Upcoming Events

Kick off summer with a FREE BLOCK PARTY! This fun-filled afternoon will feature hands-on discovery, exciting activities, and free offerings for the whole family. This year’s theme is DISCOVERY, bringing children and caregivers together to explore the world around them through science, health, and creativity. All families are welcome, and resources will be available in both English and Spanish! Activities will include: A BioBus to explore microorganisms under high-powered microscopes. A real FDNY firetruck. Opportunities to learn hands-only CPR. Free dental checkups. Brazilian drumline Calming wind-down exercises Science activities including marine art, potting plants, how to tie useful knots, making infused water, and even observing the sky with an astronomy activity. Kids can also enjoy sensory play, face painting, dancing, and more.   The Playdate is hosted by the COMBO Initiative at Columbia University, one of the world's leading studies on the pandemic's effects on children and families.

On May 5, Dr. Sen Pei is presenting, "Adaptive mobility responses during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024." Additionally, Katrina Simon is presenting, "Prenatal public water fluoride and child cognitive outcomes in the US, 2005-2020." Join us in person in ARB 1101 or via Zoom. In-person attendance is only available to Columbia affiliates. Affiliates outside of Columbia are welcome to attend via Zoom.

Step into an experiential workshop designed to nourish both your body and mind. Ergonomic Ease weaves together the practical benefits of ergonomic awareness with the power of mindful restoration. In this session, you’ll explore simple, personalized adjustments to create an ergonomics workspace, while also being guided through practices that help release tension in your mind and body. Walk away feeling renewed, equipped, and empowered to bring greater comfort and clarity into your daily work life. 

"I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine," a conversation with Dr. Daniel Levitin moderated by Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl. For our final rounds of the spring semester, we have the honor of welcoming Dr. Daniel Levitin, New York Times best-selling author and James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University who will be speaking about his recent book, I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine. In I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine, Dr. Daniel Levitin reveals the deep connections between music and healing. Music is one of humanity’s oldest medicines. From the Far East to the Ottoman Empire, Europe to Africa and the pre-colonial Americas, many cultures have developed their own rich traditions for using sound and rhythm to ease suffering, promote healing, and calm the mind. I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine explores the curative powers of music, showing us how and why it is one of the most potent therapies today. He brings together, for the first time, the results of numerous studies on music and the brain, demonstrating how music can contribute to the treatment of a host of ailments, from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to cognitive injury, depression, and pain. I Heard There Was a Secret Chord highlights the critical role music has played in human biology, illuminating the neuroscience of music and its profound benefits for those both young and old. Dr. Daniel Levitin is James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Neuroscience at McGill University, and Founding Dean of Minerva University in San Francisco. His research addresses fundamental questions in auditory memory, musical structure, and the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of musical experience. He has published 75 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Science, Nature, PNAS, Neuron, and Cognition. As a musician (saxophone, guitar, vocals, and bass), he has performed with Mel Tormé, Bobby McFerrin, Rosanne Cash, Sting, Renée Fleming, Victor Wooten, Neil Young, and David Byrne. He has produced and consulted on albums by Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and has been awarded 17 gold and platinum records. Narrative Medicine Rounds are monthly rounds held on the first Wednesday of the month during the academic year, hosted by the Division of Narrative Medicine in the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Rounds are supported by live captioning. If you have any other accessibility needs or concerns, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 212-854-2388 or disability@columbia.edu at least 10 days in advance of the event. We do our best to arrange accommodations received after this deadline but cannot guarantee them.