| CUMC Celebrates - February 18, 2009 |
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APPOINTMENTS, RECRUITMENTS, AND PROMOTIONS | |
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P&S
Neil Harrison, PhD, has joined the Department of Anesthesiology as vice chair for molecular neurobiology. A graduate of Cambridge University and London University's School of Pharmacy, where he received a doctoral degree in pharmacology, Dr. Harrison completed postdoctoral training at the NIH and began his academic career at the University of Chicago in 1989. He joined Cornell's Weill Medical College in 1999, where his duties included directing the school's graduate program in neuroscience for four years. Dr. Harrison currently has an $806,000 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for a study on the effects of alcohol on the thalamus, a part of the brain involved in sleep. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Pharmacology. Randolph S. Marshall, MD, professor of neurology, has been appointed the Elizabeth K. Harris Professor of Neurology and head of the Stroke Division in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Marshall received his undergraduate degree from Harvard, a master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco. After an internship in internal medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Marshall completed his neurology residency at the Neurological Institute, where he remained as a postdoctoral fellow in stroke. Dr. Marshall's research interests encompass three interrelated areas: behavioral aspects of focal brain injury, cerebral hemodynamics, and mechanisms of brain reorganization during recovery from stroke. He has been on the P&S faculty since 1994. Scott D. Smith, MD, MPH, formerly of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, has joined the Department of Ophthalmology as associate professor of clinical ophthalmology, head of the department's Glaucoma Division, and director of the Glaucoma Service at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute. A graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine and the MPH program at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Smith completed his ophthalmology residency at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and a glaucoma fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He has done extensive clinical research on glaucoma and clinical outcomes in ophthalmology. Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and University of California-San Diego neurology professor Charles S. Zuker, PhD, will join P&S as professor of biochemistry & molecular biophysics and of neuroscience, effective July 1. Dr. Zuker's research focuses on taste as a mechanism to explore how the brain processes sensory experiences, looking specifically at how the physical and chemical stimuli that we experience through our senses turn into signals that neurons transmit to the brain. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's doctoral program and began his academic career as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Zuker is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Manisha Desai, PhD, was recently promoted to associate professor of clinical biostatistics. A graduate of Boston University and the PhD program at the University of Washington, Dr. Desai serves as biostatistical consultant for a number of departments and specialties at CUMC, most notably for the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and conducts methodological research in the areas of cancer epidemiology and cancer genomics. William Friedewald, MD, interim chairman of the Department of Epidemiology, has been named the Anna Cheskis Gelman and Murray Charles Gelman Clinical Professor of Epidemiology. A graduate of Yale University's medical school, Dr. Friedewald trained in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and in biostatistics at Stanford University. He is a leading authority in clinical trial development and previously held high-level positions at the Epidemiologic Intelligence Service, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the NIH's Office of Disease Prevention, and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Dr. Friedewald also holds appointments in biostatistics and in medicine (P&S). | |
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AWARDS & HONORS | |
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P&S
Marian Carlson, PhD, professor of genetics & development and of microbiology, was awarded the 2009 Genetics Society of America medal in January. She was cited by the society for contributions to the field of genetics over the past 15 years. Lee Goldman, MD, executive vice president of Columbia University and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at CUMC, has been selected to receive the 2009 APM Robert H. Williams, MD, Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award from the Association of Professors of Medicine. Dr. Goldman was singled out for outstanding service as chairman of the Department of Medicine at University of California-San Francisco, the post he held before joining Columbia in 2006. He will receive his award later this month at the association's winter meeting in San Francisco. Sharon Gutman, PhD, OTR, associate professor of clinical occupational therapy (in rehabilitation medicine), has been elected to the American Occupational Therapy Association's roster of fellows. Dr. Gutman was chosen for her contributions to occupational therapy practice and education. Fewer than one half of 1 percent of occupational therapists have fellow designation. Rudolph Leibel, MD, co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and the Christopher J. Murphy Memorial Professor of Diabetes Research, will deliver the Herman O. Mosenthal Memorial Lecture at the American Diabetes Association's 56th Annual Gerald Friedman Symposium March 13 at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Leibel will be honored for his seminal work on the genetics of obesity and diabetes. The American Legacy Foundation has chosen Mehmet Oz, MD, professor and vice chair of surgery, to receive its 2009 Humanitarianism in Medicine and Public Health Award. The award will be conferred at the American Legacy Foundation Honors, a ceremony and dinner paying tribute to the year's most influential leaders in the fight against smoking. The dinner will be March 11 in New York City. Herbert Pardes, MD, professor of psychiatry and president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, was honored last fall with the New York Academy of Sciences' Science and The City Award, recognizing his leadership efforts in helping New York City become a first-class center for scientific excellence. The award was presented at the Academy's 5th annual gala last November. Rodney Rothstein, PhD, professor of genetics & development, in January was awarded the Novitski Prize by the Genetics Society of America. Named after groundbreaking geneticist Edward Novitski, the prize recognizes investigators who employ the highest levels of creativity and intellectual ingenuity in solving significant problems of genetics research. COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE The College of Dental Medicine has been honored by the ADEA Gies Foundation, the American Dental Education Association's philanthropic arm, with a 2009 William J. Gies Award for Vision, Innovation, and Achievement. CDM was cited for its outstanding vision among academic dental institutions, particularly for its commitment to global oral health and its unique approach to the education of dentists. The award will be presented at a ceremony March 14 in Phoenix in conjunction with the ADEA's 86th annual session and exhibition. Kim D'Abreu, MPH, deputy director of the Center for Community Health Partnerships, will be honored on March 15 with a 2009 presidential citation from the ADEA, recognizing her work and contributions supporting the organization's mission. Jeremy Mao, DDS, PhD, professor of dental medicine-orthodontics, served as a keynote speaker at the 1st International Conference on Frontiers of Dental and Craniofacial Research, held last November in Beijing. Dr. Mao's presentation was on craniofacial regeneration through the use of stem cells. Dr. Mao has been invited to headline the New York Academy of Dentistry's annual conference in 2010 and was recently elected to the editorial boards of Biofabrication and the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, two peer-reviewed publications in the field of regenerative medicine. MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Salim S. Abdool Karim, MD, PhD, professor of clinical epidemiology, has been appointed chairperson of the World Health Organization's Scientific and Technical Advisory Group for Reproductive Health and Research. The advisory group is comprised of approximately 30 scientists and public health practitioners with expertise in a number of reproductive health areas, including contraception, pregnancy, infertility, abortion, and sexually transmitted infections. Richard G. Parker, PhD, professor of sociomedical sciences, has been selected as an ambassador for the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health. In this capacity, Dr. Parker will work to raise the visibility of global health research through the news media and in meetings with policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public. He joins 25 of the nation's foremost global health experts selected for the honor. Les F. Roberts, PhD, MPH, associate clinical professor of population and family health, received the American Public Health Association's 2008 Edward Barsky Award at the association's annual conference last fall in San Diego. Dr. Roberts was recognized for his pioneering work in documenting mortality and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq. The award was presented at a dinner and ceremony honoring activist physicians. | |
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GRANTS | |
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P&S
Emily DiMango, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine-pulmonary, allergy, and critical care, and Lynne Quittell, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics, have received $86,000 from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to support CUMC's participation in the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network, a nationwide group of cystic fibrosis research centers that conduct clinical trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new CF therapies. Peter J. Freed, MD, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry, has received a five-year $888,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Freed will conduct fMRI studies of the brain circuitry underlying complicated grief, a condition affecting approximately 15 percent of all people dealing with grief. The disorder is characterized by intense, paralyzing, and persistent sadness; yearning for and intrusive thoughts of the deceased; and social dysfunction. Results may identify brain systems that allow some people to recover from negative emotions in grief and which may be future targets in the treatment of complicated grief and depression. Stephen Goff, PhD, the Higgins Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and professor of microbiology, has been granted an $829,000 funding extension from the National Cancer Institute for a MERIT project constructing and analyzing retrovirus mutants. MERIT — Method to Extend Research In Time — awards are reserved for the most prolific and successful of scientific researchers (approximately 5 percent of NIH-funded investigators). Franklin Lowy, MD, professor of medicine and of pathology, has been granted $3.2 million over five years by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study patterns of MRSA transmission in the northern Manhattan community. Igor Matushansky, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine-oncology, has been awarded $849,000 over five years by the National Cancer Institute to explore the relationship between tumor development and cell differentiation using sarcomas and mesenchymal stem cells as a model system. Matthew H. Phillips, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist in neuroscience, has received a $51,000 National Research Service Award from the National Eye Institute. Funds will be used to probe and determine the coordinate systems the brain uses for representing the visual environment, advancing the development of an animal model of the human oculomotor system. Dr. Phillips' research may prove instrumental in the design of new diagnostic, prognostic, and rehabilitative strategies for dealing with stroke and other pathologies that damage this system. Robert Schwabe, MD, assistant professor of medicine-digestive and liver diseases, has received a two-year $451,000 award from the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to examine the use of probiotics as a preventative mechanism against hepatic fibrosis, as well as a treatment option for the condition in its earliest stages. Matthew G. Slattery, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in biochemistry & molecular biophysics, has been awarded $148,000 in research fellowship funds over three years by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Dr. Slattery will work toward identifying target genes of the Hox group of transcription factors that are involved in controlling and regulating tissue growth, using the Drosophila fruit fly as an animal model. The Hox transcription factors are known to control segmental patterning during development. Eric Teller, MD, postdoctoral clinical fellow in medicine-pulmonary, allergy, and critical care, has received $84,000 in research funding from the ResMed Foundation for a study of cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure patients treated for Cheyne-Stokes breathing, an abnormal type of respiration characterized by alternating patterns of shallow and deep breathing, with a corrective technique known as adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV). MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Emilia Bagiella, PhD, associate professor of clinical biostatistics, received $602,000 from the U.S. Department of Education (through a subcontract with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority) to helm the data coordinating center for a clinical trial of amantadine hydrochloride as a treatment for chronic irritability and aggression in patients with traumatic brain injury. Janice Cooper, PhD, assistant professor of clinical health policy and management and director of the National Center for Children in Poverty, received $170,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (through a subcontract with the Center for the Study of Social Policy) to evaluate the effectiveness of current efforts to prevent the abuse, neglect, and abandonment of young children. Dr. Cooper will work to determine service and knowledge gaps and highlight issues related to collaboration across key stakeholders and systems and will attempt to identify policy challenges that may inadvertently interfere with effective prevention efforts. Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, professor of clinical epidemiology and medicine (P&S) and director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs, received $275,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation to assess the potential impact of scaling up HIV/AIDS projects on health systems in sub-Saharan Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular. Dr. El-Sadr also will attempt to determine the feasibility of adapting HIV tools and approaches to the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Sally Findley, PhD, professor of clinical population and family health and of clinical sociomedical sciences, received $100,000 from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in support of asthma awareness events in Central Harlem to commemorate World Asthma Day. Dr. Findley also received $185,000 over two years from the Health Resources and Services Administration (through a subcontract with the Lutheran Family Health Centers) to provide evaluation and training services for HRSA's Patient Navigator Program, which enlists health care professionals to help people in their communities prevent and manage chronic disease and deal successfully with the health care system. Joseph Graziano, PhD, professor of environmental sciences and of pharmacology (P&S) and interim chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, received $109,000 from the Department of Defense (through a subcontract with Vanderbilt University) to study the consequences of manganese exposure (via ingestion of high-manganese drinking water as well as diet) on motor functioning in young adults. Frederica Perera, DrPH, MPH, professor of environmental health sciences and director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, received $100,000 from the New York Community Trust to study the effects of environmental toxins on children's health and development. Dr. Perera also was awarded $150,000 by the Educational Foundation of America for research on children's neurodevelopment. James Phillips, PhD, professor of clinical population and family health, received $1.8 million over four years (through a subcontract with Save the Children) to provide technical leadership on issues such as the design and application of social and health systems research tools and procedures for the Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Initiative, designed to revitalize primary healthcare in poorly served states in northern Nigeria. Dr. Phillips also received $100,000 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for research on fertility rates in West Africa. Vaughn Rickert, PsyD, professor of clinical population and family health, has received $659,000 over two years from Merck to explore ways to reduce barriers to Gardasil vaccination in girls and adolescents. | |
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GIFTS AND PLEDGES | |
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SCHOOL OF NURSING
A friend of the School of Nursing has made a new commitment of $300,000 to the Mary Dickey Lindsay Scholarship Endowment Fund for the Doctor of Nursing Practice. An anonymous donor has given $100,000 to the Campaign Building Fund. P&S William Acquavella has made a gift of $200,000 to the Comprehensive Vision Care Center and/or to fund new research initiatives in the Department of Ophthalmology. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation made a gift of $250,000 to the CUMC campaign. Richard E. Deems made a gift of $100,000 to fund research efforts in the Department of Ophthalmology. Louis V. Gerstner Jr. has made a gift in the amount of $200,000 to support the Comprehensive Vision Care Center and/or to fund new research initiatives in the Department of Ophthalmology. Thomas L. Kempner Jr. made a gift of $150,000 to the Department of Medicine for osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease research and prevention. The Klingenstein Martell Foundation has made a pledge of $1 million to the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology to support renovation to construct the Center for Prenatal Pediatrics. David L. Luke III has made a gift of $100,000 to the Department of Medicine to support clinical research for asthma. Mr. Ariel and Mrs. Tal Recanati made a gift of $103,000 to the Department of Medicine to advance celiac disease research. The Starr Foundation has made a gift in the amount of $200,000 to the Department of Ophthalmology to be allocated to the Starr Scholars Fund. Miranda Wong Tang has made a gift of $200,000 to the Comprehensive Vision Care Center and/or to fund new research initiatives in the Department of Ophthalmology. | |
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Produced by the CUMC Department of Communications | 212-305-3900 | Previous issues
View newsletter on the web http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/celebrates/
Produced by the CUMC Department of Communications | 212-305-3900 | Previous issues
View newsletter on the web http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/celebrates/