| CUMC Celebrates - April 16, 2009 | Submit news for future issues |
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AWARDS & HONORS | |
| CUMC The Glenda Garvey Teaching Academy has announced 13 new Fellows, who will be formally introduced at the Thomas Q. Morris Educational Symposium April 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the P&S Alumni Auditorium. The Garvey Academy, established in 2005 to honor the educational commitment of the late Glenda Garvey, MD, rewards and strengthens teaching by identifying top educators to maintain the highest standards in teaching and to improve the medical center's educational mission by seeking innovation in teaching and learning. The 13 new members, chosen by a faculty selection committee, are:
Two CUMC-affiliated faculty have been selected as new early career scientists with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Eric C. Greene, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry & molecular biophysics at P&S, and Brent Stockwell, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences and of chemistry (Morningside), a member of CUMC's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a scientist with the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, were among 50 individuals chosen from 2,000 applicants for the quality, productivity, and originality of their formative career research initiatives. Dr. Greene studies individual protein molecules and protein complexes as they interact with their DNA substrates, with the goal of uncovering novel molecular mechanisms that cells use to repair, maintain, and decode their genetic information. Dr. Stockwell's work involves the identification and definition of novel cell death pathways involved in cancer and Huntington's disease. Through this new initiative, HHMI will provide each scientist with his or her full salary, benefits, and a research budget of $1.5 million over the six-year appointment and will also cover other expenses, including research space and the purchase of critical equipment. Ernest F. Hart, chief operating officer and associate dean for CUMC's Harlem Hospital affiliation, has been named to the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board and designated as board chair by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. An independent agency established in 1993, the review board investigates allegations of excessive force and abuse of authority by members of the New York City Police Department. MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, professor of clinical epidemiology and director of the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs and professor of medicine (P&S), has been named to Rolling Stone Magazine's list of Top 100 Agents of Change. The publication selected Dr. El-Sadr for her groundbreaking work in the prevention, care, and treatment of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis both nationally and internationally, describing her as "a global-health visionary…fighting AIDS one family at a time." The 2009 Rolling Stone Agents of Change list spotlights many of the world's most noteworthy leaders, policy-makers, writers, thinkers, scientists, and artists and includes Al Gore, Robert Kennedy Jr., Paul Krugman, Bono, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs. SCHOOL OF NURSING Patricia Stone, PhD, associate professor of nursing, has been named the 2009 Distinguished Nurse Researcher by the New York State Nurses Association. Dr. Stone will receive the award at the association's upcoming annual meeting in Saratoga, N.Y. Dr. Stone is the third nursing faculty member to receive this award, following in the footsteps of 2003 recipient Joyce Anastasi, PhD, the Helen F. Pettit Professor of Clinical Nursing, and 2007 recipient Mary Byrne, PhD, the Stone Foundation & Elise D. Fish Professor of Clinical Health Care for the Underserved in Nursing. Dr. Stone also will be honored with the Blue Ribbon Abstract Award at the June meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology for her abstract on "Staffing and Structure of Infection Prevention and Control Programs in a National Sample of NHSN Hospitals." Also, a member of Dr. Stone's research group, project coordinator Monika Pogorzelska, will receive the organization's New Investigator Award for her abstract titled "Policies and Practices for Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms in a National Sample of NHSN Hospitals." It is unprecedented for members of the same research team to win both awards. COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE Lawrence Bailey, DDS, assistant clinical professor of dental medicine-community health, has received two awards. He will receive the New York State Academy of General Dentistry's Meritorious Service Award, given for dedication and service to peers and patients by setting high standards in dentistry, at a May 2 ceremony in Syracuse, N.Y., and he will be honored with the Generations Northern Manhattan Health Network's Patient Safety Champion Award later this year. P&S Six P&S physicians from Harlem Hospital Center have been named to the Network Journal's annual roster of best black doctors in New York and New Jersey: Alfred Ashford, MD, professor of clinical medicine and senior associate dean for the Harlem Hospital affiliation; Jay Cowan, MD, instructor in clinical medicine (specialty: gastroenterology); John T. Herbert, MD, clinical professor of anesthesiology and director of anesthesiology; Ferdinand Ofodile, MD, clinical professor of surgery and associate director of surgery; Orville Palmer, MD, assistant clinical professor of surgery (specialty: otolaryngology); and Velvie A. Pogue, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine and chief of nephrology and director of hypertension services. The Network Journal, a leading African-American business affairs magazine, published its 2009 "Best Black Doctors" issue in February. John Allendorf, MD, assistant professor of surgery, has been appointed to membership in the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons. Members are chosen for their dedication to advancing the art, science, standards, and practices of endocrine surgery. Michael Argenziano, MD, associate professor of surgery, has been chosen for membership in the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, a professional society of cardiothoracic surgeons representing 35 countries and more than 1,200 professionals around the world. Dr. Argenziano was selected for his record of distinction and contributions to a growing body of knowledge in cardiothoracic disease and surgical treatment. Rita Charon, MD, PhD, professor of clinical medicine and director of the Narrative Medicine Program at P&S, has been honored with a 2009 Women Leaders In Medicine award by the American Medical Students Association. Dr. Charon was selected for her commitment to social justice, advancing women, and mentoring young leaders in medicine. She received her award and co-presented a lecture on the humanities in medicine (with P&S student Christine Hsieh'11) at AMSA's 59th annual national convention in Arlington, Va. Robert T. Grant, MD, associate clinical professor of surgery, has been named 2009's Man of the Year by the Beth C. Tortolani Foundation, a Long Island-based breast cancer advocacy organization focusing on quality-of-life issues. Dr. Grant, a plastic and cosmetic surgeon known for his work in postsurgery breast reconstruction, was singled out for his efforts on behalf of women with breast cancer. Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH, assistant professor of surgery, has been appointed to the medical advisory board of the Susan G. Komen Foundation's greater New York City affiliate. Dr. Joseph's areas of interest and expertise include breast surgical oncology, biological markers for breast cancer in African-American women, and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts) as a target in breast cancer treatment. Wahida Karmally, DrPH, director of nutrition and associate research scientist in the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and special lecturer in the College of Dental Medicine, was one of several American Dietetic Association representatives to preside over the opening of NASDAQ on March 12. Ronald S. Tikofsky, PhD, associate professor of clinical radiology, was awarded the Gold Medal, the American College of Nuclear Medicine's highest honor. It is given to distinguished members of the college for unsurpassed achievements and commitment to the field of nuclear medicine. Dr. Tikofsky, a past president of the ACNM, received his award at the organization's annual awards dinner in Clearwater Beach, Fla. He is the second PhD in ACNM history to have served as president and also received the college's Gold Medal. | |
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APPOINTMENTS & PROMOTIONS | |
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P&S
John Krakauer, MD, was promoted to associate professor of neurology, with tenure. Dr. Krakauer is a noted systems neuroscientist and psychophysicist, with specific expertise in the fields of experimental and computational motor control and stroke. Long affiliated with Columbia, Dr. Krakauer received his medical degree from P&S and completed residency and fellowship training (in neurology, motor control, and stroke) at Columbia, including the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior and the Neurological Institute. His research interests include trajectory control and motor learning during reaching movements and functional brain imaging of motor learning and stroke recovery. | |
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GRANTS | |
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MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Bruce Armstrong, DSW, associate clinical professor of population & family health, and Debra Kalmuss, PhD, professor of clinical population & family health, have received a two-year $600,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. Drs. Armstrong and Kalmuss will examine the effectiveness of a community-based intervention to assess the health-care needs of, and levels of health service referral completions for, men receiving job training and assistance from workforce development agencies in Washington Heights and Harlem. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New York State Health Foundation have awarded a combined $2.2 million grant to the Mailman School of Public Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the non-profit organization Public Health Solutions to evaluate recent innovations in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, an initiative designed to help reduce childhood obesity. Sally Findley, PhD, professor of clinical population & family health, will lead the four-year evaluation project with Public Health Solutions' Mary Ann Chiasson. The collaboration was announced in March by New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, MD. Virginia Rauh, ScD, MSW, professor of clinical population & family health, has been granted $2.8 million over five years by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study the neurobiological effects of prenatal and postnatal organophosphorus pesticide exposure on brain structure, metabolism, and anatomical connectivity in a cohort of inner-city 8- and 9-year-olds. P&S Robert E. Burke, MD, the Alfred and Minnie Bressler Professor of Neurology (in pathology), has received a five-year $12.7 million award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for ongoing funding of the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence at Columbia University, founded in 1999 and supported continuously by the NIH. Funds will be used for research into the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease with a goal to develop meaningful preventative therapies. Fred Chang, MD, PhD, professor of microbiology, has received $1.4 million over four years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to study how the growth and shrinkage of microtubules, cytoskeleton structures that are involved in cell division and help determine the shape and function of cells, are regulated at the molecular level. Franklin Costantini, PhD, professor of genetics & development, has been awarded $2.2 million over five years by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to study the genes and proteins that control the normal formation of the ureter and kidney during fetal development. Findings may suggest new ways to prevent or treat congenital abnormalities and malformations of the kidney and urinary tract, among the most common birth defects. Pamela Flood, MD, associate professor of clinical anesthesiology, has received a three-year $644,000 exploratory/development grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to determine the effectiveness of administering the dietary supplement high choline/lecithin before gynecological surgery as a way to complement traditional pain medications and help decrease pain and inflammation following surgery. Carol Friedman, PhD, professor of biomedical informatics, is the recipient of a $1.4 million grant over four years from the National Library of Medicine. Dr. Friedman will use natural language processing and data mining methodologies to uncover novel adverse drug events in a large-scale examination of clinical data from electronic health records. Overall public health goals are to advance patient safety and reduce health care costs. James Gangwisch, PhD, assistant professor of clinical psychiatric social work (in psychiatry), has been awarded a $76,000 exploratory/development grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, Dr. Gangwisch will work to discern and clarify the effects of short sleep duration on hypertension risk in women, determining whether the association varies by age group, menopausal status, receipt of hormone replacement therapy, or engagement in shift work and whether obesity, type 2 diabetes, or snoring acts as mediators. George Hripcsak, MD, chair of biomedical informatics and the Vivian Beaumont Allen Professor of Biomedical Informatics, has received a $268,000 supplement from the National Library of Medicine to extend and support an ongoing training program in biomedical informatics. The supplement brings the project's 2008-2009 NLM funding total to $1.5 million. Rudolph Leibel, MD, co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and the Christopher J. Murphy Memorial Professor of Diabetes Research, and Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, a Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, have received a five-year $3 million competitive renewal of funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Funds will be used to further their studies into the molecular genetics of human obesity and type 2 diabetes. This grant is in its 16th year of funding and has supported the identification and study of a number of new genes for both obesity and diabetes. Rebecca Piskorowski, PhD, postdoctoral research scientist in neuroscience, has been awarded $104,000 over two years by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for a study of the HCN1 ion channel, a member of the HCN gene family. Changes in the levels of the HCN1 ion channel in response to seizures are thought to contribute to the development of epilepsy. Findings could contribute to understanding how the HCN1 channel helps regulate neural excitability. Alice Prince, MD, professor of pediatrics (in pharmacology), has received a five-year $2 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Funds will be used to probe and elucidate the fundamental interactions between inhaled bacteria and airway epithelial cells, examining how epithelial cells participate in the recruitment of white blood cells into the airways and their role in the development of pneumonia. Alan Tenney, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in pathology and the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, has received a three-year $165,000 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study how the nerves that govern and control facial expression form and develop, part of an effort to uncover the causes of congenital facial paralysis disorders and related diseases. Andrew Tomlinson, PhD, professor of genetics & development, has been awarded $1.3 million over four years by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Using an array of genetic, molecular, and biochemical techniques and the fruit fly Drosophila as a model system, Dr. Tomlinson will study how cells polarize in response to external cues. Cellular polarization is necessary for many critical bodily processes and functions, including wound healing, formation of nerve connections, and immune system response. Debra Wolgemuth, PhD, professor of genetics & development, received a five-year $1.3 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The funds will support studies on the use of antagonists of receptors for retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A, in inhibiting male germ cell production. The work opens avenues for novel non-hormonal approaches for male contraception. Howard Worman, MD, professor of medicine-digestive and liver diseases and of pathology & cell biology, and William T. Dauer, MD, assistant professor of neurology and pharmacology, have received a $50,000 grant from the Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation. Drs. Worman and Dauer will work to design a high-throughput small molecule screen to identify compounds that activate TorsinA, a protein that localizes wrongfully in the nuclear envelope (the lipid layer that encloses genetic material in cells) in dystonias caused by mutations of the gene DYT1. DYT1 mutations are the most common cause of early-onset primary dystonias, a group of movement disorders characterized by abnormal, sustained muscle contractions, twisting, and repetitive motions. | |
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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/