| CUMC Celebrates - March 28, 2007 |
New faculty expand our resources and enhance the expertise on our campus, bringing new opportunities for collaboration and inspiration. This issue of CUMC Celebrates introduces many of our recent recruitments to the full-time faculty – some already on the scene, and others who will arrive shortly. Please join me in welcoming them to our institution and wishing them a happy, productive future as part of our community of scholars, teachers, and clinicians.
Lee Goldman
EVP & Dean
NEW RECRUITS
College of Physicians & Surgeons
Mailman School of Public Health
School of Nursing
College of Dental Medicine
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS
Senior FacultyCarlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, has joined P&S after 24 years at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is vice chairman for experimental oncology in the department of pathology. At the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, he is co-leader of the genitourinary malignancies program and associate director for research infrastructure. Dr. Cordon-Cardo’s research on the generation and characterization of animal models of bladder and prostate tumors has contributed to the field’s new focus on molecular changes that determine a tumor’s malignancy. He received an MD from Autonomous University of Barcelona and a PhD in cell biology and genetics from Cornell.
Karen Duff, PhD, from NYU’s Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research has joined P&S in pathology, psychiatry, and the Taub Institute. In 2006 the American Academy of Neurology awarded her its Potamkin Prize, one of the most prestigious in Alzheimer’s research. Dr. Duff is known for her work in developing transgenic mouse models of age-related human brain diseases. Early in her career, she created the first mouse model of mutations in the gene called presenilin 1, a protein found in families with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She also devised a method for inserting human disease-causing genes into mice, providing a means of studying underlying mechanisms of disease and testing potential treatments. Dr. Duff received her PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Susan Essock, PhD, has been named director of the department of psychiatry’s new division of mental health services and policy research, which she will structure and build. In 2006 Dr. Essock was lead author on a study evaluating the effectiveness of switching antipsychotic medications among patients involved in the landmark CATIE trials. Previously, she was professor and director, division of health services research, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine department of psychiatry. Her research has involved rigorous evaluations of public and private sector services to assist people with mental illness. Prior to Mount Sinai, she was director of psychological services at the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Edward P. Gelmann, MD, has joined us as the Clyde Wu Professor of Oncology in the department of medicine. He serves as chief of hematology/oncology and deputy director of the Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Gelmann will lead the linkage of Columbia’s oncology research database with the NCI’s newly enhanced database aimed at facilitating shared research. His laboratory will focus on NKX3.1, a gene responsible for up to 70 percent of prostate cancers. Since 2001 Dr. Gelmann had been director of the Lombardi Cancer Center Program in Growth Regulation of Cancer at Georgetown University. His MD degree is from Stanford. He trained at the University of Chicago and did his fellowship at the NCI.
Masanori Ichise, MD, has joined radiology as professor of clinical radiology in the nuclear medicine division and the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center. He will conduct research in PET imaging. Recruited from the National Institute of Mental Health, he was principal investigator at the molecular imaging branch and conducted PET imaging research of neuroreceptors using novel radioligands in humans and animals. Previously associate professor of radiology at Harvard, Dr. Ichise directed the brain molecular imaging program in the nuclear medicine division of Brigham and Women's Hospital. His MD degree, residency and fellowship were all obtained at the University of Toronto.
Maria Karayiorgou, MD, one of the top psychiatric geneticists in the world, was recruited from Rockefeller University as professor of psychiatry (in genetics and physiology). While an associate professor at Rockefeller’s laboratory for human neurogenetics, Dr. Karayiorgou contributed to identifying genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia. Her focus has been on isolating and understanding the development of chromosome 22q11, which contains deletions associated with schizophrenia. She has also researched the genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. At P&S/NY State Psychiatric Institute, she will collaborate to extend her work into clinical studies of human phenotypes of mental disorders, chiefly schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.
Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, and the Paul A. Marks Professor in the Basic Sciences, became chairman and professor of genetics & development last July. An expert in the genetics and cell biology of degenerative bone diseases, he was the first to demonstrate connections among bone metabolism, energy metabolism, and the autonomic nervous system. His studies of the hormone leptin and its actions in the hypothalamus have revealed common pathways that regulate bone mass, appetite, and reproduction. Dr. Karsenty previously held faculty positions at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Trained as an endocrinologist at the University of Paris V, he turned his focus to research after completing two post-doctoral research fellowships at the NIH during the 1980s. His wife, Patricia Ducy, PhD, a developmental geneticist, is an assistant professor in pathology.
Harold Pincus, MD, has been named vice chair for strategic initiatives in the department of psychiatry and director of quality and outcomes research at NYP. He was formerly executive vice chair of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. A graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Pincus completed a residency at George Washington University Hospital and trained in health services and policy research as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar. He was a staff member on the President’s Commission on Mental Health at the White House and later a congressional fellow in the House of Representatives. His research focus is health services and policy.
Katherine Shear, MD, the Marion Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry in social work, is developing teaching and research programs in bereavement and pathologic grief with the department of psychiatry and collaborating on research in the division of anxiety disorders. She also is developing a program of psychotherapy research and training that will encompass various psychotherapeutic approaches. Previously, she was director of the bereavement and grief program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh. She earned her MD at Tufts University and completed a residency in medicine and a fellowship in infectious diseases at Mount Sinai Hospital. She also completed a residency in psychiatry at the Payne Whitney Clinic and a psychosomatic fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
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Associate Professors
Frederick Ehlert, MD, has joined the cardiology division as associate clinical professor of medicine. His specialty is electrophysiology. He received his MD from P&S, completed internship and residency at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, and took cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. Most recently, Dr. Ehlert was on staff at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt.
David Fidock, PhD, associate professor, will join the department of microbiology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His research focus is the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparium, the cause of more than 2 million deaths worldwide each year. He has been part of a public/private partnership, funded by the Medicines for Malaria Venture, the NIH, GlaxoSmithKline and academic partners, that seeks to develop new antimalarial drugs. Dr. Fidock received his PhD summa cum laude from the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
Sharon Gutman, PhD, OTR, joined rehabilitation medicine as associate professor of clinical occupational therapy. Known for her OT work related to living with disabilities, Dr. Gutman has authored books and articles used throughout the curricula. She was instrumental in development of the Bridge Program, an education program for adults with mental illness. Dr. Gutman received her PhD from NYU.
Diana Murray, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Pharmacology, has joined P&S from Weill Cornell Medical College. She directs research that focuses on protein structure predictions and computational modeling of protein/lipid interactions underlying the pharmacological and physiological properties of membrane proteins. Dr. Murray received a PhD in physics from SUNY Stony Brook and completed a postdoc with Barry Honig here at P&S.
Owen A. O’Connor, MD, PhD, has been named associate professor of medicine and director of the lymphoid malignancy and development program in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. He will lead clinical trials testing potential therapies for lymphoma and other hematological cancers. Three drugs studied in his laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center were recently approved by the FDA. Dr. O’Connor received his PhD from NYU and his MD from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Kostantin “Kosta” Petrukhin, PhD, former head of ophthalmics research at Merck, has joined our ophthalmology research faculty as associate professor of ophthalmic science. After earning a PhD at Moscow Shemyakin Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Dr. Petrukhin completed a visiting fellowship at Columbia in genetics & development. He returned here for postdoc work in human genetics and neuroscience, became an assistant professor of psychiatry and was recruited by Merck in 1996. Dr. Petrukhin identified the gene responsible for Best macular dystrophy (a rare, inherited form of macular degeneration) and isolated the disease gene responsible for Stargardt-like macular dystrophy.
Assistant Professors
Riva R. Akerman, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesia division. She did her residency training at P&S.
William M. Burke, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics & gynecology, gynecologic oncology division. He received his MD at P&S, followed by a four-year residency. He completed a gynecologic oncology fellowship at the University of Michigan and became a clinical assistant professor of ob/gyn there. In 2005 he received the Charles W. Newton, Jr., MD Memorial Award for excellence in teaching.
Melanie Canon, MD, a new assistant clinical professor of medicine-family medicine, received an MD from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. She completed the Maine-Dartmouth family practice residency and then joined Project Renewal as the sole primary care physician for 250 residents at the Bowery men’s shelter. She also was on the faculty of Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center and has worked at Planned Parenthood NYC.
Marina Catallozzi, MD, an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics (P&S) and population and family health (Mailman), directs the adolescent medicine consult service and is medical director of the Lang Youth Mentoring Program. Her research studies relationship choices of adolescent women and adolescent intimate partner violence. Previously, she was medical director of the adolescent AIDS program at Montefiore Medical Center and on faculty at the NY/NJ AIDS Education and Training Center, where she was co-PI of the Adolescent AIDS Program’s adolescent trials network site. After earning an MD at Brown, she moved to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where she was chief resident and took a pediatrics residency and an adolescent medicine fellowship.
Susie Chen, MD, has joined pediatric radiology as assistant professor of clinical radiology. A graduate of Robert Wood Johnson medical school, she began pediatrics training at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, then took a radiology residency at RWJ and a pediatric radiology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Boston.
Stephanie Collins, PhD, is an assistant professor of clinical neuroscience in psychiatry, division on substance abuse. Dr. Collins is a research psychologist exploring the roles of stress, impulsivity, and sexual differences in substance abusers.
Florencia Cruz, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the neonatology division. A graduate of Manila Central University in the Philippines, Florencia Cruz completed a pediatric residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Paterson, NJ, and a neonatal fellowship at NYP/Weill Cornell. She will serve as a network affiliate neonatologist at Holy Name Hospital and Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey.
Geraldine Diaz, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, critical care anesthesia division. Her residency and fellowship training were here in the department of anesthesiology.
Belinda Maria D’Souza, MD, has joined the chest radiology division, department of radiology, as assistant professor of clinical radiology. Her medical training in India was followed by a radiology residency at SSG Hospital there. She became a visiting researcher in radiology in Tokyo, completed a radiology fellowship at Tokyo Women’s Medical University and was at the University of Miami before joining P&S.
Patricia Ducy, PhD, earned her doctorate at the Université Claude Bernard in France and joined the faculty of pathology as assistant professor in July 2006. Prior to that she was a researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She was recruited to pursue research activities in the area of molecular and human genetics with a focus on bone.
Andrew Einstein, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of clinical medicine, cardiology division. His specialty is cardiac imaging, including nuclear cardiology and cardiac CT/MRI. His MD and PhD (in biomathematics) are from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He completed internship and residency in internal medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center and cardiology fellowship training at Mount Sinai.
Katherine Ender, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the division of pediatric hematology-blood and marrow transplantation. Dr. Ender completed a three-year fellowship in pediatric hematology-oncology at Children’s Memorial Hospital at Northwestern University in Chicago. She plans to focus on clinical and translational investigations in children with sickle cell disease.
Linda L. Fan, MD, a new assistant clinical professor of obstetrics & gynecology, in the division of general ob/gyn, has spent most of her academic years here at P&S. In 2002 she obtained her medical degree here, followed by a 4-year residency in ob/gyn.
Qing Fan, PhD, has joined the pharmacology and pathology faculty as assistant professor. She is a structural biologist who plans to develop a research program focused on the structural properties of membrane spanning receptors with a focus on G-protein coupled receptors. She earned a PhD in chemistry at Harvard and did postdoctoral work in the laboratory of the late Dr. Donald Wiley (Harvard) and then in Dr. Wayne Hendrickson’s laboratory at Columbia.
Anna Flattau, MD, is assistant clinical professor of medicine (in surgery and the Center for Family Medicine). She earned an MD at Harvard and was a Fulbright fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, earning an MSc in health promotion sciences. Her clinical focus is family medicine and wound healing; her research deals with outcomes in patients with wounds.
Stefano Fusi, PhD, a distinguished neuroscientist, has been recruited from the Institute of Neuroinformatics, ETH/University of Zurich, Switzerland, where he was the Swiss National Foundation Professor. The neural computations underlying problem-solving and application of abstract strategies to novel problems are the focus of Dr. Fusi’s research in cognitive neuroscience. He previously held posts at Brandeis University and the University of Bern. Dr. Fusi received his PhD in physics (cum laude) from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a native of Florence, Italy.
Linda Gillam, MD, has joined cardiology as assistant professor of clinical medicine. She previously directed the Women’s Heart Program at Hartford Hospital. Her specialty is non-invasive cardiology (echocardiography, valvular heart disease). She and others have worked with ACC to develop appropriateness criteria and metrics for quality as related to study performance and interpretation. She earned an MD from Queen’s University, Ontario. After internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at the University of Toronto, she completed a 2-year research fellowship in cardiac ultrasound at Mass General.
Lauren Golden, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical medicine, endocrinology division, working at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center. She received her MD from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She pursued a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Yale and a fellowship in clinical investigation at Rockefeller University. Dr. Golden's research interests include studies of insulin resistance, glucose metabolism and cardiovascular disease.
Jaime A. Goldstein, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical obstetrics & gynecology, division of general ob/gyn, at the Allen Pavilion. In 2002, Dr. Goldstein earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica West Indies, followed by a 4-year residency in ob/gyn at George Washington University.
Sumeet Goswami, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, cardiothoracic and critical care anesthesia divisions. He did his residency and fellowship training in the P&S department of anesthesiology.
Jason Paul Greenberg, MD, has been appointed assistant clinical professor of neurology and director of stroke rehabilitation at Helen Hayes Hospital. Dr. Greenberg was recruited from Wake Forest University Health Sciences, where he served on the faculty for more than 10 years. His research focuses on interventions that can augment or impede recovery after a stroke.
Eli Grunstein, MD, has been appointed assistant professor and assistant director of pediatric otolaryngology. He received the MD degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, completed residency at CUMC and a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. His clinical and research interest include surgery for hypernasality, airway diseases, otologic surgery, sinonasal diseases, surgery of the neck, and voice disorders in children.
Fatemeh G. Haghighi, PhD, has joined the neuroscience department as assistant professor (in psychiatry). Her expertise is in human genetics, bioinformatics, and statistics. She earned a PhD in genetics and development here and had been an associate research scientist at the Center for Systems Biology in Columbia’s Genome Center.
Michelle Hanjani, MD, has joined dermatology as assistant professor of clinical dermatology. A graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she completed her dermatology residency at the University of Rochester, where she was chief resident. Dr. Hanjani’s interests are in disorders of hair, acne, and general dermatology.
Ronit Herzog, MD, FAAP, has joined pediatric allergy as an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics. She received her medical degree from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Her pediatric residency was taken at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed fellowships in medical genetics, pediatric pulmonology, and allergy and immunology at Beth Israel Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine , and Albert Einstein, respectively. She has a special interest in immunodeficiency disease.
Christina Hill, MD, has joined thoracic radiology as assistant clinical professor of radiology, with clinical practice at the Allen Pavilion and NYPH. She comes from Putnam Imaging Associates in Carmel, NY. A cum laude graduate of NYU, Dr. Hill earned her MD degree from SUNY Health Science Center, Brooklyn, interned at Staten Island University Hospital and completed residency at NY Medical College-Westchester, and did a one-year fellowship at Columbia in abdominal radiology.
Reza Iranmanesh, MD, a vitreoretinal specialist, joins us as assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology. He earned his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine. Following internship at the University of Hawaii and residency in ophthalmology at Rocky Mountain Eye Institute in Colorado, Dr. Iranmanesh held the Flanzer Retina Fellowship at Columbia.
Beena H. Jani, MD, has joined P&S as assistant clinical professor of medicine-family medicine. After receiving an MD from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, she completed the Overlook family practice residency program in Summit, N.J., worked as an attending in the Overlook Hospital emergency room, and was a family physician at Heritage Health Care, a community health center in Harlem that has a primary care HIV/AIDS program.
Ajay Kirtane, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, cardiology division, is a new interventional cardiologist. After earning his MD at P&S, he completed internship and residency in internal medicine at UCSF, followed by cardiology and interventional cardiology fellowships in the department of medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard.
Alexander Kratz, MD, PhD, MPH, has joined pathology as an assistant professor of clinical pathology. He earned his MD degree from the University of Vienna and his MPH and PhD in immunology from Yale. Previously, he was assistant professor of pathology at Harvard medical school. He is currently medical director of the clinical laboratory at the Allen Pavilion and associate director of the core lab at NYPH .
Keith Kuenzler, MD, is assistant professor of surgery, pediatric surgery division. A graduate of Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, he completed his general surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and did a pediatric surgery fellowship at Columbia. Dr. Kuenzler’s clinical specialties include pediatric gastrointestinal surgery, pediatric thoracic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and neonatal surgery. His research focuses on surgical resident education and pediatric surgery outcomes.
James A. Lee, MD, a new assistant professor of surgery in the GI/endocrine surgery division, directs the department’s Adrenal Center. A 1999 P&S graduate, he took a surgical internship and residency at NYP/Columbia, where he was administrative chief resident. After an adult stem cell fellowship here, Dr. Lee completed a fellowship in endocrine surgery at UCSF. He is founder and director of the department of surgery’s proprietary online medical education training paradigm COACH (Comprehensive On-line Archived Care Heuristic). His clinical specialty is endocrine surgery; his research interests include adult stem cells and medical education.
Jennifer Levine, MD, MSW, joined pediatric oncology as assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and medical director of the Center for Survivor Wellness. A graduate of the University of Virginia medical school, she completed a pediatric residency at Yale-New Haven and a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Morgan Stanley.
Jeanne Manubay, MD, is assistant clinical professor of medicine in the Center for Family Medicine and psychiatry. Dr. Manubay has joined the buprenorphine program, which is developing models for training physicians about the newly approved partial agonist and for induction stabilization and maintenance or detoxification via its use.
Stephanie A. McAndrew, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine-family medicine, received an MD from the University of Iowa. She completed a family medicine residency (serving as chief resident) and a surgical obstetrical fellowship at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Her interests are adolescent women’s health, obstetrics in the primary care setting, and medical education.
Alice Medalia, PhD, assistant professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry, has joined the faculty to establish and oversee a cognitive rehabilitation program for psychiatric patients. She will implement evidence-based practices, monitor outcomes, and assess treatment quality.
Hasit Mehta, MD, has joined the neuroradiology division as assistant professor of clinical radiology following completion of a fellowship here. He interned at Parkland Hospital in Texas and completed radiology residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Dr. Mehta received his MD at SUNY Buffalo. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Rochester, with a BS in neuroscience and a BA in psychology.
Maurizio A. Miglietta, DO, has joined surgery as an assistant professor of clinical surgery and both chief of the new acute care surgery division and director of trauma for NYPH. Recruited from NYU/Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Miglietta was chief of the trauma and critical care division there. He graduated from NY College of Osteopathic Medicine (of the NY Institute of Technology). His postgraduate training was at St. Barnabas Hospital, the Bronx. His research interests include computer-assisted communication for critically ill, nonverbal patients; tactical medical support for law enforcement; traumatic amputations; falls from NYC bridges; pedestrian injuries; and recidivism in trauma patients. A police surgeon for the U.S. Secret Service in NY, he is an honorary police surgeon for the NYPD.
Giuseppe Militello, MD, has joined dermatology as assistant professor of clinical dermatology. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he completed his dermatology residency there, where he was chief resident. Dr. Militello’s interests are in allergic contact dermatology, skin cancer, and general dermatology.
Vivek Moitra, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, critical care anesthesia division. His residency training was at University of Chicago Hospital, and his fellowship training in the P&S anesthesiology department.
Oliver Panzer, MD, joins as assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, critical care anesthesia division. He did his residency at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital and fellowship training in P&S anesthesiology.
Ferne R. Pomerantz, MD, assistant professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine, is director of spinal cord injury rehabilitation at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, N.Y. Dr. Pomerantz was medical director for physical medicine and rehabilitation at Westchester Medical Center. She held previous positions at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Elmhurst General Hospital Center. Her MD degree is from the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.
Inna Postolov, MD, has been named assistant professor of clinical radiology in pediatric radiology and body MRI, following five years of residency and fellowship training at Columbia. An undergraduate at Cornell, she earned her medical degree at SUNY Stony Brook and interned at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.
Neil Ray, MD, is a new assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesia division. His residency training was at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and his fellowship training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Moira Rynn, MD, has joined psychiatry as assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and deputy director of the child and adolescent psychiatry division, with special responsibility for clinical intervention research. She comes from the University of Pennsylvania. A psychopharmacologist who has studied treatment of anxiety disorders in children, she is directing the operations core of our NIMH-funded Child Psychiatry Advanced Center for Intervention and Services Research.
Peter Santogade, MD, has joined medicine in the division of digestive and liver diseases as an assistant clinical professor of medicine, based primarily at the Allen Pavilion. A NYC native, he has returned from Greensboro, NC, where he chaired the GI service of the Moses Cone Hospital System. Board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology, he is an AOA graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School and completed his residency, chief residency, and fellowship at St. Luke’s in NYC where he later served as the director of the GI fellowship program.
Peter Schlossberg, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of radiology in the interventional radiology division. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine before completing an internship in internal medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. He served as chief resident during a radiology residency at St. Vincent's Medical Center, NYC, and completed a vascular-interventional fellowship at NYU, where he remained for eight years. Most recently, he was at the Miami International Cardiology Consultants group.
Monica Tadros, MD, is assistant professor of clinical otolaryngology/head & neck surgery and director of facial plastic surgery education. An MIT graduate, she earned her MD from Thomas Jefferson Medical College and trained in otolaryngology-head & neck surgery at Georgetown. She completed dual fellowships in cranial base surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at Roosevelt Hospital, NYC. Dr. Tadros addresses complex disorders of the nose, sinuses, and face, providing aesthetic reconstruction tailored to individual patients.
Carlos Tulla, MD, assistant clinical professor of radiology, is based at Lawrence Hospital. Previously on faculty at NYU and Mt. Sinai, he was chief of special procedures and interventional radiology at Bronx VA and Manhattan VA, where he also completed an interventional and vascular radiology fellowship. Dr. Tulla earned his medical degree at University of Puerto Rico medical school and completed a radiology residency there.
Debra Tupe, MPH, has joined rehabilitation medicine as assistant professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine in occupational therapy. Her expertise is pediatrics. She directs the OT international service learning/consultation program. A Columbia OT graduate, she received her MPH in international health from NY Medical College.
Nehal Vadhan, PhD, is an assistant professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry and research scientist III, human substance use research center. His collaborative research involves the long-term and acute effects of substance abuse on cognitive function, and neuropsychiatric differences between treatment seekers and nontreatment seekers.
William Whang, MD, has joined the cardiology division as assistant professor of clinical medicine. His specialty is electrophysiology. After earning an MD from P&S and an MS in health policy from Mailman, he completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at NYPH, followed by cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Eric Wilkens, MD, is an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, cardiothoracic anesthesia division. His residency and fellowship training were at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
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Instructors
Monica Altman, MD, has joined the department of medicine, Allen Division, as an instructor in clinical medicine. She received her BS and MD degrees from Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador and completed residency training in internal medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard teaching hospital. She will be a provider in the NYPH ambulatory care network.
Cyrus Boquin, MD, MPH, has joined the department of medicine, Allen Division, as an instructor in clinical medicine and will be a provider in the NYPH ambulatory care network. He received his BA from Harvard University, MPH from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and MD from the University of Michigan Medical School. He also completed a residency in the social medicine program of internal medicine at Montefiore Medical Center.
Mariano Brizzio, MD, joined the department of surgery as instructor in clinical surgery in the affiliated cardiac surgery program at Valley Hospital in New Jersey. He received his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires and did a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.
Angela R. Dempsey-Fanning, MD, is an instructor in clinical obstetrics & gynecology. She is in the family planning division doing a 2-year fellowship funded by the Buffet Foundation. Dr. Dempsey-Fanning received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. She completed a 4-year residency in ob/gyn at the University of Colorado Health Science Center in June 2006.
Michelle Denburg, MD, has joined pediatric oncology as an instructor in clinical pediatrics and serves as a hospitalist for the inpatient pediatric oncology, hematology and bone marrow transplant unit in CHONY. A graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College, she completed her residency in pediatrics at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.
Monica V. Dragoman, MD, is an instructor in clinical obstetrics & gynecology. She is in the family planning division, currently doing a 2-year fellowship funded by the Buffet Foundation. She graduated from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo and completed a 4-year residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Geoffrey Dube, MD, has been appointed instructor in clinical medicine, nephrology division. Dr. Dube received his MD degree from the College of Physicians & Surgeons. After completing internship and residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he returned to Columbia as a nephrology fellow. He is now the newest member of the renal transplant service.
Rachel J. Gordon, MD, has joined the infectious diseases division as an instructor in clinical medicine. A graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Mailman, she completed both her residency and fellowship training in infectious diseases at CUMC/NYPH. Her research interests include the molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcal colonization and disease as well as Staphylococcal pathogenesis.
Tanvi Kamdar, MD, is a new instructor in clinical pediatrics in the neonatology division. A graduate of Texas Medical School at Houston, she completed her internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Boston. She will serve as house physician in the neonatal intensive care unit at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital/NYP.
Maureen Kim, MD, has joined the neonatology division as an instructor in clinical pediatrics. A graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she completed internship and residency at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. She will be a house physician in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital/NYP.
Arlene R. King, PhD, has joined psychiatry as instructor in clinical psychiatry-behavioral medicine. Previously a research fellow at Long Island University, Brooklyn, she recently completed a postdoc in epidemiology at Columbia. Her predoctoral clinical internship at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology was followed by receipt of a PhD in psychology from UC Berkeley.
Michelle Lee, MD, has joined medicine as an instructor of clinical medicine. She works with Dr. Judith Korner at the Weight Control Center and also sees neuroendocrine patients. Her research interests lie in hypothalamic obesity and the neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance. Dr. Lee completed her residency training at Yale and her endocrinology fellowship here at Columbia University Medical Center.
John Mariani, MD, an instructor in clinical psychiatry, psychiatrist I, serves as medical director for STARS (Substance Treatment and Research Service), a primary clinical research program located at both 168th Street and a satellite site at 58th Street in Manhattan. Current protocols and treatment studies involve problems with cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and alcohol, as well as cognitive studies.
Mary Anne Nidiry, MD, MBA, has joined the department of medicine, Allen Division, as an instructor in clinical medicine. She will be a provider in the NYPH ambulatory care network and will serve as the medical director at the Charles B. Rangel Community Health Center. Dr. Nidiry received her BA from Johns Hopkins University, MD from George Washington University, and MBA from Johns Hopkins School of Business. She completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
Susan A. Olender, MD, has joined the infectious diseases division as an instructor in clinical medicine. An NYU School of Medicine graduate, she completed her residency at CUMC/NYPH and her post-residency training as a Nicholas Rango HIV Clinical Scholar. Her research interest is in HIV Primary care infection.
Wilmo Orejola, MD, is a new instructor in clinical surgery in the affiliate cardiac surgery program at Valley Hospital in New Jersey. Dr. Orejola received his medical degree from the Cebu Institute of Medicine in the Philippines and did a fellowship in cardiovascular surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey.
Neala Rafizadeh, MD, instructor in clinical psychiatry, has joined the McKeen unit, adult psychiatry division. She graduated from MIT and Case Western Reserve medical school and completed a residency in psychiatry at Weill Cornell in 2006.
Christine Hsu Rohde, MD, a new instructor in clinical surgery, plastic surgery division, graduated from Harvard Medical School and did a general surgery internship and residency at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston. She completed a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at Montefiore Medical Center and was a microsurgery fellow at NYU Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. Dr. Rohde’s clinical specialties are plastic and reconstructive surgery, microsurgery, cancer reconstruction, post-bariatric plastic surgery, aesthetic surgery, and trauma reconstruction. Her research interests are microsurgical innovation, post-bariatric body contouring, and clinical outcomes.
Rosemary Sampogna, MD, PhD, has been appointed instructor in clinical medicine, nephrology division. Dr. Sampogna received her PhD from Columbia, working with Barry Honig in biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and then her MD degree from P&S. After internship and residency in internal medicine at NYPH/Columbia, she completed her nephrology fellowship at UC San Diego and then served as associate physician in nephrology. She returns to Columbia to work with Dr. Qais Al-Awqati on the characterization of stem cells in the adult kidney.
Benjamin Unger, MD, is a new instructor in anesthesiology, general anesthesia division. His residency training was at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.
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MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
John Rowe, MD, chairman and CEO of Aetna Inc. from 2000 to 2006, has been named a professor of health policy & management. From 1988 to 2000, Dr. Rowe served as president of Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine and then president/CEO of the combined Mount Sinai NYU Health. Earlier, he was professor of medicine and founding director of the division on aging at Harvard Medical School and chief of gerontology at Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Rowe has authored more than 200 scientific publications, chiefly on the physiology of aging, including a textbook on geriatric medicine and recent health policy publications. His research and policy efforts on care of the elderly have garnered many awards. Dr. Rowe directed the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Aging and currently leads the foundation’s Initiative on an Aging Society.
Yuanjia Wang, PhD, has joined us as assistant professor of biostatistics. Dr. Wang’s main research interest is statistical genetics with a focus on high-dimensional data analysis. She works on developing efficient statistical methods and data mining tools to analyze the high throughput data routinely generated for genetics and genomics via recent advances in technology. Her other research interests include semi-parametric inference and functional data analysis.
Patrick Wilson, PhD, is a new assistant professor of sociomedical sciences who uses psychology to explore health-related behaviors and effective strategies for prevention and intervention in at-risk populations. Dr. Wilson’s work examines psychological, sociological, and environmental factors that may place minorities at greater risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and poor mental health. His research considers the roles of social networks, discrimination, and ethnic and sexual identity in predicting risk-behavior among ethnic minority men having sex with men (MSM).
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SCHOOL OF NURSING
Assistant Professors Eileen Evanina, MS, PhD(c), CRNA, has joined as assistant professor of clinical nursing and director of the nurse anesthesia program. Ms. Evanina received a BSN and MSN from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and is a PhD candidate at NYU College of Nursing. She received the Agatha Hodgins Award for outstanding graduate nurse anesthetist at Mercy Hospital School of Anesthesia in Scranton, Pa. A member of Sigma Theta Tau, she was elected a fellow in the clinical research scholars program of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Hoechst Marion Roussel Inc.
Haomiao Jia, PhD, is an assistant professor of clinical biostatistics (in nursing). He will collaborate with faculty on research grant submissions and teach a graduate level biostatistics course that is a prerequisite for DNSc students taking advanced statistical courses. Dr. Jia has a joint appointment with Mailman Department of Biostatistics.
Ellen Levine, MS, C-PNP, is an assistant clinical professor of nursing and assistant director of the combined BS/MS program. She received a BS in nursing from Mercy College and a MS from our School of Nursing. She is a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practice (NAPNAP).
Marlene McHugh, MS, DrNP(c), FNP-C is assistant professor of clinical nursing and a member of the family nurse practitioner program. A DrNP candidate here, she received a BS and MS from our School of Nursing. Ms. McHugh received fellowship training and a certificate in pain and palliative care from Beth Israel Medical Center. She co-developed and is associate director of the Palliative Care Services at Montefiore Medical Center, where she is an inpatient clinician. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau.
Paula Pillone, MS, P/MH NP-C, is assistant professor of clinical nursing and a member of the psych-mental health program. She received a BSN from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City and an MS from our School of Nursing.
Kristine Takamiya, MS, APN-C, is an assistant professor of clinical nursing and a CAPNA nurse practitioner. She received a BS in nursing from the University of Rochester and an MS in nursing from Columbia. A DrNP candidate here, Ms. Takamiya is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Instructors
Laura Ardizzone, MS, DrNP(c), CRNA, is an instructor of clinical nursing and placement director for the nurse anesthesia program. A DrNP candidate here, she earned a BSN at the University of Pennsylvania and an MS from our School of Nursing.
Will Enlow, MS, DrNP(c), CRNA, is an instructor of clinical nursing and assistant director of the nurse anesthesia program. A DrNP candidate here, he received a BSN from the University of Maryland and an MS from our School of Nursing. Mr. Enlow is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and was a senator in the Columbia University Senate. He is a member of the American and NYAssociations of Nurse Anesthetists.
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COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE
Roseanna Graham, DDS, has been appointed assistant professor of clinical dentistry, focusing on preclinical and clinical predoctoral programs. Dr. Graham received a DDS here and an MA from Columbia Teachers College in science education. She completed a general practice residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
George Jenkins, DMD, joins as assistant professor of clinical dentistry. His focus is teaching and clinical supervision in the College’s triage unit. Dr. Jenkins earned a DMD from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ and did a general practice residency and clinical fellowship in oral medicine there. He and two friends from Newark created the Three Doctors Foundation (www.threedoctorsfoundation.org), which encourages inner city youths to pursue professional careers. The three have produced three books and will be featured in an upcoming documentary.
Rinku Saini, DDS, assistant professor of clinical dentistry, was awarded the DDS degree from CDM then completed a general practice residency at the UCLA-affiliated VA Medical Center in Sepulveda, Calif. Dr. Saini will provide patient care and supervise residents in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at CDM’s Morningside practice and patient care at the Community Dentcare site.
Raquel Silvera, DMD, assistant professor of clinical dentistry, received a DMD from the University of Pennsylvania after earning a dental degree in Venezuela. She completed a general practice residency at NYP. Dr. Silvera will see patients at the DentCare, Columbia Dental North, and Thelma Adair practice sites.
Dana Wolf, DMD, assistant professor of clinical dentistry, became director of the pre-doctoral program in periodontics in 2006. Dr. Wolf received her DMD from Harvard School of Dental Medicine and completed the postdoctoral program in periodontics here.
Angela Yoon, DDS, has joined the oral and maxillofacial pathology and oral medicine programs as assistant professor of dentistry. Besides teaching and clinical practice, Dr. Yoon will pursue research in oral cancer. She earned a DDS and completed postgraduate training in oral pathology here.
Candice Zemnick, DMD, has been appointed assistant professor of clinical dentistry and director of predoctoral prosthodontics. After being awarded the DMD degree from Tufts University, Dr. Zemnick completed postdoctoral training at Columbia. She earned a master’s degree after completing our prosthodontics program and recently completed the certificate program in maxillofacial prosthodontics.
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