MDNews - Long Island

Cohen Children's Medical Center, cystic fibrosis (CF) survivor and advocate Jerry Cahill kicked off the first of 50 Century Rides to prove that, as he says, "There is nothing you can't achieve." Cahill, a Boomer Esiason Foundation Ambassador who turned 62 just two days before the bike ride, decided that he would do a 100-mile bike ride in each of the 50 states as a personal goal and a challenge. The idea, he said, was to prove to children living with CF and their parents that people with CF are normal. They can do things. And it's important to believe that they are normal. Diagnosed with CF at age 10, Cahill began treatment at Schneider Children's Hospital (now known as Cohen) and continued as a patient there for many years. Back then, the life expectancy for a child with CF was 16 to 18 years. Cahill's parents, however, thought differently. They decided that if their son wasn't destined for a long life, he would spend lots of time with his brothers — and that meant football, basketball, baseball, running and pole vaulting. The plan worked. Cahill is a powerful advocate for exercise, crediting his pole vault experience and physical fitness regimen with his longev - ity. His documentary, Up for Air, followed his journey through training, treatments and a double lung transplant — all with the goal of shedding new light on the prospect of living with CF. In celebration of his 62nd birthday on June 27, Cahill decided that the century rides would be the perfect way to bring awareness to the disease and to show people with CF that everything is possible. Cahill was introduced to the well wishers by Katherine Sneddon, a 23-year-old CF patient who is currently pursuing an advanced degree in physical therapy. Much like Cahill, Sneddon maintains that exercise contributes greatly to her positive mental attitude. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research President and CEO Kevin J. Tracey, MD, along with Northwell Health Senior Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Development, and Associate Chief Medical Officer Martin Doerfler, MD, will each play key roles in the emerging Connecticut-based biotech company Sanguistat Inc. Announced at Sanguistat's first board meeting this month, both Drs. Tracey and Doer fler will suppor t the company's mission to create bioelec - tronic medicine devices to control bleeding. Dr. Tracey, one of the inventors of the Neural Tourniquet, has been named Chair of Sanguistat's Scientific Advisor y Board where he will draw on his extensive translational research experience studying inflammation and bioelectronic medicine to help guide the company's scientific goals in identif ying therapeutic targets that would benefit from device development. As a board member, Dr. Doer fler will apply his experience in advancing clinical care to advise Sanguistat. The technology Sanguistat aims to develop is based on funda - mental research conducted at the Feinstein Institute, which found that external stimulation of the vagus ner ve can prime platelets to reduce bleeding. The discover y of this technique is known as the "Neural Tourniquet." Sanguistat also named James J. Dolan as an independent director. Three Feinstein Institute staff members will suppor t Sanguistat in senior advisor y roles: Professor and Co-director of the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine Chad Bouton; Vice President of Scientific Affairs Christopher J. Czura, PhD; and Assistant Professor Jared M. Huston, MD. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research hosted a Marsh Lecture by Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, a renowned leader in mitochondrial DNA research and Director of the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Wallace discussed his research to determine the mitochondrial causes of common complex diseases. Dr. Wallace and his colleagues founded the field of human mitochondrial genetics more than 40 years ago. The mitochondria are the cellular power plants, organelles or specialized struc - tures within a cell that generate most of the cell's energy. The mitochondria also contain their own DNA, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which encodes the wiring diagram for the cell's power plants. Dr. Wallace has shown that mtDNA is inherited exclusively from the mother and that genetic alterations in the mtDNA can result in a wide range of metabolic and degenerative diseases as well as being impor tant in cancer and aging. His research also has helped map the global migration patterns of early humans during the Paleolithic Era. n Cystic fibrosis survivor and advocate Jerry Cahill M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S L O N G I S L A N D ■ 2 018 1 9

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