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.

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.

Awards & Honors: February 2025

Three trophies

Dr. Heidi Bender, professor of neuropsychology in neurological surgery, received a Jerry Sweet Leadership Award from the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology and American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology. The award recognizes neuropsychologists who have shown outstanding leadership deemed likely to have a lasting imprint on neuropsychology and acknowledged as exceptionally beneficial to the field.

Dr. Alyson Gorun, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry, received the Edith Sabshin Teaching Award from the American Psychoanalytic Association. This prestigious national honor recognizes psychoanalysts for their outstanding service in non-candidate education.

Dr. Lisa Newman, chief of the section of breast surgery and a professor of surgery, was awarded an honorary fellowship from the West African College of Surgeons. As the college’s highest honor, this award recognizes Dr. Newman’s continued commitment to the enhancement of optimal surgical training in West Africa, fostering collaborations between international surgical colleges and associations in the different regions of the African continent.

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