Columbia 2019 ANNUAL REPORT Medicine Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons INTO THE FUTURE TOMORROW’S EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND PATIENT CARE Features: 4 11 16 The Future is Now: The Future—and The Future of A Diverse and the End?—of AIDS Gene Editing Inclusive Faculty On two floors of Hammer Several innovations in Whether at the department Health Sciences Center, recent years have helped level, such as efforts David Ho and the Aaron scientists, but CRISPR to attract more women Diamond AIDS Research has been transformative. and people of color to Center will join Columbia’s CRISPR is not merely emergency medicine, or at leading HIV/AIDS a way to create gene the school level, such as an researchers to focus on therapies; it has become an enhanced parental leave a goal announced by the important tool for discovery policy, VP&S has shown federal government in at VP&S, with basic that efforts to improve early 2019: End AIDS and scientists developing new diversity and inclusion decrease the number of CRISPR-based tools that among its faculty ranks are new HIV infections translational researchers more about commitment by 90% by 2030 in the use to reveal new insights than compliance. United States. into human disease and how to treat it. http://ps.columbia.edu/ ColumbiaMedicine | 2019 Annual Report Issue Departments: 2 Dean’s Message 22 Philanthropy News 28 2019 Year in Highlights 47 About VP&S · Trustees Committee on the Health Sciences · CUIMC Administration · CUIMC Board of Advisors · CUIMC Advisory Group Chairs · Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons Administration · Executive Committee of the Faculty Council · Department Chairs · Institutes, Centers, and VP&S Schoolwide Initiatives and Their Directors · Affiliated Hospitals 45 · Facts and Statistics On the Cover Whether introducing and validating a new standard of care in heart surgery, improving on the latest scientific tool, strengthening the commitment to diversity and inclusion among the faculty, or complementing Columbia’s AIDS programs, VP&S scientists, researchers, clinicians, and teachers have made progress this year that will improve the future for everyone touched by academic medicine. Illustration by Davide Bonazzi 2019 Annual Report Office of the Chief Executive and Dean of the Faculties Editor: Bonita Eaton Enochs of Health Sciences and Medicine Columbia University Irving Medical Center Principal Writer: Sharon Tregaskis 630 W. 168th St. Contributing Writers: Avichai Assouline, New York, NY 10032 Kristin Bundy, Susan Conova, Laura Gilbert Communications Office Art Director: Eson Chan Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons Illustrator: Davide Bonazzi 701 W. 168th St., Box 153 New York, NY 10032 Produced by the Communications Phone: 212-305-3900 Office at Columbia University Fax: 212-305-4521 Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons Christopher DiFrancesco, Office of Development Chief Communications Officer Columbia University Irving Medical Center 630 W. 168th St., P&S 2-421 Printed in September 2019 New York, NY 10032 Phone: 212-342-0088 • DEAN’S MESSAGE TO INFINITY … AND BEYOND his 2019 annual report of the Vagelos College Psychiatric Institute) were included in the calculation. of Physicians and Surgeons surely addresses Our researchers were cited in the 2019 Nature Index T our traditional obligation to review our recent Annual Tables, which named Columbia University collective accomplishments, but its primary goal is to Irving Medical Center the top health care institution look to the future. This primary goal is critical because for scientific research. The index identifies institutions the strength of these ongoing accomplishments has put with the highest output of top-quality research in the us in an enviable position to create an even stronger natural sciences over the past year, based on articles 2020 … and beyond. published in 82 scientific journals. Columbia placed We take seriously our legacy and reputation as one first in the rankings of health care institutions, with of the nation’s best medical schools—and second old- 375 publications in leading journals in 2018. est. The values that infuse everything we do reflect our Precision medicine continues to inform our research JÖRG MEYER commitment to pursue the best in teaching, scientific and patient care programs. The local All of Us research investigation, patient care, and community service. program, a consortium led by David Goldstein at CUIMC and joined by Weill Cornell Medicine, NYC The features in this year’s annual report illustrate that Health + Hospitals/Harlem, and NewYork-Presbyte- range of commitment: rian, has enrolled more than 17,500 New York City • The move of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research participants, over 85% of whom are from communi- Center from Rockefeller University to VP&S will ties that have been underrepresented in biomedical augment Columbia’s AIDS research efforts with the research. Our New York City consortium is part of the distinguished career David Ho has built in his many national NIH All of Us program to enroll 1 million or years as an HIV researcher. more participants to harness the promise of precision medicine by exploring differences in people’s lifestyles, • Increasing the diversity of our faculty has been among our most important accomplishments in recent Artist’s rendering of a new research building years, and we have reinforced our dedication to diver- sity and inclusivity by implementing recommendations from two dean’s advisory committees. We are commit- ted to ensuring that we meet the career development needs of all of our faculty. • Despite the important ethical issues it raises, CRISPR is one of the most promising scientific inno- vations of this generation, and Columbia researchers are at the forefront in using the gene editing tool to advance—and hasten—research discoveries. In the highlights section of this report, you can read about dozens of patient care advances, research dis- coveries, and educational programs that show how our faculty and students influence health through prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Our NIH grant growth has outpaced the NIH budget for 10 years in a row and we now would rank #2 among U.S. medical schools if all awards to our faculty in psychiatry (whose awards are credited instead to the New York State 2 ColumbiaMedicine environments, and genetic makeup. To complement this effort and address the national shortage of genetic counselors, VP&S recently created a two-year genetic counseling master’s degree program, in which the first 12 students began their coursework this fall. Also new to campus this fall is the VP&S Class of 2023, 140 extraordinary students who are in the second class to be offered scholarships instead of loans to meet their financial needs throughout medical school. The 70 women and 70 men were chosen from among nearly 8,000 applications reviewed by our new admissions dean, Anne Armstrong-Coben, MD, and her admis- sions committee. Our scholarship program—in which all need-based financial aid is provided by scholarships without loans—was created through the generosity of Roy Vagelos’54 and his wife, Diana, along with many other alumni and friends. This program has further ele- of your foresight.” We add our words of appreciation vated our school and continues to allow us to attract the in paying tribute to this physician, mentor, benefactor, The late Ken Forde with Lee Goldman and best and brightest medical school applicants, indepen- and true gentleman who was enormously admired and Roy Vagelos in 2017 dent of their financial need. In turn, our students will is now missed by so many. be able to pursue their passions in medicine and science without the constraints of medical school debt. The lthough the tradition of an annual report is to makeup of the new class underscores our commitment A look back at the previous year’s accomplishments to diversity and inclusion: 21% of the class members and milestones, it is also important to look forward. are underrepresented minority students. And that is particularly important for me. In May, I This year also saw the completion of the first phase announced my intention to step down as dean and chief of Haven Plaza, a gathering place we anticipate will executive of the medical center at the end of the 2019-20 be shared enthusiastically by our medical center com- academic year, which will give me the privilege of hav- munity and our neighbors. A stretch of Haven Ave- ing stewarded VP&S and CUIMC for 14 years. In my nue, from 168th Street to 169th Street, was closed to final year, our goals remain lofty yet achievable. Among become a pedestrian plaza for all to enjoy either indi- them are to plan new facilities to increase our faculty’s vidually or in group events. Please see the latest photos capacity for research and patient care, including a new of Haven Plaza on the back cover of this report. research building and a new cancer building shared with Our celebration of this past year’s successes was tem- NewYork-Presbyterian. We also hope to add 50 primary pered by the June 2019 loss of Ken Forde, our alum- care physicians by 2022 and grow our multispecialty nus, faculty colleague, renowned surgeon, university practice sites in Manhattan and Westchester. trustee, and hospital trustee. His generosity was both Thank you for your continued support of the initia- traditional—he contributed to VP&S scholarships and tives that have made this school such an extraordinary created a teaching scholars fund that you can read place and that will make us even greater in the year about in this issue—and pioneering—he foresaw the to come. future of surgery in endoscopy and led the way in its implementation in his surgical specialty. Surgeon Spen- With best wishes, cer Amory, MD, in speaking at Dr. Forde’s memorial service in July, thanked his mentor for sharing his skills in endoscopy and for modeling exceptional commu- nication, diagnostic skills, humility, and compassion.