Alumni News

By

Marianne Wolff’52, Alumni News Editor
Peter Wortsman, Alumni News Writer
Additional class notes by Bonita Eaton Enochs, Editor

1937
At age 102, Ephraim P. Engleman is still a veritable force of nature. One of the founding fathers of American rheumatology, he sees selected patients at his office at the Rosalind Russell Medical Research Center for Arthritis, of which he is founding director, at the University of California, San Francisco. When not advising patients, Eph plays his Stradivarius and Guarneri violins. On a recent visit he demonstrated fingering position. 

1943 
T. Berry Brazelton received one of 18 Presidential Citizens Medals given in February at a White House ceremony. The Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second highest civilian honor, recognizes service to country or fellow citizens. Also, see Alumni in Print to read about his memoir.

1943D
Hobart A. Lerner, age 94, was recognized as the most senior alumnus attending the 2013 Alumni Reunion Weekend. Hobart is emeritus clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Rochester Eye Clinic, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online.

1953
P&S alumni, faculty, family, and friends gathered in April at Felidia Restaurant, the East Side Manhattan flagship trattoria of broadcaster-chef Lidia Bastianich, to celebrate the establishment of the Stanley Edelman and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Professorship in Surgery at P&S. Dr. Edelman toasted the first Edelman-Jarislowsky Professor, Daniel L. Feingold, MD. 

1957
During Alumni Reunion Weekend, Donald Gerber and his wife, Marcia Gerber’67, shared the 2013 gold medal for meritorious service to P&S and its Alumni Association. They have been mainstays of the Alumni Association for more than two decades, between them serving on almost all committees and in most key capacities, Donald most recently as vice president and president-elect. Donald is professor of clinical medicine (rheumatology), clinical assistant dean, and administrative course co-director for third-year medicine at SUNY Downstate. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online.

During Alumni Reunion Weekend Robert B. Wallace won the 2013 gold medal for outstanding achievements in clinical medicine. One of the country’s leading cardiothoracic surgeons, Robert is former chair and professor of surgery at the Mayo Clinic and Medical School and later was a faculty member at Georgetown University Medical Center. He initiated the coronary artery surgical program and performed the first successful total correction of transposition of the great vessels (the Rastelli procedure) at Mayo, among many other accomplishments. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online.

1962
See Alumni in Print to read about a book by Peter F. Cohn, who has written a novel under the pen name Alan N. Clifford (a combination of the first names of his sons). His previous book, “The Fatherland Files,” was a thriller. “My hobby is fiction writing. I’ve done enough medical books and articles. The protagonists are always cardiologists who get involved in Hitchcock-like situations,” Peter says.

See Alumni in Print to read about Norbert Hirschhorn’s latest collection of poems.

Peter Puchner was the 2013 Honorary Alumni Day Chairman at this year’s Alumni Reunion Weekend. Peter is professor emeritus of clinical urology and associate dean of student affairs at P&S. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online

Henry A. Solomon has made 12 trips to China in the past three years on behalf of the American College of Cardiology, for which he serves as senior medical adviser. He meets with academic, government, and business leaders to promote educational programs throughout China.

1963
Paul Bachner received the Laboratory Accreditation Program Service Award from the College of American Pathologists in a special ceremony in October. Paul is professor and immediate past chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kentucky in Lexington and director of laboratories at the University of Kentucky. He also is medical director of the Division of Laboratory Services of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The College of American Pathologists established the award to recognize a member for exceptional and outstanding service to the college’s laboratory accreditation program. Paul, who started as a lab inspector in 1968, was honored for more than 45 years of service. He has served twice as a regional commissioner, as a member of the Council on Accreditation, and is currently a member of the laboratory accreditation committee.

1963 PhD
László Bitó, professor emeritus of ocular physiology at P&S, was awarded the Helen Keller Prize in May 2013 for his contributions to vision research. His work has led to the development of Xalatan, which has saved the sight of millions by lowering eye pressure in glaucoma sufferers. He was awarded the Proctor Medal, the highest honor in the field of ophthalmology research, in 2000 and the Columbia University Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2004. The Helen Keller Prize, created in 1994 by the Helen Keller Foundation, seeks to raise awareness for vision research. Recipients are selected by an international panel of biomedical researchers and physicians and presented with the award at the annual convention of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

1964
Classmates John Mulliken and Barry Davidson posed for a photo at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on Labor Day 2013.

1965
Anthony H. Horan has reissued his book, “The Big Scare: the Business of Prostate Cancer,” in a print on demand format as “How to Avoid the Over-diagnosis and Over-treatment of Prostate Cancer” at dranthonyhoranmd.com. “I used the book as a prop when I hosted a reception for students accepted at P&S to meet the director of admissions at the Marine Memorial Club in San Francisco,” Tony writes. “The students were, of course, sensational. I told them that graduates of P&S tend to write books; that they could be the puppeteer instead of the puppet dancing to the tune of ‘white papers’ written by others” if they attended P&S. Tony adds that in preparing for the reception, he was surprised to learn of “one or two books” written by his grandfather, John Rogers, an 1892 P&S graduate. “When I find out what they were, Alumni Notes will learn too.”

Dorothy S. Lane received the 2013 Virginia Kneeland Frantz’22 Distinguished Women in Medicine Award at this year’s Alumni Reunion Weekend. Dr. Frantz, the first woman to serve as a surgical intern at Presbyterian Hospital, was best known for her work in the pathology of the thyroid gland and for a classic introductory textbook on surgery, which she co-authored with Dr. Harold Harvey. Dorothy is the SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, vice chair and director of the Division of Community and Behavioral Health in the Department of Preventive Medicine, and associate dean for continuing medical education at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online

During Alumni Reunion Weekend, Robert P. Lisak received the 2013 gold medal for outstanding achievements in medical research. A pioneer in the field of neuroimmunology, Robert is the Parker Webber Chair of Neurology, professor of neurology, and professor of immunology and microbiology at Wayne State University. He has made major contributions to understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis and related demyelinating diseases of the nervous system, myasthenia gravis, and inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online

1967
During Alumni Reunion Weekend, Marcia Gerber shared the 2013 gold medal for meritorious service to P&S and its Alumni Association with her husband, Donald Gerber’57. Described as mainstays of the Alumni Association for more than two decades, Marcia and Donald have served on almost all committees and in most key capacities. Marcia most recently served the alumni association as corresponding secretary. Marcia is clinical associate professor of medicine in the College of Medicine at SUNY Downstate, where she also is dean of admissions. In 2010 she received the Extraordinary Woman of Downstate Award. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online

1969
See Alumni in Print to read about a book by Steven P. Goldsmith. He has a Portland, Ore., practice that emphasizes finding natural solutions to health problems. 

1970
Donald O. Quest was named the 2013 Distinguished Practitioner by the Society of Practitioners of Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Don, former president of the P&S Alumni Association, is the J. Lawrence Pool Professor of Neurological Surgery at CUMC and assistant dean at P&S.

1971
Eve Slater was among those named to the new Board of Directors of the Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence, a nonprofit dedicated to building an integrated global system to enhance clinical research. 

The 2013 Lifetime of Learning Award was presented to Martha G. Welch at this year’s Alumni Reunion Weekend. After 25 years of practicing child and family psychiatry, Martha joined the P&S faculty in 1997 to test her bedside findings at the bench. She is co-director of the BrainGut Initiative, which she established in 2006. See photos and read more about Alumni Reunion Weekend online

1974
Karen Antman was honored with the 2013 Margaret L. Kripke Legend Award for Promotion of Women in Medicine and Cancer Research, bestowed by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

1977
Peter Michael Doubilet was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Radiology in May during a formal convocation ceremony at the ACR annual meeting and chapter leadership conference in Washington, D.C. Peter is a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and senior vice chair of radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He is a member of the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Janet Roen, who practices ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery in Manhattan, has been promoted to clinical professor of ophthalmology at New York Medical College/New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

1978
See Alumni in Print to read about a book by Mindy Fullilove. Mindy is professor of psychiatry at P&S and professor of sociomedical sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health.

Andrew M. Kaunitz, professor and associate chair in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville, received the Robert C. Nuss Researcher/Scholar of the Year Award at the University of Florida in May.

1979
Peter E. Sybert was elected in May 2013 as president of the California Society of Anesthesiologists.

1980 
See Alumni in Print to read about a book by Alan Engler. Alan is clinical assistant professor of plastic surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. His latest book is his fifth book and his first novel. He and his wife, Danielle Engler’80, live in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. Danielle, a dermatologist, is a member of the P&S Club Advisory Board. Their son, Jeff, is a 2005 graduate of Columbia College, and their son, Steve, is a member of the Class of 2015 at the School for International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

1984
Barbara L. Milrod, professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and associate professor of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and P&S, received the first juried Leon Kupferstein Memorial Award for Innovation in Psychoanalysis from the New York Psychoanalytic Society & Institute. She also maintains a private practice in Manhattan; she specializes in panic disorder and agoraphobia with expertise in anxiety and mood disorders in adults and children. She has dedicated her career to providing scientific, reliably reproducible evidence demonstrating the efficacy and utility of psychoanalytic forms of treatment. To this end, she became expert in psychotherapy research, specifically in clinical trials and outcome studies. In collaboration with colleagues, Dr. Milrod wrote the first psychoanalytic psychotherapy manual for an Axis I anxiety disorder, panic disorder. After receiving her degree from P&S, Dr. Milrod completed her residency in general psychiatry and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Payne Whitney Clinic in Manhattan. 

Maria A. Oquendo received the 2013 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Research Award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The annual award recognizes the person who has made major contributions to research about suicidal behavior.

1985 
Jessica Kandel is now professor of surgery, section chief of pediatric surgery, and surgeon-in-chief at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. Before joining the University of Chicago, Jessica had been at P&S since 1995, most recently as the R. Peter Altman Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics in the Institute for Cancer Genetics and co-director of the pediatric tumor biology laboratory. While at Columbia she also served as interim chief of the pediatric surgery division and was attending surgeon at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and a member of the surgical staffs at Columbia University Medical Center, the Komansky Center for Children’s Health at Weill Cornell Medical Center, and New York Hospital Queens.

1986
Elyse Seidner-Joseph received rabbinic ordination in January 2013. Elyse is the founder and spiritual leader of Makom Kadosh: The Jewish Fellowship of Chester County (TheJFCC.com). She and Kenny live in West Chester, Pa., and celebrated 30 years of marriage in August.

1987
Thomas H. Lee was named secretary of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society. He will focus his two-year term on supporting the global mission of the 2,027-member society. He is a physician at the Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center in Westerville, Ohio.

1989
Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University named Matthew N. Bartels chair of the Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Department at Montefiore and professor and chair of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Einstein. He was recruited from Columbia, where he served as director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and founder and director of the human performance laboratory.

1991
Shari Hall, staff anesthesiologist at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, is also a recording artist and singer/songwriter. She released her first album, called “Perfect Love,” in June 2013. All proceeds from the single “Come Back 2 Me” will be donated to the USO to benefit military members and their families. The album is available at www.sharihall.com and iTunes. Shari, a former president of the P&S Club and active participant in the Bard Hall Players and the Coffeehouse Cabaret, always had a great passion for the arts and enjoys living a full life as a mother, a physician, and a musician.

1994 
Randall Owen, associate professor of surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, attended the P&S Club’s Columbia Christian Fellowship in October to discuss his interest in medical and other missions. He has overseen a rehousing effort in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake and participated in mission trips to the Philippines, Kenya, Romania, Pakistan, and Gabon. He is past president of the New York City Council of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. He also serves as an attending surgeon at St. John’s Riverdale Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center, and North Bronx Health Network. 

Woosup Park has joined the faculty of the Cleveland Clinic and Foundation in the Department of Vascular Surgery.

1998
See Alumni in Print to read about a book co-authored by Josh Gibson. Josh is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, where his clinical and educational work focuses on the neurobiology of relationships. After graduating from P&S, he completed a residency in psychiatry at UCSF and received the Alexander Simon Award for teaching. He also received the AMA Foundation Leadership Award and was selected for a fellowship with the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry, a psychiatric think-tank that published the book he co-authored, “CAREERS: A Brainwise Guide to Finding Fulfillment at Work.” Josh had a career in business before medicine, working for nearly five years in process re-engineering, organization development, and education design and delivery as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies in the retail, financial services, and health care industries.

2008 
T. Bram Welch-Horan moved to Houston for a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine. His second son, 
Oliver, was born in September 2013. One of his co-fellows is Sarah Meskill’09. 

​2009 
See Alumni in Print to read about the latest book by Jacob M. Appel. Jacob, who has multiple degrees in writing, philosophy, and law in addition to medicine, is a psychiatrist at Mount Sinai. A licensed New York City sightseeing guide, Jacob has won multiple awards for his writing.