milestones - Weill Medical College - Cornell University

m i l e s t o n e s
rendering of the new Medical research Building on East 69th Street.
© redsquare, inc. for polshek partnership Architects
Ceremonial Groundbreaking for
medical research
Building
This spring marks a true milestone for Weill
Cornell and future generations. On May 26th
we celebrate groundbreaking at the new
Medical Research Building on East 69th Street
between York and First Avenues. Thanks to
our generous donors, we have raised nearly
$375 million towards the Building with 31
gifts of $1 million or more from 29 donors.
This state-of-the-art building is the
centerpiece of the Discoveries that Make a
Difference Campaign. With 480,000 square
feet of research space and 16 program floors,
it will more than double our research capacity
and serve as the hub for the Medical College’s
significantly expanded bench-to-bedside
translational research initiatives. Within its
walls, world-renowned faculty members will
work together with a singular purpose and
shared passion: to solve the most critical
health care needs of our time.
Thirty or more additional top physician-
scientists will be recruited to work in
the building, leading to a collaborative
environment designed to accelerate
breakthrough treatments and therapies
for the most prevalent and deadly diseases.
Together, research teams will work across
specialties—with our own researchers, with
scientists at Cornell University in Ithaca, and
with other researchers across the country and
the world—to rapidly convert discoveries made
in the laboratory into improved diagnoses,
treatments and even cures for patients.
Let’s Celebrate
On the morning of May 26th,
Weill Cornell faculty, major donors,
friends and other special guests will gather
to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking
of our new Medical Research Building.
For more information, please contact
Elizabeth Herrera at 646-962-8539 or
eherrera@med.cornell.edu.
InsIde our
CampaIgn
Spring 2010
61st street science Building
named In Honor of —
gertrude and Louis Feil Family
Thanks to a $30 million gift from the Louis
Feil Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Weill
Cornell’s state-of-the-art 7-story laboratory
research and administrative building at
407 East 61st Street—a blueprint for 21st century
science—was recently named the Gertrude and Louis
Feil Family Research Building to honor the memory of
the parents of Board of Overseer member Jeffrey Feil
and his sister, Carole Feil, the Trustees thereof. The
building’s innovative design is considered a model for
the Medical College’s new Medical Research Building,
now under construction on East 69th Street; the
science taking place inside its walls promises to be
truly transformative. Teams of world-class researchers
are unlocking mysteries that will help us develop new
treatments and therapies for devastating neurological
disorders like stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Naming this facility
in honor of the Feils
is the perfect way to
honor the family’s
generosity to Weill
Cornell and its long
legacy of support.”
“In this building, some of the world’s leading
neuroscientists will find life-altering medical solutions
to some of the greatest health challenges of our time,”
says Mr. Feil, Chairman of the Initiative for the Brain
Campaign Subcommittee. “We are proud to support
a building that will represent inspiration and hope
for so many.”
The Feils’ most recent gift builds on a legacy of
generosity from one of Weill Cornell’s most dedicated
philanthropic families. Carole and Jeffrey’s parents,
Gertrude and Louis Feil, began the tradition in
the late 1980s, supporting scholarship programs at
Weill Cornell. The new gift continues that tradition
and builds on more than two decades of support
for scholarships. The Feil Family has also named
professorships in medicine and neurology, currently
being held by R.A. Rees Pritchett, M.D., and John
Caronna, M.D., respectively.
Gertrude and Louis Feil
Recently, the Feil Family Foundation began
supporting Multiple Sclerosis researchers and related
programs at Weill Cornell. In addition to endowing
two Clinical Scholar Awards in Neurology, the family
established the Judith Jaffe Neurology Unit’s Multiple
Sclerosis Center in the Weill Greenberg Center, which
was named after Carole and Jeffrey’s sister, Judith Jaffe.
“We are proud that our new facility on 61st Street
will bear the Feil name,” says Antonio M. Gotto, Jr.,
M.D., D.Phil., Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean at Weill
Cornell. “Naming this facility in honor of the Feils is the
perfect way to honor the family’s generosity to Weill
Cornell and its long legacy of support.”
Jeanne and Herbert Siegel Invest in Excellence.......2
Betty Neuwirth Lee’s Gift of Hope.......................3
Meet Omar Itum...........................................................5
Naming and Endowment Opportunities...................6

s c hol a rship s a nd awa r d s
Jeanne and Herbert J. Siegel
Investing in Excellence
You may know Jeanne and Herbert J. Siegel
from seeing them on television every
summer attending the U.S Open Tennis
Championships. Mr. Siegel, who is an avid
tennis player, is used to being around cameras. In
fact, he spent his entire career developing Chris-Craft
Industries into a television powerhouse, now owned
by News Corporation.
He may have a reputation
as a media mogul, but it is
the philanthropy Mr. Siegel
engages in off-screen —
when there are no cameras
rolling — that gives special
meaning to his life and legacy.
A Philadelphia native, Herbert
and his wife, Jeanne, have long
been supporters of causes like
biomedical research, the arts,
and their greatest passion of all:
education. Their recent $5.75
million gift to the Discoveries
Campaign supports two of Weill Cornell Medical
College’s key priorities: outstanding faculty and
student scholarships. The gift will establish the Siegel
Family Faculty Awards — an annual faculty prize
of $50,000 — and the Siegel Family Student Prizes
— eight annual medical student scholarship prizes
of $25,000 each.
Salute to
Scholarship
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
6 – 8 pm (reception)
521 East 68th Street
Griffis Faculty Club
Weill Cornell Medical College
The “Salute to Scholarship” reception will
recognize, honor and celebrate the generosity
of Weill Cornell donors to student scholarship.
Their philanthropy continues to educate and
train tomorrow’s leading physicians and scientists.
To learn more, contact Elizabeth Herrera at
646-962-8539 or eherrera@med.cornell.edu.
2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N
“Faculty and students
are the lifeblood of
Weill Cornell Medical
College. Especially
now, it is hard to
think of a better
cause to support.”
“Faculty and students are the lifeblood of
Weill Cornell Medical College,” says Mr. Siegel who
is a member of the Board of Overseers. “Professors,
researchers and physicians are the ones in the trenches,
making the discoveries and curing diseases, and the
students are the future. Especially now, it is hard
to think of a better cause to support.”
This is the Siegel Family’s
second generous gift to the
Discoveries Campaign. In 2009,
Jeanne’s foundation gave $1
million to name The Jeanne
Sorensen Siegel Conference
Room on the Cardiovascular
Floor of the new Medical
Research Building. A graduate
of Brigham Young University,
Mrs. Siegel had a 20-year career
on the COMEX Commodities
Exchange in New York City,
primarily trading precious metals.
Through her foundation, she is
a generous supporter of arts and education.
Previously, Mr. Siegel has supported faculty
recruitment, teaching scholar programs and
professorships. Mr. Siegel came to Weill Cornell
through a close friendship with Joseph Hayes, M.D.,
Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine, and the late
Stephen Weiss, former Chairman of the Board of
Overseers at Weill Cornell.
scholarships that
Make a Difference
Weill Cornell’s June 1 Salute to Scholarship
event will celebrate our generous
alumni and friends who, through their
philanthropy, encourage and make it possible for
the best and the brightest students to enter the
world of medicine.
The event also celebrates our scholarship students,
who overcome a very high hurdle to qualify for
admission. Weill Cornell is ranked as one of the
most prestigious medical schools in the world.
The 101 students in the new class of 2013 were
selected from a pool of 5,580 applicants.
Most of our students need scholarship support
to make their medical education affordable,
and building on our scholarship endowment
is a priority of the Discoveries Campaign.
Jeanne and Herbert J. Siegel
Weill Cornell, whose current annual tuition is
$45,545, has an excellent track record of containing
costs while at the same time continuously improving
educational technology and curriculum. Despite
this, the cost of a quality medical education has
risen significantly in the last decade. The average
indebtedness of Weill Cornell 2010 graduates is
$118,876—lower than the national average of
$156,465, but still daunting.
Weill Cornell is committed to assuring that
those who meet its exceptionally high academic
standards can join our community, regardless of
their ability to pay.
For more information on our scholarship
Campaign, please contact Lucille Ferraro, Campaign
Director, at 646-962-8721 or luf2003@med.cornell.edu.
“I HaVe aLWaYs WanTed To go InTo medICIne;
HoWeVer I graduaTed From mY undergraduaTe
CoLLege WITH a LoT oF deBT BeCause mY moTHer
Was aBLe To paY onLY a smaLL amounT ToWards mY
eduCaTIon. THe sCHoLarsHIp I reCeIVed Has made
IT possIBLe To FuLFILL mY dream.”
— First-year medical student, who with scholarship support is studying to become
a surgeon in orthopaedics.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is all about people.
This spring we prepare to celebrate the first
floor rising of Weill Cornell’s new Medical
Research Building (see page 1).
As this day approaches, it makes us more
aware than ever that our ability to come this
far towards our goal is rooted in individuals—
thoughtful, committed people who have
stepped up one-by-one in support.
Sometimes, that recognition is lost under the
drumbeat of our Campaign messages focused
on the additional funds we still need to raise
for bricks-and-mortar, research program and
facility support, recruitment and scholarships.
Our Campaign is always and only about
people. To those individuals whose combined
efforts have brought us so far, we would like
to pause and say
—Thank You—
To our donors—so generous in their gifts,
time and leadership. Our benefactors’
engagement, constancy, curiosity and
caring are deeply appreciated.
To our scientists—for whom long days and
nights spent in the laboratory conducting
research is not just a job, but a passion.
To our physicians—who in their offices day-
after-day dedicate themselves to giving each
patient quality, compassionate care.
To our faculty—who instill in our students
their own curiosity, dedication and excitement
about their fields.
To our students—whose fresh vision
in the classroom leads to fresh thinking
in our laboratories.
To our volunteers—whose selfless giving
of both time and resources helps make
our wonderful college a better place.
To our patients—who inspire us to never give
up our quest for the research breakthroughs
that will improve human health.
At the end of the day, it is all about you.
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
Board of Overseers
Sanford I. Weill
Chairman
The Honorable Hushang Ansary
Vice Chair
Robert J. Appel
Vice Chair
Barbara B. Friedman
Vice Chair
Arthur J. Mahon
Vice Chair
• Her Highness Sheikha Mozah
Nasser Al-Missnad
• 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.
• 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
• K. 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 W. 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
Leadership
Robert J. Appel
Campaign Chairman
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil.
Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean
Weill Cornell Medical College
Larry Schafer
Vice Provost for Development
Lucille Ferraro
Campaign Director
Patricia Gutter
Executive Director of Development

Elizabeth and david Winter:
advocating for children
Throughout his adult life, David Winter
has suffered from recurring sinus problems.
He describes his symptoms, which have led
to three surgeries, as
“debilitating.” But what’s
much worse, he says, is going
through that same experience
as a child.
That is why Elizabeth and
David Winter recently gave a
gift to support the new Weill
Cornell Center for Pediatric
Otolaryngology. Their gift
was inspired by their love of
children, years of “exceptional
patient care” at Weill Cornell,
and the strong relationships they have forged with
physicians here. Ear, nose and throat (ENT) disorders
are one of the primary reasons children visit a physician.
Alumni
Stethoscope Fund
Every year, students at Weill Cornell Medical
College put on their first white coats, symbolically
presented to them by members of the faculty
at the annual White Coat Ceremony. But last
year’s August ceremony included the birth of
a new Alumni Association tradition. As part
of the Paul F. Miskovitz, M.D. ’75 Stethoscope
Fund for Medical Students, each member of
the Class of 2013 received a special welcome
gift—a top of the line stethoscope. A $50,000
grant from The Buster Foundation in honor
of Dr. Miskovitz—one of the College’s most
dedicated alumni leaders and outstanding
healthcare providers—and donations from our
generous alumni and friends, including Betty
Cooper Wallerstein, made this initiative possible.
4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N
“EvEry pEdiaTric paTiENT
shOuld BENEfiT frOm ThE
samE lEvEl Of carE aNd
upBEaT ENvirONmENT ThaT
WE as parENTs WOuld
ENvisiON fOr Our OWN sON.”
“We feel very indebted to our Weill Cornell doctors,
who have provided excellent care for our family,”
says Mrs. Winter. “Every pediatric patient should
benefit from the same level of
care and upbeat environment
that we as parents would
envision for our own son.”
In this new state-of-the-art
space, groups of dedicated
physicians will provide leading-
edge, compassionate care
to infants and children with
common and complex disorders
in the head and neck region.
The office space will feature
video and fiberoptic endoscopy,
as well as an audiology suite with hearing testing for
newborns through adolescents.
Alumni Spotlight:
richard T. silver, m.d. ’53
When Richard T. Silver, M.D. ’53, a graduate
of Cornell University, first came to Weill
Cornell Medical College sixty years ago,
he was one of our most promising medical students.
Sixty years later, his reputation hasn’t changed. Today,
the Professor of Medicine and Director of the Leukemia
and Myleoproliferative Center is one of Weill Cornell’s
most esteemed faculty members and dedicated alumni.
In 2000, the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund (CR&T)
honored Dr. Silver by establishing the Richard T. Silver
Distinguished Professor of Hematology and Medical
Oncology at Weill Cornell through a $2 million
endowment. The professorship is currently held
by John P. Leonard, M.D., Professor of Medicine,
an internationally renowned cancer researcher.
“ThE pOWEr Of philaNThrOpy
is uNdENiaBlE – iT givEs
sciENTisTs ThE rEsOurcEs
NEcEssary TO advaNcE
caNcEr rEsEarch.”
Since his graduation, Dr. Silver has been a role
model for alumni, helping to raise funds to support
cancer research at Weill Cornell. In 1968, Dr. Silver’s
passion for medicine and unwavering commitment to
helping cancer patients led him to found the CR&T
— an organization that provides resources for state-
of-the-art cancer research. Over four decades, CR&T
has donated more than $8 million to Weill Cornell.
Most recently, the CR&T donated to the Chemotherapy
Research Fund to support scientists and fellows who
are uncovering new ways to treat patients through
state-of-the-art chemotherapeutic techniques.
Dr. Silver is a pioneer in clinical cancer research,
emphasizing translational “bench-to-bedside”
research. Early on at Weill Cornell, he established
clinical oncology services within the Department
of Medicine, the precursor to today’s Division
Elizabeth, David and Charlie Winter
of Hematology and Oncology, and was the first
physician to develop courses to train other doctors
how to biopsy bone marrow and interpret the results.
His most recent groundbreaking work in clinical
hematology and oncology includes the introduction
of a drug called Interferon in the treatment of
myeloproliferative diseases—a group of diseases
of the bone marrow in which excess cells are
produced—and in the clinical use of Imatinib,
a drug that has been found to promote long-term
remission of chronic myeloid leukemia, currently
eight years in the majority of cases in a disease that
was almost universally fatal by three to five years.
Also, he was the first physician to develop courses
to train other doctors to perform bone marrow
biopsy and interpret the hematologic results, a
technique now used worldwide.
“The power of philanthropy is undeniable—
it gives scientists the resources necessary to advance
cancer research,” says Dr. Silver. “Support in the form
of seed money for young investigators is especially
important because it gives them the opportunity to
test new ideas and gather preliminary data, putting
them in a stronger position to apply for grants.
The Cancer Research and Treatment Fund is proud
to support researchers who explore new ways
to fight cancer and bring groundbreaking
treatments to patients.”
Richard T. Silver, M.D. ’53, and Dean Gotto

What Inspires Giving?
Omar iTum
In February, Omar Itum, a young trader at a hedge fund in New York City, organized The Wall Street Disaster Relief Day Initiative:
Stand Strong with Haiti, which raised nearly $300,000 for Weill Cornell Medical College’s GHESKIO clinic in Haiti. He sat down with
Larry Schafer, Vice Provost for Development, to discuss the financial industry, philanthropy and his strong personal connection to Haiti.
LS: As citizens of the world, we were all upset when
we heard about the disaster in Haiti. How did your
thinking evolve from “this is a terrible tragedy” to
“I am going to do something about it”?
OI: One of my best friends and former roommate at
Johns Hopkins, Garvey Rene, is Haitian and a fourth-
year medical student at Weill Cornell. He suggested
I try to throw a fundraiser after the earthquake, so
I came up with the idea of a commission-donating day
because several firms have raised millions of dollars
using that model. I contacted some firms and called
a few beneficiaries and they responded very positively.
Weill Cornell was on the list, because it had a hospital
in Haiti that desperately needed resources.
LS: How many firms were involved?
OI: Nine firms. Five participated in commission-donating
days and four signed checks. I am so grateful to each
of them and to my own firm for being so supportive
of the effort. These were small boutique firms whose
traders and sales-traders gave money from their own
pockets to support Haiti relief.
LS: Obviously, the financial service industry has been
under a lot of scrutiny given the current economic
turmoil. But this is an example of Wall Street firms
making good. Is that story being told?
OI: No. That’s one of the reasons why this fundraiser
was difficult. Some didn’t want the publicity – even
good publicity. But it is important for people to know
that, despite the difficult economic climate, Wall
Street is still giving back.
LS: Do you feel like you made a difference?
OI: I hope so. When you work with global aid
organizations, the amount we raised wasn’t as
significant. It seems to mean a lot more to a place
like Weill Cornell that has smaller-scale operations
on the ground, though.
LS: It does. Nearly 25% of our unrestricted support
came from what you raised. That money was put
on the ground immediately to buy essential medical
and surgical supplies, diesel fuel for power generators
and food for children. Now, we need to focus on
rebuilding our clinic. Tell me about your future
fundraising plans.
an update on haiti
Over the past few months, our thoughts have
been with our colleagues and neighbors in
Haiti, and our many staff at Weill Cornell
Medical College who lost family members and friends
in the tragic January 12 earthquake. Several of our
physicians have traveled to Haiti as part of well-
established aid organizations, and report that
the medical situation remains critical.
For nearly 30 years, faculty and staff at Weill
Cornell Medical College have been serving Haitians
at the GHESKIO Center—the first clinic opened in a
developing country dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS.
Under the leadership of Weill Cornell graduate and
physician Jean “Bill” Pape, M.D. ‘75, the founding
director of the Center, the clinic played a key role
in lowering the prevalence of HIV in Haiti’s adult
www.weill.cornell.edu/ways-to-give
population from a staggering 6.1% in 1993 to 2.2%
today. Recently, Dr. Pape received the first Carlos
Slim Health Award for lifetime contributions to
health care through research.
Despite sustaining heavy earthquake damage,
GHESKIO has not shut its doors. Now, in addition
to providing life-saving HIV and tuberculosis care
to its regular patients, the free clinic and its satellites
are also providing humanitarian assistance and
emergency care to those affected by the disaster.
The need is urgent. Before the earthquake,
GHESKIO and its satellite clinic saw an average of
1,500 patients a day. Since the earthquake, Dr. Pape
is managing an influx of more than 2,000 earthquake
victims and 7,000 newly homeless Haitians camped
on its grounds, in addition to the clinic’s regular
OI: First, we want to put together a non-profit called
the Disaster Relief and Development Fund. Once there
is such a mechanism in place for future crises, the
financial industry can start raising money immediately.
Second, we want to throw an event—something
extremely New York City-focused—and involve far
more institutions. All of the funds would be dedicated
to rebuilding and the majority would be allocated
to your clinic.
LS: Your energy inspired us. Are you representative
of your age group in terms of people who want to
get involved?
OI: Yes, there are a lot of people who want to do
something and are doing something. They just aren’t
getting publicity.
LS: I understand other members of your family
are philanthropic. Was giving back part of your
value system growing up?
OI: Absolutely. My old man is a pretty humble guy.
We grew up in Saudi Arabia, where my parents were
doctors. They were not well off growing up, but they
were given opportunities and always emphasized
giving back. Recently, my brother threw an event
in Washington D.C. and raised $200,000 for Haiti.
LS: When you aren’t working or raising money for
Haiti relief what do you for fun?
OI: [Laughs] I play a lot of basketball.
“iT is impOrTaNT fOr pEOplE
TO kNOW ThaT, dEspiTE
ThE difficulT EcONOmic
climaTE, Wall sTrEET is
sTill giviNg Back.”
patients. The earthquake also caused an estimated
$10 million in damage to the clinic, crumbling walls
and destroying valuable medical equipment.
Thanks to our generous donors and the support
of our partner, NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell
Medical College has raised nearly $1.3 million for the
relief effort in Haiti. The funds will be used to provide
desperately needed medical supplies, drugs, food,
clothing, tents, drinking water and portable toilets
for homeless Haitians.
For more information on the GHESKIO
clinic and its rebuilding efforts, please go
to http://weill.cornell.edu/globalhealth/
S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N 5

Naming and Endowment
Opportunities
Naming opportunities are available in the new Medical Research Building on East 69th Street between York and First Avenues, as well as
endowment opportunities to fund the Campaign’s priority research programs and scientists, and provide scholarships for students. Here are
a few examples. For more information, please contact Lucille Ferraro, Campaign Director, at 646-962-8721 or luf2003@med.cornell.edu.
Sample Naming Opportunities
Research Suites
Gift Amount
(Reduced by the Weill Challenge):
$8 million $5 million
Each laboratory floor has a research suite with
an open floor plan that is dedicated to a particular
disease area such as cancer or cardiology. The suite
will include: a laboratory where top scientists will
conduct breakthrough research; a conference
room where scientists share findings and expand
their collaborations with other investigators;
a lounge area; and a break room. The space
is approximately 2,244 square feet.
Separate naming opportunities within the suite
are available for conference rooms, break rooms
and lounge areas.
Weill Challenge
Last year, Joan and Sanford I. Weill established
the Weill Challenge—a $135 million fund to
encourage support for the new Medical
Research Building and the Gertrude and
Louis Feil Family Research Building on east
61st Street. As part of the Weill Challenge,
significant gifts to the buildings are eligible
for a match from the Weill family’s gift.
6 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N
© 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.
Physician-scientists in the new Medical Research Building
will work collaboratively across medical specialties to unlock
the mysteries behind the most devastating and daunting
diseases of our time. Priority research initiatives are:
n Cancer
n Cardiovascular Disease
n Children’s Health
n Diabetes, Metabolic Disorders and Obesity
n Global Health and Infectious Diseases
n Neurodegenerative-Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Aging
n Stem Cell, Developmental Biology, Reproductive and
Regenerative Medicine
Research Laboratory Zones
Gift Amount
(Reduced by the Weill Challenge):
$5 million $3 million
Each laboratory will include multiple
“work benches” where Principal Investigators
and their researchers will pursue next-level
discovery in an open environment that fosters
communication across specialties. Average size
is nearly 1,500 square feet.

Double-Height Lounge
Gift Amount
(Reduced by the Weill Challenge):
$500,000 $300,000
Each lounge has a small seating area near
large windows and plantings. With 26-foothigh
ceilings and stairs that connect to the
floor above, this serene, communal area will
maximize interactions between scientists,
and be a congenial space for students and
visitors. Average size is 443 square feet.
Endowment Opportunities
www.weill.cornell.edu/ways-to-give
Principal Investigator
Office Suites
Gift Amount
(Reduced by the Weill Challenge):
$500,000 $300,000
Each laboratory floor has two “double offices”
for the senior investigators. Glass windows
will bathe the interior spaces of the building
with natural sunlight and provide energy
efficiencies for the entire building. Average
size is approximately 230 square feet.
Laboratory Conference Room
Gift Amount
(Reduced by the Weill Challenge):
$1 million $600,000
Each conference room has a view of East
69th Street. A large frosted glass panel along
the interior corridor will provide a view into
the lounge area and nearby research laboratories.
Designed to foster comfortable small-group
discussions between researchers, each room
will accommodate 8-10 people. Each space
is 240 square feet.
Full Professorship $2,000,000 An endowed professorship is among the greatest honors that can be bestowed on a faculty member at the
Medical College. Professorships provide indispensable salary and other support for a superior member of
Weill Cornell’s faculty to delve deeper into the critical teaching, research and clinical challenges of medicine.
Clinical Scholar, Research Scholar
or Education Scholar Awards
Scholarship $25,000
minimum
$1,000,000 These endowments are designed to provide valuable junior faculty members with financial support early
in their careers so they can balance patient care with research and teaching activities. Awards are appointed
on a three-year basis and can be renewed.
Endowed scholarship funds enable the Medical College to recruit exceptional medical students and provide
them with financial assistance. Two additional giving levels that provide major financial support for students
are available and will be named in honor of the donor or a person of their choosing:
n William M. Polk Scholarship - $100,000
n Oliver H. Payne Scholarship - $250,000
S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N 7

Celebrating
John K anas
Overseer John Kanas
John Kanas’ professional success is in banking,
but his personal lifelong passion has been as an
advocate for children. Before he moved into the
financial business, Mr. Kanas taught middle school.
It is no wonder, then, that when John and his
wife, Elaine, wanted to find a way to give back,
they established the Kanas Family Foundation,
which supports medical and educational programs
for children. On February 16th, faculty and friends
of Weill Cornell Medical College celebrated
the naming of the John Kanas Family Suite in
Children’s Health Research in the new Medical
Research Building as part of the family’s
$7.5 million gift to the Discoveries Campaign.
Their gift will help with the construction costs
for the new Center for Child Health and provide
Melissa Kanas, Elaine Kanas, Sanford I. Weill, John Kanas and Allison Kanas
Milestones is a publication of the Office of Institutional Advancement at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Please write to us at: Privacy Office, 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.
8 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 • I S S u e S e V e N
“Everything we do in
extraordinary support for related research
programs in the Medical Research Building.
The Kanas Family Suite will include a state-of-
the-art laboratory where physician-scientists will
conduct their research, plus an adjacent lounge
and conference room, where Principal Investigators
and their teams can meet to collaborate, share
their findings and strategize on the most promising
research. As a member of the Board of Overseers,
John has been a dedicated supporter of the
Initiative for Children’s Health, a priority of the
Discoveries Campaign.
health care is
important,” says Mr.
Kanas. “But when it
comes to research for
children’s health,
there is simply
no greater priority.”
“We both love children,” says Mr. Kanas, a father of
four. “Everything we do in health care is important,
but when it comes to medical research for children’s
health, there is simply no greater priority.”
a shared
Vision
For Harlan B. Levine, M.D. ’98, and Natasha I.
Leibel, M.D. ’98, love and Weill Cornell Medical
College will always be inextricably linked. The
couple met during their first few days of medical
school and were married the same week they
received their degrees.
Recently they expressed their deep affection for
their alma mater by making a generous $115,000
pledge to the Discoveries Campaign. A $90,000
gift commitment—matched by a Weill Challenge
grant of $60,000—named a Principal Investigator’s
Office in the new Medical Research Building and
a $25,000 gift commitment established the Harlan
B. Levine, M.D. ’98 and Natasha I. Leibel, M.D. ’98
Scholarship to assist medical students in need of
financial support.
The Story Behind
the Research
In the Children’s Health brochure, you can learn
about Weill Cornell’s strengths and research focus
in pediatrics—a core initiative of the Discoveries
Campaign. At its heart will be the new Center
for Child Health, dedicated to turning innovative
research into effective treatments and therapies
for children. To receive a copy, or for more
information, please contact Lucille Ferraro,
Campaign Director, at 646-962-8721, or
luf2003@med.cornell.edu. Research brochures
on the Initiatives for Brain and Cancer are
also available.
www.weill.cornell.edu/ways-to-give