Dr. Karen Marder Named First Kerlin Professor Of Neurology At Columbias Taub Institute

New York, NY – October 2002 – Dr. Karen Marder, professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (P&S) and director of the Division of Aging and Dementia in the Department of Neurology at P&S, this month was named Sally Kerlin Professor of Neurology at Columbia University’s Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain. Dr. Marder’s nomination, which was submitted by Timothy A. Pedley, M.D., chairman of the Department of Neurology, and Taub Institute co-directors Richard Mayeux, M.D. and Michael Shelanski, M.D., was approved by the Columbia University Board of Trustees this month and will take effect immediately. The Sally Kerlin Professorship in Neurology at the Taub Institute was established late last year with a $1.5 million gift from New York philanthropist Gilbert Kerlin, honoring the excellent care his late wife received for Alzheimer’s disease at Columbia. The award was designed to support one full-time faculty member and clinical investigator who specializes in age-related neurodegenerative diseases and holds joint appointments in the Taub Institute and the Department of Neurology at P&S. Dr. Marder clearly fits the bill. A graduate of Cornell University, Cornell Medical College, and Columbia’s graduate public health program, Dr. Marder completed a neurology residency and postdoctoral fellowships in behavioral neurology and epidemiology before joining the Department of Neurology at P&S in 1989. Only two years into her tenure at Columbia, Dr. Marder established a Huntington’s disease patient care and research center at the university, which has since been designated a world-class center of excellence by the Huntington’s Disease Society of America and today serves as a national model for the study of neurodegenerative and adult-onset genetic diseases. In addition, Dr. Marder, a Taub Institute associate since 2000, has done extensive research into dementias and disorders of the aging brain. She has completed epidemiological studies of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease; has studied the neurological complications of AIDS; has conducted clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease, as well as clinical investigations of new treatments for HIV-related dementia; and is currently looking at three genes that may be associated with dementia in Parkinson’s disease. “I am thrilled and honored to have been named Kerlin Professor of Neurology at the Taub Institute,” said Dr. Marder. “This new position will allow me to pursue my work more fully and comprehensively, enabling me to contribute substantially to the current body of research in age-related neurological disease. I thank Mr. Kerlin, the Taub Institute, and the Department of Neurology for their consideration; I am deeply grateful for the vote of confidence and for this wonderful opportunity.” "Dr. Marder is one of our most outstanding mid-career physician-investigators, a role model for medical students, residents, and fellows interested in academic careers, and a talented investigator of sustained accomplishment and focus,” said Dr. Pedley. “She is also a wonderful clinician and teacher. I am therefore delighted that Mr. Kerlin has given us the opportunity to recognize Dr. Marder in this way. In addition, the Kerlin professorship helps cement further the strong ties between the department and the Taub Institute." “Parkinson’s disease and other age-related degenerative brain disorders contribute significantly to the burden of growing old,” said Dr. Mayeux. “Dr. Marder’s work in this area holds great promise to provide a clear understanding of factors leading to these disorders and developing ways to prevent them.” The Department of Neurology at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons is one of the largest and most clinically versatile in the country, with more than 130 full-time faculty, 30 residents, and 45 post-residency fellows, representing all areas of neurology. Each of the department’s divisions has several clinicians who are both nationally and internationally recognized for their accomplishments; most physicians are involved in research and clinical trials, enabling them to offer their patients the latest in therapeutic options. The department is based in the Neurological Institute of New York, a world-class center for the treatment of brain disorders that consistently has produced first-rate neurology experts—and expertise—since its inception nearly 100 years ago. Founded only three years ago, the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain has emerged as one of the country’s premier research centers for neurodegenerative diseases, having been designated by the National Institute on Aging as one of only 15 official sites for Alzheimer's disease research. Under the direction of Drs. Richard Mayeux and Michael Shelanski, Taub Institute researchers explore the fundamental brain mechanisms involved in Alzheimer’s disease, develop the means to identify vulnerable individuals at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, devise new therapies to prevent or delay disorders of the aging brain, and administer projects related to Alzheimer’s disease in departments and centers across campus.

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Michael Shelanski, New York, Richard Mayeux, Taub Institute