Celebrating a Trio of Influential Faculty Members
An April 22 event celebrated the retirements of three longtime, influential faculty members from the Department of Epidemiology. In a lively panel discussion, L.H. “Bertie” Lumey, Ezra Susser, and Myrna Weissman shared their paths into epidemiology, the challenges they encountered, and the successes they achieved throughout their careers. Katherine Keyes, professor of epidemiology and director of the Susan Lasker Brody Center for Population Mental Health, moderated the discussion before an audience of faculty, students, staff, family members, and friends—including many who have collaborated with one or more of the trio for decades.
The three scholars overlap in their academic interests—and each has made major contributions to the department and the field. Susser and Weissman, both trained in psychiatry and epidemiology, were influential in establishing Columbia Mailman’s leadership in psychiatric epidemiology and have contributed landmark studies on schizophrenia and the transmission of depression across generations, among other topics. Lumey is a leading figure in the study of life-course epidemiology, including the lifelong health impacts of prenatal and childhood exposure to famine.
In his opening remarks, Charles Branas, Gelman Professor of Epidemiology and Chair of Epidemiology, said the three faculty members are renowned worldwide for their scientific insights and impact, and their accomplishments motivated his decision to join Columbia as chair of Epidemiology in 2017. “Their work has been influential, not just in my career, but to many of the people that are in this room [and beyond],” he said.
A Winding Road to Columbia Epidemiology
While the three scholars each took a unique path into epidemiology at Columbia, all were influenced by legendary Columbia epidemiologists Mervyn Susser and Zena Stein, Ezra Susser’s parents. “I didn’t intend to go into epidemiology,” Ezra Susser explained. Initially, he worked as a nursing assistant, then trained as a psychiatrist before choosing to follow in his parents’ footsteps. Lumey, too, had other plans, setting out to become an obstetrician before studying the history and philosophy of science at Cambridge University, where he came across a book by Susser’s parents that sparked a passion for epidemiology. Weisman, who also trained as a psychiatrist, initially resisted appeals to leave Yale for Columbia but was won over, in part, by the Sussers.
Contemporary Challenges and Career Highpoints
How should epidemiology find its way in the current political environment? While public health progress was once a given, Susser said epidemiologists must now confront the question: “How do we rebuild public health and society to promote health?” In Lumey’s view, researchers should return to basics, focusing on key epidemiological indicators. “We now need to document in terms of the child mortality, maternal mortality, vaccinations—all the basic public health activities that we have taken for granted and that are now even going unrecorded, undocumented,” he said. For her part, Weissman said academics must now be more creative and clever, and seek funding through alternative avenues such as pharmaceutical companies or philanthropy. “I wouldn’t give up. It’s a great deal of fun,” she said.
Even before recent political headwinds, a career in academia wasn’t a cakewalk. As one example, Lumey said he had many more grant applications rejected than accepted. What kept him going? “Very simple. Curiosity,” he explained. Offering advice to the next generation, Weissman said that prolific grantwriting is important, as is finding meaningful collaborations. Susser pointed to friendships both within Columbia and around the world. “They sustained me,” he said.
