Alison M. Goate, DPhil
Two prominent researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Alison M. Goate, DPhil, and Lynne D. Richardson, MD, recently were elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine, formerly named the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Goate is the Willard T.C. Johnson Research Professor of Neurogenetics, and Director of the Ronald M. Loeb Center on Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Richardson is Professor and Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine, and Professor of Population Health Science and Policy.
Elevation to the Academy—an independent organization that serves as a national and international advisor—recognizes major contributions to the advancement of medical sciences, health care, and public health. Membership is bestowed by peers and has unique resonance. Drs. Goate and Richardson now join a total of 21 Academy members within the Mount Sinai Health System.
“This is one of the highest honors that an individual can receive in medicine,” says 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. “The elections of Dr. Goate and Dr. Richardson are notable achievements and recognize the exceptional contributions they have made to their fields.”
Research by Dr. Goate, a molecular geneticist, has helped inform the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. She has identified key gene mutations linked to the heritable risk for Alzheimer’s disease and discovered rare DNA sequence variations in the genes encoding TREM2 and PLD3 that appear to double a patient’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
According to Dr. Goate, “The next phase of Alzheimer’s drugs is not too far off,” perhaps another five years, and will help stem the disease
Lynne D. Richardson, MD
by attacking pathways directly implicated by genetic studies. New therapies might shut down or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, prolonging brain health for years or even decades.
By “turning research on its head,” Dr. Goate says, she and her team at Mount Sinai are studying the genes that protect people from disease even when they carry risk factors.
Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience, Director of The Friedman Brain Institute, and Dean for Academic and Scientific Affairs at the Icahn School of Medicine, says the Academy honor is an “endorsement of our evaluation of Dr. Goate as a world leader in Alzheimer’s disease research.” A total of seven members of The Friedman Brain Institute-—including Dr. Nestler—are members of the Academy.
Dr. Richardson is a nationally recognized expert in health services research and one of the most accomplished investigators in emergency medicine. Developing strategies to eliminate health care disparities has been a central focus of her career, and she has made important contributions in both the research and policy arenas. Her past and current mixed-methods research on the exception from informed consent (EFIC) for emergency research has set national standards on community consultation for EFIC studies.
Dr. Richardson’s long list of accomplishments also includes seminal work on transitions of care through a Health Care Innovation Award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement a new model of emergency care for older adults.
She is principal investigator for the New York City Sickle Cell Implementation Science Consortium, which is using the Mount
Sinai Health System as a learning laboratory to improve outcomes for adults with sickle
cell disease.
“We are in the midst of transformational change in health care,” says Dr. Richardson. “Emergency medicine sits at the intersection between communities and hospitals, making it increasingly important with today’s emphasis on keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. High-quality patient care depends upon timely examinations, diagnostic testing, patient advocacy, and comprehensive assessments of individual and community needs. All of this happens in the Emergency Department.”
Andy Jagoda, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System, says Dr. Richardson has helped elevate their specialty, enabling it to serve as a window into individual and community health needs.
“She is building the future and that is why she was made a member of the National Academy of Medicine,” he says.