| CUMC Celebrates - December 13, 2007 |
Lee Goldman, M.D.
Executive Vice President for Health & Biomedical Sciences
In the second year of a nationwide index issued by Academic Analytics, LLC, CUMC graduate programs have scored even higher and been judged among the best in the country for faculty research productivity. The Chronicle of Higher Education has published the latest index, which shows 14 specialties at P&S and Mailman (up from 10 last year) to be among the top 10 in their field. Four of these programs--biochemistry, nutrition, pharmacology, and physiology--were ranked best in their class, #1 in the country. Others ranked highly are the following: environmental health sciences (#2); pathology (#2) biostatistics (#4), cell biology (#4) microbiology (#4), genetics (#5), molecular biology (#5), neurobiology/ neuroscience (#7), biophysics (#6), and public health (#10). Special congratulations go to the stellar faculty, trainees, and staff affiliated with these superb programs.
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
Richard Axel, MD, University Professor, department of biochemistry & molecular biophysics, and HHMI investigator, was honored in November by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with a 2007 Double Helix Medal for Scientific Achievement. The Double Helix Medals program was inaugurated in 2006 to recognize exceptional individuals who have dedicated their lives to raising awareness of the importance of genetics research to public health. Dr. Axel, a 2004 Nobel Laureate (in Physiology or Medicine), was selected for his far-reaching contributions to molecular genetics and neuroscience research. His fellow winner of a Double Helix Medal for Scientific Achievement this year was Michael Wigler, PhD, previously a postdoctoral student in Dr. Axel's laboratory and now a renowned geneticist at Cold Spring Harbor.
Stanley Chang, MD, the Edward S. Harkness Professor of Ophthalmology, the K.K. Tse and Ku Teh Ying Professor of Ophthalmology, and chair of ophthalmology, is one of three clinicians nationally chosen to receive a Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence. He was selected from among more than 600,000 physicians currently practicing nationwide; nominations were solicited from leadership at top U.S. medical centers and specialty hospitals, as well as from doctors profiled in Castle Connolly's America's Top Doctors® publications. Dr. Chang will be formally recognized for this achievement at an awards dinner in NYC on March 18, 2008.
A team of CUMC investigators led by Michael F. Chiang, MD, Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Informatics, was recently honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology for a presentation on telemedical diagnosis of ROP (retinopathy of prematurity), given at the AAO's annual meeting in New Orleans this fall. The presentation, named best pediatric ophthalmology paper, will be featured in an upcoming issue of the journal Ophthalmology.
William B. Inabnet, MD, associate professor of clinical surgery, has been appointed chair of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery's research committee. Dr. Inabnet was also recently named to the executive council of the American College of Surgeons' Committee for Video-Based Education.
Pablo Joo, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine - family medicine and director, predoctoral education, was recently nominated for the Association of American Medical Colleges' 2007 Humanism in Medicine Award. The Humanism in Medicine Award recognizes caring and compassionate mentorship in the teaching and advising of medical students and rewards exceptional commitment to patient-centered medicine.
Wahida Karmally, DrPH, RD, CDE, director of nutrition, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (P&S), and associate research scientist and lecturer (College of Dental Medicine) was elected to the American Diabetes Association's national board of directors this past November.
James McKinsey, MD, associate professor of clinical surgery, was recently named chairman of the American College of Surgeons' medical student education committee. Dr. McKinsey also traveled to India this fall to train physicians in the operation of the silverhawk plaque excision device, used for treatment of lower extremity arterial occlusive disease. This will be the first usage of this device in India.
Eric Rose, MD, Morris & Rose Milstein/Johnson & Johnson Professor of Surgery (P&S) & professor of health policy (Mailman), was selected by the American Heart Association's Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia as 2007's William W.L. Glenn Lecturer. Dr. Rose gave his lecture, entitled "Fulfilling the Promise of Long-Term Mechanical Circulatory Support," at the AHA's 2007 Scientific Sessions in Orlando in November. The William W. L. Glenn Lecture was established to honor the first surgeon to ever serve as AHA president.
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MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
This past November, Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH, professor of clinical population and family health (Mailman) and professor of obstetrics & gynecology (P&S), was named co-recipient of the first annual Felicia Stewart Award by the Population, Family Planning and Reproductive Health section, American Public Health Association. This award, dedicated to the memory of noted women's health expert and former Clinton Administration official Felicia Stewart, MD, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated commitment to advocacy of reproductive health and rights.
Jack Saul, PhD, assistant professor of clinical population and family health, has been selected to receive the 2008 American Family Therapy Academy's Award for Distinguished Contribution to Social Justice. Dr. Saul is being honored for his work as founding director of the international trauma studies program at Columbia, as well as for his efforts to develop clinical and community services in NYC for survivors of torture and refugee trauma. Founded in 1977, the American Family Therapy Academy is a non-profit organization of leading family therapy teachers, clinicians, program directors, policy makers, researchers, and social scientists.
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COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE
Burton Edelstein, DDS, MPH, professor of clinical dentistry and director of community health, participated in a November Parents magazine colloquium on pediatric health policy and also served as a panelist on a nationally televised March of Dimes and NYS Department of Health satellite/web broadcast on oral health care during pregnancy and early childhood.
Two CDM-affiliated endeavors received honors from the American Public Health Association (APHA) at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. this November. Piyumika Kularatne, administrator, social and behavioral sciences section, division of community health, was recognized with an award from the APHA's public health education and health promotion group for her work on a tailored health communication resource for a subgroup of smokers. Philip Josephs, CDM '08, received the APHA's Anthony Westwater Jon Memorial Community Dental Health Pre-Professional Award for his efforts to improve minority student recruitment and retention at CDM.
Dennis Mitchell, DDS, MPH, associate dean for diversity and multicultural affairs and assistant professor of clinical dental medicine, received the American Academy of Periodontology's (AAP) clinical research award for a 2006 New England Journal of Medicine paper on the treatment of periodontal disease and the risk of preterm birth. Dr. Mitchell received the award at the AAP annual meeting in October in Washington, D.C.
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David J. Brenner, PhD, DSc., professor of radiation oncology (P&S) and public health (Mailman), has been chosen to lead Columbia's Center for Radiological Research, widely regarded as the premier university research group in radiation physics and radiation biology in the United States. With this new appointment, Dr. Brenner also becomes Higgins Professor of Radiation Biophysics, a position currently held by retiring center director Eric J. Hall, DPhil., DSc. A native of England, Dr. Brenner trained at Oxford and the Universities of Surrey and London and came to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos Laboratory; he joined Columbia's faculty in 1983. Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Brenner has done groundbreaking work in developing an understanding of the cancer risks associated with very low doses of radiation. He is an internationally renowned expert on the effects of the natural radioactive gas radon and in a 2001 study showed that thousands of cases of cancer are likely being induced in children by CT scans. He is also the principal investigator of a large NIH-funded multi-institute consortium, based at CUMC, which is working to develop high-throughput biodosimetry devices to rapidly test individual radiation exposure in the event of a radiological terrorist incident.
Tom Hei, PhD, professor of radiation oncology (P&S) and environmental health sciences (Mailman), has been appointed as associate director of the Center for Radiological Research. Dr. Hei, who received his training at the University of Wisconsin and Case Western Reserve University, has been on the CUMC faculty since 1983. His research focuses on environmental carcinogenesis, in particular mechanisms of radiation and chemical carcinogenesis and mutagenesis at the cellular and molecular levels.
Joshua R. Sonett, MD, has been promoted from associate professor to professor of clinical surgery, effective December 1. Dr. Sonett is chief of general thoracic surgery and surgical director of the lung transplant and high-risk lung assessment programs.
Mathew R. Williams, MD, has been named assistant professor of surgery (in medicine). Dr. Williams is a 1996 graduate of P&S and currently serves as surgical director of cardiovascular transcatheter therapies.
Shi Fang Yan, MD, has been appointed to the position of research scientist in the division of surgical science. Formerly an assistant professor of surgical science at Columbia, Dr. Yan is expert in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ischemic disorders, pulmonary disease, and vascular disorders.>Top
Rachel Gordon, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine - infectious diseases (P&S), has received an appointment in the department of epidemiology. Dr. Gordon received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University and completed residency and fellowship training at CUMC.
Andrea Howard, MD, has joined the Mailman faculty as assistant professor of clinical epidemiology. A graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College and an expert in HIV epidemiology, Dr. Howard will lead the HIV/TB co-infection program in the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP), collaborate on ICAP public health evaluation programs, and direct the infectious disease epidemiology course in the department of epidemiology.
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Courtney H. Chinn, DDS, MPH, this month joined the section of social and behavioral sciences, division of community health as a tenure-track assistant professor. A former Head Start Fellow in Pediatric Dentistry (US Department of HHS) and current resident in dental public health at Bronx Jacobi Medical Center, Dr. Chinn completed his training in pediatric dentistry at CDM and trained in health disparities research at NYU's medical school. He assumes varied teaching, mentoring, research, and community service roles in his new position and will work with section chair Burton Edelstein, DDS, to train hospital pediatric dentists in research methods and to develop and teach a new academic course in comprehensive pediatric health.
Gail Joiner, DDS, has been appointed a full-time assistant professor of clinical dental medicine. She provides dental care and teaches residents at the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy Charter School and at Community DentCare sites. Established in 1996 by the College of Dental Medicine, Harlem Hospital Center, and other northern Manhattan groups, Community DentCare is a network of dental organizations offering underserved populations access to high quality preventive oral health care services.
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COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
Adi Cohen, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine-endocrinology, has received a one-year, $39,000 career enhancement award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Research will focus on exploring the impact of progestin-only birth control pills on bone quality and skeletal changes during lactation and weaning.
Senaida Fernandez, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist, department of medicine, has been awarded a two-year, $75,000 clinically applied research grant by the American Heart Association Heritage Affiliate. Focus will be on improving blood pressure in older hypertensive Latino adults through group behavioral counseling on lifestyle modification.
Howard Kaufman, MD, Edwin C. and Anne K. Weiskopf Associate Professor of Clinical Surgical Oncology (in Surgery and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center) and director, Center for Innovative Cancer Management, was recently awarded a two-year, $100,000 grant by the National Foundation for Cancer Research. Research will evaluate the clinical effects and immune response of a new vaccine targeted against a novel kidney cancer antigen, called 5T4. The vaccine will be given along with high-dose interleukin-2, a standard therapy for patients with advanced kidney cancer.
Maria Kwok, MD, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics, emergency medicine division, was awarded a one-year, $10,000 minority health grant by NY State Department of Health to develop an interactive asthma kiosk for CUMC's pediatric emergency department.
Barron Lerner, MD, PhD, Angelica Berrie-Gold Foundation Associate Professor of Medicine (P&S) and Public Health (Mailman), has received $50,000 over two years from the Greenwall Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization specializing in funding for bioethics research, to conduct a historical analysis of drunk driving and its control measures.
Lisa Saiman, MD, MPH, Columbia professor of clinical pediatrics and hospital epidemiologist, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, has been awarded $900,000 over three years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for applied research in antimicrobial resistance. This study will be conducted in all ICUs at NYPH and will explore clinical and microbiologic outcomes associated with multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram negative infections, explore novel applications of antimicrobial susceptibility tests, and determine how physicians use microbiologic data to choose and modify MDR therapeutic regimens.
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Wendy Chavkin, MD, MPH, professor of clinical population and family health (Mailman) and obstetrics & gynecology (P&S), has received $50,000 from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to work with an invited panel of experts to develop a white paper defining and framing reproductive health as an essential component of public health. Goal is to position reproductive health as an integral part of national health care proposals.
Janice Cooper, PhD, assistant professor of clinical health policy and management, received $15,000 from the U.S. Department of HHS (funded through a subcontract with Mental Health America) for work on a family-centered approach to addressing the community impact of maternal depression and to produce an action guide for communities.
Pam Factor-Litvak, PhD, associate professor of clinical epidemiology, received $150,000 from the NIMH (funded through a subcontract with Brigham and Women's Hospital) to test hypotheses that there are shared prenatal antecedents, namely prenatal markers of inflammation, to major depressive disorder and cardiovascular disease. Results are expected to contribute to understanding the etiology of these conditions and their co-occurrence in adulthood.
Naa Oyo Kwate, PhD, assistant professor of sociomedical sciences, recently received a two-year, $100,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Healthy Eating Research Program. Dr. Kwate will use funds to examine inequalities in New York City's food climate, including the issue of school proximity to fast food outlets.
Bruce Levin, PhD, professor and chair, department of biostatistics, received $342,000 over three years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (funded through a subcontract with the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene) to supervise biostatisticians in the statistical analysis and data coordinating center of a NIDA clinical trials network.
Therese McGinn, MPH, PhD, associate professor of clinical population & family health, has received a multimillion dollar grant from an anonymous donor to establish the Reproductive Health Access, Information and Services in Emergencies (RAISE) Initiative. A joint project of the Mailman School and UK-based Marie Stopes International, the RAISE Initiative aims to address the full range of reproductive health needs for those living in areas affected by war and natural disaster, including Darfur, South Sudan, northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia. The RAISE Initiative builds partnerships with humanitarian and development agencies, UN groups, advocacy agencies and academic institutions. This award represents one of the largest private grants ever awarded to Mailman.
Miriam Rabkin, MD, MPH, associate clinical professor of epidemiology (Mailman) and medicine (P&S), received a one-year $169,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for research to strengthen public health education and practice in developing countries. She will work with Ariel Pablos-Mendez, MD, MPH, associate professor of clinical medicine-general medicine (P&S) and epidemiology (Mailman), and managing director, Rockefeller Foundation, on initiatives to enhance health systems and public health training.
Ezra Susser, MD, DrPH, professor and chair, department of epidemiology and the NYS Psychiatric Institute, received $143,000 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for a one-year pilot study in China, exploring whether persons exposed to famine in early gestation have increased risk of schizophrenia later in life as a result of de novo mutations (mutations that neither parent possessed) in genes critical for brain development.
Seamus (J. L. P.) Thompson, PhD, clinical professor of biostatistics (Mailman) and neurology (P&S), has received a two-year, $4.4 million extension of funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, continuing the biostatistical and data management operations of a large, multi-center, multi-continent, double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing warfarin and aspirin for heart failure patients.
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Kristine M. Gebbie, RN, DrPH, Elizabeth Standish Gill Professor of Nursing, has received a $390,000 award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a project entitled "Building the Base for a Research Agenda on Local Public Health Legal Authority." The project will examine the role of law in local public health systems by documenting the scope, breadth, and content of local public health ordinances in key program areas. Dr. Gebbie's work will help overcome gaps in existing databases and models for public health law, complement state legal databases, and increase understanding of the role of law in local public health practice.
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Masthead photos: (from L.: Wahida Karmally, Dennis Mitchell, Michael Chiang, Therese McGinn)
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