Columbia University

The article profiles various professionals in health and statistics, including John R. Lumpkin, M.D., M.P.H., Mollyann Brodie, Ph.D., Kennon R. Copeland, Ph.D., Tara Das, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.L.I.S., Scott H. Holan, Ph.D., V. Joseph Hotz, Ph.D., Bradley Malin, Ph.D., Sally C. Morton, Ph.D., Lucila Ohno-Machado, M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D., Andy Peytchev, Ph.D., C. Matthew Snipp, Ph.D., Kelly Hoover Thompson, J.D., and David R. Williams, Ph.D., detailing their roles, achievements, and contributions to their respective fields.

Metals like cadmium, uranium, and cobalt in the environment can accumulate in the body and worsen heart disease, according to a study by Columbia University. Higher urine levels of these metals correlated with increased artery calcification, suggesting metal exposure as a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, calls for heightened awareness and regulatory measures to limit exposure.

Scientists discovered mitochondrial DNA insertions in brain cells' nuclei, linked to lifespan. Higher insertions in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex correlated with earlier death. Stressors increased insertion rates, suggesting a connection between mitochondrial dysfunction, numtogenesis, and age-related diseases.

Scientists at Gladstone Institutes identified 163 previously untested retrons, finding many that edit DNA more efficiently than current ones, potentially aiding disease research and therapy development.

Aristotle's early animal dissections evolved into standard drug development practices by the late 1930s, leading to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Despite animal testing's contributions to medicine, 95% of drugs fail post-testing. Thomas Hartung's research at Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing advocates for AI and organoid cultures to replace animal tests, with some success. The FDA Modernization Act of 2023 no longer requires animal testing before clinical trials, and collaborations like CAAT's with the FDA aim to advance nonanimal testing methods. However, challenges remain in replacing animal models entirely due to technological limitations and systemic resistance.

Columbia University-led IndiPHARM project, funded by $39.5M from ARPA-H, aims to develop a platform measuring drugs, metabolites, and environmental factors to optimize therapeutic efficacy, reducing adverse drug events and improving patient care.

Silo Pharma completes pre-IND meeting with FDA for SPC-15, an intranasal PTSD treatment, aligning on the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The company plans to advance SPC-15 into human trials, aiming for FDA approval and commercialization.

Silo Pharma completes pre-IND meeting with FDA for SPC-15, an intranasal treatment for PTSD and stress-induced anxiety, aligning on the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The company plans to advance SPC-15 into human trials, aiming for FDA approval and commercialization.

NIH awarded $7,722,583 to Columbia University for the NEXUS Coordinating Center to organize exposomics research. Led by Gary Miller, Chirag Patel, and Rima Habre, NEXUS aims to operationalize exposomics, integrating it into biomedical research to advance precision environmental health. Funded by five NIH Institutes, NEXUS will establish exposomics frameworks, engage multidisciplinary partners, and support learning opportunities.