Inside Einstein

Stellar Recognition — Dr. Michael Lipton was recently named Fellow of the American College of Radiology (ACR), a title bestowed on only 12 percent of active ACR members. The honor recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to teaching or research in radiology.  Dr. Lipton is associate professor of radiology, of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, and of neuroscience, as well as associate director of the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center. 

Research Recognition — During April, third-year medical student Sara Rosenbaum won second prize for her presentation at the seventh annual Medical Society of the State of New York Resident/Fellow and Medical Student Poster Symposium, held at the Society’s House of Delegates meeting.  Her presentation, “Acute Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) Predicts Attentional Deficits at Three Months and One Year Post-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI),” reflected the work Ms. Rosenbaum conducted at the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, under the guidance of Dr. Michael Lipton, associate director of the center.

Helpful Interference — Dr. Deborah Palliser has been awarded a $2 million grant over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate RNAi, a recently identified method of silencing specific genes, as a potential microbicide against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including genital herpes virus and HIV.  Using an animal model of genital herpes infection, Dr. Palliser will evaluate a panel of RNAi molecules for their ability to silence viral and host genes, and she will determine the effect of any associated host immune responses on RNAi-mediated protection. She also will attempt to identify potential RNAi uptake receptor(s) expressed by vaginal cell surface proteins. This work aims to refine the technology and elucidate the mechanism of RNAi-mediated protection against STIs, with the long-term goal of developing a clinical therapy. Dr. Palliser is assistant professor of microbiology & immunology.