CUIMC Celebrates 2017-2018, Issue 5

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CUIMC CELEBRATES acknowledges faculty, staff, and students at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who receive major research grants, who earn prestigious honors, who are electdived to honorary societies, or who take leadership positions in professional organizations. Celebrates also gratefully acknowledges the gifts made by donors and friends of the medical center and highlights faculty who have appeared in the news recently. If you have an award or honor that you would like to have listed in Celebrates, please fill out this online form. Please note: All federal grants are automatically included based on institutional data provided by Sponsored Projects Administration. For more information, send an e-mail to the Celebrates editor.

Looking for an older issue? The CUIMC Celebrates archive can be accessed at http://ps.columbia.edu/celebrates/.

Research Grants / Awards & Honors / Philanthropic Gifts / CUIMC in the News

RESEARCH GRANTS

$250,000 and above

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

Cory Abate-Shen, PhD, Medicine, will receive $1,929,415 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Preclinical Analyses of Advanced Prostate Cancer in Genetically Engineered Mice” in a competitive renewal.

Evelyn Attia, MD, Psychiatry, will receive $282,418 over one year from the New York State Department of Health for “Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders - Metropolitan Region (Supplement).”

Robert C. Bauer, PhD, Medicine, will receive $2,000,000 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Regulation of Lipoprotein Metabolism by Adipose-Specific Tribbles-1.”

Beatrice A. Beebe, PhD, and Julie Herbstman, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $2,912,707 over five years from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for “Prenatal Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Social/Cognitive Risk in Mothers and Infants: Potential Biologic Pathways.”

Natalie Bello, MD, Medicine, will receive $950,448 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Blood Pressure Measurement and Hypertension in Pregnancy.”

Richard D. Carvajal, MD, and Gary Schwartz, MD, Medicine, will receive $898,844 over two years from the New York State Department of Health for “Optimization and Application of Precision Medicine Oncology in Cancer Care.”

Charles G. Drake, MD, PhD, Medicine, will receive $600,000 over one year from the Office of the NIH Director for “Helios, a CyTOF System.”

David Fidock, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, will receive $2,243,189 over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Defining the Role of PfCRT and PfMDR1 as Pleiotropic Mediators of Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance” in a competitive renewal.

William Fifer, PhD, Michael Myers, PhD, and Joseph Isler, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $334,366 over one year from the Office of the NIH Director for “Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes in the Northern Plains Safe Passage Study Cohort.”

Henry Ginsberg, MD, Medicine, will receive $2,856,655 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Postdoctoral Training in Arteriosclerosis Research” in a competitive renewal.

David Goldstein, PhD, Institute for Genomic Medicine, will receive $302,063 over one year from Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy for “CURE Epilepsy Genetics Repository (EGI).”

René Hen, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $2,025,000 over five years from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Cellular Mechanisms of Antidepressant Action” in a competitive renewal.

Michio Hirano, MD, Neurology, will receive $382,800 over two years from the National Cancer Institute for “Therapeutic Potential of Enhanced Mitochondrial Biogenesis for Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.”

Gerard Karsenty, PhD, Genetics & Development, will receive $485,970 over one year from Keren Therapeutics for “Keren Therapeutics, Inc.”

Lawrence S. Kegeles, MD, PhD, and Ragy Girgis, MD, Psychiatry, will receive $410,723 over one year from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Biomarkers of Conversion Risk and Treatment Response in Early-Stage Schizophrenia.”

Donald Landry, MD, PhD, Medicine, will receive $400,000 over two years from Forkhead Biotherapeutics for “Forkhead Biotherapeutics, Inc.”

Tuuli Lappalainen, PhD, R. Graham Barr, MD, DrPH, and Muredach Reilly, MBBCh, Systems Biology, will receive $789,727 over two years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Integration of Omics Data to Improve Interpretation of Genetic Risk Variants in Lung Disease.”

Jennifer J. Manly, PhD, Sergievsky Center, will receive $661,827 over three years from the National Institute on Aging for “ARMADA: Advancing Reliable Measurement in Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Aging.”

Akiva Mintz, MD, PhD, and Elisa Konofagou, PhD, Radiology, will receive $336,251 over one year from the National Cancer Institute for “Maximizing Local Access to Therapeutic Deliveries in Glioblastoma.”

Nathalie Moise, MD, Medicine, will receive $3,846,898 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “An Information Technology Approach to Implementing Depression Treatment in Cardiac Patients: [iHeart Trial].”

Robert Remien, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $7,671,455 over five years from the National Institute of Mental Health for “HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies.”

Reuben Robbins, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $2,345,484 over four years from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for “Improving Assessment for Neurocognitive Impairment Among Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth.”

Michael Salling, PhD, Anesthesiology, will receive $361,302 over two years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for “Prefrontal Pathways Engaged in Excessive Alcohol Consumption.”

Gary Schwartz, MD, and Jeffrey Rothman, MD, PhD, Medicine, will receive $254,000 over one year from Fortress Biotech for “Using Targeted Peptide Nucleic Acids to Block the Transcription of Oncogenes to Treat Difficult-to-Treat Cancers.”

Alexander Sobolevsky, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, will receive $2,547,671 over five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Structure and Function of AMPA-Subtype Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors” in a competitive renewal.

Janet Sparrow, PhD, Ophthalmology, will receive $2,653,086 over five years from the National Eye Institute for “Retinal Disease Promoted by Iron-Induced Bisretinoid Oxidation.”

Susan F. Steinberg, MD, Pharmacology, will receive $2,363,349 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “A Novel Molecular Determinant of the Cardiac Beta1-Adrenergic Receptor Response.”

Milan Stojanovic, PhD, Medicine, will receive $1,644,161 over five years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for “Micro- to Nanoscale Neurochemical Sensors” and $657,335 over four years from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for “Bio-electrochemical Detectors for In Vivo Continuous Monitoring.”

T. Scott Stroup, MD, Psychiatry, will receive $5,749,833 over four years from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Optimizing and Personalizing Interventions for Schizophrenia Across the Lifespan (OPAL).”

David Sulzer, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $298,614 over two years from the Simons Foundation for “Regulation of Striatal Neurons Developmental Maturation by MTOR/Autophagy and Dopamine.”

Ira Tabas, MD, PhD, Medicine, will receive $2,173,400 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “CaMKII/MK2 Signaling in Cardiometabolic Disease.”

Badri Vardarajan, PhD, and Richard P. Mayeux, MD, Sergievsky Center, will receive $1,025,302 over five years from the National Institute on Aging for “Whole-Genome Sequencing in Ethnically Diverse Cohorts for the ADSP Follow-Up Study (FUS).”

Kazuhiko Yamada, MD, PhD, and Megan Sykes, MD, Surgery, will receive $3,457,165 over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Intestinal Allograft Tolerance in Large Animals.”

Lori Zeltser, PhD, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, will receive $2,322,345 over five years from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Functional Mapping of Arginine Vasopressin Receptor 1A Circuits That Promote Anorexic Behavior.”

Shan Zha, MD, PhD, Institute for Cancer Genetics, will receive $1,830,000 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “The Catalytic and Non-catalytic Functions of PARP1 in Cancer Biology.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Charles Branas, PhD, Epidemiology, will receive $320,000 over three years from Pfizer for “Outcomes Research Project Agreement-Pfizer.”

Lauren C. Houghton, PhD, Epidemiology, will receive $809,510 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “The Role of Androgens on Breast Cancer Susceptibility Across the Lifecourse.”

Virginia Rauh, ScD, and Matthew Perzanowski, PhD, Population & Family Health, will receive $380,118 over one year from the Office of the NIH Director for “Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes in the Northern Plains Safe Passage Study Cohort.”

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Lusine Poghosyan, PhD, Scholarship & Research, will receive $256,416 over two years from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing for “Nurse Practitioner Supply, Practice, and Economic Efficiency to Benefit the Underserved and Medicaid Patients.”

AWARDS & HONORS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER

Faculty Diversity Grants

The Provost’s Grant Program for Junior Faculty Who Contribute to the Diversity Goals of the University supports new or ongoing research and scholarship, seed funding for innovative research for which external funding would be difficult to obtain, and curricular development projects.

Two CUIMC faculty members have been named awardees for the spring 2018 cycle of the program:

• Lauren S. Chernick, MD, Pediatrics, “Improving the Reproductive Health of Minority Adolescent Males With a User-Informed, Theory-Based, Digital Health Intervention”
• Edward Owusu-Ansah, PhD, Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, “Boosting Mitochondrial Complex I Assembly to Alleviate Complex I Dysfunction”

Two CUIMC faculty members also were named awardees for the fall 2017 cycle of the program:

• Morgan Philbin, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, “The Structure of Health Disparities: Examining the Pathways Through Which City- and State-Level Policies Impact HIV-Related Risk Behaviors for Sexual and Racial Minority Youth in the United States”
• Diane Berengere Re, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, “Novel Dual-Color Cell Assay to Study Sex-Specific Effects in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”

President’s Global Innovation Fund

Eight CUIMC projects received grants in the sixth round of awards from the President’s Global Innovation Fund. The program supports projects that increase opportunities for research, teaching, and service around the world.

• Terry McGovern, JD, Population & Family Health, and Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, University Professor, “Addressing Gender-Based Violence: A Public Health and Law School Partnership in Kisumu, Kenya”
• Neil Boothby, EdD, Population & Family Health, “Co-creating an Urban Displacement Solutions Alliance”
• Jeanine D’Armiento, MD, PhD, Medicine, “Fostering International Networks and Multidisciplinary Research to Promote an Understanding of the Health Effects of Biomass Exposure”
• Annika Sweetland, DrPH, Sociomedical Sciences, “Harnessing the Science of e-Learning to Increase Access to Mental Health Care in Brazil”
• Andrea Howard, MD, and Julie Kornfeld, PhD, Epidemiology, “Implementation Science and Global Health: Taking Knowledge to Action”
• Lindsay Stark, DrPH, Population & Family Health, “Mental Health and the Psychological Impact of War on Individuals, Families, and Communities in Yemen”
• Danielle Bajakian, MD, Surgery, “Planning Collaborations on Novel Methods and Technologies to Diagnose, Monitor and Treat Diabetic Foot Syndrome”
• Philip LaRussa, MD, Lawrence Stanberry, MD, PhD, and Wilmot James, PhD, Pediatrics, “Proposal to Convene a Meeting of Key Sub-Saharan African Pediatrics Health Care Leaders and Related Governmental Officials at the Columbia University Global Center in Nairobi, Kenya in August of 2018”

Irving Institute Awards

Precision Medicine Fellowships

Two 2017-19 Irving Institute Precision Medicine Fellowships were awarded to train the next generation of leaders in the development and application of precision medicine science and methods to improve public health.

• Anthony Romer, PhD, Pediatrics, “Functional Screening for Novel Diabetes Risk Variants That Impair the Differentiation, Function and/or Fitness of Insulin-Producing Beta Cells”
• Ira Surolia, MD, Medicine, “Investigating Shifts in Chromatin Accessibility in Human Cutaneous T-cell Lymphomas”

Precision Medicine Pilot Awards

Five investigative teams received 2017 Irving Institute Precision Medicine Pilot Awards, which provide funds to projects focused on tailoring medical care (prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment) to the individual patient. Full teams can be viewed here.

• Jonathan Barasch, MD, PhD, Medicine, “Definition of Acute Kidney Injury at Single-Cell Resolution”
• ​Barry Fine, MD, PhD, Medicine, “Modeling and Prediction of Primary Graft Dysfunction After Heart Transplant”
• Arnold Han, MD, PhD, Medicine, “Precision T-cell Receptor-Based Cancer Therapies”
• ​​Vivek Iyer, MD, Medicine, “Patient-Specific Computational Models to Guide Atrial Fibrillation Therapy”
• Mercedes Martinez, MD, Pediatrics, “A TCR Sequencing Approach to Understanding Graft Dysfunction Following Transplantation for Autoimmune Liver Disease”

Collaborative and Multidisciplinary Pilot Research (CaMPR) Phase II Awards

The top two investigative teams receiving CaMPR Phase I grants were awarded Phase II funds to address a significant health problem at the cellular, individual, or community level. Full teams can be viewed here.

• David Kalfa, MD, PhD, Surgery, and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD, University Professor, “Development of a Smart Ventricular Support Mesh to Treat Heart Failure in Adults and Children”
• Bret Rutherford, MD, Psychiatry, “Sensation and Psychiatry: Linking Age-Related Hearing Loss to Late-Life Depression and Cognitive Decline”

Translational Therapeutics (TRx) Pilot Awards

Four investigative teams received 2017 TRx Resource Pilot Awards, which provide investigators with resources to advance novel therapies from the lab to the clinic.

• Jeffrey Rothman, MD, PhD, and Gary Schwartz, MD, Medicine, “Suppression of Oncogene Transcription by PNAs as Cancer Therapy”
• Lynne Johnson, MD, Medicine, and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD, University Professor, “Direct Application of Antibody-Impregnated Bioengineered Patch to Improve Wound Healing in Diabetes”
• Mishaela Rubin, MD, Medicine, and Stavroula Kousteni, PhD, Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, “Regulation of Appetite by the Skeleton”
• Joseph Gogos, MD, PhD, Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, and Sander Markx, MD, Psychiatry, “Using Anti-Sense Oligonucleotides as New Therapeutic Modality for Psychiatric and Cognitive Disorders” 

To view other Irving Institute awards, please visit http://irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/.

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

Academy of Clinical Excellence

In 2018, 35 VP&S faculty were inducted into the Academy of Clinical Excellence, whose mission is to define, recognize, and perpetuate excellence in clinical care among faculty and trainees.

Stan D. Arkow, MD, Psychiatry

Carolyn B. Britton, MD, Neurology

Marc Brown, MD, Radiology

Salvatore M. Caruana, MD, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Nancy Chang, MD, Medicine

Vivette D. D’Agati, MD, Pathology & Cell Biology

Anita Darmanian, MD, Medicine

Guarionex Joel DeCastro, MD, Urology

Israel Deutsch, MD, Radiation Oncology

Angela DiMango, MD, Medicine

Andrew Eisenberger, MD, Medicine

Joshua E. Hyman, MD, Orthopedic Surgery

Christopher Irobunda, MD, PhD, Medicine

Desmond A. Jordan, MD, Anesthesiology

Salila Kurra, MD, Medicine

James A. Lee, MD, Surgery

Paul G. Lee, MD, Medicine

Tina A. Leone, MD, Pediatrics

Jon A. Levenson, MD, Psychiatry

Mercedes Martinez, MD, Pediatrics

Guy M. McKhann II, MD, Neurological Surgery

William Middlesworth, MD, Surgery

Russell S. Miller, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology

Vivek K. Moitra, MD, Anesthesiology

Sara S. Nash, MD, Psychiatry

Mervat Nassef, MD, Pediatrics

George W. Niedt, MD, Dermatology

Kathleen M. O’Toole, MD, Pathology & Cell Biology

Alison M. Pack, MD, Neurology

Prakash Satwani, MD, Pediatrics

Mary Sciutto, MD, Psychiatry

Arthur J. Smerling, MD, Pediatrics

Karen Soren, MD, Pediatrics

Christopher J. Visco, MD, Rehabilitation & Regenerative Medicine

Bryan J. Winn, MD, Ophthalmology

Faculty Commencement Awards

Charles W. Bohmfalk Awards (for distinguished contributions to teaching)

• Paulette Bernd, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, pre-clinical years
• Magdalena Sobieszczyk, MD, Medicine, clinical years

Distinguished Service Awards

• Marianne Wolff, MD, Pathology & Cell Biology, basic sciences
• Peter Puchner, MD, Urology, clinical sciences

Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Awards (for outstanding young researchers)

• Julie Canman, MD, Pathology & Cell Biology, basic sciences
• George Gallos, MD, Anesthesiology, clinical sciences

Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (for demonstrating compassion and devoted patient care)

Gail Williams, MD, Medicine

Distinguished Teacher Award (chosen by the Class of 2018)

Marina Catallozzi, MD, Pediatrics

Columbia University Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching

James Spears, MD, Medicine

VP&S Student Research Day

On VP&S Student Research Day, 12 projects were recognized for research excellence.

Scholarly Projects

• Michael May, first place, “A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Effects of an Antimicrobial Mouthwash on the Oral and Esophageal Microbiome”
• Erin Elbel, second place, “Hepatic Nuclear Receptor Expression Associates With Features of Histology in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”
• George Moran, third place, “Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Efficacy of Chemotherapy With Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumors as Definitive Therapy for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer”
• Martha Muña, third place, “Providing Well-Child Care Through Group Visits: A Comparison of Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Patient Satisfaction”

Research-Year Projects

• Gabrielle Loeb and Shirin Sadri, first place, “Augmented Reality Guidance for Cerebral Angiography System Development and Pilot Testing in Nine Patients”
• Paula Rambarat, second place, “Small-Molecule Allosteric Modulators of the ß2-Adrenergic Receptor”
• Christopher Grubb, third place, “Non-invasive Visualization of Cardiac Arrhythmias in 3D”

MD/PhD Projects

• Joshua Chalif, first place, “Ventral Spinocerebellar Tract Neurons Are Essential for Mammalian Locomotion”
• Matthew Decker, second place, “Hepatic Thrombopoietin Is Required for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Maintenance”

Summer Research

• Henry Philofsky, first place, “Increased Cumulative Team Experience Associated With Reduced ICU Admission in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients”
• Jacqueline de Vegvar, second place, “Probing a Novel Familial Giant Lipomatosis Syndrome With Genetics”
• Connor Kinslow, third place, “Surgery Plus Adjuvant Radiation as a Valid Treatment Option for Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma”

Other Honors

Yelena Akelina, DVM, Orthopedic Surgery, was named an honorable member of the Serbian Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.

Josh Barber, Institute of Comparative Medicine, received the BioServ Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, New York Metro Branch.

John Bilezikian, MD, Medicine, received a 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the Ellis Island Honors Society. Medals are awarded to American citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service.

Douglas M. DeLong, MD, Medicine, has been named chair-elect of the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians.

Anthony Ferrante Jr., MD, PhD, Medicine, was elected to the Association of American Physicians.

Julie Hwang’19 was named a 2018-19 Medical Research Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and will conduct her year of research at VP&S.

Christopher Jackson’18 was named a 2018-19 Medical Research Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for a second year and will continue his research at Yale School of Medicine.

Eric Kandel, MD, University Professor, was named a 2018 Pioneer in Medicine by the Brain Mapping Foundation and Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics.

Carol Mason, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Paul McCormick, MD, Neurological Surgery, received the Meritorious Member Spine Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Jonathan Posner, MD, Psychiatry, received the 2018 Gerald L. Klerman Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. The award recognizes researchers whose work furthers knowledge of the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and bipolar disorder.

Simone Sanna-Cherchi, MD, Medicine, was inducted into the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Nana O. Sarpong, MD, Orthopedic Surgery, was named an Alumni Star for leadership and commitment to the Posse Foundation, which trains students from diverse backgrounds to become leaders.

Angelina Seffens’19 was named a 2018-19 Medical Research Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and will conduct her year of research at VP&S.

Anoushka Sinha’19 is one of 14 medical students chosen by Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics to participate in the organization’s 2018 summer program in Germany and Poland.

Craig Smith, MD, Surgery, was an honoree at the 2018 Lifeforce in Later Years Gala.

Dara Steinberg, PhD, Pediatrics, was elected for a two-year term as co-chair of research, intervention, and outcomes in the Consultation Liaison Special Interest Group of the Society of Pediatric Psychology.

Steven Stylianos, MD, Surgery, was a keynote speaker at the American Pediatric Surgical Association annual meeting in May. He presented the Journal of Pediatric Surgery Lecture, “To Save a Child’s Spleen: 50 Years From Toronto to ATOMAC.”

Megan Sykes, MD, Medicine, will deliver a keynote address, “Taming a Colossal Giant: The Human Allograft Response,” at the annual Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies meeting in June.

Lorraine Symington, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD, Orthopedic Surgery, was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows.

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Faculty Commencement Awards

Calderone Junior Faculty Prize

• Amelia K. Boehme, PhD, Neurology
• Adam Ciarleglio, PhD, Biostatistics
• Heather Koball, PhD, Health Policy & Management
• Juliet Morrison, PhD, Center for Infection & Immunity
• Yifei Sun, PhD, Biostatistics
• Brent L. Williams, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology

Teaching Excellence Award

Marina Catallozzi, MD, Population & Family Health

Core Teaching Award

Samantha Garbers-Adams, PhD, Population & Family Health 

Excellence in ISP and Leadership Award

Helen de Pinho, MBBCh, Population & Family Health

Innovation in Teaching Award

Merlin Chowkwanyun, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences

Tow Faculty Leadership Scholars, 2018-2020

• Jeff Goldsmith, PhD, Biostatistics
• Julie Herbstman, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences
• Miriam Laugesen, PhD, Health Policy & Management
• Parisa Tehranifar, DrPH, Epidemiology

Other Honors

Mushtaque Chowdhury, PhD, Population & Family Health, was honored by University Press Limited, the premier publishing house in Bangladesh, with a crest for the “outstanding impact” of his book “A Simple Solution; Teaching Millions to Treat Diarrhea at Home.”

Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, dean, was an honoree at the 2018 Lifeforce in Later Years Gala.

Mark Hatzenbuehler, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution award from Division 44 of the American Psychological Association. The award recognizes theoretical or empirical contributions to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender psychological issues.

David Rosner, PhD, and Gerald Markowitz, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, are co-recipients of the 2018 Rachel Carson Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, for their contributions toward advancing the public’s awareness of environmental safety and health issues that adversely affect communities and the environment.

John Rowe, MD, Health Policy & Management, was named a finalist for the Heritage Innovation Awards by Heritage Provider Network and Crain’s New York Business. The awards recognize individuals who have transformed access to and the quality of affordable health care in the New York metropolitan area.

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Birnberg Research Day

At the annual Birnberg Research Award reception, the following research presentation awards were announced:

Predoctoral Awards—Basic Science

• Sophia Jelke’20, first place, “Quantum Dot-Labeled 3D-Printed Scaffolds for Tracking In Vivo Degradation”
• Vikas Gupta’19, second place, “Structure-Function Relationships of the TMJ in Response to Altered Loading”
• Sumeet Minhas’20, third place, “Small Molecules for Stem Cell-Induced Fibrocartilage Healing”

Predoctoral Awards—Social/Behavioral, Education, Geriatrics, Health Services, Global Oral Health

• Bari Padover’20, first place, “A Pilot Study Assessing and Comparing the Use of Virtual Reality and 3D Video Eyewear for Anxiety Management in Pediatric Dentistry”
• Marilla Bianco de Moraes Figueiredo’18, second place, “Students’ Progression Through the First Semester of the Newly Implemented CDM Behavioral Sciences Course: Foundations for Excellence in Dental Practice”
• Rachel Sarraf’20, Ngobitak Ndiwane’20, and Daniel Nassimi’20, third place, “Community-Based Dental Partnership Program: A Peer-Outreach Approach”

Postdoctoral Awards

• Jaffer A. Shariff, DDS, Oral, Diagnostic & Rehabilitation Sciences, first place, “Use of Antidepressants and Rate of Dental Implant Failure”
• Lisa Lian, DDS, Growth & Development, second place, “An Assessment of Pediatric Providers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Fluoride Varnish”
• Michelle Ferraioli, DDS, Growth & Development, second place, “Parental Acceptability of Fluoride Varnish in the Pediatrician’s Office”

AADR Dentsply Sirona Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application Program Award

Bari Padover’20, “A Pilot Study Assessing and Comparing the Use of Virtual Reality and 3D Video Eyewear for Anxiety Management in Pediatric Dentistry”

William Jarvie Research Society Mentor of the Year Award (recognizing research accomplishment at CDM)

Chang H. Lee, PhD, ​Regenerative Engineering Laboratory

Omicron Kappa Upsilon Inductees

One faculty member and nine students were inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, a national honor society for dental scholarship:

• Elizabeth Philipone, DMD, Hospital Dentistry
• Jennifer R. Armstrong’18
• Monicka Arora’18
• Ian M. Bolin’18
• Ryan S. Chaliff’18
• Ashley T. Lerman’18
• Cher M. Lu’18
• Marilia Bianco de Moraes Figueiredo’18
• Michael J. Pagan’18
• Rachel A. Vorwaller’18

Other Honors

Jennifer Bassiur, DDS, Hospital Dentistry, was elected president of the American Academy of Oral and Facial Pain for the 2018-19 term.

Fabiola Douglas, DDS, and Mona Joodi, DDS, Cariology & Restorative Sciences, received an award at the American Association of Endodontics annual meeting for a table clinic presentation, “Management of Post-treatment Endodontic Disease: Can Regenerative Endodontics Be an Answer?”

Alia Koch, DDS, MD, Hospital Dentistry, was inducted into the Leadership Education and Development for Physicians program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. This 18-month program fosters the development of early career physicians demonstrating high potential as future leaders.

Spencer V. Meyers’18 placed second in the National Clinical Case Poster Competition at the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Scientific Session.

Letty Moss-Salentijn, DDS, PhD, Oral, Diagnostic & Rehabilitation Sciences, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the College of Dental Medicine Alumni Association in recognition of her 50 years on faculty at the College of Dental Medicine.

SCHOOL OF NURSING 

Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference

Columbia Nursing faculty, students, and staff presented research at the annual Eastern Nursing Research Society Conference, with several receiving awards.

• Aluem Tark, PhD candidate, Richard Dorritie, PhD candidate, and Patricia Stone, PhD, Nursing Scholarship & Research, won the first-place student poster prize for “Associations Between Models of End-of-Life Care and Acute Care Utilization Among U.S. Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review”
• Kyungmi Woo, PhD candidate, won the third-place student poster prize for “Factors Affecting the Decision of Heart Failure Patients to Accept Telehealth Services in the Home”

PHILANTHROPIC GIFTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

A donor made a $1,250,000 commitment to provide professorship support to the Department of Medicine’s Division of Nephrology.

A foundation made a $1,000,000 commitment to provide scholarship support to the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons.

A donor made a $300,000 commitment to the Department of Psychiatry to support the Global Mental Health Program.

A not-for-profit organization made a $267,000 pledge to the Department of Neurology to advance amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research and clinical care within the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center.

A donor made a contribution of $250,000 to the Department of Neurosurgery to advance clinical research and rehabilitation at the spine center and a gift of $250,000 to the Department of Rehabilitation & Regenerative Medicine to support rehabilitation research.

A foundation made a gift of $163,750 to the Department of Medicine’s Gunnar Esiason Adult Cystic Fibrosis and Lung Program.

A donor made a pledge of $130,000 to the Division of Pediatric Surgery to support the Researching Esophageal Atresia for Children’s Health (REACH) Program.

A donor made a gift of $110,000 to advance research in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology.

A donor made a $108,000 contribution to provide unrestricted support to the Department of Medicine.

A donor made a $100,000 contribution to the Division of Cardiology to advance heart failure research at the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to provide scholarship support to the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons.

A foundation made a $100,000 contribution to provide professorship support to the Department of Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology.

A donor made a $100,000 pledge to the Department of Psychiatry to propel research in obsessive-compulsive disorders.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to advance research and care in the Division of Cardiology.

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

A donor made a $100,000 pledge to support an operatory suite at the Center for Precision Dental Medicine.

SCHOOL OF NURSING

A foundation supported both scholarships and a clinical fellowship in palliative and end-of-life care at the School of Nursing with a gift of $200,000.

CUIMC IN THE NEWS

Heavy Drinking Could Raise Risk of "Bad" Bacteria, Study Finds

CBS News | April 24, 2018

The findings do not prove that alcohol, per se, explains the differences among study participants, said Yiping Han, a professor in dental medicine and microbiology at Columbia University in New York City…. Han explained that the oral microbiome could be influenced by a wide range of factors—from diet, tooth brushing, and dental care to income and other demographics.

Mice in New York Carry Rare and Dangerous Diseases, Study Finds

The Wall Street Journal | April 17, 2018

Researchers from the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York gathered 416 mice from seven different sites across the five boroughs and tested their fecal pellets.… Specifically, scientists recovered and cultured clostridium difficile, demonstrating that the exact same bug circulating in human outbreaks is also found in mice. That finding is “very strong evidence, although circumstantial, that mice may be a reservoir,” said W. Ian Lipkin, one of the authors of the research and director of the Center for Infection and Immunity.

Columbia Med School Scholarships to Start in August

Crain’s New York | April 12, 2018

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons said it will be able to meet 100% of medical students’ financial need with scholarships beginning in August, the start of the next academic year, several years earlier than anticipated. Columbia received a $300 million commitment from Dr. Roy and Diana Vagelos in December, including $150 million for a scholarship-fund endowment, and added the family's name to the medical school. Dr. Lee Goldman, dean of the medical school, initially said Columbia would have to wait until the endowment started generating financial returns. But on Wednesday he said the University is ready to increase its scholarship commitment. “We have enough funds in hand,” Goldman said. “Vagelos and other donors matched part of this gift to be able to do this now as opposed to delaying it.”

Surprise! Scientists Find Signs of New Brain Cells in Adults as Old as 79

Los Angeles Times | April 5, 2018

In a report published Thursday in Cell Stem Cell, scientists from Columbia University present new evidence that our brains continue to make hundreds of new neurons a day, even after we reach our 70s, in a process known as neurogenesis…. To come to this conclusion, lead author Dr. Maura Boldrini, a research scientist at Columbia University’s Department of Psychiatry, and her colleagues looked at the brains of 28 deceased people aged 14 to 79. Their goal was to see whether aging affects neuron production.

What to Know About Influenza B, the ‘Second Wave’ of Flu Season

New York Magazine | April 4, 2018

When an A strain predominates a flu season, a B strain usually isn’t far behind, according to Stephen Ferrara, a flu expert and associate dean of clinical affairs at Columbia University School of Nursing. “This is typical in a flu season,” he says. “[Influenza] A strains drop and then we see a second wave of influenza B. We’re not sure why that happens—there are hypotheses that it could be weather related, and as temperatures warm up, influenza B becomes more prevalent—but we just don’t know.”

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