New VP&S Faculty

The VP&S Office of Faculty Affairs has provided this list of full-time faculty who joined the medical school in Oct. 2024:

• Luis Alcala, MD, Neurology: Alcala is an adult epileptologist with great interest in the surgical management of epilepsy. He takes pride in taking care of historically underserved patients with drug resistant epilepsy and walking them through the path leading to epilepsy surgery. His research focuses on access to epilepsy surgery and its outcomes both for procedures involving tissue rection/ablation as well as invasive neuromodulation strategies.
• Cynthia O. Akagbosu, MD, Pediatrics: Akagbosu is a pediatric gastroenterologist and board-certified in pediatrics, pediatric gastroenterology, and obesity medicine.
• Melissa Y. Chan, MD, Emergency Medicine: Chan is board-certified in pediatrics and practices at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York and NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester. Her professional interest focuses on quality improvement.
• Mark Eckert, PhD, Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery: Eckert is a cognitive neuroscientist who studies the neurobiology of communication disorders. His research includes a focus on age-related changes in hearing and speech communication, as well as developmental reading disabilities.
• Jesse Finkelstein, PsyD, Psychiatry: Finkelstein is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides compassionate, collaborative, research-supported therapy to children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples.
• Idil Franko, PsyD, Psychiatry: Franko is a clinical psychologist at the CUIMC Adolescent DBT program. She specializes in treating emotion dysregulation in adolescents as well as anxiety and related disorders (OCD, PTSD) across the lifespan. 
• Alison T. Gruber, MD, Ob/Gyn: Gruber is passionate about and knowledgeable in general gynecology, prenatal care, postpartum care, breastfeeding support and education, preventative care, infertility, and pediatric and adolescent gynecology. She is committed to educating medical students and residents.
• Rachna Kadakia, DO, Emergency Medicine: Kadakia is a pediatric emergency medicine physician with a passion for pediatric care, medical education, and global health.
• Roberto Lo Gullo, MD, Radiology: Lo Gullo joins Columbia Radiology's Division of Breast Imaging and will primarily serve the Breast Imaging Center in the Herbert Irving Pavilion. His research focus is on artificial intelligence and machine learning for personalized breast cancer screening. 
• Nathallie N. Pokasuwan, MD, Medicine: Pokasuwan is a geriatrician and palliative care physician who provides inpatient consults at the NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. She is involved in the initiative to create an “Age Friendly Hospital” infrastructure at the Allen and enjoys working with medical students and residents.
• Joseph C. Rivera, DPT, Rehab Medicine: Rivera is a physical therapist at ColumbiaDoctors in Tarrytown.
• Cheryl R. Smerling, PsyD, Psychiatry: Smerling is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of children, adolescents, individuals and families with advanced training in group psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and parent-child interaction therapy. Smerling has expertise in the treatment of children and adolescents with behavioral disorders, suicidality and self-injurious behaviors.
• Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Medicine: Vyas serves as associate dean for academic innovation and director of physician-scientist programs at the Roy and Diana Vagelos Institute for Basic Biomedical Science. He has deep expertise in developing and advancing innovative training models in physician-scientist education and is an internationally recognized expert in immunology. His research focuses on the innate immune responses to clinically relevant fungal pathogens.
• Iyana A. Whyte, MD, Ob/Gyn: Whyte is highly dedicated to providing a full spectrum of women's health care for women of all ages, including routine examinations, treatment of gynecologic conditions, contraceptive counseling, onsite ultrasounds and pregnancy care. She has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating high-risk antepartum and intrapartum health issues.