Latest News

• share
• favorite_border

Cedars-Sinai is front and center in the growing trend of population health studies, which addresses environmental, cultural and genetic factors to understand why certain populations—groups defined by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status—have higher rates of cancer and other diseases than other groups. In Los Angeles County and across California, the medical center's Health Equity team is focusing on the high cancer mortality rate among Korean-Americans and the growing incidence of liver cancer in the Hispanic population, in addition to other health disparities in a number of communities.

• share
• favorite_border

A protein associated with cancer growth appears to drive the deadly lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to new research from Cedars-Sinai. The discovery, made in laboratory mice and human tissue samples, may have implications for treating the disease using existing anti-cancer therapies that inhibit the protein PD-L1.

• share
• favorite_border

Following an extensive national search, Cedars-Sinai has appointed David R. Marshall, JD, DNP, RN, CENP, NEA-BC, NHDP-BC, FAAN, as senior vice president and chief nursing executive. Marshall brings more than three decades of healthcare experience from bedside nurse to nursing-leadership proficiency and a reputation for enhancing innovation and emphasizing compassionate care.

• share
• favorite_border

Two of Southern California's leading nonprofit healthcare organizations have agreed to create a joint venture that will own and operate Providence Tarzana Medical Center. The medical center's new name will be Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.

• share
• favorite_border

Dr. Zab Mosenifar, 70, has run every day of his adult life -- mostly in the Santa Monica Mountains -- and racked up about 135,200 miles (the equivalent of 5.6 times around the Earth). This Saturday, he will run his 100th marathon -- the Catalina Island Marathon, rated the sixth toughest in the world.

• share
• favorite_border

The Clinical Research Forum recognized the Cedars-Sinai's Smidt Heart Institute with a 2019 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award today for its study aimed at developing a blood pressure control program for African-American men in the comfortable and convenient environments of their barbershops. In just six short months, the study improved the outcomes and control of high blood pressure in more than 60 percent of participants.

• share
• favorite_border

A pilot program underway in more than 100 patient rooms at Cedars-Sinai is allowing patients to use an Alexa-powered platform known as Aiva to interact hands-free with nurses and control their entertainment. Aiva is the world's first patient-centered voice assistant platform for hospitals. In the pilot project, patient rooms are equipped with Amazon Echos and patients simply tell the device what they need.

• share
• favorite_border

EMBARGOED: A new study has identified a drug that potentially could make a common type of immunotherapy for cancer even more effective. The study in laboratory mice found that the drug dasatinib, which is FDA-approved to treat certain types of leukemia, greatly enhances responses to a form of immunotherapy that is used against a wide range of other cancers.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study has found that transplanting the bone marrow of young laboratory mice into old mice prevented cognitive decline in the old mice, preserving their memory and learning abilities. The findings support an emerging model that attributes cognitive decline, in part, to aging of blood cells, which are produced in bone marrow.

• share
• favorite_border

Maxwell and Mason are twins who were born prematurely, weighing just 2 pounds and 10 ounces each, and each with a hole in his heart. At two weeks of age, the brothers underwent a nonsurgical procedure to fix their hearts - a physician guided a catheter through a vein in the leg to the heart and closed the hole. The procedure took only a few minutes. Today, Maxwell and Mason are energetic and healthy 1-year-olds with no signs of premature birth or their congenital heart condition.

• share
• favorite_border

Patrick D. Lyden, MD, a world-renowned stroke expert who played a key role in the pivotal clinical trial leading to approval of the first proven stroke therapy, will receive the American Stroke Association’s prestigious William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke.

• share
• favorite_border

It's no secret that wearable, pop culture tech devices like Fitbit can aid in achieving fitness and activity goals. Now, a new study shows that using Fitbit activity monitors to measure how many steps a patient takes in the days after surgery can predict which patients leave the hospital sooner.

• share
• favorite_border

New experimental cancer treatments are raising hopes among clinicians and patients for longer survival times and cures. But clinical trials that test such treatments also need to analyze the impact on patients of potentially harsh side effects, known as adverse events. A major new study now underway aims to better incorporate patient feedback into clinical trials that help determine which new cancer treatments will be approved for use.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study in the journal Gastroenterology reveals that the standard method for ranking patients on the waitlist for lifesaving liver transplantation may not prioritize some of the sickest candidates for the top of the list.

• share
• favorite_border

When patients fail to take prescribed medications—or don't use them the right way—they risk return trips to the hospital and cost the U.S. healthcare system more than $100 billion a year. Older hospital patients are most susceptible to drug-related problems that can lead to readmissions or even death. To help these individuals get the right medications and take them correctly after discharge, Cedars-Sinai has embedded pharmacists in the care teams treating certain high-risk patients. Medication lists are double-checked by a pharmacist for errors prior to discharge, and patients are sent home with their prescription drugs after being counseled on how to take them properly.

• share
• favorite_border

On what would have been his father’s 90th birthday, Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the celebrated civil rights leader, addressed a capacity crowd in Cedars-Sinai's Harvey Morse Auditorium, taking them on a stirring journey through his childhood, his father's legacy and his vision for a united America. Downloadable video is available.

• share
• favorite_border

A special edition of National Geographic on "The Future of Medicine" highlights the innovative stem-cell science of Cedars-Sinai, showing how investigators are seeking to use stem cells and Organ-Chips to tailor personalized treatments for individual patients. Downloadable video available.

• share
• favorite_border

Cedars-Sinai Cancer drove major advances in cancer research in 2018. Among these was a study about a pancreatic cancer drug, Metavert, developed by Cedars-Sinai investigators to prevent the most common type of pancreatic cancer from growing and spreading. Other groundbreaking research this year focused on reducing health disparities, the latest treatment options for newly diagnosed melanoma patients, and a study outlining a new, more accurate system for assessing the severity of head and neck cancers and for predicting patient survival.

• share
• favorite_border

Physician-researchers at Cedars-Sinai are available to discuss neuroscience findings from 2018. Several are detailed in this news release, including a study that found prolonged exposure to particulate matter in air pollution can cause changes in the brain. These changes could make people more susceptible to cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

• share
• favorite_border

From testing barbershop-based care for hypertension to being the first to use new devices to treat aneurysms, 2018 at Cedars-Sinai’s Smidt Heart Institute produced clinical-based advances with the power to transform cardiac care and patient lives.