Ajay Gupta Appointed Chair of the Department of Radiology

Dear Colleagues,

Today we are delighted to share that Ajay Gupta, MD, MS, will serve as the next chair of the Department of Radiology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Radiologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/CUIMC. Dr. Gupta is a respected physician-scientist and board-certified radiologist specializing in neuroradiology. He currently serves as vice chair for research in the Department of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), where he holds professorships in radiology and neuroscience. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Gupta to Columbia when he begins his appointment as chair, effective February 1, 2024.

While at WCM, Dr. Gupta led a research program to evaluate emerging neuroimaging techniques that may improve patient care. He has applied this investigative approach across a range of neurological disorders, with a major focus on stroke prevention and cerebrovascular disease assessment. Dr. Gupta is principal investigator on several current and prior research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health and his contributions to imaging research have been published in over 200 peer-reviewed articles. As vice chair for research in the WCM Department of Radiology, Dr. Gupta oversaw a nearly five-fold increase in federal research funding across the department, significant expansion of the clinical and translational research faculty, and modernization of research imaging infrastructure and facilities. Dr. Gupta previously served as the neuroradiology fellowship director at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian and continues to teach and mentor a diverse range of clinical and scientific trainees.

After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Gupta obtained his MD from Johns Hopkins University and an MS degree in clinical & translation investigation from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. He completed his internship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and his diagnostic radiology residency and neuroradiology fellowship at Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian. Dr. Gupta has been recognized with numerous awards including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research and the Robert C. Watson Award for Teaching Excellence in Radiology. He currently serves as a senior editor for the American Journal of Neuroradiology.

The VP&S Department of Radiology has a distinguished history, having been a pioneer in establishing fields central to the practice of modern medical imaging, including pediatric radiology and neuroradiology. Today, the department remains a leader in medical imaging, collaborative research, and radiological education. The department provides medical imaging services throughout New York City and Westchester, with 10 clinical divisions that offer the full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, including the complete array of diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, and nuclear medicine. The department participates in a wide array of NIH-funded research initiatives and translational research collaborations with departments throughout CUIMC. The breadth of expertise, research opportunities, and advanced imaging technologies makes the radiology educational experience at Columbia University among the most robust and competitive in the country.

We extend our thanks to the search committee and to Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc, for chairing the search over the past several months. Our sincere gratitude also goes out to Diego Jaramillo, MD, MPH, for his leadership as interim chair over the past year. We are lucky to have had Dr. Jaramillo to preside over the department during this period of transition, and we are fortunate that he will continue his impactful work within the department.

Please join us in thanking Dr. Jaramillo and in offering a warm welcome to Dr. Gupta.

Sincerely,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences

Steven J. Corwin, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian