A new study from Columbia University College of Physicians Surgeons (PS) and Stanford University suggests that the malfunctioning of brain cells called astrocytes may be behind the accumulation of amyloid protein in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Lower white blood cell counts in African-American women with early-stage breast cancer can lead to delays in treatment when compared with Caucasian women with the same stage of disease, according to a new study by physician-scientists at Columbia University Medical Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Run by the Wright Medical Center on Aging at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, House Calls is a program that brings physicians to the homes of elderly patients and provides care for those unable to visit the doctor.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has commended the Integrated Mental Health Primary Care Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as "one of the most promising approaches for strengthening primary-specialty interface for children and adolescents." The Program, a collaboration between the Hospital's Ambulatory Care Network (ACN) and Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, provides culturally sensitive mental health treatment in a primary care setting at five ACN sites in Manhattan.

Honoring his many contributions to psychiatry, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has awarded the 2006 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Award in Mental Health to Jack David Barchas. Consisting of a medal and $20,000, the prize was presented Monday, October 9, at the IOM annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The Sarnat Award is being given to Dr. Barchas in recognition of his impact on fundamental and behavioral neurobiology, particularly in the area of neuroregulators and behavior. Dr. Barchas was the first to demonstrate that various types of neurotransmitters are altered differently by stress. His studies in molecular neurobiological mechanisms led to advances in understanding the regulation of neurotransmitters, the first genetic studies of these processes, the discovery of previously unrecognized neuropeptide transmitters, the mapping of transmitters, and the investigation of their roles in behavior.

While some people tend to think of children as miniature versions of ourselves, children aren't just little adults. This is certainly true when it comes to anesthesia. The growing body of research shows that children react to medications differently. For this and other reasons, anesthesia must be tailored to the pediatric population to ensure safe and successful surgery.

Although we do it over 2,000 times every day, for some people the simple, unconscious act of swallowing is so difficult as to be almost impossible. And for others, deterioration in voice quality can hinder livelihood or quality of life. Help is now available through the Voice and Swallowing Center at Columbia University Medical Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which is dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of voice and swallowing problems, and is the sole center of its kind in New York City.

In a move that is expected to lead to the expansion of cardiac, oncology, pediatric and surgical services and other clinical programs for residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Winthrop South Nassau University Health System has become a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, the largest health care system in the tri-state area.