Leadership Team
Dean
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH
Dean and DeLamar Professor of Public Health; Director, Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center
lpfried@columbia.edu
Dean Fried is a world-renowned geriatrician and epidemiologist. Since her appointment as Dean in 2008, she has led the transformation of Columbia Public Health’s MPH and doctoral programs into interdisciplinary education that provides strong grounding in public health and expertise for leadership in the 21st Century. Under her leadership, the School has developed novel translational programs in interdisciplinary science, including health impacts of climate change; lifecourse bases for achieving public health; data science for health; and the creation of the Program in Global Health Justice and Governance, the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center.
Vice Deans
Ying Kuen Cheung
Vice Dean for Faculty
Professor, Biostatistics
yc632@cumc.columbia.edu
Dr. Cheung joined the faculty of Biostatistics at Columbia Mailman in 2000 and has since served on numerous department-level and school-level initiatives. In his role as Vice Dean for Faculty, Dr. Cheung oversees the faculty hiring plan, recruitment, mentoring, promotion, and tenure process across the Mailman School; he strives to promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion across the faculty community. He was the founding Director of Pharmaceutical Statistics track in Biostatistics; chaired the school-wide Precision Public Health Taskforce; and led the FORWARD action corps on faculty/staff recruitment and retention. He is a recipient of IBM Faculty Award on Big Data and Analytics. He is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.
Sami Jarrah, MPH
Vice Dean for Finance and Administration
Executive Director for Public Partnerships
sj3278@cumc.columbia.edu
Mr. Jarrah directs the School’s compliance, facilities, finance, information technology, and human resources functions. He also provides leadership for developing and deepening mutually beneficial partnerships between the School and the public sector at all levels. Previously, Mr. Jarrah served as the Chief Financial Officer at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as Chief Operating Officer at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and as Deputy Director at the Multnomah County Health Department. Mr. Jarrah earned his MPH from the University of Washington and his BA from Davidson College.
Michael Joseph, PhD
Vice Dean for Education
Associate Professor of Epidemiology
mj3019@cumc.columbia.edu
Dr. Joseph is a highly regarded teacher and curricular innovator, whose educational contributions and approach have been recognized locally, nationally and internationally. Dr. Joseph provides academic guidance for the Mailman School’s education portfolio, which enrolls more than 1400 students from around the world in doctoral and master’s degree programs. As Vice Dean, he leads the Columbia MPH and directs a range of support services, including admissions and financial aid, student affairs, and career services.
Gary W. Miller, PhD
Vice Dean for Research Strategy and Innovation
Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
gm2815@cumc.columbia.edu
Dr. Miller moved to Columbia University in 2018 after 16 years at Emory University. Dr. Miller is the founding director of the HERCULES Exposome Research Center at Emory University, the first exposome-based research center in the U.S. He authored the first book on the topic, The Exposome: A Primer. His research focuses on environmental drivers of neurodegeneration. In his vice dean role, Dr. Miller partners with faculty to further their research success and serves as a catalyst to propel interdisciplinary work throughout the School.
Administrative Leadership
Anne Marie Benedicto, MPA, MPH
Chief of Staff
asb50@cumc.columbia.edu
Anne Marie Benedicto leads operations for the Dean’s office and directs advancement of the School’s strategic priorities. Previously, Anne Marie served as the Vice President of the Center for Transforming Healthcare and was the Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President for The Joint Commission. She has held finance and quality-related positions in healthcare organizations in New York City. Her expertise is in applying high reliability principles to organizational processes. Anne Marie earned her BA from the University of California at Berkeley, her MPA from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, and her MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health.
Vanita Gowda, MPA
Associate Dean and Chief Communications Officer
vrg8@cumc.columbia.edu
Ms. Gowda is a strategic communications and advocacy professional with more than 20 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, focusing on initiatives to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable and underserved populations around the world. She started her career as a reporter in Washington DC, covering Capitol Hill and national affairs. Vanita earned her MPA from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs and earned her BA from the College of William & Mary.
Center Directors
Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center
Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH
Director and Dean, Mailman School of Public Health and DeLamar Professor of Public Health; Professor of Epidemiology and of Medicine; Senior Vice President, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Contact: ColumbiaAgingCenter@cumc.columbia.edu
Center for Infection and Immunity
W. Ian Lipkin
Director and John Snow Professor of Epidemiology and Professor of Neurology and Pathology and Cell Biology
Administrative Contact: Kelly Magnus (kh2907@cumc.columbia.edu)
ICAP
Wafaa El-Sadr
Director and Executive Vice President for Columbia Global; University Professor; Dr. Mathilde Krim-amfAR Professor of Global Health (in Epidemiology); Director, Columbia World Projects
Administrative Contact: Mkeba Cason (mtc2101@cumc.columbia.edu)
Department Chairs
Biostatistics
Kiros Berhane
Chair and Cynthia and Robert Citron-Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Professor
Administrative Contact: Sonia Lyn (svl1@cumc.columbia.edu)
Environmental Health Sciences
Andrea Baccarelli
Chair and Leon Hess Professor
Administrative Contact: Fernando L. Luque (fll2112@cumc.columbia.edu)
Epidemiology
Charles Branas
Chair and Gelman Endowed Professor
Administrative Contact: Laura Goldenkranz (lag2172@cumc.columbia.edu)
Health Policy and Management
Michael Sparer
Chair and Professor
Administrative Contact: Emily Kimberl (ek3268@cumc.columbia.edu)
Population and Family Health
S. Patrick Kachur
Interim Chair and Professor
Administrative Contact: Sara Sternglass: (ss3808@cumc.columbia.edu)
Sociomedical Sciences
Kathleen Sikkema
Chair and Stephen Smith Professor
Administrative Contact: Yasmin Davis (yj12@cumc.columbia.edu)