New IGM Recruit Awarded Bohmfalk Award

Christopher Makinson, PhD, a newly recruited physician-scientist from Stanford University, was awarded the prestigious Bohmfalk Award for Medical Research from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Makinson serves as an Assistant Professor of Neurology and in the Institute for Genomic Medicine. The Bohmfalk Award is conferred biennially to two VP&S scientists each of whom receives $100,000 to conduct scientific investigations. The internal review and selection process for this award is administered by VP&S's Office for Research. Dr. Makinson's nomination was submitted by the IGM's Wayne Frankel, PhD and David Goldstein, PhD, and Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc. Dr. Mayeux serves as the Chair of the Columbia Department of Neurology 

"Dr. Makinson is an outstanding fit for a joint position in the Department of Neurology and the IGM, where our common goal is to bridge clinical challenges that face children with intractable genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, with molecular and physicological approaches aimed towards development of mechanism-based therapies. With the Bohmfalk Award, Columbia was able to once again bring exceptional basic research scientists to CUIMC to help us develop and mature the scientific foundations of precision medicine in neurological disease," wrote the co-nominators. 

The Alice Bohmfalk Charitable Trust was established in the late 19th century as a philanthropic entity, managed by JP Morgan Chase. Columbia VP&S is among the recipients of a percentage of annual distributions of income from the Trust. Funds received support three areas: medical student scholarship, two prizes for medical education (one focused on clinical and the other on research); and medical research. 

Dr. Makinson joined Columbia in June 2020.