Margaret and Ian Smith Clinical Skills Center - Weill Medical ...

Peter M. Sacerdote receives a white coat from Dean
Gotto at the November 3rd ceremony for the Peter M.
Sacerdote Urological Research Laboratory.
A LONG LEGACY
IN SCIENCE
From an early age Peter M. Sacerdote has
had an interest in science which led to
a degree in electrical engineering at Cornell
University long before he built a successful
career in fi nance. In fact, one could even say
that scientifi c curiosity and rigor are part of
his genetic blueprint. Peter’s mother was a
chemistry professor, and his father was an
electrical engineer. His two aunts are awardwinning
medical researchers, and one of
them, Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, received the
Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986.
Peter’s interest and curiosity about
medical research led him to join the Board
of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medical College
in 1994. Ever since, he and his wife, Bonnie,
have been generous patrons and loyal friends
of the College. Their long history of giving
has supported urologic oncology, women’s
health, and gene therapy. On November 3rd, a
ceremony was held to celebrate Peter’s most
recent gift of $5 million to the Discoveries that
Make a Difference Campaign, which renovated
and expanded the Peter M. Sacerdote
Urological Research Laboratory located in
Weill Cornell’s Harkness Building. It will bring
together more than 30 different researchers.
The gift will also create the Peter M. Sacerdote
Distinguished Professorship in Urologic
Oncology.
“I believe we have reached a watershed
moment in medicine, particularly with
the mapping of the human genome,” he says.
“I am delighted to be a part of this exciting
time of discovery and innovation and feel
proud to support Weill Cornell’s internationally
acclaimed Department of Urology.”
“We are thrilled to receive this generous
gift from Bonnie and Peter to support the
future of translational research in oncology,”
says Peter N. Schlegel, M.D., Professor of Urology
and Reproductive Medicine and Chairman
of Urology at Weill Cornell. “This new
laboratory space will allow even higher levels
of collaboration among our scientists and
help us to move our discoveries more quickly
into new treatments and drugs for urologic
conditions like prostate, bladder, and
kidney cancers.”
www.med.cornell.edu
FALL 2009
Margaret and Ian Smith
Clinical Skills Center
By the end of their fi rst week of medical school, Weill
Cornell Medical College students have treated a
classmate who passed out in her dorm room and administered
CPR to a man who collapsed. By the end of
their fi rst and second years, they have seen a few dozen
patients — taking medical histories, performing physical
exams, providing potential diagnoses, and recommending
treatment.
Clearly, Weill Cornell is not
your grandparent’s medical school.
Thanks to the Margaret and Ian
Smith Clinical Skills Center — a
state-of-the-art teaching facility that
allows students to practice clinical
skills in a safe and controlled environment
— students are learning how
to become doctors earlier in their
education. On September 29th, a reception
was held in the new center to
celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s naming
gift and to dedicate a portrait of the
couple that is displayed
at the entrance. The
10,500 square-foot facility,
located in the Weill
Greenberg Center, simulates
medical conditions
and clinical scenarios using
“actor-patients” who
memorize signs and
symptoms and hightech
mannequins that
respond to procedures
and treatments like a
real patient.
“We are proud
to support this new approach
to training medical
students,” says Mr.
Smith. “Our vision is that
students not only have
a profound knowledge
of medicine, but also
the ability to listen well
with compassion and
sensitivity to patients.”
“The vision and
generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Smith have enabled us to teach
students that clinical skills are the cornerstone of patient
care,” adds Yoon Kang, M.D., Richard P. Cohen, M.D. Associate
Professor of Medical Education, and Director of the
Center, who compares the simulated clinical experiences
to fl ight training for pilots. “In the past there has not been
enough emphasis on taking medical history and performing
exams in undergraduate medical education.”
But that outdated philosophy is changing with
the help of innovative benefactors like Margaret and Ian
“The vision and
generosity of Mr.
and Mrs. Smith have
enabled us to teach
students that
clinical skills are
the cornerstone of
patient care.”
Smith. As Co-Chairs of the Clinical Skills Center Committee,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith helped establish the center in
2007.
“With Margaret and Ian’s continued generosity,
vision, and leadership, this center will be the hub of
medical training and education for years to come,” says
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D. Phil., Stephen and Suzanne
Weiss Dean at Weill Cornell.
For more than 20 years, the
Smiths have been devoted members
and benefactors at Weill Cornell. Mr.
Smith has served on the Board of
Overseers since 1998 and is Chairman
of the Government Relations, Community
Affairs, and Domestic Affi liations
Committee. For several decades, Mrs.
Smith has been an active volunteer at
the Medical Center through the Auxiliary
of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Margaret and Ian Smith at the dedication of their portrait outside the Margaret and Ian Smith Clinical
Skills Center on September 29th.
Inside Our
Campaign
- Spotlight on Multiple Sclerosis ........ 2
- Meet Overseer Daisy M. Soros ......... 5
- Alumni Perspective ......................... 6
- Movies Starring Enzymes ................. 8

2
New Gifts Support Medical Research Building
Weill Cornell faculty are critical to
every level of our mission— patient care,
teaching, and research, where they serve as Principal
Investigators (P.I.s) on major research initiatives. Because of
their leadership role in scientifi c discovery, the space dedicated
to P.I. offi ces in the new Medical Research Building is
especially important.
Recognizing this importance, several donors
recently made thoughtful gifts in support of three of these
offi ces, which will be named in their honor:
• In addition to their previous generous Campaign commitment,
Lisa and Sanford B. Ehrenkranz made a gift for a P.I.
FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
Principal Investigator Offi ce
© Polshek Partnership Architects. Please note: This is a representation
of what the space may look like when building design and construction
have been completed. It is not a precise depiction.
SETTING OUR SIGHTS ON
BREAKTHROUGHS
offi ce. Mr. Ehrenkranz is a Weill Cornell Overseer.
• A P.I. offi ce will be named in recognition of Parvati and Narain
Panjwani as part of their estate gift to the Medical Research
Building.
• A third P.I. offi ce will be named in honor of Elizabeth and Alan
B. Harris as part of their gift to the Campaign.
P.I.s are the inspiration and anchors of the Discoveries
Campaign. They drive the research that leads to advances
in patient treatments and cures, forming strong teams to deliver
on the promise, bringing in grants to fund the work, and
inspiring top talent to think outside the box. P.I. offi ces and P.I.
offi ce suites are planned across all research fl oors in the
When John Caronna,
M.D., the Louis and
Gertrude Feil Professor of
Clinical Neurology at Weill
Cornell Medical College, and
his colleagues needed a
high-end piece of research
equipment to help accelerate
their scientifi c discoveries,
they turned to a friend
they knew would recognize
an opportunity to make a
difference: Susan Dusenberry.
Dr. John Caronna and Susan Dusenberry at the naming ceremony As part of a $650,000 gift
for the Philip Dusenberry Microscopy Laboratory on May 14th.
to the Discoveries Campaign,
Mrs. Dusenberry made possible the purchase of a confocal microscope that allows scientists
to see specifi c proteins in neurons and other tissues that are thought to be linked to the
progression of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. In
gratitude, the Department of Neurology named the lab where it resides the Philip Dusenberry
Microscopy Laboratory in honor of her late husband. Her gift also established the
Dusenberry-Thomas Visiting Scholar in Anesthesiology, which will be used to attract a
leading physician in the fi eld of Anesthesiology to teach at the Medical College. A naming
ceremony was held on May 14th to celebrate her generous gifts.
“Gifts such as Susan’s have an immediate positive impact on our ability to understand
some of the most subtle and perplexing aspects of many neurological diseases, and
rapidly translate these fi ndings into new therapies that make a difference for the lives of our
patients,” says Dr. Caronna.
Mrs. Dusenberry’s support was inspired by her longstanding friendship with Dr. Caronna
and Butch Thomas, M.D., Marjorie J. Topkins, M.D.,-Alan Van Poznak, M.D. Distinguished
Professor of Anesthesiology, as well as their colleagues. ”For years, my family received outstanding
care at Weill Cornell,” says Mrs. Dusenberry. “They care deeply about their patients
and the science that underlies improving patient care.”
Research Suite Lounge
Many naming opportunities
are planned for this state-ofthe-art
building including
these research suite lounges,
research fl oors, conference
suites, and labs, among
others.
proposed research building.
The building’s glass façade will create large
windows for each offi ce, each looking South onto East
69th Street.
Inside the proposed building, public spaces such as
conference suites and break room areas will also have glass
walls looking onto the research labs, bathing the interior
spaces of the building with natural sunlight and providing
energy effi ciencies for the entire building.
SPOTLIGHT ON MS
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease, commonly affecting young adults, which
is caused by infl ammation in the central nervous system that destroys neurons
and myelin — the insulation for nerve cell fi bers in the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord.
When myelin is damaged it affects neurological functions such as vision, balance, cognition,
strength, and sensation.
Treatment options for MS developed over the past two decades center on antiinfl
ammatory approaches. Despite these therapies, MS remains a devastating disease for as
many as 400,000 Americans, with irreversible disability as a common consequence.
Scientists at Weill Cornell are focusing on research that will limit injury to myelin
and nerve cell fi bers in MS, as well as strategies to promote regeneration of myelin. Timothy
Vartanian, M.D., Ph.D., nationally renowned for his expertise in MS, joined Weill Cornell
recently as Director of the Judith Jaffe Neurology Unit’s Multiple Sclerosis Center. Research
at the Center focuses on a translational model—moving discoveries from the laboratory
and into patient treatments as quickly and safely as possible. “The talented scientists
in Immunology, Neuroscience, and Neuroimaging, the institutional support, and range of
collaborations at Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian are key reasons why I came here,”
he says.
The Judith Jaffe Unit handles about 2,000 patient visits a year, and Nancy M.
Nealon, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, sees many of them. “There is
new hope on the horizon for MS treatments,” she says. “We are on the threshold of research
breakthroughs that will provide a better life for our patients. It is what we work towards
every day.”
Susan Gauthier, D.O., M.P.H., Feil Family Clinical Scholar in Multiple Sclerosis and
Assistant Professor of Neurology, is a leader in several of these promising initiatives. These
include developing advanced MRI and molecular imaging techniques that will allow clinicians
to assess the degree of infl ammation and the specifi c types of injury it causes in the
brains of MS patients. The goal is to develop more effective and personalized treatments.
She and other members of the team are also working with the Department of
Ophthalmology to validate a new measure of MS disease progression through state-ofthe-art
retinal imaging technology. “Our aim is to translate research into improved patient
care,” says Dr. Gauthier. “We are fi ghting right along with them, searching for answers.”
Researchers have also identifi ed a major molecular pathway that limits normal regeneration
of myelin in people with MS. They are working to help develop the fi rst generation
of drugs that will promote “remyelination” — the generation of new myelin sheathes in
MS patients. “This,” says Dr. Vartanian, “is the Holy Grail of MS research.”

Rendering of the new Medical Research Building on East 69th
Street. © redsquare, inc. for Polshek Partnership Architects
Campaign
Initiatives
Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical
advances, including the fi rst clinical trial of gene
therapy for Parkinson’s disease, the fi rst indication
of bone marrow’s critical role in tumor growth,
and the world’s fi rst successful use of deep brain
stimulation to treat a minimally conscious braininjured
patient. Building on our long tradition of
excellence, the Discoveries Campaign focuses on
the following research areas to continue fi nding
solutions to the most pressing health issues
of our day.
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Children’s Health
• Diabetes, Metabolic Disorders and Obesity
• Global Health and Infectious Disease
• Molecular Therapeutics
• Neurodegenerative-Neuropsychiatric
Diseases and Aging
• Stem Cell, Developmental Biology,
Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine
What Is Translational Research?
Translational research is the focus of Weill Cornell Medical College’s Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign.
It is one of three types of medical research:
• BASIC RESEARCH seeks knowledge about the fundamental nature of the world, often at the molecular or sub-cellular
level, without particular regard to the practical application of that knowledge.
• CLINICAL RESEARCH engages patients directly and conducts clinical trials and other studies with the goal of
evaluating methods of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease.
• TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH is the bridge between basic and clinical research. Its goal is to “translate” the fi ndings
of basic research into new therapies that can benefi t patients as quickly and safely as possible. This is often called
“bench-to-bedside” research, and is leading to breakthroughs in patient care.
For more information, please contact Lucille Ferraro, Campaign Director, at 646-962-8721 or luf2003@med.cornell.edu
www.med.cornell.edu
Rendering of the Welcome Lounge in the new Medical Research Building.
© Polshek Partnership Architects.
Transforming
the Research
Landscape
Excavation continues apace at the site of the planned Medical
Research Building (pictured left), as construction crews excavate
65 feet below street level in preparation for laying the foundation. The
envisioned building will include 16 program fl oors encompassing
480,000 square feet and will become the hub for signifi cantly expanded
bench-to-bedside translational research initiatives. The potential impli-
cations are profound.
• It took Weill Cornell 100 years to reach its current level of research
space, and with one new building we will double our capacity.
• For the fi rst time in the Medical College’s recent history, we will be on
par with other leading urban medical centers in available workspace
for scientists.
• It will allow the College to recruit 30 or more additional top scientists
as part of our Discoveries Campaign.
• Its open design will promote collaboration among our own faculty,
and other researchers across the country and the world.
• Its core facilities will house the leading-edge scientifi c
equipment available to gather knowledge and make discoveries in a
shared space that will reduce technology costs.
• Its green design will add to our drive for a cleaner and
healthier world.
• In sum, it will be the catalyst for advances in health care once only
dreamed of.
“This is a beautiful building, both esthetically and functionally,”
says William H. Cunningham, Weill Cornell campus architect. “But for
those of us involved in the project day to day, the most compelling part
is the intent behind the design — to push the boundaries of scientifi c
knowledge for the improvement of human health.”
Dean Gotto agrees. “I believe that the greatest advances in
medical science will happen in places where biomedical disciplines
intersect. This is such a place,” he says.
The Medical Research Building would provide the resources
needed to change the course of healthcare for generations to come.
Naming opportunities are available to honor donors who make
unrestricted gifts and create endowments for faculty recruitment and
research program development.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign
is the most exciting and ambitious campaign
in Weill Cornell Medical College’s history.
With its successful completion, we will double
the research space of the Medical College, secure
our position at the forefront of medicine
for the next generation, and be a leader in
transforming health care in this century.
Our Campaign has achieved signifi cant
momentum in the last few months. We have
raised more than $940 million toward our
goal of $1.3 billion. To date, our fundraising
has focused largely on raising money towards
the $650 million construction costs for the
proposed Medical Research Building on East
69th Street, a state-of-the-art facility that is a
blueprint for advancing 21st century science.
Our supporters, including many of you reading
this letter, responded heroically despite
the well-documented economic downturn.
The numbers speak for themselves: as of November
1st, 22 donors gave 24 gifts of more
than $1 million each to the Medical Research
Building (two donors gave two gifts each). Numerous
others have given at signifi cant levels
and have demonstrated wonderful support.
A special thank you goes to our Campaign
Chairman Robert J. Appel and the Campaign
Steering Committee for their creative and tireless
leadership.
But we still have more to raise. Our fundraising
efforts will now zero in on the heart of the
Campaign —the physician-scientists working
on medical breakthroughs in the new building.
(See Mr. Appel’s letter, page 4.)
We encourage you to get involved and
partner with us in this exciting Discoveries
Campaign. With your support we are confi -
dent that we can bring this Campaign to its
successful conclusion.
Please accept our warmest wishes on behalf
of ourselves and our Weill Cornell community
for a joyous holiday season.
Sincerely,
Sanford I. Weill
Chairman, Board of Overseers
Weill Cornell Medical College
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil.
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Weill Cornell Medical College
Dean Antonio M. Gotto, Jr.
and Sanford I. Weill
Weill Cornell Medical College FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
3

4
Dear Friends,
Because of generous and heartfelt support
from our donors, we continue to make progress
in our historic Discoveries Campaign. We
are more than two-thirds of the way towards
our Campaign goal of $1.3 billion.
This year, a Challenge Fund established by
Joan and Sandy Weill provided substantial
impetus during a diffi cult economic time for
new gifts for the planned Medical Research
Building, home for our translational research
initiatives. Now we turn our attention to
supporting the scientifi c collaborations and
interdisciplinary research inside its walls.
Your generosity is essential to achieving
this goal. Much of the remaining funds to
be raised will help to recruit and retain new
physician-scientists, and fund the Campaign’s
priority research programs. Signifi cant gifts in
these and other priority Campaign areas will
be recognized with appropriate naming opportunities
throughout the planned 16-story
Medical Research Building. These range from
an entire research fl oor to labs, conference
suites, gathering spaces, and Principal Investigator
offi ces.
Weill Cornell Medical College is exceedingly
fortunate to have some of the fi nest minds in
medical research working collaboratively to
reveal the mysteries behind the most
daunting and devastating health issues that
face us today. Many breakthroughs in these
fi elds—once deemed impossible—now
appear imminent.
We expect the result of this timely Campaign
to be a signifi cant acceleration in the discovery
and approval of effective new therapies
for a wide array of diseases.
Thank you for your loyal and unwavering
support in this endeavor.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Appel
Campaign Chairman
Robert J. Appel, Campaign Chairman
FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
M. Elizabeth Ross, M.D., Ph.D. (seated), with Post-Doctoral Fellow Anamaria Sudarov, Ph.D., and Graduate Student Jason Gray, in
videoconference with Khaled Machaca, Ph.D. (right), Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, and Post-Doctoral Fellow Fan Yu, Ph.D.,
at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
Update FROM Qatar
Weill Cornell Medical College’s (WCMC) Biomedical
Research Program in Qatar has made signifi cant
progress in advancing basic science and building a sustainable
research community since it was launched slightly more
than a year ago. Its goal is to gener-
ate new fi ndings about complex biological
systems that will contribute
to disease prevention and treatment
strategies for people in Qatar and
around the world.
Among the highlights:
• Two dozen additional research
professionals are working in new
laboratories at WCMC-Qatar to
address causes and treatments
for diseases prevalent in the
Gulf Region, including diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and
respiratory illnesses.
• Results of research in which WCMC-Qatar scientists have
a role as lead scientists or collaborators are appearing in
prestigious international scientifi c journals. These include:
research on the molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling
published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences and a study on chromosomal variations in autism
spectrum disorder, published in the American Journal of
Human Genetics.
“Impressive progress
has already been made
in starting
this program in
partnership with the
qatar foundation.
Weill Cornell is
committed to
establishing a robust
research infrastructure
in Qatar.”
• Nearly 50 WCMC-Qatar medical students are investigating
crucial topics such as the differentiation of embryonic stem
cells, and the molecular and genetic basis of breast cancer
in Arab women.
“WCMC-Qatar is playing a
crucial role in creating a culture of
research in Qatar. It is a pioneer here
in research and, at the end of the
day, is about improving the quality
of life for all people. Qatar intends
to become a research hub for the
region and is making progress
on its long-term goal,” says Fathy
Saoud, Ph.D., President of the Qatar
Foundation.
“Impressive progress has
already been made in starting this
program in partnership with the
Qatar Foundation. Weill Cornell is
committed to establishing a robust research infrastructure
in Qatar,” says Dean Gotto.
Established in partnership with the Qatar
Foundation, WCMC-Qatar is an extension of the Medical
College, and is the fi rst American institution to offer its M.D.
degree overseas. For more information, go to
www.qatar-weill.cornell.edu.
Campaign Road Map
The Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign is in support of the third phase of Weill Cornell’s strategic
plan, and successful completion of its $1.3 billion goal is designed to build on the successes of the
earlier phases by creating an integrated translational research enterprise.
Phase I, the New Horizons for Medicine Campaign, which began in 1993, emphasized medical education
and basic research.
Phase II, the Advancing the Clinical Mission Campaign, which began in 2002, focused on patient care and
clinical research, and resulted in our new award-winning Weill Greenberg Center outpatient services and
medical education building at York Avenue and 70th Street.
Phase III, the Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign, which began in 2006, will complete and
consolidate this strategic vision by investing in translational research programs that rapidly convert
laboratory fi ndings into clinical interventions.

WHAT INSPIRES GIVING?
Daisy M. Soros has been an active leader and steward
for Weill Cornell Medical College ever since she
became an Overseer in 1993. As part of a $2 million gift to
the Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign — which
includes a Weill Challenge grant — Mrs. Soros recently
named the Daisy and Paul Soros Student Meeting Room
in the new Medical Research Building. She sat down with
Larry Schafer, Vice Provost for Development, to discuss her
popular Weill Cornell luncheon series, Information Please,
and her philanthropic philosophy.
LS: You founded Information Please 13 years ago, in
1997, to help people learn about the latest in medical research
and how to take better care of their health. What
motivated you to start the series?
DS: I have a great interest in medicine and take every
opportunity to learn more about it. I love doctors — not
when they poke at me — but I love to talk to them and
get information from them. But I found that often I did not
get enough answers for all the questions I had. I thought it
would be great to have a venue where one could strike up a
conversation with a doctor for an hour or so in a small
group setting.
LS: You are about to host your 28th Information
Please luncheon, and by our estimate 1,500 people
have attended over the years. It has had quite an impact.
What kind of feedback do you get?
DS: First of all, hearing that 1,500 people have attended
is very satisfying to me. When we fi rst started Information
Please it reminded me of when my husband started his
business, Soros Associates — I was the Associate along with
the mailman and the garbage man. At the fi rst luncheon I
had to drag everybody to come, so it is pretty amazing how
it has spread. What is even more wonderful is that people
have really enjoyed it and come back. They like the format
and fi nd it easy to understand.
LS: Do any particular Information Please sessions
stand out in your mind?
DS: We received the most responses for the luncheon called
“Sexual Malfunctions.” It wasn’t just sex and drugs, as you
might think. It was done from a psychological, urological,
and gynecological point of view. I was really amused to
see that it was the fi rst luncheon people were really
interested in.
KUDOS FOR DR. RESNICK!
Congratulations to Gene D. Resnick, M.D., ’74, for being
an outstanding and exemplary Medical College and
Cornell University alumnus. In November, he received one of
the 2009 Outstanding Alumni Awards from his undergraduate
alma mater, Cornell University College of Agriculture
and Life Sciences. The highly respected physician-scientist
serves on the Weill Cornell Cancer Initiative Subcommittee
and was past-president of the Weill Cornell Medical
College Alumni Association and alumni representative to
the Board of Overseers. Most recently, Dr. Resnick paved the
way for alumni generosity by making a $100,000 gift to the
Campaign to support collaborative programs between Weill
Cornell and Cornell University’s Ithaca campus.
www.med.cornell.edu
“I thought it would be
great to have a venue
where one could
strike up a conversation
with a doctor
for an hour or so in a
small group setting.”
Meet Daisy M. Soros
THE SCOOP
MUSIC AND MEDICINE
LS: You and your husband are major philanthropists at
the Medical College and elsewhere. Is there anything you
can share with us about your philosophy of giving?
DS: We try to concentrate on the fi elds that touch our lives.
Because my husband and I were brought up in Hungary and
were awarded such great opportunities when we came to
this country as adults, our main philanthropic interest is the
fellowship we created for graduate students who are immigrants
or children of immigrants. Many of our fellows are
studying medicine. We are very interested in education, and
are also patrons of the arts.
LS: If you had a choice between being the first violinist
at the Philharmonic or Chairman of one of the Departments
at the Medical College, what would you choose?
DS: I would be Chairman of a Department at the Medical
College. And I am not saying that because I love Weill Cornell.
I am saying that because I love medicine and I would
have loved to have been a doctor, heading up a department.
Chairman would be my choice, even though they receive
little public recognition and as fi rst violinist I would be applauded
in the fi nest concert halls. [Laughs.]
LS: In your memoir, As I Remember It, you wrote: “Now
I face the record of my life and … realize that, well, it is
not as if nothing ever happened to me. You put your own
richness into life. You can call everything unimportant
or important. The choice is yours.” Tell me about that.
DS: I live in a very high-powered family with a lot of accomplishments
around me. I always admired people who
accomplished long-standing things — if you wrote an interesting
book, or discovered something, then in a way you
could go on forever. I realized that I will probably never do
something earth-shattering. So in my own way I feel that by
getting involved, I am making a difference in people’s lives. I
am doing something that transcends beyond just me.
LS: Is there anything else you would like to add?
DS: Just that I feel very fortunate to be involved with Weill
Cornell. I was taken care of very well here. I have learned
a lot and made a lot of friends. Hopefully, along the way, I
made a little bit of a difference.
Medical students usually excel in science, but did you know that many are also gifted musically? With that in mind,
the Weill Cornell Medical College Music and Medicine Initiative — spearheaded by David A. Shapiro, M.D., and
supported by a generous lead gift from the Block Family Foundation — allows medical students to continue to enjoy
their musical activities by providing them with rehearsal space, performance venues, and access to faculty mentors.
Music can inform research and may help heal patients. For example, when scientifi c data is translated into music through
various algorithms, trained musicians can interpret the sounds and detect patterns and nuances that would be
otherwise undiscovered. The initiative will also encourage neuroscience research groups to explore the psychological
and physiological effects of music. Programs that incorporate music and healing already exist at the Medical Center and
Memorial Sloan Kettering. Let the healing begin!
Weill Cornell Medical College FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
5

6
Alumni
Who Make
a Difference
To widen our circle of
supporters and friends, the
Alumni Campaign Committee
was recently formed
to engage Weill Cornell
alumni in promoting the
Discoveries that Make a
Difference Campaign.
Chaired by Thomas P. McGovern, M.D. ’74,
Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology,
and Paul F. Miskovitz, M.D. ’75, Clinical Professor
of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and
Hepatology, this dynamic new group consists of
alumni who serve as full-time faculty and other r
affi liated physicians, and who work in a wide
range of specialties. Some have served in leadership
roles with the Alumni Association; others s
are new to involvement. All are deeply commit-
ted to Weill Cornell, and to the urgency of our
scientifi c mission.
An Unconventional Approach to Cancer Research
Thanks to a fi ve-year $13 million grant from the National Cancer
Institute, Cornell University in Ithaca, in partnership with Weill Cornell
Medical College, is creating a new research Center on the Microenvironment
and Metastasis. The center will be part of a network of 12
centers throughout the United States.
Twenty-six scientists across a range of disciplines from
engineering to biology will use nanobiotechnology and other physical
science approaches to better understand how cancer cells are uniquely
poised to effectively travel through the human body and initiate metastasis.
This Center is being led by Harold Craighead, Ph.D., Charles W.
Lake Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, and the Director of
the Center. The long-term goal of these studies is to identify new pathways
that enable cancers cells to metastasize and survive at distant
sites, and to help develop new drugs that target these pathways, to
inhibit metastasis and tumor growth. The newly renovated Arthur and
Rochelle Belfer Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology was
instrumental in allowing this project to coalesce and move forward
by providing laboratory space and investing in key faculty members.
FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
Dear Friends of Weill Cornell,
Weill Cornell Medical College
THOUGHTS FROM AN ALUMNI VOLUNTEER
When I heard Dean Gotto’s vision behind the Discoveries that Make a Difference Campaign
— to expand our capacity for groundbreaking research — it resonated with me immediately.
Drs. Paul Miskovitz and Thomas McGovern asked me to join the Alumni Campaign
Committee, and I felt not just obligation, but excitement. Weill Cornell deserves
to be ranked among the top medical schools in the country. The quality of our research,
teaching, and clinical care has been recognized nationwide as premiere, top of the line. If
one looks at medical research citations in the literature per square foot of research space,
Weill Cornell is top-notch. But if one examines the total NIH funds invested here, we
are less competitive. The only thing stopping us from being in the upper echelon of medical
schools now, as it has been for decades, is the lack of research space that will allow us
to enhance our already robust collaborations and attract more top scientists.
That is the essence of Dean Gotto’s vision — the creation of a 480,000 square foot Medical
Research Building, in the space previously occupied by Kips Bay and Livingston Farrand,
that will serve as the new locus for our 21st century science. Our last campaign focused
on patient care. This Campaign consolidates that success. Once completed, we can
recruit additional top scientists, and leverage our current leading-edge research programs.
Our excellence is already proven. It is part of our Weill Cornell genetic makeup.
We have the talent and the will. Once we have the laboratories, core facilities and floor
space we need to optimize these strengths, we will achieve unprecedented advances in
medical science for the benefit of all humankind.
I am proud to be a part of Weill Cornell, and a leader in this endeavor. Thank you for
letting me share with you some of my thoughts on the importance of our mission.
Michael H. Lavyne, M.D., ‘72
Clinical Professor of Neurological Surgery
For more information on the activities of the Alumni Campaign Committee,
please contact Amy Buick, Director of Alumni Relations and Giving, at 646-962-8216
or Christine Larchian, Director of Major Gifts, at 646-962-3577.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity,” says Barbara Hempstead,
M.D., Ph.D., O. Wayne Isom Professor of Medicine and Co-Chief of the
Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical
College and senior co-investigator of the new Center. “By bringing
together the expertise of all of these different fi elds, we can begin to
think about cancer in a completely different way.”
“This exciting initiative builds on the collaborative strengths
already in place for cancer research at Weill Cornell,” says Andrew J.
Dannenberg, M.D., Henry R. Erle, M.D. – Roberts Family Professor of
Medicine and Director of the Weill Cornell Cancer Center.
The two Cornell sites are paving the way for inter-campus
collaboration. Weill Cornell scientists will benefi t from the physical
science approaches to precisely measure tumor cell movement, and to
create complex models of the metastatic tumor site using nanofabrication
to create “virtual tumors”. The Cornell University researchers will
benefi t from working closely with cancer biologists, pathologists, and
clinical researchers to extend their studies to include patient-derived
cancer cells, with Weill Cornell investigators in New York City.
Dr. Barbara Hempstead

The Gift
Weill Cornell medical student Joseph Pale and Dr. Thomas P. McGovern, `74
THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
A MAN WITH A DREAM
Joseph Pale was working in international business
when he started to feel that the job “didn’t speak to
me. I wanted a career that meant more,” he says. He joined
Doctors Without Borders, as a fi eld coordinator in hospital
clinics in Zambia, Sudan, and Nigeria.
He saw the small contingent of doctors and
nurses handle medical problems in
precarious settings, with minimal
budgets and with absolute
devotion to their tasks at hand.
He helped hire part-time staff, 90
percent of whom were local and
young. “One day we got word that
two militias were grabbing kids
— our staff — from the marketplace
and off the street. They were
going to put guns in their hands
and put them on the front lines,”
he says. The local elders asked him
to intervene. “I went to the market
and stood there and pleaded with
the militia. I said `I know you need
them to serve in your militia but we need them in the
hospital, because they’re helping to save lives.’”
They listened and let the workers go.
“That was when I fi rst saw the power of medicine.
If I could sway men with guns that it was important to
allow our staff to manage the health of their wives and
children, I knew I wanted to be a doctor,” he says.
Today Joseph is a third year medical student at
Weill Cornell Medical College.
A HELPING HAND
Shortly after his arrival at Weill Cornell, he met
Thomas P. McGovern, M.D., `74 , Clinical Assistant Professor
of Urology, who had his own distinct path to a medical career.
He had majored in engineering as an undergraduate,
and planned to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. “I was going
to go into research but the isolation of it bothered me,”
he says. To see if a doctor’s life suited him, he spent a day
shadowing his cousin, John McGovern, M.D., the former
www.med.cornell.edu
“This scholarship
allows Weill Cornell
to attract
intelligent,
motivated, and
caring students from
less-advantaged
backgrounds and
give them access
to a world-class
education.”
Chief of Pediatric Urology at the Medical College. Rounds
began at 5:30 a.m. and they were still working at 7 p.m. He
was exhausted, but his cousin was ready for more.
“It struck me that my cousin was the happiest
guy I’d ever seen,” Dr. McGovern recalls. “I could sense this
life was for me.” With the help of scholarship support, he
became a doctor.
Dr. McGovern chose to specialize
in urology and his career has
spanned over three decades. “I’ve
been very lucky,” he says. “I love my
work and my life.” So when a grateful
patient wanted to fi nd a way to
honor Dr. McGovern, he created the
Thomas P. McGovern, M.D., `74
Scholarship. Other patients have
also been moved by Dr. McGovern’s
compassionate care, and contributed
to the endowed scholarship.
“For them to give back in this way,
so that other young people can go
into medicine, is deeply touching to
me,” Dr. McGovern says.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF GIVING
Joseph Pale is the 2008-09 recipient of the
McGovern Scholarship.
The scholarship, Joseph says, literally opened the
world to him. “I have the freedom to focus on whatever
medical specialty interests me instead of worrying about
what specialty will help me pay off my school debt,” he
says. “This scholarship allows Weill Cornell to attract
intelligent, motivated, and caring students from
less-advantaged backgrounds and give them access to a
world-class education.”
Because his tuition was paid for, Joseph was able
to return to Nigeria this past summer as a fi eld coordinator,
in charge of opening a new emergency obstetrics hospital.
“I’d like to think that the scholarship indirectly allowed
more women access to health care,” he says.
Dr. McGovern marvels at the ripple effect of
scholarship gifts. “The people who gave to this scholarship
never dreamed their gifts would travel this far,” he said. “It’s
the gift that keeps on giving through the generations.”
To learn more about the Campaign, please contact
Lucille Ferraro, Campaign Director, at 646-962-8721, or
luf2003@med.cornell.edu.
By the
Numbers
Scholarship funding is a key priority of the Discoveries
that Make a Difference Campaign. The
national average for private medical school student
debt is $170,012. Thanks to the generosity of alumni
and friends in the last campaign, the indebtedness
of Weill Cornell graduates is $127,879 — lower than
the national average — but still daunting. “Mounting
debt threatens the ability of young people to
be able to pursue a medical degree, particularly in
such a challenging economy and in families with
modest means,” says Dean Gotto. Since the launch
of the Discoveries Campaign, alumni and friends
have raised over $7.5 million in scholarship support
through September 2009.
Dr. McGovern, Co-Chair of the Alumni Campaign
Committee, echoes those sentiments. “The fi nancial
pressure on medical students has never been more
intense, in terms of expenses and student debt,”
he says. And far more students today are “nontraditional”
— like he and Joseph were. Many want
to be part of the global health community, choosing
to volunteer in locales all over the world during
medical school.
Dean Gotto says alumni and their families have
been “extraordinarily generous” with scholarship
support, and urges them to continue to do so, as
“it is vitally important.”
Weill Cornell Medical College FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
7

Detective Work
Understanding Enzymes
QCancer research is
one of the priorities
of the Discoveries that Make
a Difference Campaign.This
type of research requires
so much focus and effort.
What motivates you to get
up every morning? I want
to fi nd cures for cancers
and develop treatments
that are as effective as antibiotics.
When you have a
bacterial systemic infection,
you can often get a shot
or take a few pills, which
either kill the bacteria or
prevent it from duplicating.
A few days later you feel
better. Wouldn’t that be
great for cancer?
Q&A with Scott Blanchard, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
A better understanding of
how ribosomes function
in normal and
cancerous cells will potentially
allow us to develop
new cancer therapies
targeting the human ribosome.
QHow will this
potentially translate
into treatment for
patients? We hope this
will revolutionize our
understanding of how
known drugs affect their
targets, which may eventually
lead to personalized
medicine tailored for each
Dr. Blanchard seated next to a single-molecule fl uorescence microscope that he uses to patient. Given the diver-
study living cells
sity of cancers, and that
these cells have a tendency to rapidly mutate, such an approach
may ultimately be more practical and effective.
QWhy your interest in cancer specifically?
It is based on experiences in my own family and being
unbelievably frustrated by the state of affairs in cancer therapy. It
is astoundingly tragic.
QWhy is it taking scientists so long to win this war on
cancer? Part of the problem rests in not having the right
biophysical tools to understand the complexity of biological
systems. It would be very helpful for us to see exactly how drugs
affect their biological targets, especially their interaction with
individual enzymes.
QWhat are the tools that would help? Animated imaging
techniques. We are in the early stage of developing molecular
movies to watch enzymes in action. It turns out that enzymes,
like most machines, move when they work. If we can monitor the
activity of individual single enzyme molecules in motion in real
time, we would see how an enzyme moves when it is doing its job,
and how this changes when the enzyme is bound to a drug. The
goal is to analyze drug effectiveness in action at a molecular scale.
This would help us better understand how some drugs work, and
why they work better on some patients than others.
QSo enzymes would star in these movies? Yes. It turns out
that one of the best antibiotic targets known is also a
very interesting enzyme called the ribosome — a fundamental
building block of life found in every cell, which is responsible for
synthesizing every protein in nature. Some of the fi rst antibiotics
ever discovered specifi cally blocked bacterial ribosome function.
QHow much contact do you have with other labs doing
similar work? Oh, not just contact but collaboration. Cornell
University’s nanofabrication facility in Ithaca is one of the greatest
in the world, and is instrumental for the molecular movie
techniques we hope to develop. Our close proximity to Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University
generates a wide range of interaction and collaboration. Through
my collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, we have
access to the fastest computer in the world. This allows us to make
animated movies of molecular motion based on our experimental
data. And of course we work closely with our own Weill Cornell
colleagues like Dr. Harel Weinstein, Chairman and the Maxwell M.
Upson Professor of the Physiology and Biophysics Department,
a leader in the fi eld of developing the theoretical framework for
understanding enzyme motion.
QTake a step back in your career and tell us: what would be
a defining moment? I was an economist in 1991. I disliked
that world and decided to focus on my true passions for medicine
and teaching. President Bill Clinton had just passed a “go get
yourself retrained” grant program. I received a grant, took out a
huge loan, and went back for a second bachelor’s degree, double
majoring in Chemistry and Molecular Biology. I’m grateful every
day that I had the courage to take that giant leap of faith.
For more on Dr. Blanchard and his research, go to his Web site at:
http://physiology.med.cornell.edu/faculty/blanchard/lab/
The Story Behind the Research
In these two new Campaign brochures, read about progress at
Weill Cornell in the areas of cancer and brain research—two of the
core initiatives of the Discoveries Campaign. To receive a copy,
or for more information, please contact Lucille Ferraro,
Campaign Director, at 646-962-8721, or luf2003@med.cornell.edu.
Milestones is a publication of the Offi ce of Institutional Advancement at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil., Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Larry Schafer, Vice Provost for Development
Please write to us at: Privacy Offi ce, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, Box 303, New York, NY 10065 if you wish to have your name removed from lists to receive fund-raising requests supporting Weill Cornell Medical College in the future.
Board of
Overseers
Sanford I. Weill
Chairman
Ambassador Hushang Ansary
Vice Chair
Robert J. Appel
Vice Chair
Barbara B. Friedman
Vice Chair
Arthur J. Mahon
Vice Chair
• Her Highness Sheikha Mozah
Bint Nasser Al-Missned
• Madelyn M. Antoncic, Ph.D.
• Robert A. Belfer
• Jessica M. Bibliowicz
• Lloyd C. Blankfein
• Abby Joseph Cohen
• Timothy C. Collins
• Alberto Cribiore
• Sanford B. Ehrenkranz
• Israel A. Englander
• Anne E. Estabrook
• Jeffrey J. Feil
• Samuel C. Fleming
• Charlotte M. Ford
• Gerald J. Ford
• Jean-Pierre Garnier, Ph.D.
• Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil.
• Paul A. Gould
• Jeffrey W. Greenberg
• Maurice R. Greenberg
• Rajat K. Gupta
• David P. Hajjar, Ph.D.
• Leonard M. Harlan
• Michael Jaharis
• John A. Kanas
• Harvey Kaylie
• James M. Kilts
• Harvey Klein, M.D.
• Charles R. Lee
• Michael T. Masin
• Peter C. Meinig
• Ronay A. Menschel
• Fabrizio Michelassi, M.D.
• Howard P. Milstein
• Edwin H. Morgens
• Rupert Murdoch
• Nancy C. Paduano
• Nelson Peltz
• Ronald O. Perelman
• Bruce C. Ratner
• Burton P. Resnick
• Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D.
• Zev Rosenwaks, M.D.
• Jeffrey Russ
• Peter M. Sacerdote
• David A. Shapiro, M.D.
• Herbert J. Siegel
• David J. Skorton, M.D.
• A.J.C. (Ian) Smith
• Daisy M. Soros
• Louis Wade Sullivan, M.D.
• Hazel M. Szeto, M.D., Ph.D.
• Samuel O. Thier, M.D.
• Carolyn S. Wiener
LIFE OVERSEERS
• Daniel P. Davison
• Raymond R. Herrmann, Jr.
• Margaret Osmer-McQuade
• Frank H.T. Rhodes
• Saul P. Steinberg
• Patricia Carry Stewart
• Harold Tanner
• Roger J. Weiss
8 FALL 2009 • ISSUE 5
Weill Cornell Medical College