Whether its faculty members are training medical and graduate students or designing new drugs, Einstein focuses on patient care. The latest edition of Einstein magazine illustrates our mission through a pair of education and research articles.
Life-saving science
Improved patient care can emerge directly from Einstein’s basic science labs, as we learn from the story of Dr. Vern Schramm’s pioneering research into enzyme transition states. His use of transition state theory to target enzymes could revolutionize drug design, leading to medicines that fight cancer and other intractable diseases. The Einstein magazine cover story examines Dr. Schramm’s career and what led him to study transition states, which last just one millionth of a billionth of a second.
Dr. Schramm has already designed a drug approved in Japan to treat resistant T-cell lymphoma. The companion video in the online magazine spotlights the nexus of science and health through the story of Katie Lambertson, who at age two was struck by an aggressive form of T-cell leukemia that left her near death. Then her father learned of a clinical trial that was evaluating an experimental drug designed by Dr. Schramm.
Our next story concerns the training the next generation of geriatric medicine specialists. Only one-third of all U.S. medical schools require a clerkship in geriatrics, and Einstein is one of them. It’s a specialty that will only grow in demand, as the number of Americans over 65 is expected to total 71 million in 2030. By that estimate, the country will need 30,000 geriatricians—quadruple the 7,300 doctors currently caring for the elderly.
What makes Einstein’s program unique? Follow Dr. Myra Davila, an attending physician at Calvary Hospital and a clinical assistant professor at Einstein where she trains students in geriatrics. The Einstein alum (class of 2011) leads current Einstein students through their rotations at Calvary and they share what being introduced to this neglected specialty means to them in this video.
Want more stories like these? Please read the latest Einstein magazine.
