247 Years Strong PS& Columbia Fall/Winter 2014 Medicine Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons new York Brain Bank The ultimate gift to benefit neurodegenerative disease research Dermatology research More than skin deep • FROM THE DEAN ColumbiaMedicine Chairman, editorial Board Thomas Q. Morris, MD Dear Readers, Alumni Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine editor itelson Bonita Eaton Enochs F E The nature of our work as a great medical center is to imagine k I the future of health and medicine. We do this across a wide Science editor / M Susan Conova spectrum of activities, from research and clinical programs imes T that advance our understanding of the biology of disease to our Contributing Writers admissions process, which allows us to identify the individuals we Aliyah Baruchin keely Savoie Joseph Neighbor Sharon Tregaskis anhattan think are best able to lead us into that future. M But even as we define the future, we also appreciate those alumni news editor Marianne Wolff, MD special moments when something we have imagined begins to take a physical form. Such a moment was celebrated in October when the final steel beams topped off the alumni Writer Peter Wortsman superstructure of the Medical and Graduate Education Building going up on Haven Avenue. Superstructure is a construction term, but it took on a new meaning as we Design and art Direction watched one floor of the building go up every two weeks over the summer. Eson Chan The ceremony brought together many of the individuals who are making the building a editorial Board reality: generous supporters; members of our board of advisors; and alumni, friends, and Alex Bandin’16 Lisa Mellman, MD Ron Drusin, MD Stephen Nicholas, MD our medical center community. Many of us signed one of the beams and reviewed a second kenneth Forde, MD Stephen E. Novak beam signed by hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. Bruce Forester, MD Carmen Ortiz-Neu, MD The 14-story Medical and Graduate Education Building is at the center of a wider Oscar Garfein, MD Ajay Padaki’15 campus revitalization program we are undertaking to make the medical center a pre- Sankar Ghosh, PhD Richard Polin, MD Lee Goldman, MD Donald Quest, MD mier destination for people who come to our campus to work, study, and receive care. Angelina Gomes’15 Alan Schechter, MD We have remodeled the lobby of the P&S building, renovated several floors of our build- Tom Hickernell, MD John Schullinger, MD ings, created 125,000 square feet of new clinical space at ColumbiaDoctors Midtown, Edgar Housepian, MD Elyse Seidner-Joseph, MD completed the first phase of animal care renovations in Black and Hammer buildings, Robert kass, PhD Joseph Tenenbaum, MD Matthew Lee’15 Emily Vail, MD and begun installation of a new 9.4 Tesla small-animal MRI at the cancer center. In all, Jay Lefkowitch, MD Tyler Vestal’16 we have renovated more than 400,000 square feet of space for the medical center. Columbia Medicine is published twice a year for alumni, Our neighborhood also is undergoing improvements. Commuters will benefit from reno- faculty, students, and other supporters of the College of vation of the 168th Street subway station and the George Washington Bridge bus terminal. Physicians & Surgeons. It is published by the college and A new hotel under construction and the opening of two nationally known fitness company the P&S Alumni Association through the P&S Office of locations represent significant investments in our neighborhood. New green space and a Communications. Additional content can be found in the online edition at columbiamedicinemagazine.org. magnificent Hudson River view are features of the new education building. The medical center bookstore moved this fall to Haven Avenue, where Barnes & Noble and Starbucks lee Goldman, MD Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences now offer a unique new gathering place for students, faculty, staff, and our neighbors. and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine These changes, both sweeping and cosmetic, contribute to our efforts to make the cam- pus appealing for patients, students, faculty, and the thousands of individuals who work Catherine Freeland Assistant Vice Dean and study here. The changes underscore our commitment to create an atmosphere that Marketing and Strategic Communications reflects the first-class quality of the medical center’s people and programs. Our faculty and College of Physicians & Surgeons students aspire to make a difference through their work, so we are committed to providing address correspondence to: a first-class environment to match those aspirations. Bonita Eaton Enochs, Editor Columbia Medicine With best wishes, College of Physicians & Surgeons 630 W. 168th St., Box 27 New York, NY 10032 212-305-3900 email: [email protected] Lee Goldman, MD, Dean Join the medical school’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/columbiaps [email protected] Alumni should update their addresses by writing the Alumni Association at the address above or calling the alumni office at 212-305-3498. Bonita Eaton Enochs, Editor send letters to: Columbia Medicine Faculty and staff should contact their departmental College of Physicians & Surgeons administrators to update their addresses, which are obtained through the Columbia University personnel system. 630 W. 168th St., P&S Box 27 New York, NY 10032 All others with address changes should contact P&S Communications at 212-305-3900. Email: [email protected] Vol. 34 No. 2 Fall/Winter 2014 in thisIssue departments features 14 Veterans among Us By aliyah Baruchin From Elvis Camacho, a second-year P&S student who enlisted as a teenager in the Marines because he didn’t see any other kind of future, to faculty members who were commissioned as officers in the military, P&S has gone to war in contemporary times. 11 22 new York Brain Bank: Deposits and 2 P&S news Withdrawals that Make a Difference 11 Clinical advances By Joseph neighbor The brain bank at Columbia’s Taub Institute for • Magnet Replaces the Scalpel for Treating Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain kids with Severe Spinal Deformities focuses on neurodegenerative diseases and enjoys a • Columbia Offers Latest Stroke Treatments worldwide reputation among brain banks. Through National Network • Improving on Pancreatectomy 36 Graduate School life Three PhD graduates return to join the P&S faculty 28 38 alumni news & notes More than Skin Deep Profile: karen kinsell’93 By Keely Savoie in Memoriam Dermatology research at P&S succeeds because 49 researchers collaborate with other disciplines in Faculty and alumni who have died the belief that the skin is the furthest outpost of the immune system, changing the paradigm of 56 P&S Club Corner dermatology research. CoVer PhotoGraPh by JörG MeYer. artiCle, PaGe 14. News from around the College of Physicians & Surgeons PS& news Commencement 2014 Faculty Awards Student Awards and Prizes P&S Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Charles S.H. Doctor Harry S. Altman Award Young, PhD, professor emeritus of microbiology, and John M. Driscoll Jr., (outstanding achievement in pediatric ambulatory care) MD, the Reuben S. Carpentier Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics. Bianca N. Calderon Charles W. Bohmfalk Awards were presented to Henry M. Spotnitz, MD, Alumni Association Award the George H. Humphreys II Professor of Surgery, for pre-clinical (in recognition of interest in and devotion to the College teaching, and David L. Diuguid, MD, the Hope Sheridan Associate of Physicians & Surgeons and its Alumni Association) Professor of Hematology (in Medicine) at CUMC and associate Allen M. Costa professor of pathology & cell biology at CUMC, for clinical teaching. Nicholas A. White The Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the AAN Medical Student Prize Arnold P. Gold Foundation was given to Rita Charon, MD, PhD, for Excellence in Neurology professor of medicine at CUMC. Jason B. Neal The Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award in basic sciences The Virginia P. Apgar Award was given to Raul Rabadan, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical (excellence in anesthesiology) informatics and of systems biology. David J. Lederer, MD, associate Kyra R. Bernstein professor of medicine and of epidemiology in pediatrics, received the Dr. Harold and Golden Lamport Research Award in clinical sciences. Michael H. Aranow Memorial Prize (best exemplifying the caring and humane qualities The Distinguished Teacher Award was given by the Class of 2014 to of the practicing physician) Michael Devlin, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry. Michael J. Healy 2 ColumbiaMedicine Fall/Winter 2014 Herbert J. Bartelstone Award The Endocrine Society’s Medical Student John K. Lattimer Prize in Urology (exceptional accomplishments in pharmacology) Achievement Award (outstanding essay in urology) Sasha Fahme Cecilia C. Fix Gregory A. Joice The Behrens Memorial Prize in Ophthalmology Daniel J. Fink, MD, Memorial Prize Donald A.B. Lindberg, MD, (P&S ’58) Award (outstanding graduate entering ophthalmology) (best exemplifies Dr. Fink’s enthusiasm for Excellence in Biomedical Informatics Richard I. Kaplan for the study and practice of medicine) Alexander D. Sackeim Julia Z. Xu The Edward T. Bello, MD, Listening Award The Samuel and Beatrice Leib (best portrays the art of listening to patients, Glasgow–Rubin Achievement Award Memorial Prize in Ophthalmology colleagues and self in practicing the chosen (presented to women students graduating (outstanding graduate entering ophthalmology) field of medicine) in the top 10 percent of their class) Juliet O. Idiga Bethany L. Johnson-Kerner Zeena E. Audi Kyra R. Bernstein Family Medicine Student Research Robert G. Bertsch Prize Julia V. Blum Scholarship Award (emulating Dr. Bertsch’s ideals Abigail Campbell Orlando I. Sola of the humane surgeon) Talia R. Chapman Joyce Khandji Margot E. Cohen Barbara Liskin Memorial Award Kimberly Dessources in Psychiatry Coakley Memorial Prize Juliet O. Idiga (exemplifies the empathy, scholarship, and (outstanding achievement in otolaryngology) Maryl G.