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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.

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.

Three Mount Sinai Nursing Leaders Inducted as Fellows in the American Academy of Nursing

Updated on Nov 3, 2022 | Featured, Nursing

From left: Joan Miravite, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN; Chief Nurse Executive Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN; and Jared M. Kutzin, DNP, MS, MPH, RN, FSSH, FAAN

Three Mount Sinai nurse leaders, including Chief Nurse Executive Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, have been inducted as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) in the 2022 Class of Fellows, a significant milestone for the most accomplished nurse leaders in education, management, practice, and research.

The 2022 Academy Fellows were recognized for their contributions in health care at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference that took place on Thursday, October 27, through Saturday, October 29. The induction ceremony was on October 29 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Oliver; Jared M. Kutzin, DNP, MS, MPH, RN, FSSH, FAAN, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, and Medical Education, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Senior Director of the Simulation, Teaching, and Research (STAR) Center at The Mount Sinai Hospital; and Joan Miravite, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, FAAN, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Icahn Mount Sinai and an expert in movement disorders, were among 250 nurses chosen by the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee through a competitive and thorough application process.

Fellows come from nearly 40 countries and hold a variety of roles within the nursing profession. Following their induction, fellows contribute their expertise by engaging with health leaders to improve the delivery of care, achieve health equity, and discover new innovations.

In her role as Chief Nurse Executive, Dr. Oliver is responsible for overseeing the practice of nursing and collaborating with the Health System’s senior executive team and the Chief Nursing Officers of Mount Sinai’s eight hospitals. Her top priorities include ensuring the safety and quality of care for patients, supporting and advancing the professional development of nurses, and transforming the care Mount Sinai provides around the needs of patients and communities.

From left: Christine Mahoney, DNP, RN, AGACNP-BC, NEA-BC, CCRN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Downtown; Maria Vezina, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President and Chief of Nursing Practice, Education, Advanced Practice Nursing Credentialing, Mount Sinai Health System; Toby Bressler, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine; Joan Miravite, Beth Oliver, Fran Cartwright, PhD, RN-BC, AOCN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens; Linda M. Valentino, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services for Women’s and Children’s Services, Mount Sinai Health System, and Chief Nursing Officer of Mount Sinai West; Stacey A. Conklin, MSN, RN-BC, MHCDS, NE-BC, is the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Mount Sinai South Nassau; and Jared Kutzin.

Dr. Kutzin is an experienced educator, innovator, and simulationist. He is a Fellow in the Institute for Medical Education at Mount Sinai, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a Fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy. Dr. Kutzin serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, on the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council, and on multiple curriculum revision committees for the Icahn School of Medicine.

He has developed innovative curricula, including the use of virtual reality, for Emergency Medicine, Nursing, Critical Care, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and departments across the Health System.

Dr. Miravite has more than 21 years of experience in the evaluation, programming, and management of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia. She has helped to build a strong DBS program at Mount Sinai by educating physicians, nurse practitioners, students, and patients about DBS. Additionally, she is on the faculty at three academic institutions in New York City, including Icahn Mount Sinai.

Dr. Miravite is the Chair-Elect of the American Academy of Neurology Consortium of Neurology Advanced Practice Providers. She also serves as core faculty for the Parkinson’s Foundation Team Training program, an international multidisciplinary training program for clinicians with the goal of improving treatment and outcomes for underserved patients with chronic neurologic conditions.

Patient Dining Associate Recognized for Her Commitment to the Patient Experience

Oct 27, 2022 | Engagement, Featured, Stories of Excellence

Tessor Tyrell, Patient Dining Associate at Mount Sinai West

Tessor Tyrell, Patient Dining Associate at Mount Sinai West, is considered to be a shining example of how the Department of Food and Nutrition Services can make a significant impact on the patient experience.

John Gkanios, Patient Service Manager, explains: “Tessor is totally focused on the needs and preferences of her patients. Before she leaves a patient’s room, she asks if they are happy with their meal and follows up before coming back to the kitchen to set up for the next meal period. If there is a non-food issue that the patient brings to her attention, Tessor always informs the appropriate nurse to ensure the concern is addressed.”

Tessor recently received the following praise from a patient in a letter addressed to Kenneth Davis, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Sinai Health System: “Ms. Tyrell demonstrates a passion for her job and people. Always with a smile and a wonderful positive attitude, Ms. Tyrell makes a patient feel comfortable in an atmosphere of uncertainty and stress. It certainly takes a team to address the physical issues and the mental conditions as well. Health care professionals will work to keep the body healthy. It is the other team members, from housekeeping to food and nutrition, that are essential to keeping the mind as positive and healthy as the body. Ms. Tyrell has exceeded in all of these categories, and I would appreciate your acknowledging Ms. Tyrell as a professional, caring, and outstanding employee and member of your team.”

Tessor is clearly dedicated to her patients.

“I love my job,” she says. “I like taking care of people and giving patients the care and attention they need. If they want to tell me their stories, once all my rounds are completed, I am happy to listen. Patients have even given me their numbers so I can follow up with them after they are discharged.”

Not only does Tessor serve her patients with care, she also is appreciated for her skills in the kitchen.

“Lucky for us,” John says, “Tessor is also a great cook! She volunteered and prepared a dish for the Juneteenth Celebration, which was enjoyed by the entire hospital.”

Using Insights From the Pandemic to Advance Research on Immunity in Down Syndrome

Updated on Oct 28, 2022 | Featured, Research

Louise Malle, MD/PhD candidate, and Dusan Bogunovic, PhD

In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread through New York City, Louise Malle, an MD/PhD candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, turned her focus to the disturbing statistics coming out on disease severity. She thought the data might inform her research to better understand immunity in people with Down syndrome.

Louise Malle, MD/PhD candidate

Ms. Malle, who works in the lab of Dusan Bogunovic, PhD, surveyed thousands of patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and essentially found that individuals with the syndrome have about 10 times the likelihood of having extremely severe disease.

Dr. Bogunovic is Professor at the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, the Icahn Genomics Institute, and the departments of Oncological Sciences, Microbiology, Pediatrics, and Dermatology, as well as a Director of the Center for Inborn Errors of Immunity—all at Icahn Mount Sinai.

It turns out that Ms. Malle’s epidemiological observation added to a body of literature that suggests that severe viral disease is a problem in Down syndrome. The work led to new findings, published online on October 14, 2022 in the journal Immunity, showing that people with Down syndrome have less frequent but more severe viral infections.

“As we all were caught in the COVID-19 pandemic, Louise saw what was going on in the clinic in people with Down syndrome (based on her review of hospital records),” said Dr. Bogunovic, senior study author. “She saw what was going on in the world and then came to the lab, ultimately figuring out, at least in part, why this understudied and underserved population experiences more severe viral infections across the board.”

According to the study, this phenomenon is caused by increased expression of genes that sense an antiviral cytokine, type I interferon (IFN-I), as they are encoded on chromosome 21. Elevated sensing of IFN-I lead to hyperactivity of the immune response initially, but the body overcorrects for this to reduce inflammation, leading to increased vulnerability later in the viral attack.

Dusan Bogunovic, PhD

“Usually too much inflammation means autoimmune disease, and immune suppression usually means susceptibility to infections,” says Dr. Bogunovic. “What is unusual is that individuals with Down syndrome are both inflamed and immunosuppressed, a paradox of sorts. Here, we discovered how this is possible.”

Down syndrome is typically caused by triplication of chromosome 21. The syndrome affects multiple organ systems, causing a mixed clinical presentation that includes varying degrees of intellectual disability, developmental delays, congenital heart and gastrointestinal abnormalities, and Alzheimer’s disease in older individuals. It is universally present across racial, gender, or socioeconomic lines in approximately 1 in 800 live births, although there is considerable variation worldwide.

Recently, it has become clear that atypical antiviral responses are another important feature of Down syndrome. Increased rates of hospitalization of people with the genetic disorder have been documented for influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infections, according to the researchers.

“We have a lot more to do to completely understand the complexities of the immune system in Down syndrome,” said Ms. Malle, first author of the study. “We have here, in part, explained the susceptibility to severe viral disease, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.”

Read the study in Immunity

Why a PhD in Clinical Research? One Student Discusses Her Trajectory Into Science

Oct 19, 2022 | Featured, School

Jasmine Modasi, MSCR

First, there was an interest in studying medicine, but then a research project brought new possibilities to Jasmine Modasi, MSCR, a 2022 graduate of Mount Sinai’s Master of Science in Clinical Research program.

In the following Q&A, Ms. Modasi, who is now enrolled in the PhD in Clinical Research program, discusses recent achievements—and her aspirations to ultimately improve the lives of those living with psychiatric illness.

What attracted you to this area of study?

My background is in developmental cognitive neuroscience and I am fascinated by the relationships among human experiences, development, cognition, the brain, and behavior. My initial plans were to go to medical school and specialize in psychiatry.

During my undergraduate thesis project, however, I had the opportunity to conduct a research study in language learning, totally unrelated to what I do now. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and began to imagine that perhaps research was for me.

Mental health has always been very important to me and I felt I could make a greater contribution to the field by doing the research that ultimately goes into practice. As a longtime mental health advocate, I’ve heard concerns voiced by friends and fellow students, both for themselves and the community, and this continues to inspire me to strive toward improving our understanding and approaches to treating mental health problems.

What were some of your achievements as a master’s student?

I had the opportunity to take on several roles as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and Trainee Health and Wellness (THAW) committee member. During my research, I produced an original manuscript for my thesis examining associations between chronic and acute lifetime stressors with psychosis-risk symptoms in high-risk genetic disorders—it has since been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Outside of academics, I took on the role of co-host for the THAW Wellness Podcast where we aim to inform students and trainees of the many resources available at Mount Sinai through discussions with members of various offices and organizations. In recognition of my achievements and contributions, I was awarded the Outstanding Thesis Award and Excellence in Leadership and Service Award.

Why a PhD—What are your goals in the PhD clinical research program?

The clinical research program has provided me with opportunities to explore the field and deepen my appreciation for the work underlying medical practice. Pursuing a PhD will only continue to better my understanding of how to design and conduct effective research studies to create meaningful contributions to medicine.

One major goal I have is to work closely with physicians to identify gaps in medical knowledge pertaining to disease etiology for developing and/or improving treatment and prevention methods. I am particularly interested in under-researched areas of psychiatric illness and symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum and borderline personality disorders.

As an evolving researcher, I hope my work will improve the lives of those living with psychiatric illness and advance medicine by bridging the gap between research and practice.

Learn more about the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

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