Research & Clinical Trials
Clinical Trials
Weill Cornell Medical College's mission is to support, advance, and promote clinical and translational research enterprises. Faculty members in the Divisions of the Department of Surgery are engaged in robust research programs, many of which include cutting-edge clinical trials.
More about our clinical trials.
Basic Research
Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in such areas as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience, structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, AIDS, obesity, and cancer. Our faculty members continue to delve ever deeper into the molecular basis of disease in an effort to unlock the mysteries behind the human body and the malfunctions that result in serious medical disorders. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the US, the development of a new bowel sparing procedure for advanced Crohn's disease, and the world's first clinical trials for gene therapy for Parkinson's disease.
The mission of the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College is threefold: to provide the highest quality, state-of-the-art, personalized patient care; to train tomorrow's surgeons; and to conduct important research to advance he field of medical science and develop new procedures and techniques. The superior clinical services offered by the department's faculty members are enhanced by an extensive and innovative research program. Physicians and faculty members are actively involved in a broad range of basic, translational and clinical research.
Engendering Collaborative Research
When 50 Weill Cornell surgeons and Cornell University biomedical engineers met for a two-day research retreat hosted by the Bioengineering Department this past July in Ithaca, it was for the expressed purpose of encouraging surgeons and biomedical engineers to develop and pursue a wide array of collaborative research projects. These types of bi-campus collaborative research efforts have been identified as a major priority for Cornell by President Skorton and Dean Gotto. The Morgan family's generous gift to the Department of Bioengineering, along with support from the Department of Surgery's friends and grateful patients, will be used as seed money for collaborative research projects proposed by the retreat's participants. Several surgeons in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College are recipients of the James and Rebecca Morgan Gift for cross college initiatives in tissue engineering. The following seed grants of $115,000 for the period of July 1, 2007 – December 31, 2008 were awarded for collaborative research projects:
- A Novel Growth Factor and Matrix Mimetic-Enhanced Biodegradable Scaffolds for Skin Tissue Engineering. Roger Yurt, Chief, Burn Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College and Moonsoo Jin, Dept of Engineering, Cornell, and C.C. Chu, Human Ecology, Cornell.
The objective of this project is to develop a new type of biodegradable, tissue-engineered skin substitute. The polymeric matrix will incorporate protein growth factors to promote skin tissue growth and repair. - Novel Biodegradable Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering of Blood Vessels. C.C. Chu , Human Ecology, Cornell, Cynthia Reinhart-King, Engineering, Bo Liu, Director,Vascular Research Lab, Dept. of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, and K. Craig Kent, Chief, Vascular Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Engineered blood vessels are needed for many patients requiring coronary artery or peripheral bypass surgery. The objective of this research is to make such blood vessels with a functional endothelial cell lining that prevents clotting and produces biological signals, such as nitric oxide, that are necessary for physiological function. - Targeted tumor imaging and drug delivery using proteolytic activation of cell penetrating iron oxide nanoparticles. Meena Katdare, Weill Cornell Medical College, Moonsoo Jin and Yi Wang, Cornell University
- Tissue Engineered Constructs for the Study of the Mechanical Basis of Atherosclerosis Progression. Cynthia Reinhart- King, Cornell, Angela Vouyouka, Weill Cornell, and Margaret Frey, Human Ecology, Cornell.
The goal of this project was to exploit principles from tissue engineering to create artificial vascular tissue and then to use this model system to identify the underlying mechanisms of atherosclerosis progression and intimal hyperplasia.Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Chair and Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Michael Shuler, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Cornell University, and Dr. Caren Heller, Assistant Dean for Intercampus Initiatives had spent months in advance of the retreat meeting with our faculty and brainstorming about potential areas of mutual research interest. The BME/Surgery research retreat offered faculty of both institutions the unique opportunity to hear about each other's areas of interest and expertise, and to think "outside the box" for creative new solutions to difficult surgical challenges.
The retreat was an essential part of the process necessary to stimulate open dialogue and encourage faculty interactions that would eventually result in creating new areas of collaborative research. The retreat's robust program included faculty presentations and discussions on mutual areas of interest. These included: wound healing, tissue engineering and new materials; drug delivery systems and therapeutic strategies to control neovascularization; surgical devices for minimally invasive surgery; biosensors; predictive modeling and diagnostics; and vascular and cancer imaging. A presentation on Intellectual Property by Dr. Alan Pauu, Vice Provost of Technology Transfer & Economic Development outlined Cornell University's policies and the patent process.
Many exciting new ideas were generated through a series of lectures, discussions, informal networking and social events that enabled an open exchange of information and creative brainstorming among faculty from both the Cornell campuses. Participants were encouraged to stretch their imaginations, reach well beyond the normal, expected collaborative opportunities and to seek innovative solutions to the many surgical problems and challenges discussed during the retreat.
The second Surgery-BME Research Retreat convened from January 31 through February 2, 2008. The winter retreat allowed biomedical engineers and surgeons to meet again and discuss new ideas for collaborative research projects. [More]
