Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi, an internationally renowned physician-scientist in the field of lung disease, has been named the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University’s provost for medical affairs. Choi has served as interim dean of Weill Cornell Medicine since June 1, 2016.

Choi was recruited in 2013 as the Sanford I. Weill Chairman and Professor of Medicine in the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and as physician-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Previously, he was the Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Choi leads a rapidly growing institution, which includes a physician organization that is expanding throughout New York City, thriving programs in biomedical discovery and clinical and translational research, and top-ranked medical and graduate schools. Based on his experience as a clinician, researcher, entrepreneur and mentor, he plans to advance diverse initiatives across Weill Cornell Medicine’s mission of improving human health.

Among his main priorities as dean will be expanding clinical services into Lower Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn with hospital partner NewYork-Presbyterian. In the context of a shifting and complex health care environment, Weill Cornell Medicine will take a proactive approach to reach new patients and increase its cohort of clinical faculty, which currently numbers more than 1,200 physicians.

Another key area of focus will be joint research, academic collaborations and entrepreneurial partnerships across all of Cornell’s campuses that will pool intellectual resources across faculty with complementary interests and bolster efforts to recruit and retain the best scholars, trainees and students.

In addition, Choi will strengthen Weill Cornell Medicine’s research enterprise through faculty development, enhanced research support and ongoing recruitment. An increased emphasis on entrepreneurship will help speed the translation of research projects from bench to bedside and contribute to New York’s burgeoning biotech industry.

“I send my warmest congratulations to Dr. Augustine Choi on his appointment as dean,” said Martha E. Pollack, who will become Cornell’s 14th president April 17. “I am deeply impressed by his intellect, his candor, and his obvious passion for advancing Weill Cornell Medicine’s mission in patient care, discovery and education. I look forward to furthering collaborations across campuses and to working jointly with him to enhance the university’s strengths in the life sciences.”

“Throughout the extensive national search to find the most highly qualified candidates to lead Weill Cornell Medicine, Augustine kept rising to the top,” said Hunter R. Rawlings III, Cornell’s interim president and co-chair of the search committee that selected Choi. “As interim dean, he has already engaged multiple constituencies – among Weill Cornell’s faculty and leadership, across Cornell’s campuses, at NewYork-Presbyterian and partner institutions, and throughout Cornell’s broad network of supporters and friends. I found him to be a consummate leader as interim dean, and I am excited that he will be guiding Weill Cornell Medicine during the next chapter of its illustrious history.”

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Weill Cornell Medicine as interim dean for the past seven months,” said Choi, “and being selected as dean is both an incredibly humbling and a joyful experience. I am ready to intensify my efforts on behalf of our students, trainees, faculty and staff and to guide Weill Cornell Medicine into the future as it strives to attain new levels of excellence. I am certain that, working together, we are a triple threat and can make lasting and impactful contributions in health care, scientific discovery and education.”

The 19-member search committee, led by Rawlings and Jessica M. Bibliowicz, chairman of the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Overseers, included board members and senior administrators from Cornell and Weill Cornell Medicine, faculty, alumni and NewYork-Presbyterian leadership. Choi was unanimously elected to his new position today by Weill Cornell Medicine’s Board of Overseers and the Executive Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees.

“I could not be more delighted for Dr. Choi or for Weill Cornell Medicine,” said Bibliowicz. “He is absolutely the best person to propel this institution forward and maintain its trajectory of extraordinary growth. He can guide our research and academic mission based on his extensive experience as a physician, scientific investigator and entrepreneur. He is a proven executive leader proficient at negotiating the clinical challenges confronting academic medical centers, and he is firmly committed to the importance of mentorship at all levels.”

“With Dr. Choi, we have found the ideal dean for Weill Cornell Medicine,” said Robert S. Harrison, chairman of the board of trustees. “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the members of the search committee who dedicated much time and effort to conducting a listening tour with key stakeholders and ultimately identifying Augustine as our top choice. He has all the qualities we seek for this demanding position – strong academic credentials in research and teaching, an extensive background in delivering clinical care and exceptional leadership skills. I am particularly impressed by his commitment to transparency, inclusiveness and collaboration among the various Cornell campuses.”

“Dr. Choi is uniquely and perfectly placed to lead Weill Cornell Medicine further into the 21st century,” said Sanford I. Weill, chairman emeritus of the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Overseers. “As department chair, he has amply demonstrated his prowess in growing clinical and sponsored research revenues, recruiting world-class scientific leaders and nurturing extremely talented individuals. He has a firm grasp of the issues facing Weill Cornell Medicine, he is a product of an institution that can promote from within, and he will hit the ground running.”

A distinguished investigator with a strong history of support from the National Institutes of Health, Choi has focused his research career on understanding how diseases of the lung, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome, develop in response to molecular, cellular and genetic triggers. Choi currently directs three clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are examining whether inhaled carbon monoxide can be an effective therapy in diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pulmonary hypertension.

An innovator in all aspects of the academic mission, Choi has received numerous honors and awards, including the Johns Hopkins Physician Scientist Award; the 2010 American Thoracic Society Recognition Award for Scientific Accomplishment; the 2015 J. Burns Amberson Lecture, which recognizes a career of major lifetime contributions to pulmonary research; and the 2011 Ho-Am Prize in Medicine, which is awarded for outstanding contributions to the development of science and medicine and is often referred to as the Korean Nobel Prize.

Dr. Choi is married to Dr. Mary E. Choi, associate professor of medicine in the division of nephrology and hypertension at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is a physician-scientist and a nephrologist who is leading investigations into the role of autophagy in diseases of the kidney. They have two sons: Justin, who is completing an internal medicine residency at the Yale School of Medicine, and Alex, who is a medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Background Information on Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi

Augustine M.K. Choi, MD is the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. He served as the Sanford I. Weill Chairman and Professor of Medicine in the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and as physician-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center starting in 2013 until his appointment as dean.

Dr. Choi received his bachelor’s degree in 1980 from the University of Kentucky and his MD in 1984 from the University of Louisville. After completing his internship and residency in internal medicine at Duke and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins, he began his academic career in 1990 in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins. In 1998 he moved to an appointment at Yale, and in 2000 he became chief of the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2007 he was appointed the Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Choi has a longstanding commitment to the training of postdoctoral fellows and physician-scientists in lung diseases. An internationally recognized expert in the field, his research interests focus on the regulation and function of stress response genes in response to oxidative stress. His laboratory has contributed much to our understanding of the molecular regulation and function of heme oxygenase-1 and gaseous molecule carbon monoxide in lung disease, and it has studied this cytoprotective system in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models of lung and vascular disease. Dr. Choi’s research has advanced the study of carbon monoxide from basic biochemistry to novel potential therapies for multiple lung and non-pulmonary diseases, and he is currently examining whether inhaled carbon monoxide can be an effective therapy in humans. He is also interested in genomic approaches to identify candidate genes important in the pathogenesis of lung diseases, in particular sepsis/acute respiratory distress syndrome and emphysema. His laboratory has recently focused on the role of autophagy, a normal physiological process of intracellular degradation, in acute and chronic lung diseases. While at Harvard, Dr. Choi launched his own company devoted to improving the treatment of patients with lung disease.

Dr. Choi has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in publications such as Nature Immunology, Nature Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as well as numerous book chapters and editorials. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Choi is currently funded by multiple NIH R01 grants, has two program project grants, and is directing three clinical trials of experimental therapies.

With more than 25 years of experience as an academic medical center faculty member and administrator, Dr. Choi demonstrated exceptional leadership as chair of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, which comprises 16 divisions and more than 1,700 full-time and voluntary faculty. Under his leadership, the department underwent extraordinary growth, with its number of full-time faculty increasing by more than 50 percent. Dr. Choi drove major advances in the scope and strength of the department, raising its stature and reputation among peer institutions and patient communities. He spearheaded the recruitment of top-tier academic leaders in both clinical care and research, including senior recruits for gasteroenterology and hepatology, general internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, and pulmonary and critical care medicine. He developed and expanded programs for students, trainees and early-career faculty, including clerkship experiences, research opportunities, and mentoring support. Enhanced grant application support and faculty recruitment led to a significant increase in sponsored research funding for the department, while clinical revenues increased through geographic expansion to population centers off-campus, a greater number of clinical faculty, and operating efficiencies.

Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine—faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization—are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side’s scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar offers a Cornell University medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

A significant investment in Weill Cornell's leading precision medicine program by Overseer Israel Englander and his wife Caryl will expand the scope of the institution's approach to understanding and treating disease through therapies customized to patients' unique genetic profiles.

The gift names the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. The institute uses genomic sequencing to better understand the factors that drive disease development and progression and identify treatments that are most likely to be effective for each patient. The Englander Institute has focused on cancer since its inception in 2013 and this generous gift will widen its mission to emphasize dermatological malignancies as well as metabolic diseases, cardiovascular disease, genetic disorders, and respiratory diseases. The Institute plans to eventually offer precision medicine to as many as 6,000 cancer patients a year.

"Precision medicine is the future of healthcare," said Dr. Mark Rubin, director of the Englander Institute, the Homer T. Hirst III Professor of Oncology in Pathology, and a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and of pathology in urology. "Physician-scientists at the Englander Institute are making critical discoveries that are changing the lives of our patients and expanding our breadth of scientific knowledge. The Englanders' gift provides us with the resources to further capitalize on this tremendous opportunity."

The gift to Weill Cornell will support the recruitment of six investigators — including a leader in immunotherapy and three computational biologists — to expand the capabilities of its physician-scientists. It will also fund pilot grants for innovative, multi-investigator projects; outfit the Englander Institute with the latest technology and computational resources; and establish an endowment to ensure that it remains at the vanguard of the field.

"We are deeply grateful to the Englanders for their visionary gift, which will enable Weill Cornell to transform the way we practice medicine," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Precision medicine offers great hope for understanding and treating some of the most formidable diseases of our time, and the Englanders' support will ensure that we can continue our work to enhance the care we provide our patients, both now and into the future."

Cornell President Elizabeth Garrett said, "The Englanders have our thanks and admiration for their generosity and targeted investment in the future of one of medicine's most promising fields and an area in which Cornell sets the pace."

"We are immensely appreciative of our generous supporters Caryl and Izzy Englander, whose confidence in the power of precision medicine to enhance human health is as inspiring as it is essential to spark scientific discovery," said Jessica M. Bibliowicz, chairman of Weill Cornell's Board of Overseers. "The Englanders' investment in Weill Cornell will help us expand a robust culture of innovation and maintain our position as a national leader in this field."

"Philanthropic support is critical for the advancement of translational research," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman emeritus of Weill Cornell's Board of Overseers. "Our friends Caryl and Izzy Englander have made their generous gift in an area that holds enormous promise for patients and in which Weill Cornell excels. Joan and I are incredibly grateful."

Computational biologists at the Englander Institute analyze tumor sequencing data and summarize the key clinical and genetic findings into physician-friendly reports that are seamlessly integrated into Weill Cornell's electronic health record system. Using these reports, a team of interdisciplinary specialists, including radiologists, pathologists, computational biologists, basic scientists, oncologists, and surgeons determine the best treatment options for each patient. With patients' permission, tissue samples from sequenced tumors are then saved in a biobank for further research.

The Englander Institute's expanded program will target areas of oncology including melanoma, a rare but serious form of skin cancer that the American Cancer Society estimates will kill about 10,000 of nearly 74,000 Americans diagnosed with it in 2015. Recent breakthroughs in melanoma research have yielded new treatments that target genetic mutations driving the disease, but it has been unclear which patients would most benefit from them; Institute investigators will try to identify those patients. Weill Cornell will recruit an investigator who specializes in melanoma research and provide support for research in immunotherapy, which uses the immune system to attack tumor cells.

"Groundbreaking research over the last few years has revolutionized our understanding of melanoma's molecular changes, bringing newfound hope to patients with advanced metastatic disease for whom treatment has been particularly challenging," said Dr. Richard Granstein, chairman of the Department of Dermatology and the George W. Hambrick, Jr. Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell. "With our expertise in genetic medicine and the Englanders' generous support, we expect to give our patients another powerful reason to hope."

By Anne Ju

An all Cornell University-alumni panel comprising banking, finance and financial policy experts spent Sunday morning of Charter Day Weekend unpacking the complexities of U.S. financial regulatory reform since the Great Recession of 2007-08. They offered perspective, opinion and advice on how the U.S. can move forward from the fallout of the recession, and how to avoid another one.

Dr. Eswar Prasad, the Tolani Senior Professor of Trade Policy at Cornell, led the four panelists through the April 26 discussion in Bailey Hall. They touched on issues from the relative safety of the financial system to ways in which regulatory reform for large banks should be balanced with flexibility for innovation and growth.

"In many ways, things seem a lot more stable, the U.S. economy is doing a lot better, and yet there are concerns about whether things have really been rectified — whether, in fact, finance has become safer," Dr. Prasad said. "Are we really safer in terms of finance today than before the crisis?"

Mary Miller '77, former undersecretary for domestic finance at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, answered with a "qualified yes." Ms. Miller, who helped orchestrate financial regulatory reforms under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, said there's "no question" U.S. financial institutions are stronger today than before the crisis. More stringent liquidity and capital requirements, reduced leverage (risk), and required “stress tests” for banks all have made the whole system less prone to failure, she said.

Yet financial activity outside the core banking system — the lending and credit activity that go on in the broader financial landscape — may be areas of concern going forward, she said.

Whether the financial system is safer "depends on your definition of safe," said Sanford I. Weill '55, former CEO and chairman of Citigroup, and chair emeritus of the Weill Cornell Medical College Board of Overseers. It goes to the heart of what banks should and shouldn’t be able to do, and Mr. Weill argued that the banking system is becoming "inept."

"Now we have a system where you cannot make a mistake, because if you make a mistake, it not only costs you a lot of money but the government fines you for making a mistake," Mr. Weill said.

Mr. Weill said he feels the banking system can be appropriately regulated with relatively simple terms, as opposed to the complexity of the Dodd-Frank legislation. He advocated separating commercial and investment banking to restore confidence and guard against another recession. Investment banking operations, where much of the 2007-08 crisis originated, should be separately regulated with things like leverage ratios and transparency in accounting practices, Mr. Weill said.

Banking, finance and financial policy experts participate in a financial policy panel as part of Cornell University's Charter Day Weekend.

Changes in bank regulations have been good in some regards, said Abby Joseph Cohen '73, senior U.S. investment strategist at Goldman Sachs. There has been a "dramatic increase in confidence" since the worst of the financial crisis, and the beginning of that rise was marked by the first government-mandated stress tests for banks in 2009.

Ms. Cohen expressed concern, as did Mr. Weill, about banks' new capital requirements that do not let them lend as much as they used to. “Many macroeconomists believe if there isn’t enough lending, there isn’t much economic growth," Ms. Cohen said.

"You can be super safe and lock up all the liquidity, or be unsafe and lend it out and use it for lots of things," she said. "We need to find a happy medium, and I’m not sure we’re there yet."

Dr. Prasad posed whether the new safeguards and regulations for big banks mean they aren’t the problem anymore. Andrew Ross Sorkin '99, founder and editor of The New York Times' Dealbook section and a Times financial columnist, said due to regulatory reforms, he can't foresee a moment in the next five years in which large investment or commercial banks "fall over like dominoes" as a result of risk-taking. "Could they fall for other reasons? Maybe, but they would fall over because of risk that will have developed in some other part of the business."

Take, for example, a large company like the global investment firm Blackstone, Mr. Sorkin said. It owns huge swaths of real estate, but it is not regulated like the large banks.

If another crisis develops, it will be about other issues like unemployment, Mr. Sorkin said.

Ms. Cohen concluded with calling Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City shining examples of how Cornell is creating jobs and economic prosperity in growth industries.

Anne Ju is the senior science writer/editor for the Cornell Chronicle.

It's been an exceptional year for Weill Cornell Medical College that unveiled an innovative curriculum, heralded the opening of the new Belfer Research Building and celebrated an expansion of its clinical footprint in metropolitan New York.

Standing in front of Uris Auditorium on Dec. 12 for her annual State of the Medical College address, Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell, lauded these and other triumphs that she said have bolstered Weill Cornell's position as a global healthcare leader dedicated to providing the best care to patients.

"These multiple transformations taking place in medical education, biomedical research and patient care will have an enormous impact on our medical school and will help set its course for years to come," she said.

Training the Next Generation of Physicians and Scientists

The Class of 2018 collectively has the highest ever undergraduate grade point average in the history of Weill Cornell, and their MCAT scores tied with a previous class for highest ever at the medical college and were fifth highest in the United States. Medical college officials selected these 101 students from nearly 6,400 applications — the highest number of applicants for an incoming class in 15 years.

The class is the first to learn under Weill Cornell's new curriculum, which transforms the paradigm of medical education by integrating basic science with clinical care so that students can immediately apply what they are learning in the classroom to patients. It focuses on a cross-disciplinary, thematic view of medicine. Dr. Glimcher said students are reporting high levels of satisfaction with it.

The Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences is thriving under the leadership of Dean Dr. Gary Koretzky, Dr. Glimcher said. It has accepted the highest quality students this year, with most of them having published an article in a journal or having one under review before they matriculate. And the Tri-Institutional M.D.-Ph.D. Program — "one of the jewels in our crown," Dr. Glimcher said — accepted 18 students this year thanks to the perfect score it received in 2013 in its NIH Medical Scientist Training Program grant renewal.

Qatari citizens comprise 27 percent of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar's incoming class, achieving the location's goal of helping to build a talented cadre of physicians for the country, Dr. Glimcher said. To strengthen this pipeline program, WCMC-Q is restructuring its curriculum to integrate its premedical and medical programs into a cohesive, six-year medical-education program.

Building a Robust Biomedical Research Program

More than 45 faculty programs have moved into the Belfer Research Building since it opened in January, and the built-out floors are now at 75 percent occupancy. Construction crews are currently building out three more of the shelled floors, with completion expected by late summer, Dr. Glimcher said. Hunter College and a dozen of its scientists will soon move into the fourth floor.

Since 2012, Weill Cornell has successfully recruited nearly 50 top-flight researchers to pursue groundbreaking translational research. Among them are immunologists focusing on gastrointestinal diseases who complement the medical college's GI clinicians.

"We have always been outstanding in clinical care for GI diseases — wonderful surgeons and GI physicians," Dr. Glimcher said. "We now have, I think, a scientific clinical enterprise in GI medicine that is the best in New York City."

Collectively, the recruits have successfully secured new research funding from the National Institutes of Health — despite steep cuts to its budget — helping Weill Cornell buck the national trend.

"We are a rare institution where the amount of NIH funding has actually grown rather than decreased," Dr. Glimcher said.

But Weill Cornell is not immune to the challenges facing all academic medical centers. In addition to seeking out NIH grants and lobbying New York State to provide biomedical research support, Weill Cornell has forged more than a dozen research alliances with the biopharmaceutical industry to advance promising early- stage applied and translational research into innovative therapeutics for patients. And the first projects selected for funding by the Daedalus Fund for Innovation were announced this fall to help Weill Cornell investigators make research that has commercial potential more appealing to industry partners.

"The most effective way to get discoveries that are made in the lab into new therapeutics for patients is to partner with industry," Dr. Glimcher said. "We can move these promising basic science projects ahead with greater speed and efficiency if we team up with the private sector."

Expanding Clinical Care

The Weill Cornell Physician Organization has had enormous growth, with a 37 percent increase in patient visits. This upward trajectory will likely continue as the organization expands its footprint in the metropolitan area to provide more New Yorkers with its exceptional clinical care. It has added more than 150 physicians to its ranks at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and will open a new primary care practice on the Upper East Side. It also will establish new outpatient units at 156 William St. and 40 Worth St., as well as expand services offered by Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian.

"This is a rapidly growing organization, which I think is necessary because clinical care is at the heart of what we do and it is the economic engine by which we are able to carry out our missions in research and medical education," Dr. Glimcher said.

Leadership Transitions

After two decades of visionary leadership, the medical college announced earlier this month that Sanford I. Weill was retiring as chair of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers on Jan. 1. Jessica Bibliowicz, a successful entrepreneur in the financial services business, was announced as his successor.

"Sandy has given his heart and soul, passion and commitment, and I really can't think of any other person who has shaped a medical school over such a long period of time to the extent that he has," Dr. Glimcher said. "But we will be gaining another talented leader, and I am really thrilled that Jessica Bibliowicz will be lending her skills and expertise to us."

Cornell University also named Elizabeth Garrett, provost at the University of Southern California, as Cornell's next president, effective July 1. She will succeed President David J. Skorton, who will become the next secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

"Dr. Skorton is an absolutely marvelous president of Cornell University," Dr. Glimcher said. "I think he will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of any American university. But we are fortunate to have Beth Garrett join us. She's an extremely talented leader who has done wonderful things at USC and we look forward to integrating her into the medical college here."

This new triumvirate in medical college and university leadership is notable not just for the wealth of expertise they each bring, she added.

"It's not so bad to have three leaders who have two X chromosomes," Dr. Glimcher quipped. "That's got to be pretty unique."

Jessica M. Bibliowicz, Successful Business Executive, Named New Chair of the Board

NEW YORK (December 9, 2014) — After 20 years of bold and visionary leadership that has transformed Weill Cornell Medical College into a global healthcare enterprise, Sanford I. Weill will retire as chair of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers on Jan. 1. Jessica M. Bibliowicz, a successful entrepreneur in the financial services business for nearly three decades, who has served on the Board of Overseers for the past decade, will succeed Mr. Weill, the new chair emeritus.

Jessica M. Bibliowicz and Sanford I. Weill. All photos: John Abbott

The transition comes as the 116-year-old medical college embarks on a new chapter that builds upon the landmark successes Mr. Weill has realized in his two decades as chair. His enduring dedication to the institution that bears his name has resulted in an unprecedented expansion that is exemplified in Weill Cornell's excellence in medical education, biomedical research and clinical care. In collaboration with medical college leadership, Ms. Bibliowicz will help lead Weill Cornell as it continues to break new ground in New York and abroad by expanding its clinical enterprise and forging public-private partnerships that accelerate groundbreaking scientific discoveries for patients. Working closely with Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College, Ms. Bibliowicz will help guide its transformation of medical education and drive dialogue on innovative healthcare delivery models that optimize the value and quality of patient care.

"When I joined the Board of Overseers more than 30 years ago, I was driven to try and make a difference in the world," Mr. Weill said. "It's truly humbling to see just how much of an impact Weill Cornell has had around the globe, and I believe we are poised to thrive far into the future. Weill Cornell Medical College is more to me than just an esteemed medical school — the people here are my extended family. I could think of no one better than Jessica to shepherd Weill Cornell into the next stage of its evolution."

"It's an honor and privilege to be able to support Weill Cornell Medical College's tremendous efforts to educate, innovate and heal," Ms. Bibliowicz said. "As a Cornell University alum, it's especially meaningful to me to try and help take this distinguished institution to the next level of excellence in New York and beyond. Our ever-changing healthcare landscape has sparked exciting opportunities to help shape national conversation, and I'm eager to work with Dr. Glimcher and the Board of Overseers as we strive to improve and prolong human health."

Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, Sanford I. Weill and Jessica M. Bibliowicz

In the three decades he has served on the Board of Overseers and in the two decades he has been chair, Mr. Weill has been much more than a governing force. His benevolence and unwavering resolve to ensure a healthier future has touched every program area at Weill Cornell, establishing the medical school as an innovator in basic, clinical and translational research, and forging a new paradigm for global engagement and medical education.

Under Mr. Weill's leadership, the medical college has built bridges nationally and abroad. Weill Cornell forged an affiliation with Houston Methodist in Texas and, with Cornell University, established a medical school in Doha, Qatar. Since its inception in 2002, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, which offers a Cornell University medical degree, has created 181 new doctors who have continued their graduate medical training in residencies and clinical research at outstanding institutions in the United States and Qatar. The Weill Cornell Qatar location has also established a world-class biomedical team and contributed to Qatar's goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy. In addition, Weill Cornell in 2007 established a formal affiliation with Bugando Medical Centre and the Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences in Mwanza, Tanzania, named in recognition of the Weills' support. Weill Bugando has graduated an average of 100 new doctors every year for the past seven years in Mwanza, expanding Tanzania's core of providers who are empowered to deliver the best patient care, despite a resource-limited setting. This unique educational partnership has spurred new possibilities for cultural exchange, providing medical students at Weill Cornell in New York and residents at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with the opportunity to spend a month or two in Mwanza practicing medicine the way it used to be, with limited modern technology. They return to New York with a greater sense of gratification that reaffirms their commitment to global health and a career in academic medicine.

In recognition that building a healthier future also requires training an exceptional cadre of new doctors and scientists, Mr. Weill and his wife Joan in 1992 established the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Education Center, the heart of the medical college's education program, with their first gifts to Weill Cornell. The Weill Education Center comprises the Weill Auditorium and 20 classrooms and teaching laboratories outfitted with modern audio-visual, networking and wireless technology to provide the next generation of medical professionals with the best environment for learning.

Sanford I. Weill

In 2007, Weill Cornell opened the Weill Greenberg Center in New York City, the medical college's flagship and award-winning ambulatory care center, and in January opened the adjacent Belfer Research Building, a transformative 18-story, state-of-the-art facility that ensures that the medical college remains at the forefront of scientific discovery. Their proximity to each other ensures that breakthroughs made in the laboratory can be rapidly applied to patient care as improved treatments and therapies. Weill Cornell has successfully recruited some of the world's leading physicians and scientists to conduct this translational research. Last year, the Weills established the Weill Center for Metabolic Health, which strives to understand the basic biology and genetics of diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome, and translate discoveries into next-generation therapeutic approaches. Weill Cornell is conducting a national search for a renowned scientist to lead these efforts.

A self-made man who exemplifies the philosophy of leading by example, Mr. Weill, Mrs. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation have generously given more than $550 million in gifts to support Weill Cornell Medical College. They include a groundbreaking $100 million gift in 1998 — at the time the largest in Cornell University's history — a second $100 million gift in 2002, a $250 million gift in 2007 and another $100 million gift in 2013 to establish the Weill Center for Metabolic Health, as well as the Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation Global Health Research Laboratories. In honor and appreciation of their unparalleled dedication and enduring commitment, the institution in 1998 was renamed Weill Cornell Medical College. With an additional gift of $50 million to Cornell University, the Weills' total giving tops $600 million.

The Weills' altruism inspired and galvanized Weill Cornell's numerous, loyal donors to support the medical college. In Mr. Weill's 20 years as chair, the medical college has raised $3 billion. Earlier this year, Weill Cornell celebrated the Weills' legacy by naming its department of medicine the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine.

"What Sandy has done for Weill Cornell, New York and the world is just breathtaking — it's a labor of love that will touch the lives of generations," Dr. Glimcher said. "His unwavering leadership, profound magnanimity and steadfast resolve to enhance medical education, advance discoveries and enrich clinical care is his lasting legacy. Jessica is an outstanding choice to assume Sandy's mantle and steer Weill Cornell into the future. I couldn't be more thrilled for what's to come."

"Sandy is a businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, visionary leader, chairman emeritus of Citigroup, Cornell alumnus and my good friend," said Cornell University President David Skorton. "As chair of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College, he has nurtured the college's growth, guided its progress and expanded its capacity for rigorous medical education, path-breaking research and superb clinical care — to the enormous benefit of our students, faculty, researchers and patients. I am delighted that Jessica Bibliowicz, who has provided exemplary leadership to the university and the medical college, has agreed to take on this new role as chair of the Board of Overseers."

"It is impossible to overstate the impact that Sandy has had on Weill Cornell Medical College, and on the whole of Cornell University, during his time as chair of the Board of Overseers," said Robert Harrison, chair of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. "He is someone who can not only articulate a strong and inspirational vision, but also bring people together to do what it takes to make the vision a reality. Although I will miss working with Sandy, I am very much looking forward to working with Jessica in her new role. She has been a very effective trustee and overseer for many years and clearly has the talent and energy to lead the Board of Overseers and the medical school to new heights."

About Jessica M. Bibliowicz

A Cornell University graduate in 1981 and after working 18 years in financial services, Ms. Bibliowicz became CEO of National Financial Partners in 1999, a financial services firm that specializes in benefits and wealth management. The company went public in 2003 and was sold to Madison Dearborn in 2013. Ms. Bibliowicz joined the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers in 2004. She is also a member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees and a member of the Cornell NYC Tech Campus Task Force. Currently, Ms. Bibliowicz is a senior advisor at Bridge Growth Partners and serves on the board of directors of Sotheby's(NYSE: BID); Realogy (NYSE: RLGY); and the Asia Pacific Fund (NYSE: APB). She is a board director/trustee of Prudential Insurance Funds and is also on the board of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

NEW YORK (December 4, 2014) — Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $25 million gift from Gale and Ira Drukier to establish a premier, cross-disciplinary institute dedicated to understanding the underlying causes of diseases that are devastating to children. Its goal will be to rapidly translate basic research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients.

The extraordinary gift names the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children's Health and will enable the medical college to recruit a team of leading scientists, including a renowned expert who will serve as the Gale and Ira Drukier Director, to pursue innovative research that improves treatments and therapies for the littlest patients. The Drukier Institute, a marquee program that will be headquartered on the 12th floor of Weill Cornell's new Belfer Research Building, will also expand and enhance the medical college's already-distinguished research and clinical care programs that strive to end diseases and disorders that affect children and adolescents, including asthma, autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and schizophrenia."We couldn't be more grateful to Gale and Ira, whose generous gift exemplifies their commitment to advancing human health and their steadfast support of Weill Cornell Medical College," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "The Drukiers' investment will better the lives of children in New York and beyond, and will leave a lasting mark on our next generation."

"We are greatly appreciative of Gale and Ira Drukier, whose remarkable gift will enable Weill Cornell to expand its world-class research and clinical care programs for children, who can't be treated like little adults," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "The Drukiers' generosity is critical in allowing us to attract the best and brightest minds in pediatric research, who will lead the way as we pursue innovative treatments and therapies that will ensure the health of children now and in the future."

"As parents and grandparents, Gale and I appreciate the tremendous impact medicine can have on growing children," said Dr. Ira Drukier, a member of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "When you cure children, you give them their entire life back. It's with immense pride that we are able to make this investment, which will empower Weill Cornell Medical College to focus and direct all of its outstanding pediatric research under the auspices of one institute and provide vital resources to develop tomorrow's treatments and cures."

"It gives us great joy to be able to support Weill Cornell Medical College and make such a tremendous difference in children's lives," Dr. Gale Drukier said. "This gift also continues our enduring relationship with Cornell University, with which we have been connected for 40 years."

The Drukiers have a legacy of philanthropy at Cornell University, having provided generous support to its Herbert F. Johnson Art Museum and College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

"We at Cornell are immensely grateful to Gale and Ira Drukier for their extraordinary leadership and generosity, which has already been felt across the university," President David Skorton said. "With this spectacular new gift, the Drukiers are enabling us to achieve an unprecedented level of excellence in pediatric research. The bench-to-bedside approach of the Drukier Institute will have a lasting impact on children and their families, giving hope when they need it most."

"The gift from Gale and Ira Drukier establishing the Drukier Institute for Children's Health makes a powerful statement about the importance of focusing the energies of a major research institution on improving the health and wellbeing of children," said Dr. Gerald M. Loughlin, the Nancy C. Paduano Professor of Pediatrics and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. "It is a wonderful legacy for these visionary philanthropists."

Caring for children is particularly challenging because their bodies are constantly changing as they grow, and their metabolisms and immune systems are vastly different than those of adults. Understanding the factors that spur growth in children can present possible lines of inquiry into other diseases, such as cancer, because tumors are also programmed to grow. There are also many genetic and developmental diseases that arise in childhood and pose serious health risks during adulthood. But treating these conditions can be arduous for pediatric patients. Many of the common treatments and therapies available to adults have toxic effects on children, making it critical to devise new and better interventions.

Using genomics and other cutting-edge research approaches, the cross-disciplinary Drukier Institute will drive excellence and innovation in pediatrics, seeking to rapidly and seamlessly catalyze research breakthroughs into the most advanced, safe and effective patient care. The Drukiers' generosity will empower the medical college to recruit five top-flight investigators — including a faculty member who conducts clinical research in pediatric genetics — to augment the distinguished team of physician-scientists already at Weill Cornell, as well as train the next generation of researchers in the field.

To help realize this vision, the Drukiers' gift will enable Weill Cornell to secure the latest research equipment, such as sequencing and informatics technology, as well as develop an infrastructure to establish a biobank. Investigators at the institute will work in close collaboration with clinicians in Weill Cornell's Department of Pediatrics to ensure that children immediately benefit from the latest research advances.

To encourage and support faculty development, research and education, the gift will endow the Drukier Lectureship, an annual lecture at Weill Cornell on a research or clinical topic in the field of children's health. It will also establish the Drukier Prize, which will be awarded once a year to a junior faculty member in the United States or abroad for excellence and achievement in advancing research on childhood diseases or disorders.

About Gale and Ira Drukier

A Cornell University graduate, Ira Drukier is co-owner of BD Hotels, LLC, a real estate development company that owns and operates more than two-dozen hotel properties in New York City, including the Mercer, Hotel Elysee and the Maritime.

Dr. Drukier graduated from Cornell in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a focus on solid-state physics and in 1967 with a Master in Engineering, earning a doctorate in electrical engineering in 1973 from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. Upon graduation, he joined RCA Corporation's David Sarnoff Research Center, conducting research in the field of microwave semiconductors, which culminated in his development of the first high-power compound semiconductor field effect transistor. In 1976, he joined Microwave Semiconductor Corporation (MSC) and established a division to develop and manufacture high-power microwave transistors for commercial and military use. Siemens Corporation acquired MSC in 1981, and Dr. Drukier stayed on as corporate vice president until 1983, when he ventured into a career in real estate.

Dr. Drukier has served on the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers since 2012, sat on Cornell University's Board of Trustees for eight years and was a member of the Cornell Tech Task Force to help develop the Cornell NYC Tech campus on Roosevelt Island. He is chair of the council for the Johnson Art Museum at Cornell, chair of the board of trustees building committee of the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y., and serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's President's Council. Dr. Drukier is vice-chair of the American Society for Yad Vashem and is a member of the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Board of Overseers. He has also published numerous papers and given lectures in the field of microwave electronics and has contributed a chapter to a book on Gallium Arsenide Field Effect Transistors.

Gale Drukier graduated from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development in 1972 with a degree in speech pathology and audiology, later earning a Master of Science ('73) and a Doctor of Education degree ('79) in audiology from Teacher's College at Columbia University. Dr. Drukier began her career as an audiologist at Bellevue Hospital and at Veterans Affairs hospitals in metropolitan New York, later joining Trenton State University — now the College of New Jersey — as a professor. During her 17-year tenure there, Dr. Drukier conducted research, taught and developed the college's nationally accredited graduate program in audiology. She was consistently recognized by her students as the "Best Teacher." After retiring from teaching, Dr. Drukier joined her family's business, BD Hotels, and has managed and renovated properties on Manhattan's West Side for more than 12 years.

Dr. Drukier has continued to serve NYU since her graduation. She has been a member of the Steinhardt Dean's Council since 2005 as a supporter of the educational and fundraising initiatives of the school. In 2007, Dr. Drukier joined the NYU Board of Trustees and presently chairs its Academic Affairs Committee. In 2010, Dr. Drukier endowed and named the deanship of NYU's Steinhardt School of Education. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by NYU in 2013.

Dr. Drukier has also been active at Cornell University, chairing the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art's Program Committee and is a member of the Plantations Council. Dr. Drukier and her husband endowed the deanship at Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning, endowed the curator of prints and drawings at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum and created a garden at Plantations at Cornell University. The couple is also active in the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, N.Y., and serves on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's President's Council. Dr. Drukier is an animal lover, particularly of felines, and is on the board of directors of the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. The Drukiers have one daughter and four grandchildren.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

This release was updated on Dec. 16, 2014.

York Avenue Flagship Building Will Bear Meyer Name in Honor of Gift

NEW YORK (January 8, 2014) — Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it has received a $75 million gift from Sandra and Edward Meyer and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Foundation to expand and enhance the medical college's distinguished cancer research and care programs. 

This landmark gift names the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College, led by preeminent cancer researcher Dr. Lewis Cantley, which is dedicated to using precision medicine and other cutting-edge biomedical approaches to spur and then translate research breakthroughs into the most advanced therapies for patients. In honor of the Meyer family's generous gift, Weill Cornell will name its flagship building on 1300 York Ave. as the Sandra and Edward Meyer Research and Education Building.

"We are deeply grateful to Sandra and Edward Meyer for their transformative gift, which will enable Weill Cornell to expand its world-class enterprise in cancer research and clinical care," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Cancer is a disease that touches everyone's lives, and with Ed and Sandy's generous support, we will be able to rapidly accelerate our pursuit of groundbreaking treatments and therapies for our patients."

"As longtime friends of Ed and Sandy, it gives Joan and me great pleasure to witness the Meyer family's exceptional investment in Weill Cornell and its preeminent cancer research enterprise," says Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers. "With their gift, the Meyer family has shown their steadfast dedication to enhancing human health and leaving a lasting mark on science and medicine."

"All of us at Cornell — in Ithaca, in New York and beyond — are profoundly grateful for Ed and Sandy's thoughtful support and the difference it will make for cancer patients and their families," says David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University. "As cancer research and treatment move increasingly toward therapies that are tailored to patients' individual genetic profiles and needs, the Meyer family's gift allows us to make the necessary investments to advance this groundbreaking area of medicine and realize its promise."

"We are deeply thankful to the Meyer family for such an incredible gift," says Dr. Cantley, the Meyer Director of the cancer center, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor in Oncology Research and professor of cancer biology in medicine at Weill Cornell. "Their generosity will enable us to realize our goal of developing cancer treatments that capitalize on precision medicine, offering targeted, individualized care based on each patient's tumor. This gift will make it possible for us to be at the forefront of cancer research, to purchase the necessary technology and recruit the very best talent to carry out this vital work."

"Sandy, our children Meg and Tony and I gave careful consideration to which New York institution was best poised to produce breakthroughs in cancer, and Weill Cornell was the obvious choice due to its exceptional roster of translational, cutting-edge scientists and commitment to building its oncology research enterprise," says Edward Meyer. "Our daughter's experience working with Dr. Cantley many years ago solidified our lifelong respect for him, and we are thrilled and humbled to have him lead the Meyer Cancer Center. We can think of no better investment that will make as big a difference in the world, and we know that together we can do great things for cancer patients and their families."

Meyer Cancer Center Breaks New Ground for Cancer Research

The Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center is dedicated to using state-of-the-art technologies for basic, clinical and translational cancer research, as well as providing support for initiating and conducting novel clinical trials.

The Meyer family. Clockwise from top left: Anthony Meyer, Margaret Meyer, Edward Meyer and Sandra Meyer. Photo credit: Lindsey Potter

The Meyer Cancer Center will also unify cancer research activities throughout Weill Cornell and enhance three core areas: a centralized biobank, cancer genomics and computational biology, which are crucial to physicians who base each patient's treatment plan or enrollment in clinical trials on his or her genetic profile. The Meyer Cancer Center will conduct activity throughout the Weill Cornell campus, including in the Weill Greenberg Center, the Meyer Education and Research Building, the Belfer Research Building, and other research and clinical facilities.It is a pivotal time for cancer research and treatment. Technological advances enabling scientists to conduct detailed molecular analyses of the damaged genes in cancer have revolutionized the field, revealing new opportunities to develop therapies that target the events driving tumor growth in individual patients. The Meyer Cancer Center champions a dramatic shift in the paradigm for translational biomedical research and clinical care. It will engage basic scientists, pathologists, bioinformaticians, surgeons, radiation oncologists and radiologists who will collaborate daily to move these discoveries from the bench to clinical trials and ultimately into therapies for patients.

In addition, the Meyer family's gift will enable Weill Cornell to continue its efforts in recruiting the world's best and brightest minds in cancer research and clinical care, while also providing seed money to realize innovative research projects. In expanding and enhancing the research activities of the cancer programs at Weill Cornell, the Meyer Cancer Center will ensure that patients can immediately benefit from the latest discoveries and treatments, especially in clinical trials, while training future researchers and recruiting scientific and clinical leaders.

In appreciation and recognition of the Meyer family's gift, Weill Cornell will name its flagship building and its eight floors as the Sandra and Edward Meyer Research and Education Building. The Meyer Building is the main artery to Weill Cornell's adjoining structures, a bridge that links the medical college's mission of medical education, biomedical research and clinical care. The Meyer Building encompasses key educational facilities for instruction, including the medical library, lecture halls and teaching laboratories. It is also home to numerous laboratories that produced many of Weill Cornell's storied biomedical research accomplishments and led to more advanced patient care.

About Sandra and Edward Meyer and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Foundation

A graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics with honors, Edward Meyer is the former chairman, president and CEO of Grey Global Group, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing and communications companies. He is now chairman of Ocean Road Advisors, Inc., which directs investment and related activities. Sandra Meyer is a board member of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, a preeminent summer music festival on Long Island; a major supporter of Women for Women International, an institution which helps women move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency; a member of the Group for the East End, a Long Island land conservation organization; and a member of the Women and Foreign Policy Advisory Council of the Council on Foreign Relations.

While this is the Meyer family's first gift to Weill Cornell Medical College, in 2012 Edward Meyer funded the Edward H. Meyer Professorship of Economics at his alma mater, Cornell University. Through their family foundation, established in 1966, the Meyer family has an enduring dedication to philanthropy and has championed medical research and clinical care, arts and education, Jewish organizations and federated giving programs. Beneficiaries of their generosity include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NYU Langone Medical Center, the American Museum of Natural History, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the American Jewish Committee.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

Hunter Researchers to Collaborate in New, Cutting-Edge Weill Cornell Medical College Belfer Research Building on East Side

New York, NY (October 24, 2013) — Standing in the soon-to-be finished space that will soon house some of the most innovative bench-to-bedside medical discoveries in New York, Hunter College President Jennifer J. Raab and Weill Cornell Medical College Dean Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher today celebrated an innovative partnership between the two institutions for collaborative research.

The agreement, in which Hunter will purchase the 4th floor of the new Belfer Research Building, extends Hunter's and Weill Cornell's fruitful history of public-private partnership. Now, their additional collaboration on cutting-edge research and training of the next generation of scientists in the new, $650 million building expands the Upper East Side Medical Research Corridor as a growing powerhouse in the biomedical research sector. Hunter's laboratory research space will be fitted out in the coming months and open in 2014.

Hunter College is already a collaborative partner in Weill Cornell's Clinical and Translational Science Center, which the National Institutes of Health calls a model for public-private research partnerships. The center received an additional $49.6 million NIH grant last year, a renewal of the largest-ever Federal grant to the medical college by the NIH. Four Hunter schools are part of the center's consortium and are able to use the medical college's research cores. With Hunter's purchase of 21,000 square feet of life sciences lab space in the Belfer Research Building, its faculty will have easier access to Weill Cornell research cores and services.

"This partnership between a top public and a top private institution is something that rarely — if ever — happens," says Jennifer J. Raab. "This is a physical expression of a long-standing relationship between two institutions that will advance scientific study and train the next generation of scientists. We are incredibly fortunate to have this first class space to work side by side with Weill Cornell."

"Weill Cornell Medical College is thrilled to have Hunter College share this facility and to have our scientists continue to collaborate on biomedical research," says Dr. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Research in the building's open design space will encourage cross-disciplinary collaborations between some of New York City's top scientists in the pursuit of the shared goal of improving human health."

Also present for the occasion were Sanford I. Weill, former chairman & CEO of Citibank and chairman of Weill Cornell's Board of Overseers; and Robert and Renée Belfer, for whom the building is named. The Belfers donated $100 million to construct the state-of-the-art facility.

The Belfer Research Building will open in January 2014 with the Hunter floor opening later in the year. The 480,000-square-foot, 16-story building will be devoted to translational bench-to-bedside research targeting some of the world's most daunting health challenges, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, children's health, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and global health and infectious diseases. The building is currently under construction at 413 East 69th Street.

About Hunter College

Hunter College, located in the heart of Manhattan, is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Founded in 1870, it is also one of the oldest public colleges in the country. Currently, 23,000 students attend Hunter, pursuing both undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 170 different programs of study.

Hunter College is famous for the diversity of its student body, which is as diverse as New York City itself. For nearly 140 years, it has provided educational opportunities for women and minorities, and today, students from every walk of life and every corner of the world convene at Hunter in pursuit of the American Dream.

Hunter students are uniquely committed to their educations and their futures. Though the great majority hold jobs, most are the first in their families to attend college with 35 percent being first generation college students and another 16 percent who are first in their family to attend college. Their level of academic and professional achievement is extraordinary. They are published authors, community activists, exhibited artists, and civic leaders. Many go on to top professional and graduate programs, winning Fulbright scholarships, Mellon fellowships, National Institutes of Health grants, and other rare and competitive honors. Hunter graduates make a mark wherever they go, but the vast majority choose to give back locally — if you come across an important artist, author, educator, government official, health professional, researcher, scientist, or social-service professional in New York City, there's a good chance he or she went to Hunter.

The 1,700 full- and part-time members of Hunter's faculty are unparalleled. Thanks to the diverse and uniquely engaged student body, the abundance of New York's academic resources, and the ever-growing opportunities for teaching and research, Hunter attracts many of the nation's top scholars. They receive prestigious national grants, contribute to the world's leading academic journals, and play major roles in cutting-edge research. They are fighting cancer, formulating public policy, expanding our culture, enhancing technology, and more.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist Hospital. For more information, weill.cornell.edu.

NEW YORK (March 12, 2013) — Weill Cornell Medical College and its faculty practice, the Weill Cornell Physician Organization, today celebrated the opening of a new medical practice at 2315 Broadway at West 84th Street. The comprehensive practice expands access to Weill Cornell's world-class physicians on Manhattan's West Side and offers imaging, primary care and the most in-demand specialty services to children and adults — all under one roof.

The Weill Cornell Physician Organization is comprised of faculty members of Weill Cornell Medical College, one of the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the country. Consistent leaders in patient care, these physicians are experts in primary care and numerous specialty areas, including cardiology, neurology and reproductive medicine.

The new three-floor, 30,000 square-foot multi-specialty practice provides patients with one-stop shopping for all their health care needs and provides a bridge to Weill Cornell's physicians and academic medical center on the East Side.

"At Weill Cornell Medical College, it is our goal to promote an integrated, multi-disciplinary team approach to patient care that encourages our patients to remain healthy and vital throughout their lives," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "Our outstanding Weill Cornell Physicians practice on Broadway will not only further this principle, but will also expand our patients' access to it. For as much as one-stop shopping is convenient, it is just as vital for maintaining good health."

"The new Weill Cornell Physicians practice is a prime example of what can happen with steadfast leadership and visionary thinking," says Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College. "With a focus on comprehensive, integrated care, this practice will provide patients on the West Side with the same superb clinical care we administer daily at our home on York Avenue."

With a focus on wellness and prevention, primary care accounts for a third of the Broadway practice's services and includes internal medicine, gynecology and nearly an entire floor dedicated to pediatrics. The Broadway office's primary care services, which include nine full-time physicians, forecasts 30,000 patient visits a year and will serve as an extension of the existing Weill Cornell Physicians primary care practice at West 72nd Street.

In addition to primary care, the Broadway practice offers the most in-demand specialty services, including dermatology, endocrinology, neurology, nutrition services, otolaryngology, pain management, reproductive medicine, a vein treatment center and pediatric subspecialties. The practice uses the same integrated electronic health record system as the other Weill Cornell Physician Organization practices and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ensuring streamlined communication between patients and specialists.

"As some of the most premier health care providers in the world, Weill Cornell doctors are in overwhelming demand," says Dr. Daniel Knowles, Weill Cornell Physician Organization's chief medical officer and the David D. Thompson Professor and chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell and pathologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian. "Not only do we aim to deliver unparalleled care to our patients, but we are also striving to be leaders in health care as it evolves."

An entire floor of the practice is dedicated to imaging through Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Patients will have access to the highest quality diagnostic equipment, including MRI, a dual-energy and low-dose radiation CT scanner, ultrasonography, X-ray and bone density scanner. Academic radiologists are on-site to read the results, and images, if needed, can be electronically transmitted in real-time for review by any of the 80 available radiology experts at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. This service has been made possible through a partnership between Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian dedicated to providing the most advanced imaging technology to patients.

"As part of its comprehensive primary and specialty service offerings, the Weill Cornell Physicians practice on Broadway will provide patients with the full array of diagnostic radiology services in a warm, patient-friendly setting that is easily accessible," says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "In addition, physicians will be able to refer their patients to a premier, state-of-the-art facility that offers the highest quality care and service and the resources of a world-class academic medical center. Congratulations to the Weill Cornell Physician Organization for successfully opening this new medical practice."

With floor- to-ceiling windows overlooking Broadway, flooding waiting rooms with natural light, the newly renovated Broadway office is designed to be warm, inviting and convenient for patients. The practice, easily accessible by foot, car and mass transit, provides early and late appointments and offers coordinated appointments for those seeing multiple specialists. Discounted parking is available.

To make an appointment or learn more about services offered at the new Weill Cornell Physicians practice at 2315 Broadway, call 646-962-2315 or visit www.weillcornell.org/2315broadway.

Weill Cornell Physicians Organization

Weill Cornell Physicians are faculty members of Weill Cornell Medical College, one of the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the country. They are also attending physicians at one of the most comprehensive care facilities in the world — NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Weill Cornell physicians have consistently been leaders in patient care, in primary care as well as in many specialty areas as diverse as in-vitro fertilization, neurology, oncology, and HIV/AIDS care. Weill Cornell Physicians play a proud part of Weill Cornell's 100 year old tradition of excellence in academic medicine as academic leaders responsible for many health-restoring medical breakthroughs and advances, as well as scientists active in nationally recognized medical research, on the leading edge of beneficial new procedures and technologies. Committed to delivering outstanding patient care with compassion and concern for each patient, Weill Cornell Physicians are providers of primary and specialty care to people from all five New York City boroughs, the metropolitan area, from across the United States, and from around the world.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

Prestigious Honor Recognizes Excellence, Extraordinary Accomplishments and Leadership in Business and Public Health

NEW YORK (April 17, 2012) — Sanford I. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Dr. Joseph J. Fins, chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell, have both been elected new fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Academy membership is one of the most prestigious honors for excellence, extraordinary achievements and leadership in mathematical and physical sciences, biological sciences, social sciences, humanities and the arts, and public affairs, business and administration.

The Academy's announcement naming the 220 new fellows was made on April 17. Mr. Weill and Dr. Fins will be inducted into the Academy's 232nd class during a ceremony at its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 6, 2012.

"I am delighted to welcome Sandy and Joe as Fellow members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College and fellow member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. "Their induction marks another milestone for Weill Cornell Medical College — this illustrious society welcomed our President David Skorton last year. Sandy and Joe join the Academy's influential thought leaders in medicine, science, politics and business as well as the arts. Their perspective and contributions will be invaluable at this watershed moment in the ethics and economics of health care."

"Time and again, we celebrate for good reason Sandy's generosity of leadership and of support. In welcoming him into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, this time, we applaud his indefatigable spirit and we honor his prodigious intellect," says Dr. David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University, professor of medicine and medicine in pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering. "Also, it is an enormous honor and pleasure to welcome my colleague and friend, Joe Fins, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences who will be a major asset to this organization and will further its important and timely work." Last year, Dr. Skorton was elected a new fellow of the Academy.

The Academy recognizes Mr. Weill for his contributions as an influential business leader in finance and his philanthropic work. Mr. Weill is the Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup Inc. He retired as CEO of Citigroup in October 2003, and served as Chairman until April 2006. He has had a long-time business career leading several major companies and serving on several boards of directors.

Mr. Weill, chairman of the Board of Overseers at Weill Cornell Medical College, joined the board in 1982 becoming chair in 1995. Also, as a Trustee Emeritus of Cornell University, Mr. Weill serves on the Advisory Council of its Johnson Graduate School of Management. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and an Overseer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A graduate of Cornell University, Mr. Weill is also a generous philanthropist. He and his wife, Joan, have donated more than $800 million to organizations, including Weill Cornell Medical College; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Sidra, a teaching hospital to be completed in Doha, Qatar, in 2012; and Weill Bugando Medical Centre in Tanzania, one of Africa's top physician training programs.

The Academy also recognizes the professional achievements and leadership in the field of public health of Dr. Fins, The E. William Davis Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics, professor of Medicine, Public Health and of Medicine in Psychiatry. As a leading expert on medical ethics and health policy, Dr. Fins has authored more than 200 publications and several books. His research has closely examined the ethical and policy issues surrounding brain injury and disorders of consciousness, palliative care, research ethics in neurology and psychiatry, medical education and methods of ethics case consultation. He is co-author of the landmark 2007 Nature paper describing the first use of deep brain stimulation in the minimally conscious state, developing the ethical framework for this work. His forthcoming book, Rights Come to Mind: Brain Injury, Ethics & The Struggle for Consciousness, is under contract with The Cambridge University Press and expected to be published in early 2013.

The Academy of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1780, is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious societies. It has elected the world's most accomplished leaders from the fields of science, social science, the humanities and the arts, public affairs and journalism, business leaders, leaders in educational, cultural and philanthropic organizations. It is a leading center for independent policy research studies about complex and emerging problems.

For a complete list of the new 220 members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, visit: http://www.amacad.org/news/alphalist2012.pdf.

About Sanford I. Weill

Sanford I. Weill is Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup Inc. Mr. Weill retired as CEO of Citigroup on October 1, 2003, and served as Chairman until April 18, 2006. Mr. Weill, who had been Chairman and CEO of Travelers, became Chairman of its predecessor, Commercial Credit Company, in 1986, successfully leading the company through a public stock offering by its then-parent, Control Data Corporation. Commercial Credit acquired Primerica Corporation in 1988 and adopted its name until 1993, when Primerica acquired The Travelers Corporation and adopted the Travelers Group name. In 1997, the company acquired Salomon Inc. and combined it with its Smith Barney unit to form the global securities and investment firm, Salomon Smith Barney.

Prior to 1986, Mr. Weill had been President of American Express Company and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of its Fireman's Fund Insurance Company subsidiary. His affiliation with American Express began in 1981 when the company acquired Shearson Loeb Rhoades. Shearson's origins date back to 1960 when Mr. Weill and three partners co-founded its predecessor, Carter, Berlind, Potoma & Weill. He served as the firm's Chairman from 1965 to 1984, a period in which it completed over 15 acquisitions to become the country's second largest securities brokerage firm. In 1993, when Travelers Group acquired Shearson Lehman Brothers' retail brokerage and asset management businesses, he was reunited with the firm he founded.

Mr. Weill became a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2001 and served in this capacity until December 31, 2006. He also served as a Director on the Boards of United Technologies Corp. from 1999 to 2003, AT&T Corp. from 1998 to 2002, and E. I. Du Pont Nemours and Company from 1998 to 2001. Mr. Weill is a former Vice Chairman of The Business Council and served on the Working Group on Child Care, headed by then U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Robert E. Rubin. In 1998, Mr. Weill was the recipient of Financial World Magazine's CEO of the Year Award and received the same honor from Chief Executive Magazine in 2002. The EastWest Institute awarded Mr. Weill their distinguished Corporate Leadership Award in December 2005 at an event in London with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Weill is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations; Director of Koç Holding, headquartered in Turkey; and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Baker Institute at Rice University.

President Bush asked Mr. Weill, along with four other private sector business leaders, to lead a nationwide effort to encourage private donations for relief and reconstruction in response to the South Asia earthquake that occurred on October 8, 2005. Working with the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, a nonprofit forum of CEOs and Chairpersons, to which Mr. Weill was named Chairman of the Board in July 2004 and is now Honorary Chairman, Mr. Weill and the business leaders quickly established the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund. Through the efforts of Mr. Weill and the business leaders, the private sector raised over $116 million in cash and in-kind services to help the earthquake victims.

The 1997 recipient of the New York State Governor's Art Award, Mr. Weill has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall since 1991. Mr. Weill is also a Director of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation and Chairman of the Green Music Center Board of Advisors at Sonoma State University in California. He is Board Governor of the San Francisco Symphony and a Member of the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center Executive Council.

Mr. Weill is Chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, having joined the board in 1982 and becoming chair in 1995. Mr. Weill also serves on the Board of Governors of Sidra, a 380-bed Specialty Teaching Hospital that will be completed in 2012 in Qatar. A Trustee Emeritus of Cornell University as well as the recipient of the school's first Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1984, Mr. Weill serves on the Advisory Council of its Johnson Graduate School of Management. In addition, he is a Trustee of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and an Overseer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Long a proponent of education, Mr. Weill instituted a joint program with the New York City Board of Education in 1980 that created the Academy of Finance, which trains high school students for careers in financial services. He also serves as Founder and Chairman of the National Academy Foundation (NAF), which oversees more than 50,000 students in 500 career-themed Academies of Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology and Engineering. Mr. Weill has received honorary degrees from Howard University, Hofstra University, University of New Haven, and The New School.

The Real Deal: My Life in Business and Philanthropy, Mr. Weill's book, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best seller. A longtime friend of President Gerald R. Ford's, Mr. Weill was an Honorary Pallbearer at the late President's State Funeral and is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation. Mr. and Mrs. Weill are recipients of the 2009 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Award.

Mr. Weill, who was born on March 16, 1933, is a graduate of Cornell University. He and Joan have been married for 56 years. They have two children and four grandchildren.

About Dr. Joseph J. Fins

Dr. Joseph J. Fins is The E. William Davis Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College where he also serves as Professor of Medicine (with Tenure), Professor of Public Health and Professor of Medicine in Psychiatry. He is also an Attending Physician and the Director of Medical Ethics at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center as well as a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Rockefeller University where he is a Senior Attending Physician at The Rockefeller University Hospital. Dr. Fins is an elected Member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

A recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Award in Health Policy Research, Dr. Fins has also received a Soros Open Society Institute Project on Death in America Faculty Scholars Award, a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Visiting Fellowship and support from the Dana and Buster Foundations. He was appointed by President Clinton to The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy and currently serves on The New York State Task Force on Life and the Law by gubernatorial appointment.

Dr. Fins graduated from Wesleyan University (B.A. with Honors, The College of Letters, 1982) and Cornell University Medical College (M.D., 1986). He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in General Internal Medicine at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and has served as Associate for Medicine at The Hastings Center.

His most recent book is A Palliative Ethic of Care: Clinical Wisdom at Life's End (Jones and Bartlett, 2006). Dr. Fins is President of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities and a Fellow and former Governor of the American College of Physicians. He serves as a member of the Hastings Center Board of Trustees and chairs its Fellows Council and has served as a trustee of Wesleyan University.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.