CUIMC Update - Jan. 18, 2022

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: Campus Update Forum
A Campus Update Forum for faculty, researchers, and staff will be held today, Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. on Zoom. The session will include updates on COVID-19 plans for spring 2022 and the campus work environment. Register here.

Columbia Community Supports MLK Day of Service
Members of Columbia’s medical center gave back to their community in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by volunteering at a food bank in Washington Heights on Monday. Read more

CUIMC Honors MLK With Bold Conversations on Race 
At a virtual event honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., senior faculty shared experiences and offered advice for making a difference. Read more.

Inequity in Care: Orthopedics, Cancer, and Beyond
In the face of daunting disparities in health care, the medical community can take small steps that make a difference, writes Wakenda K. Tyler, MD, chief of the division of orthopedic oncology at VP&S, associate professor of orthopedic surgery, and vice chair for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Read more

Mailman Research: First Day of Attempt to Quit Smoking Is Especially Tough for Women  
A study of smokers found that the first day of an attempt to quit is more challenging for women than men in 12 low- and middle-income countries, where around 60% of the world’s smokers live. This is a significant finding because the first day of abstinence is one of the most critical predictors of long-term smoking cessation. Read more

GRANTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Christopher Makinson, PhD, Institute for Genomic Medicine, will receive $445,500 over 18 months from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for “Thalamocortical network dysfunction in a novel genetic model of GRIN2D developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.” 

Matteo Porotto, PhD, Pediatrics, will receive $561,162 over one year from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Design of fusion inhibitors to block measles host-to-host infection.” 

Chunhua Weng, PhD, Biomedical Informatics, will receive $301,142 over one year from Sarepta Therapeutics for “Muscular Dystrophies Diagnostic Decision Support Using HER.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 

Morgan Philbin, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences, will receive $745,656 over three years from the National Institute of Mental Health for “Optimizing HIV adherence by developing a shared decision support tool to facilitate women's choice between oral and LAI ART.”

Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, PhD, Epidemiology, will receive $3,893,879 over five years from the National Institute on Aging for “Building an unbiased pooled cohort for the study of lifecourse social and vascular determinants of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.”

AWARDS AND HONORS

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has singled out two studies led by scientists at Mailman School of Public Health as 2021 “Papers of the Year.” Read more.  

EVENTS

What Physicians Should Know About Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Liver Disease in Children, Jan. 19, 6 p.m., register here

Mental Health, Equity & Resilience, Jan. 20, 1:30 p.m., register here

Institute of Human Nutrition Seminar Series - Andrea Hevener, PhD, Jan. 20, 4 p.m., register here

Resilience, The Gift of Adversity, Jan. 26, 1 p.m., register here

A Conversation with Guy Stern, PhD, Jan. 26, 4 p.m., register here.

Columbia Commons IPE Day: Call for Abstracts, by Feb. 11, view guidelines

What Pediatricians and Obstetricians Should Know About Prenatal Genetic Testing Today, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., register here

For more events, visit the CUIMC Events listing.