CUIMC Update - Feb. 1, 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
NYP Expands Community Engagement for Armory Vaccination Center
NewYork-Presbyterian has launched a new program to reach neighborhood residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Armory site. All appointments at the Armory are now reserved for New York City residents, and at least 60% of the appointments are being set aside for eligible residents in the Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, and South Bronx communities. Since implementing these changes, more than 70% of individuals vaccinated at the Armory have been from these communities. For more information about the program, visit the section on Community Outreach on the CUIMC vaccination information site.
New VP&S Study of Coronavirus Variants Predicts Virus Evolving to Escape Current Vaccines, Treatments
A new study led by David Ho, MD, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Clyde’56 and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine at VP&S, suggests current vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies provide less neutralizing activity against the U.K. and South Africa variants of SARS-CoV-2. Read more.
One-year Anniversary of the Launch of Epic
Today marks one year since CUIMC and its partner institutions launched Epic, the digital platform that integrates electronic health recordkeeping with scheduling and billing software and a patient portal. “Nearly two years of planning and preparation culminated in the launch of Epic, but the work is never truly done,” said Timothy J. Crimmins, MD, RPVI, the chief medical information officer of ColumbiaDoctors and the CUIMC Epic project co-lead. “Epic is continually being optimized to better serve our patients, clinicians, and staff.” Read more (UNI login required).
Mailman Study: Distancing Measures Must Continue During Vaccine Rollout
New research by Jeffrey Shaman, PhD, professor of environmental health sciences in the International Research Institute for Climate and Society/Earth Institute, and colleagues at Mailman and Pfizer finds that millions more Americans will be infected and become ill with COVID-19 if policies to enforce physical distancing are lifted prematurely. Read more.
VP&S Academy of Clinical Excellence Launches Mentorship Consult Service
Interested in global health, want advice about clinical research, or need help negotiating a work-related interpersonal problem? These are just a few reasons to try the new Academy of Clinical Excellence (ACE) mentorship consult service open to VP&S faculty and trainees, who qualify for these confidential sessions. More than 100 ACE members have volunteered to share their time and expertise. View the mentor directory to find a member who matches your area of interest and contact the individual directly to set up a session.
EVENTS
School of Nursing's Fiscal Year 2020 NIH Awards Celebration, Feb. 2, noon, register online.
School of Nursing’s General Virtual Information Session, Feb. 3, 3 p.m., register online.
African, Black & Caribbean Employee Resource Group Presents: Virtual Events in Celebration of Black History Month 2021, Keynote Address: Mental Health, Racism and Trauma on Feb. 4 at 11 a.m., Southern Style Cooking with Chef Cooley on Feb. 12 at 4 p.m., and Zuzu African Acrobats Performance on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.
The Asian Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group Presents: Webinar in Celebration of Chinese New Year, Feb. 11, 2 p.m., register online.
GRANTS
VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, and Yufeng Shen, PhD, Pediatrics, will receive $2,289,795 over five years from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Identifying and Applying Genetic Variation Relevant to Clinical Outcomes for Individuals with Congenital Heart Disease.”
Hanga Galfalvy, PhD, Psychiatry, will receive $344,105 over two years from Vibrant Emotional Health for a subaward of “National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Effectiveness Evaluation Protocol.”
George Hripcsak, MD, Biomedical Informatics, will receive $1,996,881 over one year from the Food & Drug Administration for “OHDSI-based FDA BEST Community Engagement and Development Coordination Center.”
MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, will receive $3,267,911 over five years from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for “Metal Exposure and Early Cardiovascular Risk in Adult E-Cigarette Users."
AWARDS AND HONORS
VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
Lourival Baptista, MD, and Claude Ann Mellins, PhD, Psychiatry, were invited to give the Bartels Lecture at the University of New Haven.
Sidney Hankerson, MD, Psychiatry, has received the American Psychiatric Association's 2020-2021 Nancy C.A. Roeske, MD, Certificate of Recognition for Excellence in Medical Student Education.
Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, PhD, chief of the Division of Ethics in the Department of Medical Humanities & Ethics, was named president-elect of the Association of Bioethics Program Directors, which represents the leadership of over 70 academic bioethics programs across North America.
Myrna Weissman, PhD, Psychiatry, has received the American Psychiatric Association's 2021 Award for Research.
MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Dean, was named to City and State magazine New York's 2021 Health Power List. Read more.