News in Brief

Cancer researcher Cory Abate-Shen, PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Abate-Shen is a professor of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics and the Robert Sonneborn Professor of Medicine, with additional appointments in the departments of Urology and Systems Biology at VP&S. She is an internationally recognized leader in genitourinary malignancies. Dr. Abate-Shen’s innovative studies of genetically engineered mouse models for these cancers have led to the discovery of new biomarkers for early detection, as well as advances in cancer prevention and treatment.

Hashim Al-Hashimi, PhD, the Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Over the past two decades, Dr. Al-Hashimi has developed techniques to determine 3D dynamic ensembles of RNA and DNA molecules at atomic resolution. These studies have reshaped structural biology, revealing dynamic ensembles as the fundamental behavior of biomolecules needed to understand and predict cellular activity quantitatively.

Alicia Chime, a PhD candidate, is the first graduate student at Columbia University to be accepted into the Gilliam Fellows Program at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a program designed to launch promising PhD students into impactful scientific research careers while fostering inclusive training environments. Ms. Chime is a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, focusing on pathobiology and molecular medicine.

Taylor B. Sewell, MD, was appointed assistant dean for admissions for VP&S. Dr. Sewell is an associate professor of pediatrics at CUIMC and joined the VP&S faculty in 2017. Dr. Sewell has long supported the Office of Admissions through interviewing, screening, and recruiting activities. Clinically, Dr. Sewell is a pediatric hospitalist who regularly attends on the general pediatrics inpatient teaching service alongside medical students and residents.