PhD Students Get Lab Coats, Marking the Start of New Journeys in Research and Training

Oct 19, 2022 | Diversity and Inclusion, Featured, School

Dozens of members of the 2022 PhD and MD/PhD matriculating class of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences were presented with lab coats in a celebratory event held Monday, September 19, amid the cheers and applause from the audience—which included faculty, mentors, and the students’ families and friends. Wearing their coats, the students would later take a vow, together, “to uphold the highest levels of integrity, professionalism, scholarship, and honor,” as they embarked on new scientific paths.

Marta Filizola, PhD

“We hold this ceremony to mark the start of our students’ journey in academic research and training,” said Marta Filizola, PhD, the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the Sharon & Frederick A. Klingenstein-Nathan G. Kase, MD Professor. “The lab coats we present to them are a symbol of the professionalism and authority that trainees develop and foster during their time in our programs,” added Dr. Filizola, who is also Professor of Pharmacological Sciences, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health. Mount Sinai offers PhD degrees in biomedical sciences, neuroscience, and clinical research, and a dual MD/PhD medical scientist training program degree, in addition to nine master’s program degrees.

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean for Academic Affairs at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Chief Scientific Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System told the students: “Getting a PhD is hard work. There is no way around that. It’s hard work because PhDs—unlike all professional degrees, for example, an MD or law degree—require each of us to create a body of knowledge that is new to the world.” Still, he encouraged each not only to “work hard—but play hard,” adding, “Life must go on. No one should defer having a social life during their PhD studies.” Dr. Nestler is also Director of The Friedman Brain Institute and Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience.

A rousing keynote speech was presented by Xiaosi Gu, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Neuroscience, and Founding Director of the Center for Computational Psychiatry. Dr. Gu, a foremost researcher in the area of computational psychiatry, received her PhD degree in Neuroscience at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Gu shared her thoughts on curiosity, which she described as the one “secret Ingredient” capable of helping the students face the PhD journey, while making it enjoyable—and successful.

Xiaosi Gu, PhD

“Curiosity is the fundamental reason why you are still sitting here today instead of already working in a tech company, or Wall Street,” she began. “What should we be curious about? Be curious about science, be curious about people, and be curious about life.

“First, be curious about your work … you must love what you do,” she urged. “Be curious about people. A huge reason I feel pumped every morning going into the office is the people I work with. Face-to-face meetings, small talks in the hallway, grabbing lunch together, these are the daily doses of happiness that keep a day going.

“Finally, be curious about life. This, I believe, is the holy grail of curiosity … We, as scientists, have an obligation to stay curious about the real world and pursue work that can meet human needs … Staying curious about humanity and its issues might be the only way to unlock your intellectual potential and find your path.”

This was followed by a lively presentation of the lab coats, an effort sponsored by the Mount Sinai Alumni Association, and finally, the reading of the PhD Oath. “I will conduct my research and professional endeavors with honesty and objectivity,” they said in unison, while wearing their crisp white lab coats, and reciting a pledge to uphold a set of guiding principles as they launched their science training at Mount Sinai.

What makes this class special? This is who they are:

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Read why one student is getting a PhD in clinical research
Learn more about the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Why a Colonoscopy Is the Best Way to Detect and Prevent Colon Cancer

Oct 19, 2022 | Featured, Your Health

Colonoscopy is one of those important, routine medical procedures that most people would rather avoid. But experts say the test is a highly effective tool for both preventing colorectal cancer and diagnosing it at an early stage. Colonoscopy is also helpful in diagnosing and treating a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people with an average risk for colorectal cancer start regular screening for that cancer at age 45. There are several choices for colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy is one of those options and has the advantage of being a one-step test, where precancerous polyps can be identified and removed if they are there at the same time.

For those in good health who have a colonoscopy—a procedure that enables a physician (usually a gastroenterologist) to directly image and examine the entire colon—it does not need to be repeated for ten years.

Those looking for an excuse to put off a colonoscopy might now point to a large study conducted in Europe and published in September 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that appeared to question the benefits of colonoscopies.

But many experts caution that the results of the NordICC study are being misinterpreted. They say colonoscopies remain “the gold standard” to detect and prevent colon cancer, and that this study should not cause you to change your behavior, no matter how much patients might wish otherwise.

“People should continue to rely on high-quality colonoscopy for polyp detection and removal, which will lead to prevention in most cases of colorectal cancer,” says David Greenwald, MD, Director of Clinical Gastroenterology and Endoscopy at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

David Greenwald, MD

In this Q&A, Dr. Greenwald, Immediate Past-President of the American College of Gastroenterology, and Co-Chair of New York’s Citywide Colorectal Cancer Control Coalition (C5), discusses the recent study and why the value of colonoscopies remains unchanged.

He adds, “The bottom line: This study, along with prior studies, shows that colonoscopy decreases your chances of getting and dying from colorectal cancer. Getting sick and dying from colorectal cancer—especially due to delayed screening—is real. Screening with colonoscopy saves lives.”

Why is a colonoscopy important?

Colonoscopy is effective in the diagnosis and/or evaluation of various GI disorders, such as colon polyps, colon cancer, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease, bleeding, change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, obstruction and abnormal X-rays or CT scans. It is also used for therapy, such as the removal of polyps or control of bleeding. A colonoscopy is also used for screening for colon cancer. A key advantage of this technique is that it allows both identification of abnormal findings and also therapy or removal of these lesions during the same examination. This procedure is particularly helpful for identification and removal of precancerous polyps.

Does this recent study change how we view colonoscopies and how doctors in the United States will recommend colonoscopy screening?

No. The results of this study must be understood in context, and the accompanying editorial in the same issue of the NEJM spelled out significant details about the strengths and limitations of this study.  The bottom line is that colonoscopy is still the gold standard to detect and prevent colorectal cancer, especially for high-risk individuals. Most importantly, in the section of the study that analyzed people who actually had a colonoscopy, the risk of developing colorectal cancer decreased by 31 percent and the risk of dying from colorectal cancer decreased by 50 percent, which is huge.

What is one of the most significant issues with this study?

One drawback of the study is that participants were randomly invited to have a colonoscopy, and many people who should have gotten a colonoscopy chose not to. In fact, less than half (42 percent) of those invited to have a colonoscopy actually had one. This remains an issue in the United States as well. Screening for colorectal cancer remains an enormous public health goal. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death, but fully one-third of the eligible U.S. population remains unscreened.

Are there other issues with the study?

The benefits of colonoscopies take time to be realized. Colon polyps typically take many years (ten or more in most cases) to advance  from small polyps to large polyps to cancer, and so the benefits of taking out small polyps or even large precancerous polyps is not seen as leading to a reduction in colorectal cancer for many years, maybe even decades. Other studies that have looked at the effect of removing polyps have shown greater reductions in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality when they looked at outcomes over a longer period of time than was reported in the NordICC study. The NordICC study, short for Northern-European Initiative on Colon Cancer, included more 84,000 men and women ages 55 to 64 from Poland, Norway and Sweden, and covered a period of 10 years, which included a period before these countries began widespread screenings.

Should people still rely on their routine colonoscopy screenings to prevent colorectal cancer?

Yes. People should rely on high-quality colonoscopy for polyp detection and removal, which in most situations will lead to prevention of colorectal cancer.  The National Polyp Study demonstrated a substantial decrease in expected colon cancer incidence and mortality related to removing colorectal polyps, and was published in the NEJM years ago. High-quality colonoscopy is key.  Nearly 30 percent of the endoscopists who were included in the NordICC trial did not meet a key quality measure. The adenoma detection rate (ADR) measures the percentage of patients who have one or more precancerous polyps detected. The NordICC study did not meet the 25 percent rate that is recommended in the United States; the ADR average in the United States is rising and now approaches approximately 40 percent in many studies.

Learn more about Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai

Marla C. Dubinsky, MD, Receives 2022 Sherman Prize Recognizing Excellence in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Oct 19, 2022 | Community, Featured, Research

Marla C. Dubinsky, MD

Marla C. Dubinsky, MD, an internationally recognized leader in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), was one of three national recipients of the 2022 Sherman Prize.

The award, which recognizes individuals for pioneering achievements that have transformed patient care and rewards outstanding achievements in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, was announced September 21 by the Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation.

Dr. Dubinsky is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine (Gastroenterology) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is also Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and Co-Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center at Mount Sinai.

In its announcement, the Foundation cited Dr. Dubinsky as “one of IBD’s preeminent game changers” and said she has been “giving hope to children and their parents for decades.” The Foundation added, “Dr. Dubinsky works on being a guiding figure for those coming up the ranks, teaching her mentees to tailor care to a patient’s needs and reinforcing the importance of empowering patients to better manage their IBD so they can live the life they want.”

Her work has included defining therapeutic dosing levels of medicines to optimize treatment in children; identifying some of the most predictive biomarkers for disease progression; and bringing intestinal ultrasound to the bedside. In addition, she is the co-founder of Trellus Health, a publicly traded digital health company based in London and New York that has a goal of improving care for people with chronic conditions. The other co-founder is Laurie Keefer, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Director for Psychobehavioral Research within the Division of Gastroenterology.

“I am both humbled and honored to be one of the 2022 Sherman Prize recipients,” said Dr. Dubinsky. “It is truly an honor to be recognized for your life’s passion and this award inspires me to keep pushing forward and continuing to impact the lives of patients with IBD.”

Uma Mahadevan, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Colitis and Crohn’s Disease Center, and Director of the Advanced IBD Fellowship at the University of California San Francisco in San Francisco was also awarded the Sherman Prize.  Both Sherman Prize honorees receive a prize of $100,000.

Parambir S. Dulai, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Director of GI Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine, and Director of the Digestive Health Foundation BioRepository at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, received the Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Honoree, which includes a $25,000 prize.

Learn more about the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center at Mount Sinai

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines: What Are They and Do I Need One?

Oct 14, 2022 | COVID-19, Featured, Vaccines

Over the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, has mutated many times. Each new version of the virus is called a variant or subvariant.  The same COVID-19 vaccines that were made available since December 2020 have done a remarkable job in preventing severe disease and death but have become less effective at preventing infections because of the mutations.

That is, until the late summer of 2022, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) green-lighted “bivalent” formulations—an updated version of the vaccines—to be used against the newer variants of SARS-CoV-2.

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, explains what the bivalent vaccines do and the latest guidance on who should receive them and when.

New Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccines: In April 2023, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced some major changes for COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read more about what you need to know.

What does it mean that the vaccines are bivalent?

COVID-19 vaccines with bivalent formulations target the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron—one of the predominant circulating variants—as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, says Dr. Camins. These include the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

An updated vaccine is needed because the virus has mutated several times and is so different from the original strain that the previous monovalent version of the vaccine —targeting only one variant—might not provide adequate protection from infection, he says.

With bivalent vaccines now authorized for use, the monovalent versions of the COVID-19 boosters are no longer authorized. The primary series are still recommended before the bivalent booster can be administered.

How effective and safe is the updated vaccine compared to previous ones?

“It’s pretty much the same as the old vaccine,” Dr. Camins says. The difference is that the genetic makeup of the updated vaccines has an addition to account for the spike protein of BA.5.

The updated vaccines’ side effects are similar to previous versions. The most commonly reported side effects of the bivalent vaccines include pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm of the injection, nausea/vomiting, and fever, according to the FDA.

“You probably would not notice it being different from any of the previous vaccine doses or boosters you’ve received,” Dr. Camins says.

The updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have both been studied for effectiveness and safety. Although the studies examined a bivalent formulation involving the original strain and Omicron BA.1, the FDA granted the vaccines authorization based on the totality of evidence, which included clinical and nonclinical data that demonstrated commonalities between BA.1 and BA.4/BA.5.

This method of studying and approving updated COVID-19 vaccines is similar to how new flu vaccines based on circulating strains are handled, he adds: “It is very analogous to what we do with the flu vaccine.”

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Who is eligible for the updated vaccine and who should get it?

The Moderna updated booster is authorized for individuals ages 6 and older, while the Pfizer-BioNTech updated booster is authorized for those who are 5 and older.

Where can I get the updated vaccine?

If you live in the New York metropolitan region, you can check the New York State, New York City, New Jersey, or Connecticut websites for locations that offer appointments or walk-in vaccination. Major pharmacy chains are another place to try. If you live elsewhere, Dr. Camins recommends using vaccines.gov or reaching out to local health care providers and pharmacies.

When should I get the updated booster?

The updated vaccine is recommended to individuals two months after completing a primary series or a previous booster.

I got COVID-19 recently. Do I still need the updated booster?

“The updated booster is recommended even for those who have been infected with a previous variant or subvariant of SARS-CoV-2,” says Dr. Camins.

If you have been recently infected, it is reasonable to wait 90 days after symptom onset before receiving an updated booster, he says. However, the CDC has indicated it is also safe to seek an updated booster as soon as you are no longer contagious from a current infection.

Why do I need a booster when people still seem to get COVID-19 despite being vaccinated?

The updated vaccine booster was created to match the current circulating BA.5 subvariant better so it should protect patients from infection better than the previous version, although it’s not a 100 percent guarantee, Dr. Camins says. Receiving the booster could also lessen the chances of developing severe disease especially for patients who are at high risk for complications from COVID-19.

Will I need to keep taking updated boosters if there are new variants?

“We don’t know if future updated boosters are required,” Dr. Camins says. That determination could be based on the current circulating sub-variant, as well as the data from people who have received the updated booster for Omicron BA.5, he adds.

However, Dr. Camins notes that the White House’s COVID-19 Response Team is thinking of moving in the direction of rolling out annual, updated COVID-19 shots matched to current circulating strands. A single annual shot should provide a high degree of protection against serious illness all year, and could prevent thousands of deaths and hospitalizations annually, according to White House officials.

Read more from Mount Sinai experts about vaccines

At African American Day Parade, Mount Sinai Shares a Message of Health and Equity

Updated on Oct 7, 2022 | Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Featured

Mount Sinai staff, family, and friends marched in the African American Day Parade in Harlem, in a procession that included a festive float, messages of health equity and antiracism, and the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van.

The Mount Sinai Health System sponsored the 53rd Annual African American Day Parade on Sunday, September 18, with a festive group of close to 80 employees and their family and friends in attendance. Held in Harlem on the third Sunday in September, the event is the nation’s largest parade in celebration of African American culture, heritage, and unity.

The theme of this year’s parade was “Good Health Is Essential,” and two members of Mount Sinai’s leadership were among the Grand Marshals: Gary C. Butts, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System, and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy, and Community Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Pamela Abner, MPA, Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer for Mount Sinai Health System.

The Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van followed the Mount Sinai float as it proceeded up Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, from 111th to 136th Street, making certain that spectators were aware of this critical resource.

Mount Sinai participants in the parade later expressed what it meant to them: “As a participant in the BLACC employee resource group and staff member at Mount Sinai, I felt a call to action as an African American to give thanks to my community,” says Celeste Valentine, Facilities Coordinator for the Facilities Management/Engineering Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “Both my parents died of cancer. Their respective passing moved me into the field of health care, and I am also an advocate of preventive health, dealing with my own health issues. I try my best to make sure that those around me get regular checkups and live a healthier lifestyle.”

Jacobie Ricard, Senior Director of Planning Design and Construction at Mount Sinai Morningside, wanted to acknowledge his colleagues for their role in the success of the parade, including Leroy Francis, Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services, Mount Sinai Queens, and Kimberley Ennis, DNP, APRN-BC, Senior Director of Nursing, Mount Sinai Queens.

“As we proceeded, you repeatedly heard the same thing from the crowd: ‘There goes Mount Sinai!’ I now know that the Health System touched the lives of this community. The people of Harlem wanted us there, and they let it be known, from 111th to 136th Street. I was lost for words, as I didn’t expect this type of reception from the crowd,” says Mr. Ricard, who also joined the procession as a representative of the Mount Sinai Health System’s GOALS initiative, which works to encourage and empower Black male employees through connections and networking. “My role is not patient-facing, so this was an amazing feeling. To my colleagues in the Health System, this is a testament to what you do.”

Ms. Valentine had a similar reaction: “During the parade and seeing the faces of all the people smiling and waving at our float, I felt my ancestors’ spirit, especially my parents, applauding and hearing their words, saying, ‘Job well done,’  and ‘Good health is essential.’”

 

Mount Sinai honorees 
Advisory Board Member Theresa Mack, MD, and Grand Marshals Pamela Abner; MPA, and Gary C. Butts, MD

Leaders of Four Mount Sinai Hospitals
From left: Cameron Hernandez, MD; Evan L. Flatow, MD; Scott Lorin, MD, MBA; and James Tsai, MD

Mount Sinai’s Anthony Smalls, MBA, right, and his DJ team provided a soundtrack

The Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening van

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We Find a Way: A Photo Exhibit on the Mount Sinai Spirit

Sep 22, 2022 | Community, Featured

We Find a Way: A Photo Exhibit on the Mount Sinai Spirit

We Find a Way is a photo installation that offers a glimpse inside the Mount Sinai Health System community in various moments of employees caring for patients through compassion, skill and often times going above and beyond. Australian photojournalist and writer Ashley Gilbertson, who typically covers war zones and social unrest, was able to capture powerful moments between a patient and health care worker.

“At Mount Sinai, I had the opportunity to see another side of health care,” Mr. Gilbertson said. “Yes, there was urgency, stress, and life-threatening situations. However, in these photos, I was also able to capture moments of powerful connections and a deep sense of humanity.”

This photo installation is part of Mount Sinai’s overarching branding and advertising campaign that launched in June 2021 and presents an emotional and raw view of what it takes to overcome challenging and complex health and scientific problems.

The We Find a Way campaign and exhibit drew inspiration from the entire Mount Sinai community who went above and beyond to save countless lives during the pandemic, and how it seeks to do so for all health conditions. Their work has led to the development of new COVID-19 protocols, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

The photo installation was displayed at The Mount Sinai Hospital and is moving to Mount Sinai West.

Listen to and see what Mr. Gilbertson experienced as he visited several Mount Sinai hospitals over the course of a few days during the spring of 2021.

Ashley Gilbertson, photographer, recounts his journey through the Mount Sinai Health System

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COVID-19 Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Emily Okioma, Clinical Nurse

A surgeon rushes to the operating room
Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD

Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ami D. Shah, MD; Adam Czulak, RN; and Lauren Reyes, RN

Children’s Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Lauren Keyes, Certified Child Life Specialist and Hazel Encarnacion, RN

Stroke Center at Mount Sinai Queens
Kayla Epstein, PA-C, and Maggie Yu, NP

Heart surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ismail El-Hamamsy, MD, PhD; Percy Boateng, MD; Alison McCarry, RN; and Javier Mejia, MD

Research lab at The Tisch Cancer Center
Ieisha Scott, Clinical Research Coordinator

Neurosurgery Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Jeffrey Gilligan, MD; Arjun Patel, MD; Tony Feliz, Operating Room Technician; and Ben Toure, MD

Emergency Room at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Danielle Green, RN

Rehabilitation and Human Performance Department at Mount Sinai West
Raegan McCraney, Occupational Therapist Clinician, and Stephanie Smith, Occupational Therapist

A cancer vaccine patient at home with her daughter

Brain imaging MRI at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ricardo Berrios, Pharmacy Technician

Research at The Tisch Cancer Center
Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero, PhD, and Shilpa Dilipkumar, PhD

Anesthesiologists prep for heart surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Muoi Trinh, MD, and Stamatis Baronos, MD

Specialty pharmacy for cancer treatments at The Tisch Cancer Center
Amy Aye Aye Fu, Pharmacist; Christine Negron-Hayes, Pharmacy Technician; and Cattie Best, Pharmacy Technician

A physician assistant braids a patient’s hair
Leslie Schlachter, PA, Clinical Director and Chief Physician Assistant, Department of Neurosurgery; and Marvin Ramos, Surgical Neurophysiologist

Before neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Joshua Bederson, MD

Emergency Room at Mount Sinai Morningside
Matthew Carpiniello, MD, and Mizza Compas, RN

Husband and wife before neurosurgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital

Neurosurgery Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Agniescka (Agnes) Pabich, NP

Immunology research at The Tisch Cancer Center
Matthew Brown, Graduate Student; and Ashley Reid, PhD Candidate, Cancer Immunotherapy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Ruth Levy, NP

A quiet moment before heart surgery
Stamatis Baronos, MD, and Muoi Trinh, MD

Immunology research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Nicolas Vabret, PhD; Jenna Newman, PhD; and Ashley Reid, PhD Candidate

OB/GYN nurses huddle at Mount Sinai West
Michael Trinidad, Florecilla Rodriquez, Miriam Rivera, Moses Fallah, Kimberly McCarthy, Ibtheesam Zaman, Bevin Watters, Catherine Genovese, Annette Bert, Cecilia Blake, and Joann Garcia

Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital
Cappi C. Lay, MD, and Ruth Levy, NP

A toddler who had a life-saving liver transplant at The Mount Sinai Hospital is back at home

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Ashley Gilbertson is an Australian photographer and writer living in New York City, recognized for his critical eye and unique approach to social issues globally. His prints and books are included in permanent collections of museums and art galleries around the world—and have been shown at institutions such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

Today, Mr. Gilbertson documents global migration in Africa and Europe, and works on climate, social and health issues in the United States and Asia. He writes regular opinion and news stories for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and UNICEF.

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