CUIMC Update - Aug. 2, 2021
CUIMC Update is a weekly e-newsletter featuring medical center news and the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and trainees. Please send your news, honors, and awards to cuimc_update@cumc.columbia.edu. Grants are provided by the Sponsored Projects Administration office.
NEWS
Today Is the Last Day to Upload Your Vaccine Information
Today is the deadline for all faculty, staff, and students to upload their vaccination information into the ReOpenCU app or use the app to request a religious or medical exemption. Everyone must also use the app to digitally sign the revised Columbia Community Health Compact by Aug. 16, even if you signed it previously. Details about how to upload vaccine documentation can be found in these Vaccine Documentation Upload Instructions and the CUIMC Vaccination Attestation Tutorial.
In Case You Missed It: Return to Campus Updates
Last week’s CU and CUIMC Return to Campus Update Forums shared new information about return to work plans, the Delta variant, and university vaccination requirements for all faculty, staff, and students. View the recording.
NewYork-Presbyterian #1 Hospital in New York City and Among Top 10 of U.S. Hospitals
The annual ranking of hospitals by U.S. News & World Report has named NYP as the No. 1 hospital in New York for the 21st consecutive year. This year’s rankings placed NYP as No. 7 in the nation. Read more.
Velocity Fellows Win Seed Grants to Advance Innovative Cancer Research
Five Columbia University cancer researchers have been named Velocity Fellows and received pilot grants to support early-stage cancer research. The seed funding for the winning pilot projects was raised at the 2020 fundraiser, Velocity: Columbia’s Ride to End Cancer. A new fellowship, the Velocity Data Science Fellowship, was created this year for young investigators. Read more and view the Velocity website.
Employee Appreciation 2021 Continues in August
CUIMC faculty and staff are invited to participate in employee appreciation events planned for this month:
- Be part of the 2021 production of “Broadway in the Heights." If you have a special talent or skill and want to be featured along with Broadway stars, submit your photo or video by Aug. 16. Read more.
- If you're a “Jeopardy” fan or just know a lot of random information, participate in the CUIMC August Trivia Challenge. Read more about the weekly challenges and how to play.
Last week’s employee appreciation ice cream social handed out nearly 3,700 ice cream cups and frozen fruit bars. See photos of the event.
VP&S Psychologist Addresses Performance Anxiety and Burnout in Student Athletes
With the 2020 Olympics underway, Allison Winick, PhD, a child and adolescent psychologist with CUCARD Westchester, discusses resources available to help young athletes struggling with sports performance anxiety. Read more and learn about VP&S alumni who have competed in the Olympics.
VP&S Research: Can a Beta Blocker Prevent Bone Loss?
A new clinical trial at Columbia could help determine if a hypertension drug can prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Read more.
Mailman Research: Survey of Older New Yorkers Examines Mental Health and Social Ramifications of the Pandemic
A new study from ICAP at Mailman examined the effects of COVID on elderly New Yorkers living in the community. The study found that 18% of older adults screened for depression and 17% screened for anxiety. Read more.
Forgetting: The Benefit of Not Remembering
While the standard view in science has been that forgetting is a malfunction of memory, Scott Small, MD, director of Columbia’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, makes a case in a newly published book that it is not just normal but beneficial to our cognitive and creative abilities, our emotional well-being, and even to societal health. Read more.
GRANTS
VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
Jason Carmel, MD, PhD, Orthopedic Surgery, will receive $2,619,568 over five years from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Paired Brain and Spinal Cord Stimulation to Strengthen Spinal Sensorimotor Circuits.”
UPDATED: Brian Fallon, MD, Psychiatry, will receive $16,000,000 over eight years from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation for “Cohen Center for Health and Recovery from Tick-borne Diseases (CHAR).”
Joachim Frank, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, will receive $3,703,299 over five years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for “Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies Using Cryo-EM.”
Eric Greene, PhD, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, will receive $2,759,855 over five years from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for “Mechanisms of Genome Integrity.”
May Hua, MD, Anesthesiology, will receive $2,793,872 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Determinants of Palliative Care Effectiveness for Patients with Metastatic Cancer.”
Sumit Mohan, MD, Medicine, will receive $2,779,501 over four years from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “Continuous Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Antibiotics in CRRT.”
AWARDS AND HONORS
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER
Olajide Williams, MD, VP&S, and Rachel Shelton, ScD, Mailman, have been named co-directors of the Community Engagement Core Resource of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.
VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
Vikram Gadagkar, PhD, Neuroscience, has been named a Searle Scholar. The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research centers to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry.
EVENTS
The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 Four-Part Webinar Series, Webinar 3, Aug. 4, 3:30 p.m., register here.
Columbia Nursing PhD Virtual Information Session, Aug. 5, 4 p.m., register here.
Columbia Christian Fellowship Meeting, Aug. 5, 8 p.m., register here.
Virtual Naloxone Training, Aug. 11, 4 p.m., register here.
August COVID-19 Update, Vaccines, and Planning for Fall Return, Aug. 12, 4 p.m., register here.
For more events, visit the CUIMC Events listing.