News and Events

Programs and providers of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine are often the focus of news stories and features appearing in major national media. We invite you to review some stories that typify the breakthrough accomplishments of our remarkable team and highlight the impact our care has had on patient’s lives.

Stress Hormone Timing Creates a Different Kind of Obesity

histology of liver tissue

Obesity caused by disrupted stress-hormone rhythms is metabolically very different from obesity caused by a high-fat diet, according to a new preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The researchers found in mice that glucocorticoid-rhythm disruption concentrates insulin resistance in skeletal muscle while preserving key insulin responses in fat tissue and liver. This allows fat tissue to continue storing lipids, while the liver remains largely protected from the fat accumulation typically seen with high-fat-diet obesity.

headshot of a woman

Dr. Mary Teruel

Dr. Geraldine McGinty Named Executive Vice Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Geraldine McGinty

Dr. Geraldine McGinty, an esteemed academic healthcare leader and radiologist, has been appointed executive vice dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, effective Sept. 8.

In her new role, Dr. McGinty will serve as a vital strategic advisor to Dean Robert A. Harrington, exercise delegated authority on key matters and represent the institution internally and externally on topics central to Weill Cornell’s academic, clinical and professional life.

“In my nearly three years at Weill Cornell, I have benefited from Dr. McGinty’s expertise and guidance every day,” said Dr. Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and provost for clinical affairs of Cornell University. “This well-earned role will tap into her many strengths as a tireless faculty advocate, a natural relationship builder and someone who cares deeply about institutional culture. I could not be more pleased to name her as my executive vice dean.”

“I am incredibly excited about our institutional vision to become the academic medical center of the future, and all the work that entails,” Dr. McGinty said. “I look forward to increasing my support of those goals and feel fortunate that Dean Harrington is someone I’ve learned from in every conversation.”

Newly Discovered Stem Cell Reveals Potential Drug Target for Spinal Stenosis

stem cells tendon and ligaments

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery have discovered the stem cells—unspecialized cells that can develop into specific cell types—that give rise to the body’s tendons and ligaments, the tissues connecting muscles and bones. They also found that when these stem cells become hyperactive in the lower spine, they contribute to lumbar spinal stenosis. This condition, which impacts an estimated 103 million people worldwide, involves enlarged ligaments that can narrow the spinal canal and compress nerves, causing pain, numbness and difficulty walking.

The study, published Sept. 7 in Cell, suggests that therapeutics targeting these stem cells may lead to new treatment options for patients, including a class of drugs currently used to manage high blood pressure.

Dr. Matthew Greenblatt

Dr. Matthew Greenblatt