These are some of the honors recently given to the faculty of NYU Langone Health:
NYU Langone Health Chair of Ophthalmology, Dr. Kathryn Colby, Honored with Castroviejo Medal at AAO 2025
Kathryn A. Colby, MD, PhD, the Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and chair of the at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, received the from the Cornea Society during the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Orlando October 17 to 20. The Castroviejo Medal is awarded annually for groundbreaking contributions to the field of ophthalmology, particularly in the promotion, research, and understanding of the cornea.
Dr. Colby delivered the meeting’s annual Castroviejo Lecture on Sunday, October 19, on advances in the management of endothelial dysfunction. She pioneered a treatment for Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, or Fuchs dystrophy, called Descemet stripping only (DSO), which allows a patient’s own cells to rejuvenate their cornea, rather than relying on a donor cornea. Dr. Colby also directs the NYU Langone Eye Center.
Dr. Kepal Patel Elected to American Thyroid Association’s Board of Directors
Kepal N. Patel, MD, professor in the , , and at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, chief of the , and co-director the Thyroid Program at NYU Langone Health, has been elected to the board of directors of the . A distinguished surgeon and physician–scientist, Dr. Patel is widely regarded for his expertise in the multidisciplinary care of patients with benign and malignant thyroid disease, as well as his pioneering research into advanced therapies, including most recently thermal ablative techniques.
Under Dr. Patel’s leadership in collaboration across endocrinology, otolaryngology, radiology, and oncology, NYU Langone’s Thyroid Program offers patients a full spectrum of care, from the diagnosis of thyroid nodules to the newest interventional, minimally invasive treatments that are not widely available at other institutions. His election to the ATA Board underscores his dedication to advancing the field through collaborative research, education, and innovation. With this appointment, Dr. Patel joins a distinguished group of leaders in thyroid health who will help steer the ATA’s mission to advance clinical innovation, research excellence, and the standard of care for thyroid disease.
Two Researchers Honored with NIH Director’s New Innovator Awards
, in the , and , in the , have received the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, which provides $475,000 a year for five years.
Established in 2007, the NIH Common fund that provides the award supports innovative research from early career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or clinical residency and have not yet received a large independent NIH grant.
Dr. Zwick is being recognized for her lab’s investigation of the natural programs that regenerate adult tissues throughout life. Her studies have defined molecular patterns that organize metabolism within the small intestine in mice and humans.
A major goal of the research is to identify unique aspects of the body during pregnancy that stimulate adult stem cells, drive the remodeling of digestive organs to support maternal physiology, and contribute to tissue development in the offspring.
Launched in 2024, Chen’s lab explores how memory is encoded, stored, and retrieved within neural networks and molecules in the brain. Chen also investigates the brain–circuit mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease and potential therapies that can be used to target these circuits. In addition, the lab develops new tools to address specific scientific questions through bioengineering, chemical synthesis, (nano) materials engineering, and electrical engineering.
NYU Langone’s Chair of Surgery and Director of the Transplant Institute Elected to the French National Academy of Medicine
Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery, chair of the at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, was elected as a foreign correspondent (correspondant étranger) member of France’s . Dr. Montgomery was elected nearly unanimously, with 101 out of 103 ballots in favor, to join the national body’s Second Division (Surgery). He gave a presentation to the academy last month on his personal experience with heart disease, his own hepatitis C–positive heart transplant in 2018, and innovations he has pioneered throughout his career and in the field of xenotransplantation. He was introduced by Alexandre Loupy, MD, PhD, director of the Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration, which has partnered with NYU Langone Transplant Institute’s xenotransplantation team to analyze molecular immune responses in pig-to-human transplantation.
NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island and NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn Receive National Recognition for Meritorious Surgical Outcomes
The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program has recognized NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island and NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2024.
NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island was among a select group of hospitals nationwide to be recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” Meritorious lists. NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn was recognized on the “All Cases” Meritorious list. The hospitals received these designations through a composite score based on eight surgical outcomes.
The program collects data derived from preoperative risk factors, intraoperative variables, and 30-day postoperative mortality and morbidity outcomes for patients undergoing major surgical procedures in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Its mission is to validate hospitals’ quality improvement methods and to enhance surgical care for patients.
