SUMMER/FALL 2019 EINSTEINTHE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE The Search for Einstein and Montefiore researchers Autism Therapies are testing promising treatments Collaborating to Cure Cancers • ECHO Clinic Marks 20 Years • An Out-of-This-World Clerkship EINSTEIN A Message from the Dean Science at the Heart of Medicine Summer/Fall 2019 The magazine for alumni, faculty, y first year as Einstein’s students, friends, and supporters of dean has educated and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore invigorated me. When I walked on stage for this Published by Myear’s Commencement, I felt tremen- The Philip and Rita Rosen Department of Communications and Public Affairs dous pride for our graduates, the first to Gordon Earle, Associate Dean receive diplomas carrying the Einstein Office of Development seal (page 4). This milestone fittingly Rachelle M. Sanders, Vice President and occurred on the 60th anniversary of our Chief Development Officer initial graduating class (page 69). Director, Science and Research Content Our newest graduates are the best Larry Katzenstein of the best, taught by a faculty doing Senior Director, Strategic Communications and External Relations outstanding work. A prime example is Deirdre Branley given in our cover story, “The Search Managing Editor for Autism Therapies,” which begins Susan Byrne on page 16. It describes the research of Director, Creative Services Eric Hollander, M.D., a national leader Einstein Community Health Marie L. Kurtz in seeking new treatments for autism Outreach free clinic marks 20 years Senior Director of External Relations, spectrum disorders, which affect 6,000 of service to Bronx residents who lack Development Rachel Eddey children in the Bronx and another 12 health insurance (page 28). And one million nationwide. There are shock- of our May graduates, Jennifer Ma, Associate Director of External Relations, Development ingly few treatments for autism symp- M.D., was part of a select group that Sean McMahon toms, which include an impaired experienced the life of a flight sur- Art Director ability to communicate and form social geon during her month in NASA’s Lorene Tapellini relationships. Dr. Hollander directs Aerospace Medicine Clerkship pro- Associate Art Director the Autism and Obsessive Compulsive gram (page 38). Jeneffer Gonçalves Lee Spectrum Program at Einstein and These are exciting times to be in Illustrations Montefiore, and he and his team are science and medicine, and I’m look- Tatyana Starikova Harris evaluating promising therapies. ing forward to another dynamic and Digital Imaging Donna Bruno Another example of our outstand- productive year. ing research is a decade-long partner- Photography jtorresphoto.com ship to develop better treatments for Multimedia Communications bone-marrow and blood diseases that Sunita Reed, Director currently have low survival rates. The article “Collaborating to Cure Cancers” Address correspondence to: Editor, Einstein Magazine (page 32) describes the efforts of Amit Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus Verma, M.B.B.S., and Ulrich Steidl, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Belfer 905 M.D., Ph.D., to cure myelodysplastic Bronx, NY 10461 GORDON F. TOMASELLI, M.D. syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia Email: [email protected] The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean Website: www.einstein.yu.edu by finding their root causes. Albert Einstein College of Medicine Copyright © 2019 Our students are doing some great Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer Albert Einstein College of Medicine things as well. This year the student-run Montefiore Medicine All rights reserved SUMMER/FALL 2019 IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY 16 THE SEARCH FOR AUTISM THERAPIES Einstein and Montefiore researchers are testing scientifically promising treatments, from cannabis to whipworms FEATURES 28 NO INSURANCE? NO PROBLEM! The student-run Einstein Community Health Outreach 16 clinic marks 20 years of service to Bronx residents 32 COLLABORATING TO CURE CANCERS Einstein scientists raise hopes for treating two closely intertwined bone-marrow and blood diseases 38 AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD CLERKSHIP NASA’s aerospace program gives an Einstein student a glimpse of space medicine 52 SPOTLIGHT: MONTEFIORE SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAM Clinics reach one in four Bronx public-school students 32 60 MEETING OVER THE MIND Two men from different worlds find common ground in neurological surgery DEPARTMENTS 2 Campus News 8 Mavens of Medicine: Dr. Sharmila Makhija 10 Research Notes 12 Lab Chat: Dr. Helena M. Blumen 42 Passionate Pursuits: Cyclist Wouter Hoogenboom 44 Einstein Editions 52 46 Crossword: Albert’s Puzzler 47 Motivations: The Front Line of Philanthropy 49 Continued Connection: Dr. Harvey Karp 64 Class Notes 69 A Look Back Visit magazine.einstein.yu.edu ON THE COVER: Carlos Rodriguez, 14, is one of 6,000 children in or scan code the Bronx who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. Einstein and Montefiore researchers are testing promising treatments for autism (page 16). Cover and page 16 photos: © Rick Guidotti, Positive Exposure CAMPUS NEWS Dr. Cuervo Elected to National Academy of Sciences na Maria Cuervo, M.D., finding that autophagy slows with Ph.D., has been elected to the age. Her current research focuses on A National Academy of Sciences, developing therapies to restore autophagy, becoming the 14th current or former thereby preventing the accumulation of faculty member to join the academy. toxic protein by-products that can lead to Dr. Cuervo is a leader in the field of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s autophagy, the cellular-waste manage- disease, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes. ment process that is critical to human “I’m very happy for the people in health. my lab. The team really deserved it— Among her early major discoveries, they are the ones who are driving the Dr. Cuervo found that autophagy research,” Dr. Cuervo says of her election, is highly selective, not random as which was announced on April 30. Dr. was previously thought. In addition, Cuervo is a professor of developmental she and her collaborators discovered and molecular biology, of anatomy and that specialized proteins guide old structural biology and of medicine, and and damaged proteins to lysosomes is the co-director of the Institute for for digestion, a process they dubbed Aging Research. She holds the Robert “chaperone-mediated autophagy.” and Renée Belfer Chair for the Study of Dr. Cuervo also made the major Neurodegenerative Diseases at Einstein. New Chair of Pediatrics at Einstein and Montefiore ichael deCastro Cabana, and improving the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and M.D., M.P.H., has been diagnosis, preven- the Wharton School. He completed his M named a professor and the tion, and manage- residency at Johns Hopkins, where he Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University ment of common received his master’s degree in public Chair of Pediatrics at Einstein and childhood con- health. Dr. Cabana completed his physician-in-chief at Children’s Hospital ditions such as fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson at Montefiore. pediatric asthma. Clinical Scholar in 1999 before mov- Dr. Cabana was most recently a He has conducted ing to the University of Michigan and, professor of pediatrics and of epidemiol- clinical trials on the effect of probiotics later, UCSF. ogy and biostatistics at the University of and prebiotics on asthma, infant colic, He is a member of the editorial California, San Francisco (UCSF), where and growth. board of The Journal of Pediatrics and he also served as the chief of the division Dr. Cabana received his bachelor of edited the popular pediatric textbook of general pediatrics. He assumed his arts degree magna cum laude in gov- The Five-Minute Pediatric Consult. He new role at Montefiore and Einstein in ernment at Cornell University and is currently serving a four-year term on September. his M.D. and M.A. at the combined- the United States Preventive Services His research focuses on understanding degree program at the University of Task Force. 2 EINSTEIN : SUMMER/FALL 2019 Tenure for 16 Einstein Drs. Joan Berman Professors Leonard H. Augenlicht, Ph.D. and Chinazo Cunningham Professor of Medicine and of Cell Biology Karen A. Bonuck, Ph.D. Give Presidential Lecture Professor of Family and Social Medicine, of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s he third annual Presidential treating opioid-use disorder and car- Health, and of Pediatrics Lecture, which highlights out- ries a low risk of overdose and misuse, Anne R. Bresnick, Ph.D. T standing research conducted at making it appropriate for office- and Professor of Biochemistry Einstein and Montefiore, featured the community-based treatment. Philip E. Castle, Ph.D. work of Joan W. Berman, Ph.D., and Dr. Berman is a professor of pathol- Professor of Epidemiology & Chinazo Cunningham, M.D., M.S. ogy and of microbiology & immunol- Population Health Their speeches, given on June 3, ogy and holds the Irving D. Karpas Kelvin Davies, Ph.D. focused on buprenorphine, a drug used Chair in Medicine at Einstein. Dr. Professor of Urology and of Physiology & Biophysics in medication-assisted treatment to Cunningham is the associate divi- help people reduce or quit their use of sion chief of general internal medi- Andras Fiser, Ph.D. Professor of Systems & Computational heroin or other opiates. Dr. Berman, cine at Einstein and Montefiore and Biology and of Biochemistry who studies the interaction of HIV with a professor of medicine, of family and Evripidis Gavathiotis, Ph.D. the central nervous system, including social medicine, and of psychiatry and Professor of Biochemistry and of Medicine neuroAIDS, spoke about buprenorphine behavioral sciences at Einstein. Andreas Jenny, Ph.D. as a novel therapy for HIV-associated Professor of Developmental and neurocognitive disorders. Molecular Biology and of Genetics WATCH THE VIDEO Dr. Berman was followed by Dr. View the Presidential Lecture: Gregoire Lauvau, Ph.D. Cunningham, whose research has shown magazine.einstein.yu.edu/ Professor of Microbiology & Immunology that buprenorphine is highly effective in lecture19 David M.