Dean's Rounds

Dear VP&S Colleagues,

Over the past weeks, it has been invigorating to see the energy across our medical center. From new medical and graduate students learning in our classrooms and labs, to faculty practicing in busy clinics across specialties, to community members and students from Washington Heights joining us for programs and events—the campus seems to come alive each fall. I have had the good fortune to meet with many members of our community in October, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some thoughts from recent discussions and travels across three key areas—driving the future of medicine, improving care for our patients, and supporting our people.

Earlier this month I was pleased to join Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET), in Boston as he was honored with the Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology for developing CAR-T therapy. Since Michel joined Columbia last fall, CICET has greatly expanded its clinical trials, recruited top faculty talent, and established its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility. I am eager to see other aspects of CICET’s vision materialize, including the development of innovative delivery models that will create affordable options for all eligible patients.

I was also glad to attend the steering committee meeting of the Women’s Genetics Center (WGC), a collaboration between the Division of Women’s Genetics in the Department of Ob/Gyn and the NY Genome Center. As one of the first sites to offer whole genome sequencing for fetal diagnosis and pregnancy risk evaluation, the WGC diagnoses complex genetic conditions, improving care for newborns, and enhancing maternal health outcomes. I can’t wait to see additional advancements in genomic medicine at our medical center, including in our testing capabilities, and in the effective use of genomic data to improve patient care. Under the leadership of Jennifer Posey, MD, PhD, CUIMC chief genomics officer, and Bing Ren, PhD, scientific director of the NY Genome Center, there is tremendous opportunity to link our efforts in genomic medicine to our strengths in imaging, artificial intelligence, and gene editing.     

The Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center recently held an advisory board meeting where I learned more about the opening of their second multidisciplinary clinic which allows patients to see multiple providers on the same day, using a team approach to improve outcomes. The Center's Movement Recovery Laboratory has also developed a promising spinal cord and brain stimulation therapy which is in clinical trials and has the potential to restore arm and hand function in patients. The success of the Center, in large part thanks to the extraordinary commitment of Debby and Peter Weinberg, serves as an example of the outstanding support and engagement we have received from families and communities who are dedicated to driving meaningful change in our care models. 

While all of this amazing work is ongoing, we continue to face various headwinds, including our financial well-being, an evolving federal funding landscape for research, the challenges facing many in our international community, and anticipated changes to Medicaid funding. I have truly appreciated the conversations I have had with many of you about the strains of working amid the tumult and uncertainty. Our leadership, in partnership with CU and NewYork-Presbyterian, is working tirelessly on multiple approaches to navigate these challenges, including developing new research funding partnerships with philanthropy and industry, engaging with NY state to explore state funding mechanisms, providing increased support for international trainees, and exploring new models to care for our community as they meet growing barriers to affordable insurance coverage.

Lastly, earlier this month we shared announcements regarding the appointment of two new department chairs, Ojas Shah, MD, as chair of Urology, and Gwyneth Card, PhD, as chair of Neuroscience. I’d like to congratulate them again on their new roles and welcome them to the leadership team.

One of my favorite sayings in academic medicine is that the most important thing we can do to care for our patients is to care for the people caring for our patients—a lesson that can be applied across all of our missions. It is my utmost priority to support our community to allow our critical missions to thrive—missions that alleviate suffering and improve the lives of so many around the world. I am deeply grateful for your work and your dedication, and look forward to accomplishing much more, together.  

All my best,

Katrina Armstrong, MD
Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences
Dean, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons