Following in His Father's Footsteps
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Advancing Biomedical Science, Education and Health Care Volume 3, Issue 1 January/February 2007 $3 billion Yale campaign will benefit @science and medicine MedicineNearly a decade after the close of its The campaign is organized YaleAccording to Inge T. Reichenbach, last major fundraising campaign, Yale around four major themes: “Yale Yale’s vice president for development, has launched “Yale Tomorrow,” a five- College,” “The Arts,” “The Sciences” the campaign’s goals for the medical year drive to raise $3 billion, a major and “The World.” school are quite specific. portion of which will be directed Within the sciences, under the These goals include increased toward science and medicine.At the rubric “Medicine Tomorrow,” Yale will support for research, the establish- public launch of the campaign in Sep- seek support for many research, edu- ment of new endowed professorships, tember, President Richard C. Levin cational and clinical programs, with increased financial aid for students, announced that donors had already the ultimate goal of finding new and new buildings for research and clini- committed $1.3 billion in gifts and better ways to diagnose and treat ill- cal care, improved technology, educa- pledges during the campaign’s quiet ness, says Dean Robert J. Alpern, m.d., tional innovation and support for the phase, which began in mid-2004. Ensign Professor of Medicine. Campaign, page 6 New genes found Following in his father’s footsteps in Crohn’s disease, Yale alumnus, investor serious eye ailment makes unrestricted gift A decade ago, finding genes that contribute to human diseases was to School of Medicine labor-intensive, time-consuming and prohibitively expensive. But today, Carrying on a philanthropic tradition cutting-edge research tools are chang- begun by his late father, Adrian C. ing all that, and two School of Medi- “Ace” Israel of the Yale Class of 1936, cine researchers are at the forefront of investor and Yale alumnus Thomas the revolution. C. Israel has made a gift of $5 mil- Last month, in the journal lion to the School of Medicine. Israel, Science, Josephine J. Hoh, ph.d., as- who says his family has long had sociate professor of a deep interest in medical science, epidemiology and placed no restrictions on the new gift, ophthalmology, and saying that confidence in the medi- Judy H. Cho, m.d., cal school’s leadership overruled any associate profes- need to earmark the funds. sor of medicine, “If we trust the people and the in- reported that their stitution we give money to, we should The Israel family—Wendy, Thomas, Barbara and (far right) Emily—has strong ties with the research teams had feel that they’ll use good judgment medical school and with Dean Robert J. Alpern (second from right). Josephine Hoh homed in on genes as to how it’s used,” says Israel, a 1966 involved in two genetically complex Yale graduate and chair of A.C. Israel especially appreciative that Tom and of Medicine’s Magnetic Resonance human disorders: age-related macu- Enterprises, a New York City-based Barbara had the confidence in Yale Research Center. lar degeneration (amd), the leading firm that invests in private equity and in me to place no restrictions on Both Thomas and Adrian Israel cause of vision loss and blindness in funds and makes direct private equity how this gift is used.” have also been active and longstand- the elderly in the developed world, investments. All told, Israel and his wife, Bar- ing supporters of the Yale School and Crohn’s disease (CD), an inflam- For Robert J. Alpern, m.d., the bara, have donated more than $7 mil- of Management (som), where the matory disorder of the gastrointesti- medical school’s dean and Ensign lion to the medical school, including a Adrian C. Israel Professorship of nal tract. Professor of Medicine, the warm $1 million commitment toward estab- International Trade and Finance was The key to the research strategy feelings are mutual. “One of my great lishing a professorship in memory of established in 1976. used by Hoh and Cho is the natural pleasures as dean has been the op- Donald J. Cohen, m.d., a renowned After Adrian’s death, Thomas, variability in the 3 billion “letters” portunity to come to know the Israel child psychiatrist and director of the who serves on the som’s advisory in the human genome, the genetic family closely,” Alpern says. “Their Yale Child Study Center (ycsc) who board, combined money from his instruction book that encodes all the enthusiastic support for Yale and the died in 2001. father’s estate with his own 25th proteins in the body. Compare the medical school continues a family These gifts complement a $1.25 reunion gift to Yale to establish the genomes of a large group of people legacy that has helped shape what million donation made by Adrian International Finance Center at the and you’ll find single-letter differ- we are and where we can go. I am Israel in 1986 to establish the School Israel, page 6 Genes, page 6 Non-Profit Org. Inside this issue Medicine@Yale U. S. Postage Lifelines Planting a seed 300 George St., Suite 773 PAID Soldier-scientist Joseph Schlessinger Connecticut makes first stem-cell New Haven, CT 06511 New Haven, CT now fights cancer, p. 2 grants to Yale, p. 5 www.medicineatyale.org Permit No. 526 Scientists discover water An attractive magnet Secret of an enigmatic enzyme is A powerful 7 Tesla system coming revealed, p. 3 to Yale, p. 7 Remote possibilities Also Robotic equipment offers surgeons Advances, pp. 3, 5; Out & About, p. 4; exquisite control, p. 5 Grants, p. 7; Awards & Honors, p. 8 Want to find out more about medicine at Yale? E-mail us at [email protected] or phone (203) 785-5824. Pediatric researcher is new ambassador for global health Research!America, the nation’s largest nonprofit educational and advocacy alliance for health research, has named Michael Cappello, m.d., professor of pediatrics, microbial pathogenesis and public health, an Ambassador in the Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research. Cappello, an expert on the mo- lecular basis of hookworm infection (see Advances, p. 3), will join 26 other public health “scientist advocates” to foster a national discussion on the importance of research to improve A former captain in the global health. The ambassadors will Israeli army, Joseph meet with opinion “Yossi” Schlessinger is leaders and decision adding to our arsenal to combat cancer. makers to convey the importance of global health research to panies and has served as an advisor coupling launches a cascade of Americans. A scientist to several others—work that led to signals that eventually reach the cell The Rogers Sutent, a drug approved by the U.S. nucleus and tell the cell either to Society, named for soldiers on Food and Drug Administration in divide and grow, or to ignore check- Michael Cappello the former Florida January for advanced kidney cancer points that would normally cause it Born on a battlefield, a congressman and chair emeritus of and for a stomach cancer known to die. Research!America, was launched by fighter in real wars and as gastrointestinal stromal tumor, Schlessinger’s lab then demon- the alliance this year with support the war against cancer or gist. Sutent, now marketed by strated that genetically aberrant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Pfizer, and other drugs based on egf receptors and other rtks can Foundation. When Joseph Schlessinger, ph.d., Schlessinger’s discoveries are being set off the rampant cell growth seen The society was formed to was born in Nazi-occupied Yugo- tested as treatments for more in cancer, including malignant brain increase awareness of research on slavia in 1945, gunfire crackled and common renal cancers, as well as tumors and other human cancers. diseases that disproportionately affect shells exploded outside. His parents breast and other cancers. Schlessinger recognized that the world’s poorest nations and to were Jewish partisans fighting the Growing up in Israel, Schless- drugs that could inhibit rtks might make the case for greater U.S. invest- German invaders and local fascists. inger never lived far from a battle- also control cancers, and the devel- ment in that research. Three years later, with nearly all field. He joined the Israeli army, opment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors Research!America will provide their relatives shot by the Germans becoming a captain, and fought in like Sutent heralded the beginning advocacy leadership development or murdered in concentration camps, two wars and served in a third. But of a new era of highly targeted to the inaugural group of ambas- his family immigrated to Israel, only despite the disruptions of military cancer treatments. sadors and will facilitate their public to land in the midst of the first of reserve duty and call-up for wars, Although he works closely outreach and advocacy by arranging what would be many wars between Schlessinger with industry and has been offered speaking engagements and a range of the new Jewish nation and its Arab Lifelines never lost his presidencies of drug companies community-level activities to connect neighbors. childhood numerous times, Schlessinger, now Joseph with policy makers, the media and the Sitting in his office in the fascination the William H. Prusoff Professor public nationwide. Sterling Hall of Medicine recently, Schlessinger with science. and chair of the Department of Schlessinger says, with some under- “I was always Phamacology, has chosen instead statement, “Our life had a lot of dra- interested in addressing funda- to continue his seven-day work- matic events.” mental questions,” he says, and he week at Yale.