NYC Education News

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Mount Sinai, J&J Partner on New Brain Tumor Treatment

Mount Sinai researchers are collaborating with Johnson & Johnson to evaluate an experimental technology designed to deliver radiation directly to brain tumors through their blood supply. Developed by clinical researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the approach combines Iodine-131 with Johnson & Johnson's TRUFILL n-BCA in an effort to simultaneously restrict blood flow to a tumor and concentrate radiation within targeted vessels. Initial research will focus on meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumors in adults. Researchers will use patient-derived 3D-printed vascular models and advanced imaging to study how the agent is distributed before moving to preclinical evaluation. The research could provide a foundation for potential future clinical studies.

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Columbia Reports 32% Drop in Discrimination Filings

Columbia University reported a 32 percent decline in incident reports involving potential violations of its institutional equity policies during the 2025-26 academic year, according to newly released annual data. The University's Office of Institutional Equity documented 2,118 reports and 1,328 cases, with the number of cases declining 27 percent from the previous year. Columbia also identified 99 cases involving allegations of antisemitism, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim or anti-Palestinian discrimination and Islamophobia, representing a 67 percent year-over-year decrease. However, reports of sexual harassment increased from the prior year, while dating and domestic violence reports rose for a second consecutive year. A separate university report found relatively few potential conduct violations among thousands of campus events.

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CUNY Professor Gets $560K for Prime Number Research

CUNY mathematics professor Louis-Pierre Arguin has been awarded $560,000 over four years as a principal investigator in an international research collaboration exploring some of the most challenging questions in number theory. Arguin, who is affiliated with the CUNY Graduate Center and Baruch College, will participate in the Simons Collaboration on Universal Statistics in Number Theory. The project brings together researchers using probability and statistical physics to investigate patterns involving prime numbers, the Riemann zeta function and other mathematical problems. The funding will also support a postdoctoral researcher who will interact with doctoral students in the Graduate Center's Mathematics Ph.D. program, connecting CUNY students with a broader international network of mathematics researchers.

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Mount Sinai Study Finds Clues to CAR-T Side Effects

Mount Sinai researchers have identified biological changes that may help explain why some multiple myeloma patients develop a serious intestinal complication following CAR-T cell therapy. The study found that CAR-T cells can remain in intestinal tissue long after treatment and that patients with CAR-T-associated enterocolitis experience widespread disruption involving several types of cells in the gut. Researchers also detected increased activity in inflammatory pathways that could provide targets for future therapies. Two patients treated with the JAK1 inhibitor upadacitinib experienced improvements in symptoms and intestinal inflammation, although further research is needed. The study, led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was published September 23 in Nature Medicine.

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City Tech Gets $200K for Hospitality Scholarships

New York City College of Technology, a CUNY college located in Downtown Brooklyn, will receive another $200,000 for scholarships supporting students pursuing careers in New York City's hospitality industry. The Francesco and Mary Giambelli Foundation renewed its four-year commitment to the City Tech Foundation, providing $50,000 annually for Hospitality Management students. The new grant will bring the foundation's total support for the program to $400,000 after an initial commitment funded scholarships for 50 students between 2022 and 2026. Awards range from $500 to the cost of a full semester's tuition and are available to eligible full- and part-time students based on financial need, academic achievement or a combination of both.

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Mount Sinai Finds New Clues to Alzheimer’s Treatment

Mount Sinai researchers have uncovered new details about how the APOE4 gene contributes to brain changes associated with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, identifying biological processes that could become targets for future treatments. In two studies published in Cell and Cell Stem Cell, scientists found that APOE4 can contribute to damage in cells supporting brain blood vessels while also disrupting processes involved in clearing abnormal proteins. Researchers were able to reverse some vascular changes in experimental models by blocking a specific signaling pathway. The team also used Mount Sinai's stem cell-derived miBrain platform to recreate complex human brain tissue, providing researchers with a new way to investigate disease mechanisms and potentially test therapies more efficiently.

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Bronx Green Jobs Center Gets $2.5M in New Funding

Fordham University's Bronx Green Jobs Center has secured $2.5 million in new capital funding as construction moves toward completion at 585 East Fordham Road. Con Edison is providing $1.5 million to support a classroom and event space capable of accommodating up to 200 people, while Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson's office is providing another $1 million for renovations throughout the facility. The 12,000-square-foot center is being developed as a workforce and entrepreneurship hub focused on New York's growing green economy. Initial training programs are expected to include solar installation and repair, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, urban agriculture, energy-efficient buildings and environmental justice. Construction is expected to finish in early 2027, with programming beginning afterward.

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NYU Langone Named No. 1 U.S. Health System Again

NYU Langone Health has earned the top position in Vizient's national health system rankings for the fifth consecutive year, becoming the first system to hold the organization's No. 1 ranking for five straight years. Its Manhattan campus also ranked first among 122 comprehensive academic medical centers, while NYU Langone's network of more than 400 outpatient practices placed first among 70 participating physician networks. Other facilities across the New York region also appeared in the rankings, with NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island placing No. 3 and NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn reaching No. 6 in their cohort. Vizient evaluates healthcare organizations using measures including safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency and patient experience.

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Nearly 10,000 CUNY Adults Enroll in Free College Program

Nearly 10,000 adult learners are attending CUNY through New York's Reconnect program, which provides free community college education for eligible adults pursuing degrees in high-demand fields. Preliminary CUNY data show enrollment in the program increased nearly 50% between fall 2025 and fall 2026, reaching 9,786 students across the university system. More than 1,200 participants attend Queensborough Community College, where students are pursuing fields including nursing, computer science, cybersecurity and engineering technology. The program covers tuition and provides assistance for books and supplies for eligible adults ages 25 to 55. This fall, Reconnect also expanded to additional CUNY campuses, while eligibility was broadened to include certain students pursuing nursing degrees.