Office for Research

Jennifer Williamson joined the VP&S Office for Research in October 2015 as the Associate Vice Dean for Research. Jennifer and the VP&S Office for Research team support the clinical and basic science research faculty, working with the VP&S departments, centers and institutes to facilitate interdisciplinary research and new initiatives through research support services and core research facilities.

Since 1998, she has worked with faculty and administrative leadership in both research and clinical operations at Columbia University. In Richard Mayeux’s lab, she served as the research coordinator and manager of the genetic research studies of Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegenerative disorders in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s disease and the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center. Prior to joining the Office for Research, she was the director of clinical operations in the Department of Neurology. Additionally, she was genetic counselor for 12 years in the Columbia University Huntington Disease Center of Excellence directed by Karen Marder. She holds a MS in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Sarah Lawrence College, a MPH in Health Policy and Management from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and a BS in Molecular Genetics from the Ohio State University.

Emer Smyth joined the the VP&S Office for Research and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in November 2016 as director of cancer research alliances and assistant dean for cancer research. Born and raised in Ireland, Dr. Smyth received her Bachelor’s Degree in Science and PhD in Pharmacology from the National University of Ireland’s University College Dublin. Before coming to HICCC, Dr. Smyth worked at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) as director of the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) translational research grant programs where she managed the administration and scientific review and oversight of US and international “Dream Team” multimillion dollar grants, as well as other funding models. She provided scientific administrative and communications support to SU2C and their funding partners, as well as SU2C scientists and Scientific Advisory Committees, across all phases of program launch, evaluation, selection, and post-award review. Prior to her time with the AACR, Dr. Smyth was a research associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where her group investigated a family of inflammatory lipid mediators in breast cancer and vascular disease. She has contributed close to 50 peer-reviewed research publications, scholarly reviews, and chapters over the course of her career thus far. At the HICCC, Dr. Smyth manages and directs the operations that establish, enable, and support the discovery efforts of the Celgene Cancer Drug Discovery Consortium. More broadly, she enhances the scope and impact of cancer research at Columbia by supporting development of large scale funding programs in cancer research and increasing awareness of CUIMC’s cancer research and care programs, within and beyond Columbia.

The design, development, and delivery of training and resources to support academic professionals across their career span has been the central focus of Dr. Tillman’s work. He has held leadership roles at major academic institutions, including directing early offices for postdoctoral scholars at NYU Langone and faculty professional development at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In these and other roles, many of the programs he developed—centered on mentoring, leadership, and professional advancement—remain active today, reflecting his stakeholder-driven, collaborative, and execution-focused approach.

Moving to Texas, his work at MD Anderson Cancer Center included multiple roles including faculty and trainee leadership and mentoring programs, further development of postdoctoral training, and during organizational restructuring, co-leading institutional education strategy alongside the Chief Education & Training Officer. Most recently, he served as Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development and Director of Mentoring for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine during realignment under a new Senior Dean of Faculty.

In his current role as Associate Vice Dean and Director of Mentoring and Advancement at the Vagelos Institute at Columbia, he continues to merge strategy with practical implementation. His current efforts focus on scalable, evidence-based programs that support mentoring, career transitions, and professional development—fostering individual success and organizational capacity across the Vagelos Institute and the broader community in collaboration with intramural and extramural partners.

Esther Brot joined the VP&S Office for Research in March 2022 as a Grant and Research Development Associate. She is deeply invested in supporting investigators at Columbia University in securing extramural funding. Dr. Brot has a PhD in History from King’s College London and a BA from Barnard College at Columbia University. Due to her background in the humanities, she has substantial expertise in persuasive writing, a key facet of obtaining extramural funding. During her time as a writing mentor, she worked with a variety of individuals with diverse academic backgrounds on improving their written work. Many of her mentees have gone on to find considerable success with the written products reviewed with Dr. Brot. Over the past several years, Dr. Brot has taught at the university level. Due to her teaching background and supported by her accreditation as an advancedHE Associate Fellow, Dr. Brot is very comfortable breaking down complex ideas and content to make it more accessible to diverse audiences. She is excited to share her depth of knowledge on writing and structure with researchers at Columbia. 

Karen Maass joined the VP&S Office for Research in February 2024 as a Grant and Research Development Associate. With a background in academia and mentoring, she is passionate about facilitating outstanding research and supporting faculty in securing extramural funding. Prior to joining the Office for Research, Dr. Maass held a research faculty position at NYU School of Medicine, where she studied cardiomyocytes in health and disease using animal models and human cellular platforms. During this time, she also mentored early career faculty in basic, clinical, and translational science through the process of obtaining their first major independent funding through her co-leadership of the Junior Faculty Club. Dr. Maass brings her experience as a peer reviewer for grant applications submitted to NIH or private foundations to the proposal development team. She is excited to share her expertise in scientific communication and her dedication to mentoring investigators at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Maass holds a PhD in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Bonn, Germany.

Danielle Pendrick joined the VP&S Office for Research in October 2022 to support the Medical Center’s two biobanking initiatives, the Columbia University Biobank (CUB) and Biobank Resource for Investigating Disease, Genes and the Environment (BRIDGE). In her role as Director of Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Danielle also works with the Vice Dean of Research Strategy and Innovation in the Mailman School of Public Health to foster interdisciplinary research collaborations between MSPH and VP&S. Dr. Pendrick has been at CUIMC since 2012 in various precision medicine-related clinical research roles, most recently within the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology as the Senior Director of Pathology Precision Medicine Initiatives. Danielle has an MPH and DrPH in Health Policy and is deeply committed to strengthening capacity for clinical and translational science at CUIMC by creating new approaches to support meaningful engagement of patients in research.  

Liz Swift DiMaria joined the VP&S Office for Research in February 2024 and has worked at Columbia University Irving Medical Center since 2012 in various clinical, translational research, and administrative roles. Most recently, Liz was the Assistant Director of Interdisciplinary Initiatives and Operations for the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. She has extensive experience in academic medical center strategic initiatives, clinical trial innovations, informatics and evaluation, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, community engagement, and grants proposal and management activities. Through NIH-NCATS, Liz participates in several national and regional committees related to these topics. Liz completed her Masters in Health Administration at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and holds a BA from Syracuse University in History and Hospitality.

Jeff Hoinacki joined the VP&S Office for Research in June 2019, but has been at Columbia since 2012 working as the Finance Manager for Core Research Services at the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.  While at the Irving Institute, Jeff developed budgets for its biobanks and its core facilities, including the Biomarkers Core Lab and the Clinical Research Resource. He also managed the service center license process for the cores and assisted with the day-to-day logistics for the BRIDGE and All of Us biobanks.  As the Assistant Director of Research Financial Planning & Analysis in the Office for Research, Jeff oversees the iLab core facility platform, manages with the service center rate licensing process for VP&S core facilities, and leads various other research-based financial initiatives. Jeff Hoinacki holds a MS in Applied Analytics from Columbia University and a BS in Business Administration from Fordham University.

Claudia Cosentino joined the VP&S Office for Research in October 2020. Claudia has a PhD in Molecular Oncology and Endocrinology from the University of Naples, in Italy. Her graduate studies showed how thyroid cells switch between growth and proliferation signals. She then became a postdoctoral fellow at Clare Hall Laboratories (UK), where she identified a novel link between DNA damage and metabolism. After completing her work in the UK, Claudia joined a laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where she investigated the effect of epigenetic changes on metabolism in an in vivo model. Claudia’s graduate and post-graduate work has been presented in international symposiums as well in peer-reviewed publications. During her studies, Claudia also enjoyed mentoring students and teaching genomic and genetic undergraduate classes. Her research and teaching experiences fostered her passion to support the investigators to succeed in their research, and she is incredibly excited to have the opportunity to do so at the VP&S.

John Smerdon joined the VP&S Office for Research in January 2019 to guide institutional and external teams toward the completion of specialized scientific initiatives that promote the growth of the VP&S research mission.  He has been an engaged member of the Columbia and broader New York City communities, cultivating several multidisciplinary collaborative scientific projects throughout his graduate student career, holding an observer’s seat on the University Senate Commission on Diversity, and mentoring multiple student trainees.  He co-founded and directed the Science Matters Research Internship, a successful high school outreach program now in its 6th year, that has matched over 25 under-privileged high school students with mentors in Columbia laboratories.  As a graduate student and NIH/NINDS Kirschstein-NRSA predoctoral fellow (F31), he specialized in electrophysiological analyses aimed to elucidate how electrical tuning in motor neurons lead to their unique action potential firing properties and in turn, make them selectively vulnerable to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.  Dr. Smerdon holds a PhD in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics from Columbia University, and a BS in Neuroscience and a BS in Biochemistry/Biophysics from Washington State University.  Prior to his undergraduate education, he also attained World Class Technician status during his decade of work for General Motors.

Wendy Goldberg joined the VP&S Office for Research Pre-award Team in July 2018. She received her BA in Business Studies from Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland UK. Since 2001, she has supported Columbia’s faculty in pre and post-award management in Biomedical Engineering, Neurology, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Systems Biology, and G.H. Sergievsky Center. Grants have ranged from NIH (P, T, U, F, and R01’s), NSF, DOD, NYSTEM, and private foundations. She assisted from proposal to closeout with budget, compliance, and administrative guidance. As Associate Director of Pre-Award, Wendy will provide support for grant submissions and all administrative activities within the Pre-Award Team.

Emely Aquino joined the VP&S Office for Research Post-Award as a Grants Finance Analyst in May 2021. In her role, she provides support for grants management activities to investigators from the TAUB Department and Cancer Center. Emely joined Columbia University in May 2018. Before joining the Office for Research, she worked as a Finance Administrative Assistant in the Chemical Engineering Department. She assisted investigators and the Business Manager with purchasing, compliance, and guidance. She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Monroe College in 2016.

Cristina Chen joined the VP&S Office for Research in October 2018. As Grants Finance Manager, she handles post-award activities for faculty in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. She also has expertise in pre-award grants management, and in her prior role within the VP&S Office for Research pre-award team, she handled pre-award activities for faculty, postdoctoral scientists, and graduate students in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Genetics & Development. Her pre- and post-award grants management experience spans a variety of NIH grant series including R, F, K, P, U, and T as well as DOD, NSF, NYSTEM, and private foundations. Cristina holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University, a PhD in Neuroscience from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed her postdoctoral training at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Hazal Kayalioglu joined the VP&S Office for Research Pre-Award Core in November 2021. Prior to joining the VP&S Office for Research at Columbia, she worked as an Epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emerging Infections Program at Yale University’s School of Public Health, in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Hazal holds a BS in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University and an MPH focused on Global Health from New York University. As a Research Administrator in the Pre-Award Core, Hazal supports basic science and clinical research faculty at CUIMC in grant preparation, diversifying research portfolio’s, and administrative tasks.

Julius Solatorio joined the VP&S Office for Research Pre-award Core in September 2021. In his role with the Pre-award team he supports researchers across the departments of Molecular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, the Institute of Human Nutrition, and Orthopedic Surgery with proposal preparation, submission, and reporting. Before joining Columbia, he worked at the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence as a Program Coordinator. Julius holds a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in Philosophy from Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

Sandra Yoshida joined the Office for Research as a Senior Research Administrator in August 2021. She received her M.A. in Adult Learning & Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. Sandra has over ten years of experience working in pre and post-award management at Columbia University. She has worked with many sponsors, including the DOD, NIH, NSF, NYSTEM, foundations, and industrial grants. In August 2024 she joined the Post-Award Team and works with faculty to provide financial management support for departments in basic science and clinical research and education at CUIMC.

Lily Greenberg serves as Research Administrator in the VP&S Grants Management Team. In her role, she supports researchers and clinicians in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center with grant submissions, progress reports, and other administrative activities. Before joining Columbia, she worked in communications and creative writing. Outside of her Research Administration role, she maintains an artist career as a poet and organizes creative writing programs in her local community. Lily holds an MFA in Poetry from the University of New Hampshire.

Chelsea Peel joined the VP&S Office for Research Pre-Award Core as a Grants Coordinator in June 2023. In her role, she provides pre-award grant preparation and submission support for basic science and clinical research faculty at CUIMC. Prior to joining the Office for Research, she worked at Fordham University as a Senior Academic Advisor, as well as the University of Louisville as an Academic Counselor, Sr., and Transfer Admissions Counselor. She received her MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, and her BA in Linguistics from the University of Kentucky.

Joon Yoo is the Associate Director, Grants Finance and Training for the VP&S Post-Award Core. She joined the VP&S Office for Research in April 2024, driven by a passion for empowering researchers through effective financial management. In her role, she manages a high-performing team of grant administration professionals and co-leads the development and maintenance of training resources, continuously seeking opportunities to enhance team knowledge-sharing mechanisms. Prior to joining the team, she served in various capacities across both the Medical Center and Morningside campuses, where she gained invaluable insights into the intricacies of finance and grant management, including compliance and budgeting. Joon brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new position. She holds a Master of Science in Enterprise Risk Management from Columbia University and earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stony Brook University.

Alexa Taveras joined the VP&S Office for Research in April 2022. In her current role, she supports researchers and clinicians with grant submissions and other administrative activities. Prior to joining the pre-award team, she worked as a Grants Administrator in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She was responsible for budget planning, development, forecasting, and oversight of sponsored and non-sponsored research proposals, service agreements and consortiums. She was also involved in the processing of grants and contracts, ensuring that accurate completion and timely routing of internal paperwork and disclosures were met.

Catherine Walsh joined the VP&S Office for Research in June 2023 as a Grants Finance Analyst.  She provides post-award grants management for faculty in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Stem Cell Initiative in the Department of Genetics and Development. Catherine has seven years of experience providing excellent financial and compliance-related oversight of grant-funded projects, and a working knowledge of a variety of sponsors and regulatory bodies. Before joining the Office for Research, she worked for five years as a Post-Award Specialist for the University of Pittsburgh, supporting the Department of Psychiatry faculty as well as several school-wide projects and initiatives. She received her BA from University of Pittsburgh.