CUIMC Update - July 6, 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

Dominant Omicron Subvariants Better at Evading Vaccines, Antibody Treatments 
The latest omicron subvariants—especially BA.4 and BA.5, which currently make up more than half of new cases in the United States—are better at eluding vaccines and antibody treatments than previous variants, according to a new study led by David D. Ho, MD, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Clyde‘56 and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine at VP&S. Read more

Columbia-Bassett Program: 10 Years Later 
The Columbia-Bassett Program combines science-based coursework at VP&S in Manhattan with clinical education at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, New York. Columbia Medicine magazine reports on the program's unique premise 10 years after the first class began its clinical education at Bassett. Read more and view the full spring/summer 2022 issue of Columbia Medicine at columbiamedicinemagazine.org

New Approach to Alzheimer's Treatment 
Research from the lab of Scott Small, MD, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Columbia University, suggests a different approach to tackling Alzheimer’s disease, and a new startup company is now trying to turn those ideas into treatments. Read more

Whole Woman Care Is Exactly As Much Health Care As It Sounds 
Whole Woman Care at Columbia expands the traditional reproductive focus of gynecology to make health care smarter and more efficient by coordinating care for cardiovascular health, bone health, dermatology, mental health, and more for women and those assigned female at birth. VP&S obstetrician-gynecologist Hoosna Haque, MD, explains the approach. Read more

Extreme Heat Is Bad for Your Health
Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the United States. Christopher Tedeschi, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at VP&S, discusses the best ways to stay cool in hot and humid weather and the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Read more

GRANTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Hilda Hutcherson, MD, Education Office: $330,000 over one year from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for “Summer Health Professions Education Program - Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2022.”

Hemali Phatnani, PhD; Angela Christiano, PhD; Vilas Menon, PhD; and Yousin Suh, PhD: $13,141,031 over five years from the National Institute on Aging for “A Multi-scale Atlas of Senescence in Diverse Tissue Types.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Merlin Chowkwanyun, PhD, Sociomedical Sciences: $349,439 over three years from the National Science Foundation for “Standard Research Grant: Toxic Docs 2.0 Research Infrastructure Project.”

Mary Beth Terry, PhD; Dawn Hershman, MD; Daichi Shimbo, MD; and Olajide Williams, MD, Epidemiology: $20,408,097 over five years from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for “Center to Improve Chronic disease Outcomes through Multi-level and Multi-generational approaches Unifying Novel Interventions and Training for health EquitY (The COMMUNITY Center).”

SCHOOL OF NURSING

Walter Bockting, PhD, Division of Scholarship & Research: $1,287,914 over five years from the National Institute of Nursing Research for a subaward of “Gender Affirmation, Quality of Life, and Access to Care: A Mixed-Method Longitudinal Investigation.”

EVENTS

FEATURED EVENT

CUIMC Ice Cream Social for Employees, July 19, 12-2 p.m., Haven Plaza, read more

MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

StudioLab DrawingBoard, Wednesdays, 6 p.m., Zoom, open to the CUIMC community, sign up here. 

TISSUE TALKS: Drs. Lorenz Studer and Vivian Tabar, MSKCC, July 6, 3 p.m., register here

NIH Grant Writing Boot Camp, July 11-12, all day, read more.  

ISSO Newly Arrived J-1 Faculty and Researchers Orientation, July 12, 11 a.m., register here

CUIMC Virtual LGBTQ Safe Zone Training, July 15, 11 a.m., read more

For more events, visit the CUIMC Events listing.