Genetic Testing Under Way in Connecticut

Genetic Testing Under Way in Connecticut

In Mount Sinai’s Branford, Connecticut, laboratory, Research Associate Courtney Pietropaolo prepares DNA samples for sequencing.

In its first full year of operation, the Mount Sinai Genetic Testing Laboratory in Branford, Connecticut, has become an integral part of the Mount Sinai Health System’s efforts to better diagnose and treat disease.

The 16,400-square-foot facility, located 85 miles from New York City, has the high-throughput equipment to sequence thousands of samples monthly to uncover variations in DNA that code for Alzheimer’s and coronary disease, and cancer, among other diseases. (more…)

New Chairs for Orthopaedics and Neurology

Leesa M. Galatz, MD

Leesa M. Galatz, MD

Two renowned physicians and researchers—Leesa M. Galatz, MD, and Barbara G. Vickrey, MD, MPH—recently became the Mount Sinai Health System Chair of Orthopaedics, and Neurology, respectively, at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Galatz was recruited from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of the Shoulder and Elbow Service. Dr. Vickrey had served for 25 years on the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was Professor of Neurology. (more…)

Use of Big Data Leads to Discovery in Diabetes

Joel Dudley, PhDAfter carefully analyzing the electronic health records (EHRs) of 11,000 patients, investigators at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered three potential new subtypes of type 2 diabetes.

The discovery, led by Joel Dudley, PhD, Director of Biomedical Informatics at the Icahn School of Medicine, highlights the power of new technology and the promise of precision medicine, as the Mount Sinai Health System ushers in the use of Big Data in discovering, treating, and preventing disease. The results of the study were published in Science Translational Medicine in October, 2015. (more…)

Herminia Palacio ’87, MD, MPH Appointed NYC’s Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services

Herminia Palacio ’87, MD, MPH

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Dr. Herminia Palacio as the city’s new deputy mayor for health and human services, filling a post that has been vacant since the end of September 2015. Palacio will oversee several key city departments, including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC Health + Hospitals, the Human Resources Administration and the Department of Homeless Services, among others. (more…)

National Recognition for Autism Researcher

National Recognition for Autism Researcher

Joseph D. Buxbaum, PhD

Joseph D. Buxbaum, PhD, a pioneering researcher in the field of autism, recently was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, considered one of the highest honors in medicine. New members are elected annually by current active members through a selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to advance medical sciences, health care, and public health.

A world-renowned molecular geneticist and neurobiologist, Dr. Buxbaum is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry, and Director of the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Professor of Neuroscience, and Genetics and Genomic Sciences, and the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Research Professor of Geriatrics and Adult Development. (more…)

Researchers Honored at First Mount Sinai Innovations Awards Ceremony

Researchers Honored at First Mount Sinai Innovations Awards Ceremony

Presenters and recipients of the Mount Sinai Innovations Awards gathered at the ceremony to celebrate scientific achievements made at Mount Sinai.

Sixteen physicians, scientists, and students were honored for their creativity and biomedical discoveries at the first annual Mount Sinai Innovations Awards Ceremony, held on the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai campus.

“We are building a culture that encourages and supports innovation in medicine, and there is no better way to show how much we value this and spur more innovation than formally recognizing investigators for their outstanding work,” said Scott Friedman, MD, who opened the Awards Ceremony on Monday, October 26. “This culture will benefit our patients and the Mount Sinai Health System.” (more…)

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