Our VP&S Research Community

Dear VP&S Community,

Last week I had the opportunity to join the inaugural VP&S Frontiers in Research Symposium—an exhilarating two-day scientific symposium which included a celebration of Roy Vagelos’s birthday; Harvard’s David Liu’s inspiring Zacharias Dische Lecture on “Mutation-Specific, Mutation-Agnostic, and Disease-Agnostic Therapeutic Genome Editing;” and a series of well-attended presentations by VP&S faculty, students, staff, and trainees spanning the research lifecycle from mechanism to intervention. The 124 posters and talks included presenters from more than 30 VP&S departments, centers, and institutes, as well as presenters from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Columbia College, the Union Theological Seminary, and several local institutions.

It was wonderful to learn firsthand how VP&S science continues to thrive during a challenging time for the scientific world. It’s clear that our community is interested in new ways to connect, to learn about the work of others, and to collaborate across departmental boundaries. 

Our efforts to bring our campus together around our science go beyond the Symposium. The Office for Research has launched the Vagelos Connection Seminar Series, a weekly forum where VP&S basic science faculty will share current research, emerging techniques, and major findings. The first two sessions will occur on October 23 and October 30. OFR will also soon launch a new seed funding mechanism that aims to pair basic scientists with physicians to promote exciting collaborations that would otherwise not occur. And the upcoming Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research 20th anniversary symposium on December 3 will reflect on two decades of impact and collaboration while looking toward the future of translational research.

I want to thank Jack Cioffi, chair of ophthalmology; Janet Sparrow, the Anthony Donn Professor of Ophthalmic Science; and the ophthalmology and biochemistry departments for reviving the Dische lecture, which last took place in 2019. I’d also like to thank Filippo Mancia, chair of the Scientific Research Advisory Committee; Sandra Ryeom, associate dean for postdoctoral affairs and new master’s degree programs; Robert Tillman, associate vice dean and director of mentoring and advancement; Francesca Copperi, senior strategist for research funding and awards; all those who helped organize this exciting symposium; and, lastly, to our outstanding VP&S community for presenting, attending, and contributing to this event and to our amazing research enterprise.

Sincerely,

James McKiernan, MD
Interim Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Interim Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences, Columbia University