CUIMC Update - Nov. 9, 2020

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 cumcnews@cumc.columbia.edu. Grants are provided by the Sponsored Projects Administration office.

NEWS

Nasal Spray Made by VP&S Researchers Shows Promise for Preventing Human Transmission of Coronavirus    
A nasal spray created by VP&S researchers prevented transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in ferrets, suggesting the spray could also prevent transmission of the coronavirus in people. Read more.

Four Scientists at VP&S Receive Schaefer Research Awards    
Four scientists at VP&S received 2020 awards from the Schaefer Research Scholars Program to continue their research in human physiology. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2021 awards—the deadline is Nov. 19. Read more about the 2020 winners and learn more about nominations for 2021

New England Journal of Medicine Article Describes Role of Community Health Workers at NYP/CUIMC During COVID-19 Pandemic    
Adriana Matiz, MD, professor of pediatrics at VP&S and medical director of the Center for Community Health Navigation at NYP, and Patricia Peretz, MPH, who leads the Center, are authors of a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine that discusses the importance of community health workers at NYP/CUIMC during the pandemic, helping former and current patients access the resources they needed to stay healthy, safe, and connected. Read more

Injury Free Coalition for Kids at Mailman to Launch First National Injury Prevention Day                   
The Injury Free Coalition for Kids, based in Mailman’s Center for Injury Science and Prevention, will launch the inaugural National Injury Prevention Day on Nov. 18 to raise awareness about the significance of injury and to advocate for prevention. Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in U.S. children from 1 to 18 years old. Read more.  

EVENTS

ICAP’s Special Webinar – COVID-19 Vaccines: Where We Stand, Nov. 10, 2020, 9 a.m., read more and register online

Urology Today: Information & Innovation - Men's Health, Nov. 12, 2020, noon, register online.

GRANTS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

Thomas McConville, MD, Medicine, will receive $962,280 over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for “Elucidating the Genotypic Determinants and Phenotypic Effects of Polymyxin Resistance in Klebsiella Pneumoniae Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9.”

Kenneth Olive, PhD, Medicine, will receive $500,000 over two years from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for “Therapeutic Induction of Tumor Selective Ferroptosis in Pancreatic Cancer.”

Nan-Kai Wang, MD, PhD, Ophthalmology, will receive $2,025,000 over five years from the National Eye Institute for “Reprogramming the Metabolome to Overcome the Genetic Heterogeneity in Retinitis Pigmentosa.”

Chunhua Weng, PhD, George Hripcsak, MD, and Krzysztof Kiryluk, MD, Biomedical Informatics, and Wendy Chung, MD, PhD, Pediatrics, will receive $7,171,541 over five years from the National Human Genome Research Institute for “EHR-based Genomic Risk Assessment and Management for Diverse Populations.”

MAILMAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Elizabeth Nesoff, PhD, Epidemiology, will receive $851,724 over five years from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for “Neighborhoods, Mental Health, and the Prevention of Opioid Overdose: A Mixed Methods Approach.”

AWARDS AND HONORS

VAGELOS COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS

David Fidock, PhD, Medicine, has been awarded the 2020 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene William Trager Award.