ANDREW R.MARKS, M.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics and Pharmacology Office: Physicians & Surgeons | 11th floor | Room 427 Telephone: 212.305.0270 Fax: 212.305.3690 Email:arm42@columbia.edu

Dear colleagues, friends, trainees:

The Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons is a vibrant, growing department that seeks to provide the most exciting environment for cutting edge science. Our faculty are leaders in the exploration of the mind, the heart, blood vessels, the kidney, spinal chord, pain sensation and many other areas.

At our annual departmental retreat over 100 trainees present their work and discuss science and their career plans with the faculty in an informal setting followed by an evening of relaxation and dancing.

Our faculty include a Nobel Laureate (Eric Kandel), a Lasker Awardee (James Rothman), and five members of the National Academy of Sciences, Eric Kandel, James Rothman, Arthur Karlin, Wayne Hendrickson, and Andrew R. Marks. The Department also includes four members of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, Eric Kandel, James Rothman, Sam Silverstein, Andrew R. Marks; and five members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, James Rothman, Eric Kandel, Sam Silverstein, Qais Al-Awqati, and Andrew R. Marks.There are several major areas of focus in the Department: developmental neurobiology & neuroscience (Jane Dodd, Vice Chair of the Department, Eric Kandel, Amy MacDermott, Joseph Gogos, Ning Qian, James Schwartz, Michel Ferin, Claude Ghez, Brian McCabe, Larry Abbott, Ken Miller, and Wes Grueber); membrane biology (James Rothman, Jonathan Javitch, Arthur Karlin, Qais Al-Awqati, Martin Blank, Martin Low, Jorge Fischbarg, Ming Zhou); cardiovascular biology (Andrew Marks, Henry Colecraft, Ira Tabas, Sam Silverstein, David Schacter, Jahar Bhattacharya, John Loike and Alan Tall); computational/systems biology and Larry Abbott and Ken Miller have been recruited to develop this important area in the department. Summaries of the faculty research and selected publications can be found under "Faculty Profiles".

The faculty provide a rich environment for training and applications for the graduate program are invited from outstanding students (see "Graduate Program", and contact John Loike, who is in charge of graduate student recruitment in the Department - jdl5@columbia.edu), and postdoctoral fellows (see "Positions Available" and contact individual faculty). In addition several searches are ongoing for new faculty (see "Positions Available"). We are particularly interested and enthusiastic about seeking diversity amongst our trainees and faculty.

Faculty in the Department are most proud of recent successes in our ongoing efforts to learn about and eventually overcome diseases that afflict millions of patients. These accomplishments are summarized on our web site (see "Recent Research News") and include advances in understanding the molecular basis of schizophrenia, development of the nervous system that is relevant to treatment of spinal chord injury, and new treatments for heart disease including coronary artery stent restenosis, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias.

The Department has many opportunities to provide critical support for the ongoing research efforts in these and other areas. Interested donors should contact me directly.

Biomedical Research offers a lifetime opportunity to invest one's energies and intellect in advancing understanding of living matter, to follow one's own creative instincts, and to work at the frontier of human knowledge for the benefit of all mankind.

1) commitment to excellence in education
2) commitment to excellence in research with a focus on innovation
3) commitment to teamwork, caring and supportive workplace