CUIMC Update - July 23, 2025

July 23, 2025

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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

CUIMC Employees Recharge at Annual Appreciation Event

Hundreds of CUIMC employees and community members reenergized with music, ice cream, and advocacy opportunities at the annual employee social last week. 

MRI Center Expands to Become One of the Largest in the Country

The MRI Center at Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian Advanced Imaging now offers a full range of diagnostic imaging on six state-of-the-art MRI scanners. The expansion allows both patient diagnostics and MRI research to occur simultaneously, leading to innovations in care.

Katie’s Story: Taking Control of Breast Cancer Care

As rates of early-onset breast cancer rise, Katie is turning a startling diagnosis into empowerment and advocacy. Learn about Katie’s journey and what her Columbia oncologist Julia McGuinness wants you to know about staying on top of your breast health.

Sibling Study Finds Early Education Boosts Brain Power

A study from researchers at Mailman School of Public Health reveals education’s impact on adult cognition. The study used innovative family comparisons to isolate schooling’s cognitive benefits, finding the strongest impact of early education on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

CDM Professor Wins Provost's Teaching and Learning Award

Carol Kunzel, professor of foundational sciences in the College of Dental Medicine, has received an Innovative Course Design award from Columbia’s Office of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation for her project integrating AI technology into CDM’s core curriculum.

Research Stabilization Fund Applications: Wed, Aug. 6

Applications for Round 2 of the Research Stabilization Fund are due 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. Requests may be up to $100,000 to be spent over a maximum of 12 months. Visit the fund's website for more information and eligibility requirements.

Events

Grants

Mailman School of Public Health

  • Diana Hernandez, Sociomedical Sciences
    $401,495 over three years for a subaward from the New Frontiers in Research Fund for “Addressing intersecting crises: climate, housing, and compounding health vulnerabilities for senior tenants.” 

Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

  • Dritan Agalliu, Neurology
    $1,237,039 over four years for a subaward from the Military Suicide Research Consortium for “The role of genetic risk factors and immune response on NVU function in post TBI cognitive impairment.” 
  • Jennifer Amengual, Medicine
    $1,000,000 over three years from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for “Defining the role of ctDNA monitoring in a novel, risk stratified clinical trial for PTLD.” 
  • Luke Benvenuto, Medicine
    $477,050 over five years for a subaward from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “XFIT: An exercise-based Frailty Intervention in Lung Transplant Candidates.”   
  • Donna Farber, Microbiology
    $585,201 over five years for a subaward from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Vaccine Induced Immunity in the Young and Aged.” 
  • Longfei Gao, Rehabilitative & Regenerative Medicine
    $260,674 over one year from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Understanding the Nature and Regulation of Extramedullary Hematopoiesis.” 

School of Nursing

  • Lorraine Frazier, Division of Scholarship and Research
    $300,000 over one year from the Hearst Foundations for “Pathways to Leadership and Advancement in Nursing (PLAN) program.”

Honors

Mailman School of Public Health

Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Social Media Snapshot

Instagram

In The News

  • It May Be Possible to Detect Alzheimer’s Risk Sooner—as Early as Your 20s
    July 7, 2025
    National Geographic
    Now a new study cautiously suggests it may be possible to detect signs of Alzheimer’s risk even earlier than previously thought possible—in a person’s 20s or 30s. “It kind of clicked for me that we really do need to be studying this earlier,” says Columbia University professor of epidemiology Allison Aiello, the new study’s lead investigator. “We did see some associations at these early levels. I was pretty surprised myself.”  
  • Can a ‘Cortisol Cocktail’ Help Relieve Stress?
    July 11, 2025
    The New York Times
    There is a real, yet rare, condition called adrenal insufficiency, which occurs when you don’t produce enough cortisol, said Dr. Salila Kurra, medical director of the Columbia Adrenal Center at Columbia University. It can cause symptoms like weakness, fatigue, weight loss, and nausea. But the condition is typically caused by an autoimmune disorder or a problem with the pituitary gland, not a stressful life, Dr. Kurra said. Doctors can diagnose adrenal insufficiency by measuring cortisol levels in your blood. 
  • Uterine Cancer Projected to Rise in US by 2050, Black Women Likely to be Hit Hardest
    July 1, 2025
    ABC News Online
    Researchers at Columbia University used population data and computer modeling to predict how many people will get uterine cancer—and how many will die from it—over the next 30 years. They predict that the number of new uterine cancer cases will increase by over 50% for Black women compared to about 30% for white women by 2050. 
    Jason D. Wright, who led the study referenced here, is the Sol Goldman Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.