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.

Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards Support Innovative Science

science and innovation

Four Weill Cornell Medicine investigators received the Ritu Banga Healthcare Disparities Research Awards, recognizing innovative research that will help close care gaps in clinical settings. Endowed through a generous $5 million gift from Board of Fellows member Ritu Banga and her husband, Ajay Banga, each $50,000 award supports projects aimed at improving health outcomes for populations that have historically faced systemic barriers to care.

“It is an honor to help bring to life the Bangas' vision of a health care system where everyone can experience high-quality care,” said Dr. Lola Brown, associate dean of research and assistant professor of research education in anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “This year’s awardees are making important contributions to improve the health of all.”

Novel Maneuver Helps Malaria Parasite Dodge the Immune System

Anopheles mosquito

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered how a parasite that causes malaria when transmitted through a mosquito bite can hide from the body’s immune system, sometimes for years. It turns out that the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, can shut down a key set of genes, rendering itself “immunologically invisible.”

Dr. Florini

Dr. Francesca Florini

“This finding provides another piece of the puzzle as to why malaria has been so difficult to eradicate,” said Dr. Francesca Florini, research associate in microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine who co-led the study. Malaria infects 300-500 million people yearly, resulting in nearly 600,000 deaths globally.

Celebrating Future Health Care Leaders at Commencement

medical students

Video of Class of 2025 Commencement Highlights | Weill Cornell Medicine

For six years, Dr. Benjamin Allwein studied to be a scientist at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, immersed in structural biology and biochemistry. His educational journey investigating proteins involved in metabolism and DNA replication was intellectually rewarding, but it was also bookended by uncertainty and disruption.

Dr. Allwein started his doctoral studies in July 2019, fresh off a year-long Fulbright Scholarship working with physicians in India. The COVID-19 pandemic struck within a year of beginning his studies and he lost a grandparent to the disease.

Dr. Allwein

Dr. Benjamin Allwein celebrates after the ceremony.

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