CUIMC Update - Feb. 8, 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

NIH Funding Ranks: VP&S #5, Nursing #4, and Mailman #6    
VP&S reached its highest ranking ever by ranking No. 5 among medical schools in NIH funding for the most recent federal fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, 2020. The School of Nursing and Mailman also continue to rank among the top schools of their kind. Read more

Columbia Dental to Expand Special Care Training for Postdoctoral Trainees  
Funded by a $3.2 million federal grant, a new training program at the College of Dental Medicine aims to advance oral health care for patients with special needs. The program is led by Burton Edelstein, DDS, professor of dental medicine (behavioral sciences) and health policy and management at CUMC. Read more

VP&S Pediatrics Annual Report: Transforming Medicine with Ground-Breaking Research    
In its 2020 annual report, the VP&S Department of Pediatrics describes how the department navigated the challenges of COVID-19 and generated new insights into what the virus and pandemic mean for children. The report also showcases new and innovative research programs for children and illustrates a culture of inclusion, diversity, and anti-racist practices. View annual report

Mailman and VP&S Study Finds Medicaid Expansion in New York Has Improved Maternal Health  
The 2014 expansion of Medicaid in New York state was linked to a significant decrease in severe complications during labor and delivery among low-income women, according to a new study by Mailman and VP&S researchers. Read more

Glitch in Genome Architecture May Cause B-cell Malignancies, According to VP&S Study  
VP&S researchers have found that restoring an enzyme that maintains the way chromosomes are packed inside cells may lead to new therapies for some blood cancers. Read more

EVENTS

Charles R. Drew Black History Month Blood Drives at Columbia, Feb. 10, 11, and 18, appointments are required, register online

Advanced Clinical Management and Leadership Virtual Information Session, Feb. 10, 3 p.m., register online.

Walking Tour of Historic Harlem (Virtual Adventure) in Celebration of Black History Month, Feb. 10, 5 p.m., register online

Center for Improving Palliative Care for Vulnerable Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions Enrichment Seminar - Dr. Abraham Brody, PhD, RN, FAAN, Feb. 11, noon, register online

GRANTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

William Blaner, PhD, Medicine, will receive $1,955,386 over four years from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for “Postprandial Vitamin A.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, will receive $3,967,867 over five years from the National Institute on Aging for “Blood Mitochondrial DNA Biomarkers of Midlife Cognitive Decline and Adverse Brain Imaging Changes – A Longitudinal Investigation in the CARDIA Population?based Cohort Study.”

AWARDS AND HONORS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Paul S. Appelbaum, MD, Psychiatry, has been selected to receive the 2021 Adolf Meyer Award from the American Psychiatric Association for lifetime achievement in psychiatric research.

Teddy Goetz, fourth-year medical student, was selected to receive the American Medical Student Association's 2021 LBGT Health Achievement Award.

Peter H.R. Green, MD, Medicine, has received the Distinguished Clinician Award in Academic Practice from the American Gastroenterological Association for his lasting impact in celiac disease patient care.

Eileen Kavanagh, MD, Psychiatry, has received the 2020-2021 Irma Bland, MD, Certificate of Excellence in Teaching Residents from the American Psychiatric Association and its Council on Medical Education and Lifelong Learning.

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Morgan Philbin, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, was selected for the 2021 ODP Early-Stage Investigator Lecture by NIH and the Office of Disease Prevention. Read more.