Julian Adin Abrams, MD

Gastroenterology
Cancer Care
More specialties
Virtual Visits/Telehealth
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Overview

Julian Abrams, MD is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and Director of Clinical Research for the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. He is a specialist in the care of patients with Barrett's esophagus, early esophageal cancer, and other esophageal disorders. His research focus is on risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer, with a particular focus on the role of the oral and esophageal microbiome as disease biomarkers, promoters of neoplasia, and targets for chemoprevention. He also has conducted extensive outcomes research related to endoscopic therapy for Barrett’s esophagus and associated neoplasia.

Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated

  • Barrett's Esophagus
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Swallowing Disorder
  • Upper Endoscopy

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Columbia University Medical Center

Administrative Titles

  • Director of Clinical Research, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
  • Co-Director, Clinical Biospecimen and Research Core, Columbia University Digestive and Liver Disease Research Center

Hospital Affiliations

  • NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester

Languages

  • Spanish

Gender

  • Male

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Virtual Visits/Telehealth

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Phone Appointments

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Location(s)

161 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032

Insurance Accepted

Aetna

  • Aetna Signature Administrators
  • NYP Employee Plan
  • NY Signature
  • Student Health

Affinity Health Plan

  • Medicaid Managed Care

AgeWell

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • Special Needs

Amerigroup of New Jersey

  • New Jersey Services (Medicaid Managed Care)

Amida Care

  • Special Needs

Cigna

  • EPO
  • Great West (National)
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • POS
  • PPO

Emblem/GHI

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • PPO

Emblem/HIP

  • ConnectiCare
  • EPO
  • Essential Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicare Managed Care
  • POS
  • PPO
  • Select Care (Exchange)
  • Vytra

Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield

  • EPO
  • HMO
  • PPO

Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HealthPlus

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Essential Plan

Fidelis Care

  • Essential Plan
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

Healthfirst

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Leaf (Exchange)
  • Medicaid Managed Care
  • Medicare Managed Care

Local 1199

  • Local 1199

MagnaCare (National)

  • MagnaCare

Medicare

  • Railroad
  • Traditional Medicare

Multiplan

  • Multiplan

MVP Health Care

  • Child/Family Health Plus
  • Essential Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid Managed Care

Quality Health Management

  • Quality Health Management

RiverSpring

  • Special Needs

UnitedHealthcare

  • Compass (Exchange)
  • Empire Plan
  • HMO
  • Medicaid (Community Plan)
  • Oxford Freedom
  • Oxford HMO
  • Oxford Liberty
  • POS
  • PPO

VNSNY CHOICE

  • SelectHealth

WellCare

  • Medicare Managed Care
  • New Jersey Services (Medicaid Managed Care)

World Trade Center Health Plan

  • World Trade Center Health Plan

*Please contact the provider’s office directly to verify that your particular insurance is accepted.

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
  • Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
  • Fellowship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

Committees, Societies, Councils

  • Member, American Gastroenterological Association
  • Member, New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
  • Co-Director, T32 Multidisciplinary Training in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Academic Service

2007-present Fellowship Selection Committee, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases

2007-present Full Member, Cancer Epidemiology Program, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University

2006-present Interviewer, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Columbia University Medical Center

2023-present Member, Department of Medicine Clinical and Translational Research Working Group

2023-present Member, Department of Medicine Chair Search Committee

2023-present Member, Department of Medicine Executive Committee

2022-present Director of Clinical Research, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases

2022-present Member, NYSGE Research Committee

2021-present Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee member, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases

2015-present Reviewer, CUMC Dept of Medicine Resident and Fellow Research abstracts

2014-present Member, GI Fellowship CCC Committee

2007-present Fellowship Selection Committee, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases

2007-present Full Member, Cancer Epidemiology Program, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University

2006-present Interviewer, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Columbia University Medical Center

Board Certifications

  • Gastroenterology

Honors & Awards

  • 2021, Elected to Nominating Committee, AGA Esophageal, Gastric and Duodenal Disorders (EGD) section
  • 2013, Irving Scholar Award (Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Medicine, 2013-2016)
  • 2009, Gastroenterology Research Group/American Gastroenterological Association Young Investigator Award in Clinical Science

Research

Dr. Abrams is a clinical, epidemiological, and translational researcher with a focus on risk factors for esophageal and other upper gastrointestinal cancers. He obtained a K07 Career Development Award from the National Cancer Institute, is a Program Director on a U54 award from the NCI as part of a multicenter consortium to perform translational research in Barrett’s esophagus, and has a R01 assessing an oral microbiome signature to identify patients at risk for esophageal cancer. Dr. Abrams’ current areas of research include: the role of the oral and esophageal microbiome in Barrett’s esophagus and progression to cancer; identification of novel markers of tissue at risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma; novel endoscopic technologies for treatment and imaging of Barrett’s esophagus; predictors of response and recurrence after endoscopic ablation therapy for BE.

Research Interests

  • Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders
  • Epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer

Clinical Trials

Dr. Abrams has extensive experience conducting studies related to Barrett's esophagus and early esophageal cancer. Their studies have included clinical trials assessing novel endoscopic devices to treat Barrett's esophagus with precancerous changes and early esophageal cancer, testing non-endoscopic devices to screen for Barrett's esophagus, and assessing drugs to potentially lower the risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Grants

NCI R01 CA272898 Abrams (contact), Wang, Quante (MPI) 9/1/22-8/31/27

The Role of Secondary Bile Acids in Gastro-Esophageal Neoplasia

The goal of this award is to determine how bacterially-produced systemic bile acids impact the GE junction stem cell niche to promote the development of gastro-esophageal neoplasia.

Role: MPI (contact)

NIH/NCI R01CA255298 Abrams (PI) 1/1/21-12/31/25

The Role of the Microbiome and Notch Signaling in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

The goal of this award is to determine whether Notch signaling promotes bacterial interaction with the underlying epithelium in Barrett’s esophagus, thereby promoting the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Role: PI

Selected Publications

  • Solfisburg QS, Baldini F, Baldwin-Hunter BL, Lee HH, Park H, Freedberg DE, Lightdale CJ, Korem T, Abrams JA*. The Salivary Microbiome and Predicted Metabolite Production are Associated with Progression to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024 Mar 1;33(3):371-380. PMID: 38117184
  • Kunze B, Wein F, Fang HY, Anand A, Baumeister T, Strangmann J, Gerland S, Ingermann, Munch NS, Wiethaler M, Sahm V, Sastre AH, Lange, S, Lightdale CJ, Bokhari A, Falk GW, Friedman RA, Ginsberg GG, Iyer PG, Jin Z, Nakagawa H, Shawber CJ, Nguyen T, Raab WJ, Dalerba , Rustgi AK Sepulveda AR, Wang KK, Schmid RM, Wang TC, Abrams JA*, Quante M*. Notch signaling mediates differentiation in Barrett’s esophagus and promotes progression to adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology 2020 Aug;159(2):575-590. PMID: 32325086
  • Snider EJ, Compres G, Freedberg DE, Khiabanian H, Nobel YR, Stump S, Uhlemann AC, Lightdale CJ, Abrams JA*. Alterations to the esophageal microbiome associated with progression from Barrett’s esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2019;28:1687-1693.
  • PMC6774849 Grants: NIH/NCI R01 CA272898 Abrams (contact), H Wang, Quante (MPI) The Role of Secondary Bile Acids in Gastro-Esophageal Neoplasia The goal of this award is to determine how bacterially-produced systemic bile acids impact the GE junction stem cell niche to promote the development of gastro-esophageal neoplasia.
  • NIH/NCI R01CA238433 Abrams (PI) The Oral Microbiome for Barrett’s Esophagus Detection The goal of this award is to validate an oral microbiome signature associated with Barrett’s esophagus, and to assess the longitudinal stability of the oral microbiome in patients with BE.
  • Snider EJ, Freedberg DE, Abrams JA. Potential role of the microbiome in Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Dig Dis Sci. 2016 Aug;61(8):2217-2225. PMID: 27068172
  • Freedberg DE, Yang YX, Abrams JA. Proton pump inhibitors and myocardial infarction. Gastroenterology. 2015 Oct;149(4):830-3. PMID: 26277262
  • Wang JS, Varro A, Lightdale CJ, Letkorwit N, Slack KN, Fingerhood ML, Tsai WY, Wang TC, Abrams JA. Elevated serum gastrin is associated with a history of advanced neoplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Am J Gastroenterol 2010;105:1039-45. PMC3139948