New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - Disproving a widely held belief and a common urban myth, a new NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center study shows that New York City police officers are less likely to commit suicide than the average New York City citizen. The most common causes of police suicide are marital problems and alcoholism; age, race, years of service, and rank were not determining factors. By far, the most common suicide method was death by gun. The study, which looked at 20 years of police deaths, appears in this month's "American Journal of Psychiatry."The rate of police suicide was 14.9 per 100,000 persons, compared to a suicide rate of 18.3 per 100,000 persons for New York City residents as a whole, the study shows. The total yearly suicide rate for police officers was less than that of the city for 17 of 20 years, for the period 1977-1996.
New York, NY (December 19, 2002) - In a major expansion of its neurosurgery program, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center has named Dr. Susan Pannullo as its first Director of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurological Surgery. The new division offers world-class research and treatment for cancers affecting the brain and spine, among other areas. Additionally, a new departmental initiative, the New York Brain Tumor Project, will investigate promising new treatments for brain cancer."Dr. Pannullo is one of the nationâs few doctors trained in Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Neuro-Oncology. Accordingly, she is uniquely qualified to lead our multifaceted, multidisciplinary Neuro-Oncology program," said Dr. Philip Stieg, Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery. "Additionally, Dr. Pannullo has that rare combination of research acumen and humanistic patient care."
Dr. Jean W. Pape, an internationally recognized infectious disease expert and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, has received France's highest distinction, the Legion d'Honneur, for his more-than-two-decades of work fighting disease in his native Haiti.
Last April Swedish scientists discovered high levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide in wide range of starch-containing foods that are fried or baked, particularly french fries, potato chips and crackers.
Light the yule log and mull some cider if you live in the Northeast United States because chances of a white Christmas improve if snow still is on the ground by tomorrow, Dec. 18.
This holiday season, go out on a limb -- give the gift of graft. Without leaving home next spring, gardeners can learn to graft multiple fruit varieties onto a single fruit tree, create unusual growth forms and apply these skills to propagate plants that do not root easily.
Jeffrey S. Lehman, dean of the University of Michigan Law School and national leader in higher education, was appointed Cornell University's 11th president by the Board of Trustees at a special meeting held on campus today (Saturday, Dec. 14).
Weill Cornell Medical College has received a major $7.6-million award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to establish a consortium that will support three clinical trials on new ways to help patients with cardiopulmonary disease.
Paul J. Chirik, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Cornell University, is one of this year's recipients of a Faculty Early Career Development Program grant from the National Science Foundation.
There are smart houses, smart cars and smart computers. Now get ready for smart clothes. At Cornell University that means a jacket that automatically heats and lights up when it is cold and dark and also contains a pulse monitor to measure activity level for joggers and walkers. (December 12, 2002)