Department of Emergency Medicine Experiences Transformative Growth
Led by Dr. Rahul Sharma, the Barbara & Stephen Friedman Professor of Emergency Medicine, the Department of Emergency Medicine added nearly 30 physicians and scientists to its ranks, experienced a 362% increase in sponsored research — including a 225% increase in grants from the NIH — and achieved a 230% surge in publications since being elevated to a full academic department in 2018. The department, a pioneer in telemedicine long before the COVID-19 pandemic, has used the technology to improve health care access for New Yorkers — and offer a wider array of options for people seeking care in the emergency department — while also driving national dialogue about its potential to transform patient care.
New Leader for Weill Cornell Medicine Physician Organization
Dr. Adam D. Cheriff, a physician and healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience, has been named the new chief operating officer of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Physician Organization, effective May 1.
Serving most recently as the chief medical information officer and chief of clinical operations for the Physician Organization, Dr. Cheriff has provided oversight of all clinical IT functions and operations, including executive co-leadership of enterprise shared clinical IT services. He oversaw the extension of Weill Cornell Medicine’s electronic health record throughout the NewYork-Presbyterian care network. He has also led transformative projects to improve patient access and experience, provider capacity, care coordination, referral management and enterprise data analytics.
In his new role, Dr. Cheriff will focus on the organizational structures and business processes to achieve efficient and cost-effective integration of enterprise clinical operations.
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Champions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Weill Cornell Medicine marked its sixth annual Diversity Week in April, recognizing the following individuals for their exemplary contributions to academic medicine through mentorship, research, clinical care, community service and advocacy:
Dr. Andrea Card, assistant professor of clinical medicine and faculty lead for Weill Cornell Medicine’s Pre-Medical Diversity Initiatives, received the Bruce Laine Ballard Award.
Dr. Stephanie Cherestal, assistant professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry received the Marie Metoyer Award.
Dr. Sarah Hatfield, winner of the Louis Wade Sullivan award, is a fellow in surgery who focuses on victims of gun violence.
Naira Abou-Ghali, a graduate student in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences’ Pharmacology Program, and Chase C. Alston, Weill Cornell Medical College student, both received Sophia Scudder, M.D. Awards.
Dr. Li Gan, the Burton P. and Judith B. Resnick Distinguished Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases and director of the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, received the Jessica M. and Natan Bibliowicz Award.
Dr. Huber David Jaramillo Gil was honored for his work as program manager in Diversity, Health Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Radiology.
Dr. Puja Chebrolu, assistant professor of medicine, and Dr. Krithika Karthigeyan, postdoctoral associate in pediatrics, received Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research awards.
Ryan Elected to National Academy of Sciences and Arts and Sciences Academy
Dr. Timothy A. Ryan has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive. He also was elected as one of 250 new members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
A professor of biochemistry, tri-institutional professor and professor of biochemistry in anesthesiology, Dr. Ryan is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Research Scholar. His research focuses on the biochemical processes that occur in the brain where neurons connect, called synapses. He developed a new way to measure the concentration of an essential molecule for storing and transferring energy in cells, known as adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP), using advanced optical technologies. The discovery launched his exploration into understanding what happens to neurons when synapses have sufficient or insufficient ATP.
Distinguished Administrator, Alum, Honored with Portrait
In November 2023, Weill Cornell Medicine commemorated Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson’s (M.D. ’77) illustrious 45-year career and her 2019 retirement with the installation of a portrait, painted by artist Simmie Knox, hanging close to the main entrance of the Meyer Education Building at 1300 York Avenue.
In addition to receiving every award at Weill Cornell Medicine that recognizes excellence in medical education, Dr. Storey-Johnson held a variety of roles at the institution, including professor of medicine, senior associate dean for education and senior adviser for medical education. She is currently professor emerita of medicine. During her tenure as senior associate dean for education from 2001 to 2014, she launched the revamp of Weill Cornell Medical College’s curriculum. She is remembered for her instrumental work in 2001 establishing Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar in Doha.
Achievements
National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Prize
Dr. Gunisha Kaur (B.S. ’06, M.D. ’10), associate professor of anesthesiology, and her research team recently won a prestigious National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Prize for its project, “Digital Solutions to Reduce Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in Refugee Women,” which aims to clinically train and validate a digital refugee health system. Dr. Kaur directs the Human Rights Impact Lab and her department’s Global Health Initiative, and is co-medical director of the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights.
Salmon Medal in Psychiatry
Dr. Conor Liston (M.D. ’08, Ph.D.), professor of psychiatry, and professor of neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, received the 2023 Thomas William Salmon Medal in Psychiatry from The New York Academy of Medicine. Dr. Liston’s research focuses on the management of treatment-resistant mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder.
American Association for Cancer Research Academy
Dr. Silvia C. Formenti, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, radiation oncologist-in-chief at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Professor of Cancer Research, was elected as a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy. Dr. Formenti’s current research focuses on immunotherapy and radiation combination therapy across cancers. Dr. Formenti is associate director of translational research at the Meyer Cancer Center.
NIH Climate and Health Scholar
Dr. Arnab Ghosh (M.S. ’19), assistant professor of medicine, was selected as a 2024 Climate and Health Scholar by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ghosh was one of seven scientists selected to aid the NIH-wide effort to reduce health threats from climate change and build health resiliency in communities worldwide.
Paget-Ewing Award
Dr. David Lyden, the Stavros S. Niarchos Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, professor of pediatrics, and professor of cell and developmental biology, has been named the winner of the 2024 Paget-Ewing Award by the Metastasis Research Society. Dr. Lyden is being recognized for his work identifying the pre-metastatic niche, the cellular and molecular changes in a future organ site destined to become a site of metastatic disease, and his ongoing research targeting the pre-metastatic niche to prevent or better treat metastases.
