Medical Sciences Commons^™

Intouch Week Of Sept. 7, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Faculty Senate Ushers in New Leadership Team
• NYMC Faculty Undertake Medical Missions to Improve Global Health
• Sleepy Hollow High School Student Builds a Foundation for a Future in Research
• NYMC Club Fair 2026 Highlights Student Involvement and Inclusion
• New Puzzle Room Offers Recreation and Relaxation
• Faculty Author Celebration Set for October 8
• Free Shipping on NYMC Gear
• Real Life Experiences Prepare Students for TCDM
• Employee Spotlight: Lifesaving Skills in Action

Intouch Week Of August 24, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Walking Tour of the William F. Bierer, M.D. ’62, Educational Medicinal Herbal Garden
• GSBMS Welcomes New Students During Welcome Luncheon
• New and Improved AEDs are Installed Across Campus
• New Partnership Opens Doors to Physical Therapy Careers for Westchester Students
• NYMC SOM Student Senate Hits the Ground Running with New Executive Board
• NYMC Faculty Mentor Future Dentists Through Immersive Summer Research Experience
• Inaugural Anesthesiology Summer Research Program Gives Students an Early Start in Academic Medicine
• TCDM Promotes Healthy Smiles in the Community
• Faculty Spotlight: 60 Seconds of Science | Episode 2: Cyclospora

Intouch Week Of August 10, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• SOM Welcomes Class of 2030
• CSSC Brings Medicine to Life for High Schoolers
• Opening Doors to Medicine—Earlier and Wider
• Exchange Transfusion Linked to Better Outcomes in Severe Babesiosis
• 60 Seconds of Science Episode 1: Tick Safety
• Back to School Sale
• Student Spotlight: Learning the Power of Rehabilitation
• Alumni Spotlight: Tracking, Tracing, and Following the Evidence Is All in a Day’s Work for Andrew R. Guajardo, M.D. '13

In Vivo Model Of Neurotropic Human Metapneumovirus Infection In Mice Brain, Joanna Yuen, Gage Greening, Eric S. Geanes, Dharitri Betha, Rebecca Mclennan Phd, Todd Bradley

Posters

No abstract provided.

Intouch Week Of July 27, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC Receives $2.7 Million HECap Award
• The Inquiring Minds of Student Research
• Grasslands Garden Blooms into a Community Gathering Space
• Incoming M.D. Students Celebrate Completion of Pre-Matriculation Program
• White Plains Youth Bureau Explore Health Care Careers at NYMC
• Hispanics with Met-ALD Face Higher Rates of Serious Liver Complications
• TCDM Welcomes Class of 2030
• Faculty Spotlight: Jin Li, M.D., Ph.D. ’01: A Lifetime Dedicated to Neurology, Education, and Community Service

Intouch Week Of July 20, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Military Health Professions Symposium Highlights Pathways to Serve in Medicine
• PHEP Participants Explore Research, Medicine, and Career Paths
• The Start of a New Era in Clinical Education
• ADHD Emerges as Overlooked Risk Factor in ACL Surgery Outcomes
• Future Physicians Strengthen Emergency and Disaster Medicine Skills Through Intensive Summer Training
• MEC Plaza Renovation Gets Underway
• Research Continues to Thrive at TCDM
• Student Spotlight: Azzam Althomali, M.P.H. '22, Has Devoted His Career to the Safety of Others

Intouch Week Of July 6, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Meet the Dean of the SHSP: Brian J. Nickerson, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.A., FACHE
• The 2026 Chironian is Available
• Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology Hosts 2026 Annual Research Symposium
• A Research Year That Shaped a Specialty Path
• Free Shipping on NYMC Gear
• Faculty Spotlight: Roger Chirurgi, M.D., FACEP, Changes Uniforms, Never the Mission

Intouch Week Of June 22, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Sixth Annual NYMC Golf Tournament Drives Support for Future Health Care Leaders
• Center for Disaster Medicine Receives NYS Funding
• Dean’s Faculty Awards Recognize Excellence in Teaching, Mentoring, and Service
• Football Associated with Nearly One in Five Brain Injuries in Youth Sports
• Touro College of Dental Medicine Hosts Its Ninth Annual Golf, Tennis and Mahjong Event
• Alumni Spotlight: Sumaita Mahmood, M.D./M.P.H. ’26, Receives National Public Health Award

Intouch Week Of June 8, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• As COPD Rates Rise in Women, Clinical Trial Representation Lags
• Student Spotlight: A Look at Reimbursement Trends for Emerging Technologies
• Student Spotlight: Doneal Bromberg Receives Prestigious ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship

Standardizing Nutrition Protocols For Brain Tumor Patients, Wendy Aldrich, Clifford A Pierre, Jun Ma, Mariam Ishaque, Christa Seyler, Miri Kim

All Poster Presentations

No abstract provided.

Thromboembolic Outcomes In Patients Receiving Doacs With Concomitant Antiseizure Medication, Hermela Gebregiogris, Brittanii Prahl, Michael Schirmer, Barbara Branneman, Jack Huber, Lam Vo

All Poster Presentations

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Cochlear Implant Follow Up: An Analysis Of Mstb 3 Proposed Timeline Changes, Alexandra Parbery-Clark, Dylan Severson, Sachin Gupta, Nadav Brumer, Elizabeth Elkins, Chantel Hazlewood, Jake Hillyer

All Poster Presentations

No abstract provided.

Intouch Week Of June 1, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Annual NYMC Golf Tournament Recognizes Excellence in Leadership and Service
• NYMC Announces 2026-2027 Translational Science Initiative Recipients
• Suicidality Is Key Predictor of Treatment-Resistant Focal Epilepsy
• TCDM Celebrates Class of 2026 Commencement
• Top It Off: 20% Off Select Hats
• Student Spotlight: Inspired to Innovate, Driven to Heal 
• Alumni Spotlight: A Passion for Performing Arts and Physical Therapy
• Alumni Spotlight: Two Lives in One Career

Relaxation Activities And The Effects Of Sleep Quality On High-Achieving Females, Kaitlynn Cusipag

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

The overall goal of this study was to help improve the sleep quality of high-achieving female high school students. This study’s goal was to determine whether the difficulty of crossword puzzles and coloring pages had an impact on sleep quality and stress levels. Sleep is crucial for the well-being and daily performance of teenagers

Empowering Women: Understanding Neurological Changes In The Aging Brain, Joy Mckenzie

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Women tend to have more neurological changes than men as they age starting in their mid-30s (Mosconi, 2024). While aging is a natural process, the neurological changes can impact a woman’s personal and professional quality of life (Faubion et al., 2023; Gravini, 2023). For years, women’s neurological symptoms have been ignored by being told that their experiences are normal and just a part of life (Haver, 2025). That narrative is starting to shift with the increased awareness of changes specific to women. There are resources to assess cognitive changes such as memory, processing speed, and word finding and strategies to …

Intouch Week Of May 18, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony Marks New Chapter
• NYMC and WMC Host 16th Annual Paul Woolf, M.D., Pediatrics Trainee Research Day
• Marking 25 Years of Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology Research
• NYMC Reunion 2026 Unites Alumni, Graduates, and Campus Community
• TCDM Celebrates Class of 2028 White Coat Ceremony
• Off Campus, On Craft: John Phillips, M.D., Makes Waves in Medicine and on the Water

Intouch Week Of May 11, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Brian J. Nickerson, Ph.D., J.D., M.P.A., FACHE, Leads SHSP
• Welcoming the Next Generation of Humanistic Physicians
• Kaley Lectureship Examines Vascular Pathways in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Annual Louis Del Guercio Research Day Highlights Surgical Research Advances
• Teaching and Learning Symposium Highlights Innovation, Honors Academy of Medical Educators
• Understanding Women’s Health Through Systems, Policy, and Experience NYMC Community Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month
• Neurology Alumni Gather at ANA Annual Meeting
• A Night of Music, Memories, and Celebration
• Student Spotlight: Lillian Huang, M.S. ‘21, SOM Class of 2026, Finds Purpose Through Patient Care and Research
• Student Spotlight: Antonia Schonwald, M.S., Looks Ahead to a …

Evaluating Headache Treatment Efficacy Across Rural And Urban Emergency Departments, Logan Stacey, Alan Sazama, Benjamin Aaker

Scholarship Pathways Program

Evaluating Headache Treatment Efficacy Across Rural and Urban Emergency Departments

Logan Stacey, MD | Alan Sazama, MD, Benjamin Aaker, MD

Introduction: Headaches are a common chief complaint in emergency departments (EDs), with rural patients facing unique challenges such as geographic isolation and limited access to care. This study aims to compare treatment efficacy for this top five ED chief complaints between rural and urban EDs.

Methods: Patients treated for headaches from 2020-2023 were identified using diagnosis codes and electronic health records. Treatment plans and patient demographics were abstracted from identified charts. EDs were categorized as rural (populations under 50,000) or …

Implementation Of Self-Directed Learning In Preclinical Respiratory Course, Tai Metzger, Kaycee L. Fillmore, Inaya Hajj-Hussein, Dwayne Baxa, Kyeorda Kemp, Virginia Uhley, Claudio Cortes

Posters

Self-directed learning (SDL) is essential to incorporate into the medical curriculum to develop lifelong learning skills. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) defines four specific components of SDL that must be incorporated into medical education. We created an team-based SDL activity and evaluated whether this format aligned with the SDL components defined by the LCME, using students’ evaluations and reflections.

Intouch Week Of May 4, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC and Hudson Regional Health Achieve Milestone Accreditation with Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program
• NYMC Honors 61 Inductees at 70th Alpha Omega Alpha Ceremony
• Students Honor Those Who Teach Beyond Their Lifetime During Convocation of Thanks
• D.P.T. Students Showcase Research at 22nd Annual Doctoral Project Presentation Day
• D.P.T. Career Panel Fosters Connections with Alumni
• NYMC Marks Autism Awareness Month with Campus-Wide Show of Support
• TCDM Students and Faculty Volunteer with Remote Area Medical to Treat More Than 190 Patients
• Save on NYMC Merch

Ai×Life 2026: Advances In Computational Biology Across Scales For Life & Health Sciences, Suma Mohan S., Devika N. T., Pranavathiyani G.

Conference Proceedings

Book of Abstracts of the International Conference, AIxLife 2026: Advances in Computational Biology Across Scales for Life & Health Sciences, held on 17–18 April 2026, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, INDIA 

About the Conference

Conventional computational biology laid the foundation for biological data analysis through statistical models, algorithms, and curated databases, enabling insights into genes, proteins, and pathways. Today, the integration of artificial intelligence, spanning machine learning, deep learning, and large language models (LLMs) is driving a transformative shift across biological scales, from atomic and molecular interactions to pathways, cellular systems, organisms, and populations.

AI-powered approaches …

Targeting The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation To Improve Depression And Anxiety In Parkinson’S Disease, Brock Renicks

Poster Presentations

Around 40% of people with Parkinson’s Disease experience depression and anxiety (Zhao et al, 2025). Depression and Anxiety have been said to be localized to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brunoni et al, 2016). Transcranial Direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to modulate depression and anxiety by targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Sreeraj et al, 2023). It is beneficial due to its cost, portability, and simplicity of use. Thus we will be assessing the efficacy of tDCS in reducing depression and anxiety in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease.

Modeling Structural Support To Facilitate Novel Treatments Of Degenerative Disc Disease, Jose Luis Calderon

Poster Presentations

Over 600 million people worldwide suffered from low back pain in 2020, with projections for 2050 being over 800 million [1]. Annual costs associated with low back pain total over 450 billion dollars in the US alone [2]. This research serves as a proof-of-concept for the use of structural supports to facilitate intervertebral disc healing. This treatment would involve the implementation of these supports along with existing injection treatments to promote regeneration. In both models, along with the combined model, the ability for these supports to alleviate intervertebral disc height loss is shown. This indicates that these supports would serve …

Addressing Food Insecurity Through Partnering With The Community Teaching Kitchen On Lifestyle Medicine Hypertension Class, Emily Miyasako, Jill Christensen

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Background: Food insecurity is defined as limited or unreliable access to adequate and nutritious food. In Oregon, approximately 1 in 8 residents experience food insecurity, with rates disproportionately affecting low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and households with children or elderly individuals. Food insecurity remains a significant threat to our patients’ health and is associated with obesity, malnutrition, and poor mental health. As a primary care provider, I have seen the effects of food insecurity on my patients, but I am thankful for the presence of our Community Teaching Kitchen. The Community Teaching Kitchen (CTK) at Providence Milwaukie provides nutritional …

Intouch Week Of April 27, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Tracey Milligan, M.D., FAAN, and Sarah Parauda, M.D., Honored on National Stage with Top Neurology Awards
• White Coat Ceremony Ushers SLP Class of 2027 into Clinical Training
• D.P.T. Class of 2028 Steps into Clinical Education
• SOM Class of 2028 Marks Milestone as Clinical Training Begins
• NYMC Celebrates Earth Day with Campus Sustainability Initiatives
• A Pawsitive Break for the NYMC Community
• Student Spotlight: Ashley Abing-Mesropyan Follows a Path Towards Meaningful Care

Intouch Week Of April 20, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Revisiting AIDS, Advocacy, and the Evolution of Medicine
• NYMC Unites for Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month
• NYMC Visits Yale's Cushing Center
• TCDM New Mexico is On-air
• In The Community: Medical Students Serve Their Communities
• In The Community: NYMC Students Provide Screenings at Community Health Fair
• Student Spotlight: Katelyn Lawson, D.P.T. Class of 2026, Shares a Journey Guided by Purpose and Shaped by Mentorship
• Faculty Profile: Shaping Future Clinicians Through Research and Connection

Intouch Week Of April 13, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Avi Dennis, Named Director of Human Resources
• GSBMS Celebrates a Long‑Standing Tradition of Excellence in Scientific Discovery
• Inaugural Careers in Bloom Event Brings SHSP Students and Local Employers Together
• It Takes Trial and Error to Reach Discovery
• Raising Awareness and Strengthening Readiness

Integrating Maternal Pelvic Floor And Mental Health In Occupational Therapy, Diana S. Theodore, Lesley Sally Khan-Farooqi, Amanda Ciecior, Teresa Martinez, Brooke Caldwell

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster highlights an integrated occupational therapy approach to maternal pelvic floor and mental health. Postpartum recovery is often addressed in fragmented ways, separating physical symptoms from emotional and functional impact. This work emphasizes the connection between pelvic floor function, nervous system regulation, and daily activities. Drawing from clinical experiences across acute, outpatient, and community settings, this project presents practical, client-centered strategies to support recovery. Key areas include breathing, bowel and bladder health, and functional movement. By focusing on occupational performance, such as toileting, mobility, sleep, and caregiving. This approach demonstrates the role of occupational therapy in supporting whole-person postpartum …

Effects Of Tubulin-Binding Medications On Microplastic Uptake And Cyotoskeletal Functionality Across Diverse Cell Types, Alejandra D. Favela Santos

Posters - 2026

• Microtubules are composed of of a- and b- tubulin heterodimers, vital for cell structure, shape, and intracellular transport • Microtubules are also useful as they separate chromosomes during cell division • Microplastics (< 5 mm) are considered a health threat and have been found throughout the whole body (1) o In several studies, microplastics have been correlated to higher rates cardiorespiratory issues, endocrine disruption, and cancer (1) • Tubulin-binding medications are widely used as chemotherapeutic agents as they are known for disrupting cell division and targeting tubulin (2,3) o In this study, these medications were used to determine whether microtubules play a role in microplastic uptake § Colchicine typically binds to tubulins and arrests polymerization and growth § Nocodazole disrupts polymerization and prevents spindle formation § Vinblastine inhibits microtubule assembly and disruptions miotic spindle formation.

• The purpose of this study was to determine if different concentrations of tubulin-binding medications affect microplastic uptake o C2C12, RAW 264.7, and MOVAS cell lines were used to evaluate whether these changes are cell type specific 

If microtubule dynamics are disrupted, microplastic uptake can be affect in a concentration-dependent and cell type- specific manner.

Development Of A Dendritic Cell Model To Unravel The Secrets Of Cards Toxin, Lizbeth Gomez

Posters - 2026

Dendritic cells (DCs) are derived from hematopoietic stem cells of the bone marrow. They are the most efficient antigen presenting cell, presenting antigens to T cells to initiate clonal expansion and differentiation of the T cells into memory and effector cells. Thus, activating the effector functions of T cells in cell-mediated and humoral immune responses (2). Community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin is produced by Mycoplasma pneumoniae that causes acute and chronic lung infections (4). Dendritic cells play a key role in the immune response to respiratory mycoplasmas (3). However, the mechanism underlying in DC and CARDS toxin interactions are …