CUIMC Update - March 2, 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

CUIMC Welcomes Katrina Armstrong at Assembly 
Katrina Armstrong, MD, chief executive officer of CUIMC and dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, was welcomed to Columbia at a campus assembly Monday, where she talked about opportunities to advance health care and promote equity. View recording

Six VP&S Employees Receive Martha A. Hooven Awards for Excellence 
VP&S recognized six employees dedicated to supporting the mission of the medical school’s workplace and its vibrant community. Read more.

Lumps and Bumps in Kids: When to Worry? 
Not every bump on a child’s body is a cause for concern. VP&S orthopedic surgeon Wakenda K. Tyler, MD, shares tips on when to call your doctor and when to stay home. Read more

Cured of a Challenging Tumor: Bisant Labib’s Story 
Bisant Labib thought she had injured her back, but when doctors found an intramedullary tumor in her spinal cord, she sought the expertise of Paul McCormick, MD, co-surgeon-in-chief of NYP Och Spine Hospital and director of the spine hospital at CUIMC, to perform a life-saving procedure. Read more.

Mailman and VP&S Research: Use of Epidural in Childbirth Is Linked to Decreased Severe Maternal Morbidity 
Epidurals lessen the risk of postpartum hemorrhaging, the leading cause of preventable severe maternal morbidity, according to Mailman and VP&S researchers. Read more

GRANTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Teresa Palomero, PhD, Institute for Cancer Genetics, will receive $1,852,875 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Role and Mechanisms of VAV1 alterations in Peripheral T-cell Lymphomas.”

Priya Palta, PhD, and Keith Diaz, PhD, Medicine, will receive $7,263,372 over four years from the National Institute on Aging for “Leveraging the 24-hour movement paradigm to preserve cognitive function and prevent Alzheimer's disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) 24H-ACT Study.”

Emmanuelle Passegué, PhD, Stem Cell Initiative, will receive $3,450,000 over three years from the Milky Way Research Foundation for “Functional restoration of old hematopoietic stem cells via metabolic reset and cellular reprograming” and $2,739,535 over five years from the National Cancer Institute for “Emergency Myelopoiesis in the Pathogenesis of Myeloid Malignancies.” 

Li Qiang, PhD, Pathology & Cell Biology, will receive $1,296,000 over five years from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for a subward of “Preclinical Validation of PPARg Acetylation Inhibitors for Diabetes Prevention and Treatment.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Muhammad Parvez, DrPH, Environmental Health Sciences, will receive $2,567,731 over four years from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for a subaward of “Developmental Exposure to Arsenic: Pneumonia, Immunity, and Microbiome (DEAPIM).”

AWARDS AND HONORS

SCHOOL OF NURSING 

Billy Caceres, PhD, RN, received the 2021 Nurse of the Year award from the New York chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses.

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS AND COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Yiping Han, PhD, was elected to the American Academy of Microbiology of the American Society for Microbiology. 

EVENTS

Institute of Human Nutrition Distinguished Lecture - Jessica Fanzo, PhD, March 2, 4 p.m., Alumni Auditorium, attend in person or view here.

ACE Master Clinician Mentorship Series - Session 2: "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Excellence in Mentorship,” March 3, 8 a.m., register here

CopeColumbia’s New Workshop Series: Surviving Pandemic Fallout, March 3 and March 10, 12 p.m., register here

Going from Microaggressions to Microinterventions with Dr. Derald W. Sue, March 3, 2 p.m., register here

Updates on COVID-19 and Children: A Webinar for Pediatricians and Families, March 10, 6 p.m., register here

For more events, visit the CUIMC Events listing.