Obstetrics & Gynecology

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.

Switch to Experimental Drug after Liquid Biopsy Detection of Breast Cancer Recurrence Improves Outcomes

researcher holding a vial of blood over a rack of vials

A large prospective, randomized clinical trial in patients with advanced breast cancer has found that the use of liquid biopsy blood tests for early detection of a treatment-resistance mutation, followed by a switch to a new type of treatment, substantially extends the period of tumor control compared to standard care.

The SERENA-6 study, published June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented concurrently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, was conducted at multiple medical centers, principally in Europe, East Asia and the United States, including at Weill Cornell Medicine and three affiliated NewYork-Presbyterian campuses: NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. It is one of the first demonstrations that treatment switching guided by liquid biopsy results brings better outcomes for patients.

“The main message here is that liquid biopsy technology allows us to intervene sooner when the tumor burden is lower and the chance of a good outcome is higher,” said study co-author Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and an oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Study Provides New Insights into the Genetic Complexity of Cancer Metastasis

illustration of DNA double helix and chromosomes

When cancer spreads from a primary tumor to new sites throughout the body, it undergoes changes that increase its genetic complexity.

A new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) provides fresh insights about how cancers evolve when they metastasize — insights that could aid in developing strategies to improve the effectiveness of treatment.

Dr. Xi Kathy Zhou

Dr. Xi Kathy Zhou

Awards & Honors: May 2025

three white trophies behind a red background

Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, chair of the Department of Surgery, has been named president-elect of the American Surgical Association. Founded in 1880, the association is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious surgical organization. Its members include the nation’s most prominent surgeons from the country's leading academic medical institutions.

Dr. Chibuikem Ikwuegbuenyi, research associate in neurological surgery, was awarded the Charles Tator Spinal Cord Injury Resident Research Award by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. His work was recognized as the highest-rated abstract in spinal cord injury research submitted by a trainee. 

Dr. Aryeh Zolin, resident in the Department of Neurology, was named a 2025 Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience by the New York Academy of Sciences and the Leon Levy Foundation. The initiative supports early-career scientists conducting pioneering neuroscience research throughout New York City. Dr. Zolin was recognized for his work examining how the pathology that drives neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease is transmitted between neurons and spreads through neural circuits.

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