Message From the Chair

The vitality and energy of our faculty and work are just inspiring, and I invite you to explore this annual report to capture some of it.

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is an honor to share the 2021 annual report of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University. We are so grateful that you have taken some of your valuable time to learn more about us, our mission, and our progress.

While 2021 held many wonderous moments and accomplishments, it was certainly not what we had hoped for as 2020 came to a close. At the time of last year’s report, COVID-19 vaccination programs had us hopeful that we would have returned more quickly and completely to non- and pre-pandemic topics. The pandemic and its many forms have occupied much of this past year and taken us in so many new and frankly important directions, among them our department becoming one of the lead NIH collaborative sites working to understand post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV2, or “long COVID,” in children. That said, there is much to celebrate. We have learned and accomplished much in 2021 to advance the health of our children here in New York and everywhere. The thoughtfulness, innovation, and kindness applied throughout our departmental ecosystem is inspiring, as is the connectedness through which we continue to make the most out of every opportunity we have.

Over this past year we have welcomed new faculty, advanced new leaders, graduated extraordinary residents, fellows, and medical students pursuing pediatrics and have continued to grow each of our twelve clinical divisions. Our extramural funding for our research has grown to an all-time high with correspondingly meaningful research publications, and we were designated a Rare Disease Center of Excellence by the National Organization for Rare Disorders. Importantly, we continue to expand our community of early-stage investigators and have a high number of NIH career development awards relative to the size of our faculty. The vitality and energy of our faculty and work are just inspiring, and I invite you to explore this annual report to capture some of it.

While we are here for children everywhere, we are especially focused on those closest to us in upper Manhattan and on providing the highest quality of care, in partnership with our hospital affiliate, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Now more than ever, our faculty have risen to innovate, identify, and act upon disparities and to promote effective communication, inclusiveness, and anti-racist practices in our mission.

With tremendous hope for a bright year ahead, we celebrate the good and togetherness of 2021 and have a robust vision for what we can do to build upon it. I dedicate this annual report to the tenacity, perseverance, talents, and connectedness of our faculty and learners who have accomplished so much and paved the way for a brighter future for our department, its mission, and children everywhere. Thank you again for taking the time to learn more about us, I do hope you enjoy what you see.

Most appreciatively,

Jordan Scott Orange, MD, PhD
Reuben S. Carpentier Professor of Pediatrics