News

Awards and Honors: July 2023

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Dr. James Bussel, professor emeritus of pediatrics, was awarded the Henry M. Stratton Medal from the American Society of Hematology (ASH). The award seeks to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to hematology. Dr. Bussel, the recipient of the medal for translational/clinical science, is being honored for his contributions to the development of agents that increase platelet counts in...

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Key bacteria in onset and progression of MS identified

JCI cover May 2023

In a recent animal study, researchers from the Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine have found that epsilon toxin — produced by a bacterium found in the small intestine — may trigger the onset of MS and cause continuing symptoms. The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, ...

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Astrocyte Dysfunction Causes Cognitive Decline

microscopic illustration

People with dementia have protein build-up in astrocytes that may trigger abnormal antiviral activity and memory loss, according to a preclinical study by a team of Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

Dysfunction in cells called neurons, which transmit messages throughout the brain, has long been the prime suspect in dementia-related cognitive deficits. But a new...

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Four Different Autism Subtypes Identified in Brain Study

Machine learning of brain-behavior dimensions reveals four subtypes of autism spectrum disorder linked to distinct molecular pathways

People with autism spectrum disorder can be classified into four distinct subtypes based on their brain activity and behavior, according to a study from Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

The study, published March 9 in Nature Neuroscience, leveraged machine learning to analyze newly available neuroimaging data from 299 people with autism and 907 neurotypical people. They found patterns of brain connections linked with...

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Study Finds Bacterial Toxin May Trigger Multiple Sclerosis Onset and Relapse

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A specific toxin-producing gut bacteria may be responsible for both triggering the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) and ongoing disease activity according to a new study led by a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The team is working with investigators from UC San Diego, UC Davis, the University of Pittsburgh, Cornell’s Ithaca campus and has a long-standing collaboration with scientists at The Rockefeller University.

The...

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In Brief: Smoking is Associated with Lower Cognitive Function in Older Adults

A person lighting a cigarette

Cigarette smoking is associated with worse cognitive performance among people 60 years and older, and that association is broadly the same whether or not individuals have hypertension or diabetes, according to a study from investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The findings, published Dec. 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, underscore smoking’s adverse effect on...

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Autism-linked Gene Shapes Nerve Connections

neurons stained red and green

A gene linked to autism spectrum disorders plays a critical role in early brain development and may shape the formation of both normal and atypical nerve connections in the brain, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

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New Theory Explains Recovery Delays in COVID-19 and Cardiac Patients

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COVID-19 patients placed on ventilators can take a long time to regain consciousness. New research from Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian, MIT, and Massachusetts General Hospital is now illustrating that these delays may serve a purpose: protecting the brain from oxygen deprivation.

The existence of such a brain-preserving state could explain why some patients wake up days or even weeks after they stop receiving ventilation, and it suggests that physicians should take these...

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New Developments in Dementia Research Presented at Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute Symposium

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The 10th annual Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute Symposium brought fascinating reports of progress in understanding Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative diseases. The event was held at the Belfer Research Building on Oct. 25, before an in-person and Zoom audience.

Sponsored by Weill Cornell Medicine’s Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute and its home department, the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, the event offered four...

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Psychedelic Drugs Flatten the Brain’s Dynamic Landscape

researcher examining psychedelic mushrooms

The psychedelic drugs LSD and psilocybin activate serotonin receptors on brain cells in a way that reduces the energy needed for the brain to switch between different activity states, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

The study, which appeared Oct. 3 in Nature Communications, offers insight into the mechanism of these drugs’ effects—effects that many hope can someday be harnessed...

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