CUMC Celebrates: 2014-2015, Issue 4

CUMC Celebrates 2015/2016 Issue 1

CUMC CELEBRATES acknowledges faculty, staff, and students at Columbia University Medical Center who receive major research grants, who earn prestigious honors, who are elected to honorary societies, or who take leadership positions in professional organizations. Celebrates also gratefully acknowledges the gifts made by donors and friends of the Medical Center and highlights faculty who have appeared in the news recently. If you have an award or honor that you would like to have listed in Celebrates, please fill out this online form. Please note: all federal grants are automatically included based on institutional data provided by Sponsored Projects Administration. For more information, send an e-mail to the Celebrates editor. Click on the image at right to print this issue.

Research Grants / Awards & Honors / Philanthropic Gifts /CUMC in the News  

RESEARCH GRANTS

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Cory Abate-Shen, PhD, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, received $1,660,000 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Molecular Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Metastasis.”

Domenico Accili, MD, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, received $255,926 over one year from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “Epgenetic, Protein, and Cellular Biomarkers of Beta Cell Function in T1D.”

Efrat Aharonovich, PhD, Psychiatry, received $972,889 over five years from the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene for “DSM-IV and DSM-5 Alcohol/Substance Disorders: Reliability, Validity in NESARC-III.”

Kwame Anyane-Yeboa, MD, Pediatrics, received $250,000 over five years from the New York State Department of Health for “Provision of Prenatal and Clinical Genetic Counseling Services.”

Ottavio Arancio, MD, PhD, Taub Institute, and Russell Nicholls, PhD, Taub Institute, received $1,698,754 over five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “The Regulations of Beta-Amyloid Sensitivity and Alzheimer’s Related Impairments by PP2A.”

Jahar Bhattacharya, MD, DPhil, Medicine, received $1,758,568 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Mitochondrial Dynamics in Acute Lung Injury.”

Andrea Califano, PhD, Systems Biology, received $624,236 over two years from the National Cancer Institute for “Integrative Analysis Genomic and Proteomic Data From the Cancer Genome Atlas.”

Frederick Chang, MD, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, received $1,577,496 over four years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for “Regulation of Microtubule Dynamics.”

Lauren Chernick, MD, Pediatrics, received $277,289 over 30 months from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Optimizing Youth Suicide Risk Screening in the Emergency Department.”

Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, Pediatrics, received $785,466 over two years from Biogen Idec for “Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.”

Remi Creusot, PhD, Center for Translational Immunology, received $440,000 over two years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Tolerance Inducing Properties of Human Dendritic Cell Subsets in Vivo.”

Jeanine Marie D’Armiento, MD, PhD, Anesthesiology, received $600,000 over three years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Targeting Matrix Metalloproteinases to Limit Immunopathology in Airborne Infection.”

Karina Davidson, PhD, Medicine, received $1,049,742 over three years from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for “Engaging Stakeholders in Building Patient-Centered N-of-1 Randomized and Other Controlled Trial Methods.” She also received $401,363 over two years from the New York State Department of Health for “Innovation Center for Improving 30-Day Readmission and Patient Satisfaction: HPR iSCRIPT Center.”

Richard Joseph Deckelbaum, MD, Institute of Human Nutrition, and Vadim Ten, MD, Pediatrics, received $1,750,000 over five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Omega-3 Fatty Acids Acute Neuroprotection via Mitochondria.”

Don DesJarlais, PhD, Psychiatry, received $2,500,000 over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse’s Avant-Garde Award for HIV/AIDS research for “Combined Prevention to Reduce Initiation into Injecting Drug Use.”

Jeffrey Edwards, MD, Pediatrics, received $497,451 over four years from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for “Decisions Around Chronic Ventilation for Children with Life-Limiting Conditions.”

Chaitany Divgi, MD, Radiology, received $256,541 over one year from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Antecedents of Suicidal Behavior-Related Neurobiology.”

Dietrich Egli, PhD, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, received $403,400 over three years from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for the Helmsley Trust Diabetes Cell Repository.

Jennifer Elliott, PhD, Psychiatry, received $930,960 over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for “Understanding and Intervening with Heavy Drinking Among Patients with HIV and HCV.”

Susan Essock, PhD, Psychiatry, received $269,107 over five years from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration for “Improving Life Trajectories for Youth with Early Psychosis.”

Donna Farber, PhD, Surgery, received $1,592,052, over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Lung Resident Niches for Memory CD4 T Cells.”

Daniel Freedberg, MD, Medicine, received $270,000 over three years from the AGA Foundation for “Clinical and Gut Microbiome Factors Associated with ICU-Acquired Infections.”

Dympna Gallagher, EdD, Medicine, received $675,987 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Ripple Effect of Lifestyle Intervention During Pregnancy on Partner’s Weight.”

Ali Gharavi, MD, Medicine, received $267,577 over two years from the New York State Department of Health for “A Personalized Genomic Medicine Program for Kidney Diseases.”

Robin Goland, MD, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, received $1,250,499 over three years from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International for “JDRF Strategic Research Agreement (SRA) - Clinical Investigation of Efficacy of Taurourodeoxycholic Acid (TUDCA) to Enhance Pancreatic Beta Cell Survival In Type 1 Diabetes by Reducing ER Stress.” Dr. Goland also received $394,792 over one year from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “NIDDK Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Data Coordinating Center.”

David Goldstein, PhD, Institute for Genomic Medicine, received $528,173 over three years from Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy for “CURE Epilepsy Genetics Repository (EGI).”

Jacqueline Gottlieb, PhD, Neuroscience, received $300,000 over three years from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience for “Population Dynamics Encoding Uncertainty and Reward in the Fronto-Parietal Cortex.”

Rebecca Haeusler, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, received $2,000,000 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Insulin Action, Reverse Cholesterol Transport, and HDL Function.”

Neil Harrison, PhD, Pharmacology, and Steven Siegelbaum, PhD, Neuroscience, received $1,865,519 over five years from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for “Prefrontal Cortex and Adolescent Binge Drinking: Role of HCN Channels.”

Dawn Hershman, MD, Medicine, received $582,105 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “SWOG NCORP Research Base.” She also received $250,000 over one year from the Avon Foundation for “Breast Cancer Access to Care and Disparities Research Program” in a competitive renewal.

George Hripcsak, MD, Biomedical Informatics, received $473,600 over two years from Janssen Research & Development for “Observational Healthcare Data Sciences and Informatics.”

Thomas Jessell, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, received $497,250 over three years from Project ALS for “Exploring Spinal Interneuron Circuitry in ALS.”

Laura Johnston, PhD, Genetics & Development, received $1,639,740 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “An Innate System for Detection of Aberrant Tissue Growth.”

Kevin Kalinsky, MD, Medicine, received $250,000 over two years from the Hope Foundation for “Master Regulator Analysis to Prioritize Testing of Patient-Derived Xenografts to Identify Effective Precision Treatments for Patients with Residual Disease After Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Chemotherapy.”

Denise Kandel, PhD, Psychiatry, received $1,704,164 over four years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for “Prescription Drug Use in the U.S. Population: Gateway Effects and Family Patterns.”

Robert Kass, PhD, Pharmacology, received $2,000,000 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Mitochondrial Dynamics in Acute Lung Injury.”

Mazen Kheirbek, PhD, Psychiatry, received $846,619 over one year from the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health for “2-Photon Microscope for in Vivo Functional Imaging of Neuronal Circuits.”

Louise Kuhn, PhD, Sergievsky Center, received $998,103 over two years for “Improving Specificity of HPV Screen-and-Treat in South Africa.”

Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, Pediatrics, received $382,800 over two years from the National Cancer Institute for “Leveraging in Vivo Models to Identify Epigenetic Vulnerabilities in Leukemia.”

Elena Ladas, PhD, Institute of Human Nutrition, received $729,000 over five years from the American Cancer Society for “Dietary Intake and Obesity in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.”

Philip Salvatore LaRussa, MD, Pediatrics, received $467,884 over five years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for “Columbia University CISA Center.”

Rudolph Leibel, MD, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, received $300,000 over two years from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for “To Functionally Evaluate Possible Disease-Causing Variants Identified in WES/WGS to Determine Pathogenicity of Rare Variants and Disease Mechanism.”

Attila Losonczy, MD, PhD, Neuroscience, received $480,000 over two years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Towards a Complete Description of the Circuitry Underlying Memory Replay.”

John Mann, MD, Psychiatry received $849,677 over four years from National Institute of Mental Health for “Serotonin 1A Receptor PET Imaging and SSRI Outcome in Bipolar Depression.”

Richard Mann, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, received $583,183 over three years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Functional Mapping of Pathways for Sensory-Motor Integration.” He also received $1,340,023 over three years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for “Proximo-Distal Patterning in the Drosophila Appendages” in a competitive renewal.

Steven Marx, MD, Medicine, received $1,066,958 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Calmodulin Regulation of Na+ Channels in Neurons and Cardiomyocytes.”

Richard Paul Mayeux, MD, Sergievsky Center, received $1,234,598 over four years from the National Institute on Aging for “Consortium for Alzheimer’s Sequence Analysis (CASA) Project 2.”

George Mentis, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, received $332,786 over two and a half years from the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation for “H-Reflex as an Assay for Improvement of Motor Outcome in a Mouse Model of SMA Following in Vivo Treatment with the SMN-C3 Compound.”

Thomas Nickolas, MD, Medicine, received $379,545 over four years from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “Incidence and Implications of Subclinical Kidney Injury with Tenofovir-Based PrEP.”

Gilbert Di Paolo, PhD, Taub Institute, received $580,062 over two years from Project ALS for “Identification of Lipid Biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.”

Xavier Pi-Sunyer, MD, Medicine, received $321,445 over one year from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “DPPOS Follow-up.”

Boris Reizis, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, received $1,640,000 over five years from the National Institute on Aging for “Dissecting the Aging of Endogenous Hematopoietic Stem Cells by In Vivo Genetic Tracing.”

Reuben Robbins, PhD, Psychiatry, received $471,056 over two years from the National Institute of Nursing Research for “Improving HIV Care with mHealth Tools: An App to Detect Neurocognitive Impairment.”

Cory Root, PhD, Neuroscience, under the mentorship of Richard Axel, MD, Neuroscience, received $351,108 over two years from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders for “Experience-Dependent Modulation of Innate Neural Circuits.”

Robert Schwabe, MD, Medicine, received $1,798,756 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Hepatic Stellate Cells and Liver Cancer.”

Lawrence Schwartz, MD, Radiology, received $487,655 over three years from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health for “Vol-PACT: Volumetric CT, Improving Metrics for Phase II Analysis of Clinical Trial Results.” He also received $339,596 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Operations Center.”

Michael Shen, PhD, Medicine, received $314,660 over two years from the Prostate Cancer Foundation for “Targeting Genomic Instability in SPOP Mutant Prostate Cancer.”

Daichi Shimbo, MD, Medicine, received $573,369 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research in Human Hypertension.”

Neil Shneider, MD, PhD, Neurology, received $322,583 over five months from the New York State Department of Health for “Shared Resources Support for SCI Research at the Columbia Motor Neuron Center.”

Hans-Willem Snoeck, MD, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, received $600,000 over one year from the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health for “BD Biosciences Influx.”

Susan Faye Steinberg, MD, Pharmacology, received $2,229,992 over one year from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “District Protein Kinase C-Delta Signaling Modes in Cardiomyocytes.”

Alan Tall, MD, Medicine, received $1,600,000 over four years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “TTC39B in Metabolism.”

Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, MD, PhD, Medicine, received $2,008,492 over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Carbapenem-Resistant Bacterial Colonization and Infection in Liver Transplant.”

Harris Wang, PhD, Systems Biology, received $700,000 over four years from the National Science Foundation for “A Systems Approach to Study Horizontal Acquisition of Regulatory DNA.”

Ronald Wapner, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology, received $752,490 over five years from the March of Dimes for “March of Dimes Transdisciplinary Research Center for Preterm Birth at the University of Pennsylvania.”

Hynek Wichterle, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, received $433,334 over two years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Stable Silencing of Spinal Motor Neuron Enhancers by Transiently Expressed NKX2.2.”

Shan Zha, MD, PhD, Institute for Cancer Genetics, received $1,660,000 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “DNA-PKCS Phosphorylation in DNA Repair and Chromosomal Translocations.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

David Frost, PhD, Population & Family Health, received $294,596 over four years from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for “Identity Stress and Health in Three Cohorts of Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals.”

Le Minh Giang, MD, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, received $254,121 over two years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for “The Family as Recovery Capital for HIV Infected Male Injection Drug Users in Vietnam.”

Ian Lipkin, MD, Infection & Immunity, received $2,803,357 over two years from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for “Technical Cooperation in Diagnosis and Surveillance of Zoonotic Diseases.” He also received $350,000 over one year from Google for “Rapid Differential Diagnosis of Hemorrhagic Fever.”

 L.H. Lumey, MD, PhD, Epidemiology, received $506,291 over six months from the National Institute on Aging for “Prenatal Under Nutrition and Mortality Through Age 63 Project.”

Rachel Moresky, MD, Population & Family Health, received $670,000 over 29 months from the General Electric Foundation for “CPAP lll Program: Kenya and Rwanda.” She also received $290,278 over one year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for “Human Resources for Health, Rwanda.”

Peter Muennig, MD, Health Policy & Management, received $454,721 over two years from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for “An Expanded Dataset to Study Psychosocial Influences on Health Disparities.”

Jeffrey Shaman, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, received $2,687,144 over four years from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for “Developing Real-Time Forecasts of Infectious Diseases.”

Sheila Smith, PhD, National Center for Children in Poverty, received $555,000 over three years from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a “Program-Based Model for Early Care and Education Continuous Quality Improvement.”

Lindsay Stark, DrPH, Population & Family Health, received $581,954 over three years from the Department for International Development for “Creating a Space, Raising a Voice: Protecting and Empowering Girls in Humanitarian Crises.”

Shakira Suglia, PhD, Epidemiology, received $3,804,031 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Childhood Adversity and Cardiovascular Health among Puerto Rican Youth.”

Deliang Tang, MD, DrPH, Environmental Health Sciences, received $1,043,204 over four years from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for “A Nested Case-Control Study of Prostate Carcinogenesis” in a competitive renewal.

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Yiping Han, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, and Timothy C. Wang, MD, Medicine, received $2,089,760 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Fusobacterium Nucleatum-Mediated Stimulation of Colorectal Cancer: Mechanistic Studies.”

AWARDS & HONORS

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

The following CUMC scientists were named to Thomson Reuter’s list of most-cited scientists. Read more.

Provost’s Grants for Junior Faculty Who Contribute to the Diversity Goals of the University were given to the following faculty:

  •  Sara Abiola, PhD, Mailman, Health Policy and Management, “Do Stronger Gun Violence Prevention Laws Promote Healthier Communities? Exploring the Relationship Between Health Outcomes and Firearms Legislation Funding, Implementation & Enforcement”
  • Adriana Arcia, PhD, Nursing, “Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Maternity Education Platform”
  • Jenny K. Rodriguez Francis, MD, Pediatrics, “Hispanic Adolescents and Parent Discordance about Reproductive Health Trials”
  • Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, MD, Pediatrics, “The Impact of Physical Activity Level on Environmental and Epigenetic Mechanisms in Asthma”
  • Clarissa Waites, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, “The Role of Ubiquitination in Neurotransmitter Release”
  • Elaine Wan, MD, Medicine, “Understanding Gender Differences in Atrial Fibrillation Using a Novel Transgenic Mouse Model”
  • Ai Yamamoto, PhD, Neurology, “The Role of Selective Macroautophagy in Neurodegeneration”

Sandra Harris, Government & Community Affairs, was honored at the fifth annual National Urban Health Conference Gala Awards Reception on April 23 by the Health Committee of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

The following faculty and staff were presented with P&S Awards for Excellence, which are given annually to exceptional College of Physicians & Surgeons employees in recognition of their outstanding performance and contributions.

 Community Service Award of Excellence

Diversity Award of Excellence

Officer of Administration Managerial Award

  • Dionida Ryce, Pharmacology and Physiology & Cellular Biophysics

Officer of Administration Professional/Administrative Award

Officer of Research Award of Excellence

  • Eric Ho, Pathology & Cell Biology

The following three investigators were selected to receive 2015 Young Investigator Awards from the Conquer Cancer Foundation and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

On P&S Student Research Day, the following six students were recognized for research excellence.

Scholarly Projects

  • Ellie Coromilas ’15, “The Influence of Hospital and Surgeon Factors on the Prevalence of Axillary Evaluation in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ” (adviser: Dawn Hershman, MD, Medicine)
  • Margo Lederhandler ’15, “Increasing Mupirocin Resistance in Pediatric Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections in New York: A Genomic Approach” (advisers: Christine Lauren, MD, Dermatology, and Paul Planet, MD, Pediatrics)

Research-Year Projects 

  • Christina Del Guzzo ’16, “CD200 as a Molecular Marker and Therapeutic Target for High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma” (adviser: David Owens, PhD, Dermatology)
  • Elizabeth Robinson ’16, “Ajulemic Acid, a Novel Cannabinoid, Suppresses the Secretion of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Interferon Alpha from the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Dermatomyositis Patients In Vitro” (adviser: Victoria Worth, MD, University of Pennsylvania) 

MD/PhD Projects

  • Tiffany Guo ’17, “A Smartphone Dongle for the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases at the Point of Care” (adviser: Samuel Sia, PhD, Biomedical Engineering)
  • Sam Vidal ’17, “A Targetable GATA2-IGF2 Axis Confers Aggressiveness in Lethal Prostate Cancer” (adviser: Carlos Cordon-Cardo, MD, PhD, Mount Sinai Medical Center)

The 2015 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholarships were presented to the following four faculty members. This program selects outstanding young P&S physician-scientists to conduct translational research.

Four P&S research scientists were selected as Schaefer Research Scholars. The program supports research scientists whose work focuses on human physiology.

  • Joji Fujisaki, MD, PhD, Pediatrics, “The Immune Privilege of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche”
  • Ellen A. Lumpkin, PhD, Dermatology, “How Do Mechanosensory Neurons Work in Concert with Epidermal Cells to Encode Tactile Information?”
  • Rony Paz, PhD, visiting scholar, Psychiatry, “Common Neural Representations of Fear States Across Model Systems”
  • Paul Roesch, PhD, visiting professor, Microbiology & Immunology, “Similarities and Differences of Bacterial and Human Transcription: Translation Coupling Systems”

At the Eastern-Atlantic Student Research Forum, two students received awards.

  • Sherry Yan, first place, Outstanding Clinical Science Poster Presentation Award for “The Effects of β-Adrenergic Antagonists on Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Lung Cancers”
  • Kelly Diaz, second place, Outstanding Clinical Science Poster Presentation Award for “Staphylococcus Aureus Promotes Pro-Osteoclastogenic Cytokine Production in Murine Osteoblast Precursor Cells.”

Julian A. Abrams, MD, Medicine, received the 2014 AGA-June & Donald O. Castell, MD, Esophageal Clinical Research Award from the American Gastroenterological Association to complete a clinical trial of a novel agent aimed at chemoprevention in patients with Barrett’s esophagus.

Mary Regina Boland was awarded the Distinguished Student Paper Award at the 2015 American Medical Informatics Association Translational Summit.

Adam Castano, MD, received a postdoctoral clinical fellowship from the American College of Cardiology to support research on cardiovascular disease and cardiometabolic disorders.

David Corrigan was awarded a three-year individual predoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health in support of “the Role of PRDM16 in Leukemia,” which he is working on under the mentorship of Hans-Willem Snoeck, MD, PhD.

Monica GoldKlang, MD, Medicine, was awarded the American Thoracic Society’s TS Foundation/Alpha-1 Foundation Research Grant.

Oswaldo Hasbún Avalos ’17 was awarded a 2015 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

Un Jung Kang, MD, Neurology, has been elected a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Members are chosen for leadership in the science and care of Parkinson’s disease as well as their dedication to improving the lives and futures of people touched by Parkinson’s disease.

Benjamin Lebwohl, MD, Medicine, was given an AGA Research Scholar Award by the American Gastroenterological Association for “Risk Factors For Celiac Disease and the Health Effects of Gluten.”

Jon A. Levenson, MD, Psychiatry, received the 2014 Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents from the American Psychiatric Association.

Andrew Marks, MD, Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, delivered the 2015 Ulf von Euler Lecture, titled “Towards a Structural Basis of Complex Disorders of Heart, Muscle and Brain.”

Harold Alan Pincus, MD, Psychiatry, was selected to receive the 2015 Research Mentorship Award by the American Association of Chairs of Psychiatry and American Psychiatric Association for contributions to the career development of young investigators. The award will be presented at the Early Research Career Breakfast at the 2015 APA annual meeting in May.

Yvonne Saenger, MD, Medicine, was profiled by “The Scientist” as an “immunotherapy pioneer.”

Kashif O. Smith ’17 received a 2014 AGA Student Research Fellowship Award from the American Gastroenterological Association to support research to characterize the cellular and immunologic differences between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Madeleine Sharp, PhD, Neurology, was awarded a Paul Janssen Fellowship in Translational Neuroscience Research in support of her project, “Long-Term Consequences of the Off State in Parkinson’s Disease.” Dr. Sharp is mentored by Un Kang, MD, Neurology, and Daphna Shohamy, PhD, Psychology.

Ira Tabas, MD, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, was awarded a 2015 Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award for his project, “Targeting a New Pathway Common to Diabetes and Atherosclerosis.” These awards are given to support promising drug discovery efforts at renowned institutions across the nation.

Harris Wang, PhD, Systems Biology, was selected as a 2015 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Computational & Evolutionary Molecular Biology. The Sloan Research Fellowships recognize early-career scientists from the United States and Canada.

Katherine Xu, GSAS ’20 is the recipient of a three-year individual predoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health in support of “The Role of the Kidney in Iron Balance,” which she is working on under the mentorship of Jonathan Barasch, MD, PhD.

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Frederica Perera, DrPH, PhD, Center for Children’s Environmental Health, was awarded the second annual Jean and Leslie Douglas Pearl Award by the Cornell Douglas Foundation for her pioneering work in the field of molecular epidemiology.

Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, was guest editor of “Innovations in Public Health Education,” a special online supplement of the American Journal of Public Health. She was chosen for this role in recognition of her leadership in the implementation of a pioneering curriculum for the MPH program at the Mailman School. She was also selected as the 2015 Lorraine and Ralph Lubin Distinguished Visiting Professor at Weill Cornell Medical Center, in recognition of her achievements in the field of epidemiology and as a role model for students.

Alfredo Morabia, MD, PhD, Epidemiology, was named editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Public Health, effective June 2015.

“Structural Approaches in Public Health,” co-edited by Sociomedical Sciences professors Marni Sommer, DrPh, and Richard Parker, PhD, was selected by the American Library Association as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2014.

Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH, Population & Family Health, was elected to the Society for Pediatric Research, which fosters research and career development for those engaged in the health and well being of children.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the AIA Foundation, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture named Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health and Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation as charter members of the AIA Design & Health Research Consortium. The initiative, led by Andrew Rundle, DrPH, Epidemiology, will help fund basic research on how design affects public health.

Miriam Laugesen, PhD, Health Policy & Management, won the American Political Science Association’s 2014 Leonard S. Robins Best Paper Award in the Health Politics and Policy Section for "Policy Complexity and Professional Capture."

Stephen S. Morse, PhD, Epidemiology, was appointed to the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity of the National Institutes of Health by Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Catherine Cohen was selected as a 2015 recipient of the Eastern Nursing Research Society/ Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science Dissertation Award by the Eastern Nursing Research Society.

Jennifer Dohrn, DNP, Global Initiatives, presented “Identifying Gaps in Clinical Nursing and Midwifery Research in African Countries: Making a Way Forward with Sustainable Mentorship,” at the Consortium of Universities in Global Health Sixth Annual Conference, Boston.

Amanda Hessels, PhD, was the keynote speaker at the Saint Clare’s Health System (Catholic Health Initiatives) Annual Nursing Research Conference in Denville. She presented “The Impact of Technology on the Delivery and Quality of Patient Care.”

Elaine Larson, PhD, was selected by the New York Academy of Medicine as the 2014 recipient of the Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Clinical Practice. Michelle Odlum, PhD, was selected as a delegate to the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations.

RECENT PHILANTHROPIC GIFTS

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

A family foundation made a $15,000,000 commitment to the Department of Neurology to advance research into the causes and progression of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

A donor made a $10,000,000 commitment to support the simulation center in the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A family made a $7,125,665 contribution to the Department of Psychiatry to establish and endow a center for alcohol and substance abuse at Columbia University Medical Center.

A donor made a contribution of $5,000,000 toward a $40,000,000 commitment to support programs at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.

A donor made contributions totaling $3,126,550 toward a $15,000,000 commitment to support faculty recruitment and provide operational support for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery’s laboratories.

A donor made a $3,000,000 contribution toward a $20,000,000 commitment to support construction of the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A bequest of $2,076,000 was realized, through the estate of a P&S alumna, to provide unrestricted support to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Donors made contributions totaling $2,000,900 in support of pediatric oncology at Columbia.

A contribution of $1,750,000 was made toward a $10,500,000 commitment to advance research into the mechanisms of brain and gut function, and the ways they are affected by nurture.

A contribution of $1,660,000 was made toward a $5,000,000 commitment to the Target ALS Fund.

A donor made contributions of $1,532,000 to provide professorship support to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and $200,000 to support faculty recruitment in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

A commitment of $1,500,000 was made to the Department of Psychiatry to advance research and clinical care in non-verbal learning disabilities in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

A donor made a $1,500,000 commitment to the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center to advance type 1 diabetes research.

An anonymous donor made a $1,250,000 contribution toward a $2,500,000 commitment to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to endow a professorship in women’s health.

A donor made a contribution of $1,250,000 toward a $2,500,000 commitment to provide professorship and scholarship support to the Division of Cardiology.

A donor made a $1,000,000 commitment to support the new Medical and Graduate Education Building and a contribution of $200,780 toward the commitment.

A donor made a $1,000,000 pledge to the Department of Neurology toward the recruitment of a physician-scientist to conduct research to better understand and treat neurological diseases in children.

A former faculty member made a $900,000 commitment to establish and endow a professorship in critical care anesthesiology.

A donor made a $500,000 contribution to advance research on lymphoma and other hematological cancers at the Center for Lymphoid Malignancies.

A foundation made a $700,000 contribution toward a $7,000,000 commitment to advance research at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain.

A corporation made a $600,000 contribution toward a $3,000,000 commitment to support construction of the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A donor made a contribution of $600,000 toward a $3,000,000 commitment to the Department of Psychiatry to advance research on the treatment and prevention of eating disorders.

A family foundation made a $500,000 contribution toward a $2,500,000 commitment to establish the Columbia University Health Sciences Communication Project to communicate the latest advances in health sciences to the public.

A family made a $500,000 contribution toward a $1,500,000 commitment to advance lung transplant research in the Center for Translational Immunology.

A contribution of $500,000 was made toward a commitment of $1,500,000 to advance alopecia areata research in the Department of Dermatology.

A donor made a $500,000 contribution toward a $1,000,000 commitment to the Division of Endocrinology to advance osteoporosis research and a $250,000 gift to support the campus revitalization initiative.

An alumnus of the College of Physicians and Surgeons made a $500,000 contribution toward a $1,000,000 commitment to support construction of the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A donor made a $500,000 gift to support the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A donor made a $500,000 pledge to the Department of Surgery to advance pancreatic cancer research at the Pancreas Center.

A donor made a $500,000 commitment to the Department of Ophthalmology to support research as part of its Scholars Program.

A donor made a $500,000 pledge to the Department of Ophthalmology to advance patient-specific stem cell research.

The Russell Berrie Foundation made a $485,000 contribution toward a $2,480,000 commitment to the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center to advance pilot research toward finding the causes and cures for diabetes.

A bequest of $440,730 was realized to provide scholarship support to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

A donor made a $400,000 contribution to complete a $2,000,000 commitment to support a professorship in women’s cancer research.

A foundation provided $390,000 in scholarship and fellowship support to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

A private foundation made a contribution of $353,000 toward a commitment of $828,000 to the Department of Medicine to advance research on the treatment and prevention of malaria.

A family foundation made a $325,000 commitment to the Department of Pediatrics to support the IFAP Global Health Program.

A donor made a $300,000 commitment to the Department of Neurology toward the recruitment of a senior physician-scientist in MS/neuro-immunology.

A foundation made a $300,000 pledge to the Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Neonatology and Perinatology to support the Neonatal Comfort Care Program.

A bequest of $250,000 was realized to provide professorship support to the Department of Dermatology.

A corporation made a $250,000 contribution to the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center to advance research on malignant and pre-malignant blood diseases.

A donor made a contribution of $250,000 to advance research at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain.

A gift of $250,000 from an anonymous donor was made to the Department of Neurological Surgery to support low-grade glioma research.

A donor made a gift of $203,447 to the Department of Neurology to advance Parkinson’s disease research in the Division of Movement Disorders.

A private foundation made a contribution of $201,150 toward an $811,000 commitment to the Department of Psychiatry to support a fellowship and advance research in domestic violence.

A foundation made a contribution of $200,000 toward a $3,150,000 commitment to the Department of Medicine to advance research on malignant mesothelioma.

A donor made a $200,000 contribution toward a $2,000,000 pledge to provide professorship support to the Department of Ophthalmology.

A family made a $200,000 contribution to complete a $1,000,000 commitment to support research, education, and patient care at the Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center at Columbia University Medical Center.

A family foundation made a contribution of $200,000 toward a $500,000 pledge to support the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A corporate foundation made a contribution of $200,000 to complete a $500,000 commitment to support our campus revitalization initiative.

A family foundation made a $200,000 gift to the Movement Disorders Division to advance Parkinson’s disease research.

A couple made a gift of $200,000 to advance research on lymphoma and other hematological cancers at the Center for Lymphoid Malignancies and a contribution of $200,000 to provide scholarship support for the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

A couple made a contribution of $172,500 toward a $1,380,000 commitment to the Department of Ophthalmology to advance research on latent retina dystrophies.

A donor made a gift of $150,000 toward a $500,000 pledge to advance research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A donor made a $150,000 commitment to the Department of Ophthalmology to advance research toward finding effective medical and surgical treatments for Stargardt disease.

A family foundation made a $150,000 gift to the Department of Ophthalmology toward the Clinical Trials Unit to conduct specialized clinical research.

A family made a gift of $150,000 to the Department of Radiology to advance interventional neuroradiology research.

A bequest of $138,640 was realized to provide scholarship support to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

An alumnus of the College of the Physicians and Surgeons made a $129,310 contribution to fulfill a $500,000 commitment to the Department of Medicine to support gastric cancer research in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases.

A donor made a contribution of $125,000 to complete a $250,000 commitment to the Department of Psychiatry to advance research toward developing more effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

An organization made a gift of $125,000 to the Department of Pediatrics to support blood and marrow transplant research in the Division of Pediatric Oncology.

A donor made a contribution of $100,000 toward a $1,000,000 commitment to support the new Medical and Graduate Education Building.

A P&S alumnus made a contribution of $100,000 toward a $500,000 commitment to provide scholarship support to the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

A family foundation made a $100,000 contribution toward a $300,000 pledge to the Department of Ophthalmology to advance research on myopia.

A gift of $100,000 was made to the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior to advance research into the neurodevelopmental origins of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to support the Columbia University Health Sciences Communication Project to help communicate the latest advances in health sciences to the public.

A Columbia University alumnus made a $100,000 gift to provide unrestricted support for the Department of Medicine.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to support the Friends of Columbia Doctors Fund, to help our network of doctors provide expert clinical care, advance research, and train the next generation of leading physicians and scientists.

A foundation made a $100,000 gift to the Department of Ophthalmology to advance high frequency ultrasound technology for early diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to the Department of Surgery to advance pancreatic disease research.

A couple made a contribution of $100,000 to establish the Sree Gaddipati, MD, Memorial Lecture in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A foundation made a contribution of $100,000 to the Department of Medicine toward a professorship in obesity research.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to support research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A donor made a $100,000 pledge to the Department of Psychiatry to advance research and clinical care in non-verbal learning disabilities in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

A family foundation made a commitment of $100,000 to the Department of Medicine to establish an education fund to advance clinical care and medical education in infectious diseases.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University to enhance clinical care and research programs to help improve the quality of life for individuals affected by celiac disease.

A commitment of $100,000 from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland was made to provide unrestricted support to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

A donor made a $100,000 gift to the Department of Pediatrics to support the IFAP Global Health Program.

A donor made a gift of $100,000 gift to support research in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases.

SCHOOL OF NURSING

A foundation awarded $6,500,000 to name the simulation center in the School of Nursing’s new building, support student scholarships, and underwrite an Institute for Excellence in Simulation.

A friend of the school of nursing made a gift of $300,000 to augment an endowed scholarship fund benefitting students in the DNP program.

An alumnus of the School of Nursing made a gift of $100,000 to name an interview/observation space within the new building’s simulation center.

A friend of the School of Nursing made a gift of $100,000 to augment an endowed scholarship fund.

COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

A corporation made a gift of $422,000 to advance research, education, and clinical services provided through the College of Dental Medicine’s Implant Center.

A company made a $100,000 contribution toward a pledge of $800,000 to help the College of Dental Medicine educate predoctoral and postgraduate residents in the latest surgical and prosthetic implant techniques.

A corporation made a contribution of $100,000 toward its $150,000 pledge to advance periodontics research at the College of Dental Medicine.

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

An anonymous foundation made a gift of $1,390,642 to support research on autism spectrum disorders at the Center for Infection and Immunity.

An anonymous foundation made a contribution of $250,639 toward its pledge of $2,500,000 for the Allan Rosenfield Scholars.

A family foundation made a gift of $250,000 in support of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health.

 

CUMC IN THE NEWS: FEBRUARY—APRIL 2015

WASHINGTON POST

What Cancer in Clams Might Tell Us About Cancer in Humans — April 9, 2015

“It was really wild,” said Stephen Goff, a Columbia microbiology and biochemistry professor and one of the authors behind the findings.

TIME

The Problem and Promise of Precision Medicine — April 8, 2015

Tom Maniatis, director of the Columbia University Precision Medicine Initiative, discusses the future of precision medicine as it relates to treating deadly diseases.

WASHINGTON POST

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans Have Severe Anger Issues and Access to Guns — April 8, 2015

Those are the key findings of a new study by researchers from Harvard, Columbia and Duke University.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

PBS’ ‘Cancer’ an Epic, Vital Story Ken Burns Just Couldn’t Refuse — March 26, 2015

One of those characters is [Siddhartha] Mukherjee himself, who... is an oncologist who teaches at Columbia University.

NEW YORK TIMES

The Road to Cancer Treatment Through Clinical Trials — March, 23, 2015

“The outcome in children is so stunning because 80 to 90 percent of young patients participate in clinical trials,” Dr. [Siddhartha] Mukherjee, of Columbia University, said in an interview.

TIME

Why NYC Wants to Put Old People to Work — March 20, 2015

“Many of the older adults that we speak with want and need to work. ...” said report author Ruth Finkelstein at Columbia's aging center.

WALL STREET JOURNAL

More Evidence Found of Biological Basis to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome— February 27, 2015

In what is perhaps the most significant evidence yet that chronic fatigue syndrome has a biological basis, researchers said they found an immune an immune system signature that is present in newly diagnosed patients but not in healthy people.

NEW YORK TIMES

Doctor Who Survived Ebola Says He Was Unfairly Cast as a Hazard and a Hero — February 25, 2015

Dr. [Craig] Spencer, 33, an attending physician in the emergency department of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, wrote that when he returned to New York from Guinea, where he had been treating Ebola patients with Doctors Without Borders, “the suffering I’d seen, combined with exhaustion, made me feel depressed for the first time in my life.”

See more in Weekly Media Reports available online.

Past issues of CUMC CELEBRATES: http://ps.columbia.edu/celebrates/