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.

Possible Biomarker Identified for Crohn’s Disease with Arthritis Type

illustration of the different joints affected in spondyloarthritis

People with Crohn’s disease and related joint inflammation linked to immune system dysfunction have distinct gut bacteria or microbiota, with the bacterium Mediterraneibacter gnavus being a potential biomarker, according to new study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

The study, published Feb. 13 in Gut Microbes, also demonstrated that the gut microbiota of people with Crohn’s and axial spondyloarthritis, which is joint inflammation of the spine and lower back, differs from individuals with Crohn’s and peripheral spondyloarthritis affecting other parts of the body like the knees, hips and shoulders.

“While joint inflammation is one of the most common extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease, clinicians don't have a good handle on why this happens and how to treat it,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Randy Longman, director of the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Study Establishes “Ball and Chain” Mechanism Inactivates Key Mammalian Ion Channel

potassium ion channel

A new study unveils a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a “ball-and-chain” channel-plugging mechanism, according to investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine. The findings boost the understanding of ion channel biology and could lead to new drugs that target these channels to treat disorders such as epilepsy and hypertension.

Ion channels are protein structures embedded in cell membranes that allow charged molecules to flow into or out of the cell. They support essential biological functions, including signaling or communication between brain cells. The study, published Feb. 19 in Nature Communications, focused on the mammalian BK (“big potassium”) channel, which facilitates the flow of potassium ions out of cells.

Using advanced structural imaging and computer modeling techniques, the researchers confirmed that BK channels can stop their ion flow via a long-theorized ball-and-chain structure that plugs the channel.

Dr. Joseph E. Safdieh Appointed Senior Associate Dean for Education

portrait of a man wearing a white coat in front of a window

Dr. Joseph E. Safdieh, an esteemed and longstanding Weill Cornell Medicine medical educator and neurologist, has been appointed senior associate dean for education at the institution, effective May 19.

Dr. Safdieh will lead the institution’s Office of Medical Education and oversee the overall living and learning experience of Weill Cornell Medical College’s students. He will develop academic programs for medical and physician assistant students, administer educational policies, and foster a vibrant, talented and diverse student body. He will also work towards elevating the work of the teaching faculty into scholarly pursuits. Dr. Safdieh succeeds Dr. Yoon Kang, who departed the institution last summer; Dr. Michael Stewart, senior associate dean for international affairs and affiliations and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, has also been serving as interim senior associate dean for education.

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