Honoring his breakthrough research in vitamin A deficiency among children in underdeveloped nations, Dr. Alfred Sommer has been named by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital as the recipient of the third annual Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research. As a result of his work, vitamin A intervention -- one of the most cost-effective means of reducing childhood mortality -- has been used to save millions of lives in underdeveloped countries worldwide since the 1980s.

Honoring their pioneering work in fetal and neonatal cardiology, Dr. Eric N. Olson and Dr. Abraham M. Rudolph have been named as the recipients of the fourth annual Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research, an international award for biomedical research leading to improvement in children's health. Their work on the physiology and developmental genetics of the fetal and neonatal heart has led to effective interventions and has laid the groundwork for novel therapies and prevention.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at both its NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center offers a prostate health program that promotes early detection, innovative treatment, and a dedication to compassionate and humanistic care.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has awarded a two-year grant to Weill Cornell Medical College psychiatrist and noted childhood bereavement expert Dr. Cynthia Pfeffer. The grant will fund a new study in a field that is largely unexplored: how the suicide of a parent (or a sibling) affects the children who are left behind.

An international consortium including the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, one of the leading healthcare systems in the United States, OR International, a New York-based developer of specialty surgical hospitals, and Atkins, a global provider of construction services, has been identified by the National Health Service as the preferred bidder to develop and operate two specialty surgical hospitals in England.

The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, the only children's hospital in Manhattan and one of the largest in the country, opened its doors today. One of the most technologically advanced children's hospitals in the world, the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is a family-centered, high-tech facility that offers world-class care and unparalleled resources in an innovative physical environment devoted exclusively to children.

Columbia University College of Physicians Surgeons (PS) and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have named David Brenner, M.D. to the position of chairman of the Department of Medicine at PS and director of the Medical Service at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Brenner, currently professor of medicine and biochemistry at the University of North Carolina, succeeds acting chairman Joseph Tenenbaum, M.D. Dr. Brenner's tenure is to begin in March.

Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes damaged by stomach acid and transformed into something like the inside of the stomach. New research finds that radiofrequency ablation — an endoscopic procedure involving targeted thermal energy — was very successful at restoring the esophagus and reducing risk for cancer.