prism technology commercialization fund aims to bring new health care solutions to patients and society by advancing technologies from women and Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) inventors closer to the marketplace.

The i3 Genesis Award aims to translate Mount Sinai discoveries in various health care fields with clear potential for commercialization and defined technology or data gaps that can be addressed with funding. It was given to six teams for 2022 and five teams for 2021. The 2022 recipients are:

  • Daniela Sia, PhD, Anna Tocheva, PhD, Elliot Merritt, PhD, and Emily Bramel
  • Isabella Morgan, Joshua Bederson, MD, Mitch Baldwin, and Benjamin Rapoport, MD
  • Weijia Zhang, PhD, Stephen Ward, MD, Fasika Tedla, MD, Zhengzi Yi, MSc, and Caixia Xi, MSc
  • Yulia Landa, PsyD, MS, and Rachel Jespersen, MSW
  • Kara Bagot, MD, Angela Diaz, MD, and Anne Nucci, MD
  • Margaret Brandwein, MD, and Mark Urken, MD

The 2021 recipients are:

  • Alfred-Marc Iloreta, MD, Turner Baker, PhD, Alexis Bruhat, MEng, and Benjamin Rapoport, MD
  • Jonathan DePierro, PhD, Laurel Morris, PhD, James Murrough, MD, PhD, Dennis Charney, MD, and Adriana Feder, MD
  • Mark Rea, PhD, and Bridget Bradley
  • Evren Azeloglu, PhD, Eric Lima, PhD, Alan Benvenisty, MD, Kirk Campbell, MD, and Jacob Wright
  • Gautam Kamthan, MD, and Sean Ianchulev, MD

The winners who attended the event held in Davis Auditorium in the Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine on the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai campus.

The Diversity Innovation Hub Innovator Prize was given to Tanvir Islam, founder and CEO of TYCA, who has been supporting the growth of local economies and accessibility of resources within communities.

The Diversity Innovation Hub Founders Award was given to Gil Addo, MBA, cofounder and CEO of RubiconMD, who has been transforming the delivery of digital health through making specialty consults more accessible to all populations.

The THRIVE Fellowship Award was given to these teams:

  • Spinovations: Tyree Williams, MEng, Ian Odland, BS, Eugene Hrabarchuck, BA, Zaara Irshad, MHA, and Janvi Patel, BA (mentor: Tanvir Choudhri, MD). Spinovations is working on developing a new spinal screwdriver for more patient-centered, minimally invasive surgeries.
  • ai: Faris Gulamali, BS (mentor: Neha Dangayach, MD). They are focusing on the problem of monitoring intracranial pressure.
  • Metaphor: Hyomin Seo, BEng, and Brian Soong, BA (mentors: Towfique Raj, PhD, John Doucette, PhD, and Emma Benn, DrPH). Metaphor is working on an AI-based project to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the speech patterns of non-English speakers.
  • SSI Detection: Jenny Chen, BS, Nasseef Quasim, MDc, Sushruta Iruvanti, BA, Vivian Utti, BS, and Vivek Prakash, MD. They are working on a system to detect early signs of surgical site infection following vascular surgery procedures, using a combination of clinical biomarkers and remote visualization/monitoring technologies.

The Trainee Innovation Idea Award was given to these individuals:

  • MD and MD/PhD Students: Randal A. Serafini, MS, Justin J. Frere, BS, Venetia Zachariou, PhD, and Benjamin R. TenOever, PhD, for developing a pre-clinical hamster model of long COVID for enhanced therapeutic development.
  • PhD Students: Pushkala Jayaraman, MS, Justin Kauffman, BS, and Girish Nadkarni, MD, MPH, for work on AI and electronic health records.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows: Wontack Han, PhD, Ryan Walker, PhD, Jeremiah Faith, PhD, and Maia Kayal, PhD, for identifying gut microbiome metagenomic features to develop a clinical prediction tool for inflammatory bowel disease.
  • House staff: Harry Anastos, MD, for utilizing the expression of immune checkpoint proteins in the peripheral blood of patients with elevated prostatic specific antigen (PSA) to predict the presence of prostate cancer.

The Mount Sinai Innovation Awards hosts are: The office of the Dean; Mount Sinai Innovation Partners; the Office of Faculty Development; the Office for Diversity and Inclusion; the Keystone for Incubating Innovation in Life Sciences Network (KiiLN); ConduITS-Institute for Translational Sciences; Sinai BioDesign; the Department of Medical Education; the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; the Graduate Medical Education Office; and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.

Read more about the Mount Sinai Innovation Awards

Division of Nephrology Named in Honor of Barbara Murphy, MD, World-Renowned Nephrologist and Researcher

Updated on Nov 9, 2022 | Featured

Barbara Murphy, MD, MB, BAO, BCh, FRCPI

The Division of Nephrology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has been named in honor of Barbara Murphy, MD, MB, BAO, BCh, FRCPI, a world-renowned and award-winning nephrologist and researcher who became the first female chair of a Department of Medicine at an academic medical center in New York City. Dr. Murphy died June 30, 2021, at age 56.

The official announcement of the establishing of the Dr. Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology was made during a ceremony Monday, October 24, at the Division, located in the Annenberg Building, 23rd Floor, during which Mount Sinai leaders celebrated her outstanding contributions to Mount Sinai and to the Division.

Those making remarks included Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System; Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System; Judith A. Aberg, MD, Professor of Medicine, System Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases; and Samira Farouk, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology.

David C. Thomas, MD, MHPE, Professor of Medicine, System Vice Chair for Education, Department of Medicine, served as moderator of the event. Among those attending was Peter Fogarty, Dr. Murphy’s husband.

Kenneth L. Davis, MD

In a statement, Monica Kraft, MD, Murray M. Rosenberg Professor of Medicine and System Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, called Dr. Murphy “a great leader, a groundbreaking scientist, and wonderful human being.”

“It is extraordinary for us to be able to celebrate her in this way, and a privilege to honor her legacy for all the incredible contributions she made to the field of nephrology, medical science, and importantly to Mount Sinai,” Dr. Kraft added. “To dedicate the Division of Nephrology in her honor is a reminder of the impact that certain individuals have on the lives of our patients, colleagues, and fellow scientists. And this division embodies the very essence of Dr. Murphy’s vision for a healthier tomorrow through monumental kidney research that will continue to save so many lives.”

Dr. Thomas said, “There are so many amazing stories we could share with you about Dr. Murphy. But what they all have in common is that she was a staunch supporter of research and education, and nothing made her happier than to see her team thrive through the discovery of new therapies and treatments. Particularly, when she knew that a life was or could be saved because of her team’s work.”

Click here to read more about Dr. Murphy in The New York Times

Dr. Murphy was motivated to pursue kidney research when she was in medical school in Ireland. She was caring for a patient who had developed end-stage kidney disease who went on to receive a kidney transplant. This experience led Dr. Murphy to come to the United States, where she pursued kidney and transplantation research and completed her fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital before being recruited to be the Director of Transplant Nephrology at Mount Sinai in 1997.

She was named Division Chief six years later, becoming one of the youngest division Chiefs in the United States, as well as one of the few women at the time to hold the title. Subsequently, she was appointed the Dean for Clinical Integration and Population Health, and went on to become Chair of Medicine in 2012.

Dr. Murphy was at the forefront of groundbreaking kidney research, always ensuring that any advances made in the field were quickly and safely applied to the treatment of her patients.

Under her leadership in the Division of Nephrology, she built one of the most comprehensive and robust kidney transplant programs in the country. When she became Chair of Medicine, the Department experienced rapid expansion, particularly during the merger to become one large health system, and she ensured that clinical and training programs were integrated at every hospital site to improve patient outcomes.

As a researcher, Dr. Murphy focused on genetics and genomics in transplantation. Her discoveries have led to renal transplantation in HIV-positive patients becoming standard of care. She conducted groundbreaking research using high-throughput genomic technologies to understand the immune mechanisms that lead to graft injury and loss. She aimed to identify gene expression profiles or genetic variants that would predict patients’ risk for disease. Dr. Murphy’s laboratory took a systems biology approach to identifying genetic drivers of fibrosis; this had important implications for kidney transplantation, but she hoped it would have an enormous impact on all organ transplantations in the future.

Dennis S. Charney, MD, left, and Peter Fogarty, husband of Barbara Murphy, MD

Dr. Murphy was also an innovator and inventor. In addition to her roles within the Health System, in 2018 she became Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for RenalytixAI, an artificial intelligence-enabled in vitro diagnostics company that collaborates with Mount Sinai in seeking to improve chronic kidney disease detection, management, and treatment. And, in 2020, she became a co-founder and board member of Verici Dx, a pioneering company focused on advanced clinical diagnostics in organ transplant.

Dr. Murphy was President-Elect of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) at the time of her passing, and was named in June 2021 as the recipient of the ASN’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. She was named Nephrologist of the Year in 2011 by the American Kidney Fund; among The Annual Irish America Healthcare and Life Science 50 in 2016; and as one of the Crain’s New York “Notable Women in Health Care” in 2018. She received numerous honorary doctoral degrees from universities and medical schools.

In May 2018, Dr. Murphy described her approach to her work when she was a featured speaker at the graduation ceremony of her alma mater, the School of Medicine of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), according to an article in Mount Sinai Today.

Her advice was straightforward. “Do not be afraid to stand up and take risks for the good of your patients,” Dr. Murphy told the graduates. “You cannot have an impact if you live in the shadows afraid to fail or afraid of upsetting others. Success is not about abstracts, papers, awards, or titles. It is about having a positive impact on the lives of others, about meaningful change.”

The morning after the dedication ceremony at Mount Sinai, the First Annual Dr. Barbara T. Murphy Memorial Lecture was held over Zoom with Dr. Susan Quaggin, MD, Chief of Nephrology at Northwestern University.

Read more about Dr. Murphy in the Department of Medicine Specialty Report

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