NYNORC Members

New York Nutrition Obesity Research Center is a community of researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Columbia University that study the etiology of obesity, physiology of weight regulation and nutrient use, the pathophysiology of obesity and its complications, and who work to evaluate and develop treatment strategies for obesity.  While our educational activities and seminars are open to all membership provides access to our Core Services.  Membership is open to all Einstein and Columbia faculty who are (1) engaged in research studying an aspect of obesity or nutrition and (2) have either a history of external funding and substantial research accomplishments or be a new research faculty member.  If you want to join us, please send your current NIH Biosketch along with a paragraph describing your current nutrition or obesity research interests to Tony Ferrante 

Executive Committee

Rudolph Leibel, MD
Director
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine; Chief, Division of Pediatric Molecular Genetics; Director, Molecular Biology/Molecular Genetics Core, NYNORC; Co-Director, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University Medical Center

Anthony Ferrante, MD, PhD
Associate Director
Tilden-Weger-Bieler Professor of Medicine; Chief of Preventive Medicine & Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center

Dympna Gallagher, EdD
Associate Director
Professor of Nutritional Medicine; Director, Human Phenotyping Core NYNORC, Columbia University Medical Center

Annie Y.W. Tse
Financial Manager

Benedetta Spina, MA
Administrative Coordinator

Members

Domenico Accili, MD
Chief, Division of Endocrinology; Russell Berrie Foundation Professor of Diabetes (in Medicine), Columbia University Diabetes Research Center

Sandra Albrecht, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University Diabetes Research Center

Stephen Arpadi, MD
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology, Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center

Maxine Ashby-Thompson, EdD, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Columbia University Medical Center

R. Graham Barr, MD, DrPH
Hamilton Southworth Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology; Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons

Nir Barzilai, MD
Professor, Dept. of Medicine (Endocrinology) & Dept. of Genetics; Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair in Aging Research; Director, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

William Blaner, PhD
Professor of Nutritional Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Dongsheng Cai, MD, PhD
Professor of Molecular Pharmacology; Director, Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflamation, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Andrea Califano, PhD
Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professor of Chemical Biology (in Systems Biology); Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (Institute for Cancer Genetics); Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics; Chair, Department of Systems Biology; Director, JP Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center; Co-Leader, Precision Oncology and Systems Biology Program at Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center

Earle Chambers, PhD
Professor of Family and Social Medicine; Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Department of Family and Social Medicine Research Division, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Maureen Charron, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry; Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health; Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Streamson Chua, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Adi Cohen, MD 
Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Henry Colecraft, PhD
John C. Dalton Professor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University

Rui Costa, DVM, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience and Neurology; Former Director and Chief Executive Officer of Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University

Jill Crandall, MD 
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Jacob A. and Jeanne E. Barkey Chair in Medicine; Chief, Division of Endocrinology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD
Professor of Developmental and Molecular Biology; Professor of Medicine (Hepatology); Robert and Renee Belfer Chair for the Study of Neurogenerative Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Richard Deckelbaum, MD, CM, FRCPC
Robert R. Williams Professor of Nutrition (in Pediatrics) and Professor of Epidemiology, Columbia University

Keith Diaz, PhD
Florence Irving Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine (in Medicine), Columbia University

Teresa DiLorenzo, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology; Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Diane Belfer, Cypres & Endelson Families Faculty Scholar in Diabetes Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Claudia Doege, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center 

Dieter Egli, PhD
Assistant Professor of Developmental Cell Biology (in Pediatrics), Columbia University

Ana Emiliano, MD
Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Columbia University Medical Center

Qing R. Fan, PhD
Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center

Ilene Fennoy, MD
Professor of Pediatrics; Medical Director, Comprehensive Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program; Director, POWER Program for Overweight Education and Reduction, Columbia University Medical Center

Pamela Freda, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Ali Gharavi, MD
Professor of Medicine, Columbia University

Jonathan Giles, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University

Henry Ginsberg, MD
Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine; Director Emeritus, Irving Institute for Clinical & Translational Research, Columbia Universtiy Medical Center

Robin Goland, MD
J. Merrill Eastman Professor of Diabetes (in Medicine, Pediatrics and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center); Co-Director, Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University Medical Center

Jeffrey S. Gonzalez, PhD
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health; Director, New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translational Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Yian Gu, MD, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurology, Epidemiology and the Taub Institute), Columbia University Medical Center

Rebecca Haeusler, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University

Meredith Hawkins, MD
Professor, Department of Medicine (Endocrinology); Harold and Muriel Block Chair in Medicine; Director, Global Diabetes Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Julie Herbstman, MSc, PhD
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences; Director, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health; Director and Career Development Program Director, Columbia Center for Environmental Health and Justice in Northern Manhattan; Director, Molecular Epidemiology Certificate Program, Columbia University

Derek Huffman, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Keisuke Ito, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine; Director, Scientific Resources of the Stem Cell Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Jonathan Javitch, MD, PhD
Lieber Professor of Experimental Therapeutics in Psychiatry; Professor of Pharmacology (in the Center for Molecular Recognition and in Physiology & Cellular Biophysics); Chief, Division of Molecular Therapeutics; Director, Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research and Treatment, Columbia University Medical Center

Young-Hwan Jo, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD
Paul A. Marks Professor of Genetics and Development; Professor of Medicine; Chair, Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University

Judith Korner, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine; Director, Weight Control Center, Columbia University Medical Center

Stavroula Kousteni, PhD
Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University

Allison Kupsco, PhD
Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Irwin J. Kurland, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine; Director of the Stable Isotope and Metabolomics Core Facility of the Diabetes Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Elena Ladas, PhD, RD
Sid and Helaine Lerner Associate Professor for Global Integrative Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Blandine Laferrère, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine; Director of the Diabetes Research Center Translational Biomarker Analytical Core (TBAC) Laboratory, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Charles LeDuc, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University

Jeffrey Lieberman, MD
Lawrence C. Kolb Professor of Psychiatry; Lieber Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center

Susan X. Lin
Assistant Professor of Clinical Research, Center for Family and Community Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Stavros Lomvardas, PhD
Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Neuroscience, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute

Jose Luchsinger, MD
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology; Vice-Chair for Clinical and Epidemiologic Research in the Department of Medicine; Director, Section of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Aging, Columbia University Medical Center

J. John Mann, MD
Paul Janssen Professor of Translational Neuroscience (in Psychiatry and in Radiology); Chief, Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Department Psychiatry, Columbia University

Gabriella Martins, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute 

Mathew S Maurer, MD
Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center 

Laurel Mayer, MD
Professor of Psychiatry; Director, NYP House Staff Mental Health Service, Columbia University Medical Center

John Morrow, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine; Co-Director of Cardiology Grand Rounds, Columbia University Medical Center

Alex Nectow, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator, Department of Medicine, Columbia University

Saleem Nicola, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Associate Professor of the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Sharon Oberfield, MD
Professor of Pediatrics; Chief, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, Columbia University Medical Center

Lale Ozcan, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Gabrielle Page-Wilson, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Utpal Pajvani, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Frederica Perera, DrPH, PhD
Director of the Translational Research Program, Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health; Professor, Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University

Jeffrey Pessin, PhD
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Professor of Molecular Pharmacology; Judy R. & Alfred A. Rosenberg Professorial Chair in Diabetes Research; Director, Department of Medicine Diabetes Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Martin Picard, PhD
Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine (in Psychiatry and Neurology); Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative (CTNI) Scholar, Columbia University

Li Qiang, PhD
Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University

Muredach Reilly, MD
Professor of Medicine; Director, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research; Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research; Director, Cardiometabolic Precision Medicine Program, Columbia University Medical Center

Gissette Reyes Soffer, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center

Michael Rosenbaum, MD
Professor of Pediatrics & Medicine; Associate Program Director of the CTSA and CRC, NYNORC, Columbia University Medical Center

Andrew Rundle, MPH, DrPH
Professor of Epidemiology; Project Leader (Childhood Obesity) Social and Spatial Epidemiology Unit; Co-Lead, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Medical Center

Daniel Salzman, MD, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; Principal Investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University

Nathaniel Sawtell, PhD
Associate Professor of Neuroscience; Principal Investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University

Janet Schebendach, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurobiology in Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center

Victor L. Schuster, MD
Professor of Medicine (Nephrology); Professor of Biochemistry; Senior Vice-Dean; Ted and Florence Baumritter Chair in Medicine; Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Gary J. Schwartz, PhD
Professor of Medicine & Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Director, Animal Phenotyping Core, NYNORC

Ari Shechter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences; Columbia University Medical Center

Wei Shen, MD, MPH, MS
Assistant Professor of Nutrition (in Pediatrics and in the Institute of Human Nutrition), Columbia University Medical Center

Yufeng Shen, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Systems Biology; Associate Director, Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University

Kosaku Shinoda, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine; Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Daphna Shohamy, PhD
Kavli Professor of Brain Science; Director and CEO of Columbia's Zuckerman Institute; Codirector of Columbia's Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute

Scott Small, MD
Boris and Rose Katz Professor of Neurology; Director, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University

Janet Sparrow, PhD
Anthony Donn Professor of Ophthalmic Science (in Ophthalmology); Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University

Joanna Steinglass, MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center

Marie St-Onge, PhD
Associate Professor of Nutritional Medicine; Director, Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research, Columbia University

Yousin Suh, PhD
Professor of Reproductive Sciences (in Obstetrics and Gynecology); Professor of Genetics and Development, Columbia University 

Ira Tabas, MD, PhD
Richard J. Stock Professor and Vice-Chair of Research, Department of Medicine; Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology , Columbia University Medical Center

Alan Tall, MD
Tilden-Weger-Bieler Professor of Medicine; Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University

Mary Beth Terry, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology (in Environmental Health Sciences); Co-Leader of Cancer Population Sciences, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center; Associate Director for Community Cancer Prevention, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University

Vidhu Thaker, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University

Raju Tomer, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Columbia University

Elizabeth C. Verna, MD, MSc
Frank Cardile Associate Professor of Medicine; Director of Clinical Research, Columbia University Transplant Initiative and the Transplant Clinical Research Center; Director of Hepatology Research, Columbia University Division of Digestive and Liver Disease, Columbia University College of Physician and Surgeons

Dennis Vitkup, PhD
Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University

B. Tim Walsh, MD
William and Joy Ruane Professor of Pediatric Psychopharmacology in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center

David S. Wang, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center

Sharon Wardlaw, MD
Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Professor of Obesity Research in Medicine; Director of Neuroendocrine Unit, Columbia University Medical Center

Olajide Williams, MD
Professor of Neurology; Chief of Staff of Neurology, Columbia University 

Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH
Florence Irving Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Director of Pediatric Weight Management in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center

Ai Yamamoto, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology; Associate Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia Univerisity

Fajun Yang, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Associate Professor of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Yunlei Yang, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology); Professor, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Masayuki Yazawa, PhD
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine; Assistant Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University

Michael T. Yin, MD
Co-Director, Bio-Behavioral Core; Associate Professor of Medicine; Associate Fellowship Program Director, Columbia University Medical Center

Xingxing Zang, PhD
Professor of Microbiology & Immunology; Professor of Oncology (Medical Oncology); Professor of Medicine (Oncology and Hematology); Professor of Urology; Louis Goldstein Swan Chair in Women's Cancer Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Lori Zeltser, PhD
Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology; Director, Advanced Tissue Pathology and Imaging Core of the Columbia Diabetes Research Center; Co-Director, Nutritional and Metabolic Biology Ph.D. Program, Columbia University

Yiying Zhang, PhD
Research Scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University

Na Zhu, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University Medical Center 

Charles Zuker, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics; Professor of Neuroscience; Principal Investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute; Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University