CUIMC Update - October 11, 2023

October 11, 2023

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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

Two Columbia Faculty Elected to National Academy of Medicine
Two VP&S faculty members—Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, and Brent R. Stockwell, PhD—have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. The academy also honored Linda P. Fried, MD, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health, with the David Rall Medal for distinguished leadership in research.

VP&S Faculty Recognized at 2023 Honors Luncheon
VP&S faculty who were promoted or received notable appointments, honors, and awards during the previous academic year were honored at the annual VP&S Dean’s Honors Luncheon on Oct. 5.

How Marta Braña-Berríos, MD, Calls on Her Background to Better Serve Patients
To recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, Marta Braña-Berríos, MD, discusses her childhood in Puerto Rico and the importance of patients having a doctor to whom they can relate.

ICYMI: Watch the VP&S State of the School
Watch the VP&S State of the School presentation by Katrina Armstrong, MD, dean of the faculties of health sciences and VP&S, delivered in person on Sept. 28. Hear about the school’s present and future strategic initiatives in education, research, clinical care, and community engagement.

Afternoon of Science Series Continues with Department of Neuroscience
The Afternoon of Science series continued Sept. 26 with presentations from Department of Neuroscience faculty members. The series will continue with the Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics on Oct. 30 and the Department of Microbiology & Immunology on Nov. 16.

Events

Grants

Mailman School of Public Health

  • Andrea Baccarelli, MD, PhD, and Ka Kahe, MD, ScD, Environmental Health Sciences
    $8,157,110 over five years from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for "Center for Environmental Health and Justice in Northern Manhattan."
  • Ezra Susser, MD, DrPH, Epidemiology
    $267,005 over three years for a subaward from the National Institute of Mental Health for "Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for serious mental illness in Jalisco, Mexico."

Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

  • Uttiya Basu, PhD, Microbiology & Immunology
    $2,948,145 over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for "Long noncoding RNA expressing genomic elements that control antibody diversification and chromosomal integrity in B cells."
  • Larisa Geskin, MD, Dermatology
    $377,676 over five years for a subaward from the National Cancer Institute for "Applying pathomics to establish a biosignature for aggressive skin melanoma."
  • Rakesh Sahni, MD, Pediatrics
    $500,000 over five years for a subaward from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for "Predictive Informatics Monitoring In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit."
  • Sarah Tom, PhD, Sergievsky Center
    $1,116,029 over three years for a subaward from the National Institute on Aging for "Greenness, Cognitive Performance and Vascular Outcomes in the NOMAS Study."

Honors

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Social Media Snapshot

Columbia Medicine (@ColumbiaMed)

Congratulations, Dr. Chang!

Bernard P. Chang MD PhD (@bernardchangMD) · Oct 10

Supporting the healthcare workforce and training the next generation of scientists is my career passion. Thrilled to announce my role as Associate Dean of Faculty Health and Research Career Development @ColumbiaMed Big thanks to friends/family/mentors. I stand on your shoulders!

In the News Highlights

The Brian Lehrer Show: How Our Tech Changes Our Bodies
Oct 4, 2023
NPR/WNYC (audio)
Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's "TED Radio Hour" and a new limited run podcast series "Body Electric," and Keith Diaz, a certified exercise physiologist and the director of the Exercise Testing Laboratory at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, talk about the new podcast, which explores the ways our technologies, from the chair to the PC, have changed our bodies. 

Nasal Esketamine Works Better Than Alternative for Treatment-Resistant Depression, Study Finds
Oct 4, 2023
NBC News Online
“Treatment-resistant depression is a pretty significant problem,” said Dr. Michael Grunebaum, an associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City and a research psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. The condition — commonly defined as depression that does not respond to two or more consecutive drug treatments — is estimated to affect 30% to 50% of people with major depressive disorder, said Grunebaum, who was not involved with the new study but researches ketamine.

Living in 'Walkable' Neighborhoods Lowers Women's Cancer Risk
Oct 6, 2023
U.S. News & World Report
“These results contribute to the growing evidence of how urban design affects the health and well-being in aging populations,” said researcher Andrew Rundle, a professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. “Urban design can create a context that promotes walking, increases overall physical activity, and reduces car-dependency, which could lead to subsequent improvements in preventing diseases attributed to unhealthy weight,” Rundle said in a Columbia news release.