Alumni News

1942
Paul Lurie, who calls himself “the oldest pediatric cardiologist in the world,” moved to New Paltz, N.Y., in 2011 at the age of 94 to be closer to his daughter after his wife died. There he took up swimming. He and his swim buddy, Marilyn Dilascio (at age 16, she was the first person to swim across Lake Ontario and the youngest person to swim the English Channel) were featured in a Feb. 16, 2016, Wall Street Journal article about their individual swimming training. When not swimming, Paul keeps busy with watercolor classes, concerts, lectures, and singing in a chorus. He also does woodworking. Paul’s book, “A Cardiologist Explains Things,” combines his love of teaching and years of experience into an accessible guide to heart health. The book is described in Alumni in Print.

1962
Henry Solomon gave an invited lecture on translational medicine at the 301 Military Hospital in Beijing, China, where many senior Chinese government officials receive their medical care. It was Dr. Solomon’s 18th trip to China in the past four years.

1965
Anthony H. Horan presented a poster titled “To respond fully to the USPTF Critique, redirect ‘elevated PSAs’ to BPH and its therapy” at the 26th international Prostate Cancer Update at Vail, Colo., in January. “Everybody got two minutes to speak in front of their poster to the assembled experts and I got mine,” he wrote. “I only saw one representative of New York medicine. This is the best meeting on prostate cancer in the world. P&S grads should consider it, not only for the skiing.”

1967
See Alumni in Print to read about a collection of short stories written by Benet Kolman. A longtime Boston cardiologist, Benet has turned to fiction in retirement.

1969
James Reiffel retired from his full-time position as a cardiologist at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian last July and became professor emeritus of medicine at P&S and emeritus attending at NYP. He continues to teach (at P&S, regionally, nationally, and internationally), do clinical research, publish, and consult for industry and several national medical organizations. His second children’s book was published in 2015. “My Goose Got Loose” is a sequel to “Once Upon an Antigmule” and features illustrations by his grandchildren. Read more in Alumni in Print.

1970
Sally Kasparek Severino recently published a book that suggests ways to overcome one’s own limitations to achieve comprehensive wellness. Sally, professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, was the first woman to serve as president of the American College of Psychoanalysts. See Alumni in Print to read more about her latest book, “Wellness in Mind.” Read more about Sally at her website: www.neurospirit.net

1973
Mark Sherrid has moved to NYU Langone Medical Center, where he is now professor of medicine. He had been at Roosevelt Hospital since his graduation in 1973 except for a two-year cardiology fellowship at the Pacific Medical Center. Mark is director of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy program in the Division of Cardiology at NYU.

1976
James V. Dunford has been honored by the American College of Emergency Physicians with the 2015 Award for Outstanding Contribution in EMS. The award, which is not limited to ACEP members, is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution of national significance or application in emergency medical services. The award is just the latest Jim has received for teaching and service. He is now professor emeritus of emergency medicine at the University of California San Diego, where he joined the faculty in 1980. Jim founded the UC San Diego emergency medicine training program. He is EMS medical director for the city of San Diego.

1977
See Alumni in Print to read about Gene Kopelson’s book on the hidden influences of Ronald Reagan’s first presidential campaign. “The public perception of former Columbia University President Dwight Eisenhower’s retirement years is that he played golf and then became ill,” Gene told Columbia Medicine. “But the groundbreaking revelations in my new book show that Ike maintained a quite active ‘hidden hand’ in GOP politics in the 1960s by mentoring political novice Ronald Reagan.” When Gene is not writing books about important moments in history, he is a cancer physician who has published more than 40 medical articles, contributed chapters in medical textbooks, and lectured in the United States and abroad on radiation oncology.

The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Foundation presented a service award to Janet Roen at the foundation’s November 2015 meeting.

1978
Jonathan Newmark received a master’s degree in music composition in December from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. The university surprised him with a special performance of part of the composition that earned him his graduate degree. The degree and 15 compositions he wrote in his two years at the conservatory represent the fulfillment of his 40-year dream of becoming a serious composer. The New York native, now a retired U.S. Army colonel and expert in medical response to chemical warfare, began studying piano and viola in third grade and attended the preparatory divisions of the Juilliard School on weekends in high school. Jonathan lives outside Washington, D.C., where he works as a consultant for the Department of Homeland Security and plans to add freelance composer to his list of job titles.

1982
Terence S. Dermody has been named physician-in-chief and scientific director of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and chair of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh medical school, effective June 1, 2016. He joins Pittsburgh from Vanderbilt, where he has been the Dorothy Overall Wells Professor of Pediatrics and director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, the Elizabeth B. Lamb Center for Pediatric Research, and the Medical Scientist Training Program.

1983
The second edition of Robert Klapper’s hip health guide, “Heal Your Hips: How to Prevent Hip Surgery and What to Do if You Need It,” is out. The author, chief of orthopedic surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, aims to keep as many of his patients out of the operating room as possible. See Alumni in Print to read more about his latest book.

1984
The Class of 1984 enjoyed a mini reunion in November at the Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer Foundation gala at MOMA in New York City. From left in the photo above are Ben Peng, a urologist; Beatriz Olson, an endocrinologist; Eric Olson, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist; Michael Clain, an orthopedist and foot and ankle specialist; and Michael’s wife, Dr. Debbie Clain. They all practice in Connecticut and are part of the committee involved in fundraising for their P&S class. “We had a great time catching up,” writes Beatriz. “All of us have at least one child seeking medicine as career.”

1985
Brian Fallon was honored in April by the Global Lyme Alliance with the Lauren F. Brooks Hope Award. He received the award at the alliance’s “Time for Lyme” gala in Old Greenwich, Conn. The award honors individuals who are making strides in research and treatment toward a Lyme disease cure. Brian, professor of clinical psychiatry at P&S, has been recognized internationally for his research on neuropsychiatric aspects of Lyme and tick-borne diseases. He focuses on persistent cognitive impairment, fatigue, and pain in patients with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and the effectiveness of repeated antibiotic therapy.

See Alumni in Print to read about the latest book in the popular evidence-based anti-aging series, “Younger Next Year,” co-authored by Henry Lodge, the Robert L. Burch Family Professor of Medicine at CUMC and a specialist in geriatric medicine.

1987
Vincent M. Figueredo was inaugurated in April as the eastern governor of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American College of Cardiology. He will serve until spring 2019. Vince completed an internal medicine residency at Presbyterian Hospital and a cardiology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. He is board-certified in cardiovascular diseases, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and hypertension. He is chief of clinical cardiology and director of cardiovascular diseases fellowship programs at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia. He also is professor of medicine at the Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Before joining the Einstein faculty in January 2007, Vince held positions at Lovelace Health Systems in New Mexico, the University of New Mexico, UCSF, and San Francisco General Hospital. He has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and chapters. As the eastern governor, Vince will serve on the Board of Governors of the American College of Cardiology.

1995
Judy Huang has been promoted to professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University.

1999
In February 2015 the Department of Surgery at Montefiore Hospital announced the appointment of Evan Garfein as division chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Evan has been a member of the Department of Surgery at Montefiore since 2008.

2008
Thomas B. Welch-Horan became the proud father of a daughter, Phoebe Grace, in August 2015. Grandparents are Martha Welch’71 and Anthony Horan’65.

2010
See Alumni in Print to read about the newest collection of poetry written by Jenna Le. Jenna, who was co-editor-in-chief of the literary magazine, Reflexions, while at P&S, has had her writing published in AGNI Online, Bellevue Literary Review, the Best of the Raintown Review, the Los Angeles Review, Massachusetts Review, the Village Voice, and elsewhere. Her latest book, “A History of the Cetacean American Diaspora,” is a meditation on humanity, illness, and death through her unique, lyrical perspective.