CUMC Celebrates - November 28, 2007  Submit news for future issues

The appointment of a new department chair in our medical school, a major gift to support faculty development in the Mailman School of Public Health, and more appointment news to come - the holiday season brings us much to celebrate going into 2008. Research awards and grants continue to accrue at a record pace, and it was a pleasure to see work at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center acknowledged so prominently in last week's NY Times Science section. Finally, diverse honors accorded to Columbia people deserve our recognition here. Lee Goldman, M.D. Executive Vice President, Health and Biomedical Sciences

APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

Lawrence R. Stanberry, MD, PhD, named our new chair of the Department of Pediatrics, will join us in February. He is currently at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, as chair of pediatrics, John Sealy Distinguished Professor, and director of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development. Renowned in infectious diseases, he is an expert on neonatal herpes, the use of vaccines and antiviral drugs, and the management of genital herpes and other sexually transmitted infections.  He spent seven years at the University of Texas and 20 years before that at the University of Cincinnati. His MD and a PhD in pharmacology are from the University of Illinois.  He further trained at Children's Medical Center and Parkland County Hospital in Dallas and the University of Utah, and did research in oncology and experimental therapeutics at the University of Illinois. Anne L. Taylor, MD, has joined us this week as the new vice dean for academic affairs.  Her appointment was announced in October.  A faculty mentoring expert, she was most recently professor of medicine and associate dean for faculty affairs at the University of Minnesota medical school, where she led the reorganization of faculty academic tracks. She was also the first author on the landmark study showing that the combination of nitrates and hydralazine was specifically effective in African American patients with heart failure.  Dr. Taylor's prior academic and administrative positions were at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Case Western and the University Hospitals of Cleveland. >Top

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Dr. Shantanu Lal, DDS, assistant professor of clinical dentistry and director of the pre-doctoral programs in the pediatric dentistry division, will be promoted to associate professor of clinical dentistry, as of January 1, 2008. >Top

GIFTS

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The Mailman School has received a momentous $20.7 million bequest from the estate of the late Ronald H. Lauterstein, MS '58, to support faculty development.  Mr. Lauterstein, who passed away in the spring of 2006, was a devoted benefactor and member of Mailman's Board of Overseers. >Top

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

The newly formed Young Friends Group of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, chaired by Nicole Berrie, held its first benefit, raising more than $100,000 for the pediatric programs at the Berrie Center for children with diabetes and their families.  The College of Physicians & Surgeons has received a three-year, $750,000 award from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to extend its medical student clinical research fellowship program at Columbia. Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellows take a year out from medical school, typically after the third year, to experience clinical research firsthand in a program that combines a mentored research project with didactic training. The Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation has made a $1 million gift to The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology.   The Sackler Institute assembles Columbia scientists from different disciplines whose research interests focus on early development and how these relate to the etiology and treatment of psychiatric illness. The Department of Urology received a $1 million commitment from Edward and Lynn Streim to support renovation of the department's laboratories in the Black Building. >Top

SCHOOL OF NURSING

The Lincoln Fund awarded the School of Nursing $50,000 for support of minority student scholarships. This is the 7th consecutive year that the Lincoln Fund has provided scholarship support to the School of Nursing. >Top

GRANTS

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

Richard Ambron, PhD, professor of anatomy & cell biology, Ying Sung, PhD, assistant professor of clinical pathology, and Donald Landry, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and interim chair of medicine, have received a three-year, $2 million research grant from an outside organization to pursue studies on the cellular and molecular basis of chronic pain and to develop technologies for its alleviation. Michael A. Bachelor, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow, department of dermatology, has received a two-year, $101,000 grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. He will study whether a protein normally thought to function in basic cellular amino acid metabolism may also regulate the growth and maintenance of hair follicles by stimulating programmed cell death pathways in skin cells. The research has implications for hair follicle biology and epithelial cell survival in general. Barbara Barlow, MD, professor of surgery at Harlem Hospital, professor of epidemiology (Mailman), and director, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has been awarded $1.4 million by the NYC Office of School Facilities to develop safer play-spaces for children in New York City. Olveen Carrasquillo, MD, MPH, associate professor of clinical medicine (P&S) and public health policy and management in the Center for Community Health Partnerships (Mailman), received $226,000 from the NY State Health Foundation to study how to improve analysis of health insurance expansion options for NY State. Lynne L. Johnson, MD, professor of medicine - cardiology, will receive $110,000 from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund to study RAGE-directed imaging in diabetes-associated accelerated atherosclerosis. Jingyue Ju, PhD, professor of chemical engineering and head of DNA sequencing & chemical biology, Judith P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, has received $2.8 million over two years from the National Human Genome Research Institute to accelerate development of new cost-effective DNA sequencing technologies.  The goal is to tailor diagnosis, treatment and prevention to an individual's unique genetic profile. Dr. Ju also received a $157,000 one-year continuation to study genomic approaches to neuronal diversity and plasticity. Susan H. Kwon, MD, resident in medicine, has received a one-year, $60,000 Glorney-Raisbeck Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases from NY Academy of Medicine to study whether loss of the gene sFRP-1 leads to dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and can not pump blood efficiently. Vincent Lemaitre, PhD, associate research scientist, department of medicine - molecular medicine, is recipient of a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute to study the impact of nicotine on the disease mechanisms of aortic aneurysm. Deborah M. Levy, MD, MS, assistant professor of pediatrics, has received a five-year, $649,000 grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases to study neurocognitive function in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disorder characterized by production of autoantibodies directed at multiple organ systems. Research will probe possible links between autoantibodies and neuropsychiatric disease in children with SLE, in addition to examining the prevalence and severity of neurocognitive deficits in this population. Claude Ann Mellins, PhD, associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry (P&S) and sociomedical sciences (Mailman), and of the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, has been granted $402,000 over two years by the National Institute of Nursing Research to adapt CHAMP+ (Collaborative HIV Prevention and Adolescent Mental Health Projects) for HIV-infected youth in South Africa and their families. CHAMP+ is a family-based interventional program designed to reduce risk behaviors and promote mental health in young people infected perinatally with HIV.  Velvie A. Pogue, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine, Harlem Hospital Center, has been awarded $21,000 in supplementary funds by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Diseases for an ongoing study of kidney function and risk factors for kidney disease progression in African-Americans with hypertension-related renal disease who are receiving recommended antihypertensive therapy. Burkhard Rost, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry & molecular biophysics, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, is the recent recipient of a four-year, $1.2 million award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Funds will support work towards a four-dimensional map of all proteins in a cell. Rosemary Sampogna, MD, PhD, assistant professor of clinical medicine - nephrology, has been awarded $650,000 over five years by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive & Kidney Diseases for the identification and functional analysis of renal stem cells. She is also the recent recipient of a yearlong young investigator award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Maria L. Sulis, MD, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, division of pediatric oncology, recently won a Children's Health Research Award for her work in leukemia research. Lori Sussel, PhD, newly appointed professor of genetics & development, is the primary investigator on two NIH-funded projects: a five-year study (now in year four) clarifying the role of the transcription factor Gata4 in exocrine pancreas development, and a four-year study (now in year two) looking at the central hypothesis that Nkx2.2 and NeuroD, two essential pancreatic transcription factors, differentially regulate the development and differentiation of individual islet cell populations. Total funding is $852,000.  Benjamin Tycko, MD, PhD, professor of pathology in the Institute for Cancer Genetics and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, received a two-year, $443,000 NCI grant to develop new technology for the genome-wide detection and characterization of DNA methylation errors in human cancers. >Top

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Emilia Bagiella, PhD, associate professor of clinical biostatistics, is the recipient of a four-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research to test use of a novel statistical approach, functional data analysis, in clarifying the complex relationships among cardiac autonomic control, inflammation, clinical cardiology outcomes, and behavioral and social factors. Neil Boothby, EdD, professor of clinical population & family health and director, Program on Forced Migration and Health, has been awarded $538,000 in new funding--for a total of $2 million--by the U.S. Agency for International Development for ongoing study of the effectiveness of programs to protect children affected by disaster and war. The project currently operates in Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.   Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, professor of clinical epidemiology (Mailman) and medicine (P&S) and director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs, received $7.6 million over five years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Funds will support extension of the CDC's current work in support of high quality HIV care and treatment for patients in Kenya's Eastern Province, under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. David Greenberg, PhD, professor of clinical biostatistics and director, division of statistical genetics, received a five-year, $78,000/year award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (through a Vanderbilt University subcontract). Funds will be used to develop customized genetic and clinical information databases on long QT syndrome (LQTS) and statistical genetic methods to locate and identify so-called modifier genes that protect carriers of LQTS-causing mutations from expressing LQTS. Louise Kuhn, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, has received a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Funds will be used to study the physiological effects of breastfeeding cessation on HIV-positive mothers and their infants and to translate results into evidence-based guidelines for safer weaning and nutritional practices at the time of transition. Ian Lipkin, MD, Jerome L. & Dawn Greene Professor of Epidemiology (Mailman), professor of neurology and pathology (P&S), and director, Center for Infection and Immunity, received $110,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the evaluation of pathogens and pesticides affecting honeybee health. Gustavo Palacios, PhD, assistant professor of clinical epidemiology, received $155,000 from Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International to study environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes. Jo C. Phelan, PhD, associate professor of sociomedical sciences, has been granted $609,000 in funds over two years by the National Institute of Mental Health to analyze interpersonal exchanges between individuals of varying psychological profiles and educational backgrounds, mining these for ways to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Regina Santella, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences, Ruby Senie, PhD, professor of clinical sociomedical sciences and epidemiology, and Mary Beth Terry, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology, received $250,000 from The Breast Cancer Research Foundation to study epigenetics and DNA repair in breast cancer risk. Deliang Tang, MD, DrPH, associate professor of clinical environmental health sciences, received $271,000 over 21 months from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (funded through a subcontract with the Henry Ford Health System) for a nested case-control study of prostate carcinogenesis. Robyn Whyatt, PhD, professor of clinical environmental health sciences, received $194,000 over three years from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (funded through a subcontract with Clark University) for work regarding the use of biological markers and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling in the risk analysis of exposure to chlorpyrifos, one of the most widely used pesticides in the Unites States. >Top

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Dr.  Suzanne Bakken received a five-year, $2.4 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research to further develop a research center for evidence-based self-management health practices in underserved populations. Feasibility studies led by a team of nursing school investigators will identify strategies to enhance self-management capabilities among four vulnerable groups: adolescents with diabetes, persons living with HIV/AIDS, diabetics with hypertension, and elders at risk for injury by falls. >Top

HONORS Jeffrey Szmulewicz, associate vice president, director, BioMedical Communications, and Gay Jean Triplett, supervisor, BioMedical Communications, were honored at the annual meeting of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, which invited them to make two presentations on "How To Make & Present State-of-the-Art Surgical Videos."

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS

Eric Greene, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry & molecular biophysics, has received a White House Presidential early career award from the National Science Foundation--the highest such honor given to young career investigators. Singled out for his ability to integrate cutting-edge biological sciences research with educational and community service efforts, Dr. Greene will receive NSF support for five years. He will be recognized at an upcoming ceremony at the White House. Petra Kaufmann, MD, assistant professor of neurology, received the Lea Rose Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Award at the World Muscle Society meeting, held last month in Italy. She was honored with this prize for her meeting presentation, titled "The Natural History of Spinal Muscular Atrophy." Arnold Lisio, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine - cardiology, is co-recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Manhattan-based Health Care Chaplaincy, a multi-faith center for pastoral care, education, research, and consulting. Dr. Lisio was honored for his commitment to the Chaplaincy's mission of caring for the whole person--spirit, mind, and body--and for his longstanding work with the organization. He shares the honor with his wife, Weill-Cornell physician Anne Moore. Both received their awards at the Chaplaincy's Wholeness of Life in November. Carlos Jose Rodriguez, MD, MPH, assistant professor of clinical medicine - cardiology (P&S) and clinical epidemiology (Mailman), has been chosen as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Scholar and one of 12 nationally who were accepted into the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program, an RWJF initiative to increase the number of faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who achieve senior ranks in academic medicine. Dr. Rodriguez will receive $550,000 over four years for salary support and for research studies on hypertensive heart disease in Hispanics; mentoring and faculty development counsel are a part of the program. Milan Stojanovic, PhD, assistant professor of medicine - nephrology, was one of five winners of the 2007 NY Academy of Sciences' Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists. The Blavatnik Awards celebrate the excellence of tri-state-area scientists and engineers who are early in their careers and have contributed significantly to interdisciplinary research. Dr. Stojanovic studies the use of molecular computing for treating leukemia and lymphomas. He received $20,000 in prize money at the Academy's 4th annual "Science and the City" gala held November 12 in Manhattan. >Top

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Carrie Lyn Sammarco, DrNP, is the recipient of the John Dystel Nursing Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis. The fellowship program is designed for nurses wishing to receive advanced training in MS care. Dr. Sammarco's fellowship project will entail visiting various MS centers around the country, assessing the role of advanced practice nurses in these settings, and using this information to develop a monograph. >Top

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

The Columbia chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) received multiple awards at the national ASDA meeting in September. For the second consecutive year, ASDA-CDM was one of six chapters recognized for creating an outstanding  community oral health education program for children, part of the Crest Healthy Smiles project. A plaque and $600 contribution from Crest were presented to our college. Margot H. Jaffe, DDS, assistant clinical professor of dentistry in pediatrics, has been chosen to participate in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children Leadership Institute.  The Institute trains and develops current and future leaders in pediatric dentistry, providing them with the necessary skills to shape effective philosophical and operational approaches to leadership and to maximize their potential and performance as leaders. This highly competitive three-year program includes training at the renowned Kellogg School of Management. >Top

Produced by CUMC Communications & External Relations 212-305-3900 Masthead photos: (from L.: Jingyue Ju, Louise Kuhn, Shantanu Lal, Carlos Jose Rodriguez) Previous issues View newsletter on the web http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/celebrates/