2-grapevine spring 04...began to fulfill my lifelong dream. the days were long; the work was hard,...

TheGrapevineThe Alumni Newsletter of Winter 2006NYU School of Medicine Volume 6, Number 1

NEW YORK UN IVERS I TY [1] SCHOOL OF MED IC INE

An Evening to RememberO

n Thursday,November16th, the

members of theSamuel D. LeidesdorfAssociates and theJerome S. ColesAssociates gatheredfor our AlumniAwards Gala at TheSky Club to celebratethe achievements oftwo outstanding alumni, Drs. Beth W.Lieberman ’73 and Richard D. Amelar ’50.As always it was a warm and friendly gathering with old friends and good cheer.I found their speeches to be particularlymoving and think you will appreciate them as well. As President of our AlumniAssociation this year, I look forward tomeeting many of you and can be reached [email protected]. Best wishes forthe new year!

Remarks by Dr. LiebermanI feel especially privileged to be standinghere before you this evening. The New YorkUniversity School of Medicine has allowedme, a young woman who grew up inQueens, attended public schools and gradu-ated from Queens College, to fulfill my lifelong ambition of becoming a physician.From that very day in the fall of 1969 that Ientered those hallowed halls of the NYUSchool of Medicine, the deans and facultywelcomed me and my fellow students intothe family. As most of you know, NYU hasbeen my professional home for the past 34years and for this I am most grateful.

Like so many other recipients of thisaward, I am the product of a working classfamily who was allowed to become a physi-cian by the opportunities afforded me bythe NYU School of Medicine. I was theeldest of three daughters of Miriam andHarry Weinstein. Although my fathernever completed high school and mymother was only able to attend HunterCollege for one semester, together, theyinstilled in me the love for family andfriends, the social responsibility to care forthose who are less privileged and the undy-

ing thirst for learning.My family’s life tragically changed when

I was ten years old. My middle sister,Madeline, contracted post infectiousmeasles encephalitis. It was at that momentthat I understood first hand, the devasta-tion of serious illness, the fragility of lifeand the dedication of the physicians andnurses who cared for my sister. After manymonths in the hospital my parents tookhome a hopelessly brain injured child.

This terrible loss, coupled with a strongdesire to help other families facing such aserious illness and my fascination with thelife sciences, convinced me that I wanted tobecome a physician.

At the end of my freshman year atAndrew Jackson High School, I was award-ed a National Science Foundation SummerFellowship to study advanced biology andbiochemistry at Yeshiva University, which Idid in the mornings. In the afternoons, Iwas involved in basic research at the AlbertEinstein College of Medicine. I was privi-

leged to work with Dr. Robert Katzman andDr. Labe Scheinberg, co-chairmen of theDepartment of Neurology. At that time,they were investigating the etiology ofgliomas in mice.

That summer experience reinforced myinterest in medicine and further convincedme that my life’s goal had been determined.Each subsequent summer during highschool, and while attending Queens College,

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Robert A. Press, ’71, ’73G

(L-R) The Lieberman family: Son Andrew, husband Carl, Leidesdorf honoree Beth Lieberman, daughterStefanie, and son-in-law Adam Hellegers.


TheGrapevine | Winter 2006

I returned to Albert Einstein andworked in the biochemistry lab of Dr.Cyril Moore. In the summer of 1965, Imet a 2nd year medical student, CarlLieberman, who as you all knowbecame my life partner. Carl and Iwere married in February, 1968. InJuly, we moved to Los Angeles, whereCarl completed a medical internshipand I taught junior high school mathand science.

I enrolled at NYU School ofMedicine in September, 1969, andbegan to fulfill my lifelong dream. The

days were long; the work was hard, buthow fascinating, exciting and fulfillingit was. Rubin Hall was my home dur-ing that first year, as Carl was stationedin Bethesda in the Public HealthService. I was privileged to make richand enduring friendships with mem-bers of the faculty and my fellow stu-dents as we stood over our cadavers,studied biochemistry, histology, microand pharmacology. The second yearbrought more excitement with pathol-ogy and introduction to clinical medi-cine. My favorite year, however, had to

be the third year of medical school. Iloved every rotation and found it diffi-cult to choose a specialty. I must thankDr. Saul Farber for the profound influ-ence he had on me during medicalschool and for the encouragement andsupport he has given me over theyears. During my fourth year of med-ical school, Dr. Farber allowed me totry to do a straight medical internship.Due to the illness of my father, I wasunable to complete all the require-ments. Dr. Farber and the entire facul-ty were most supportive of me and myfamily during that difficult time.

Ultimately, the joy of bringing newlives into the world and the combina-tion of the surgical skills and internalmedicine knowledge required to pro-vide healthcare for women convincedme that obstetrics and gynecologywould be my life’s calling. I have a spe-cial thank you for my Ob/Gyn men-tors, who not only imparted theirknowledge and skills, but welcomedme as a faculty member, colleague, andfriend: to Bruce Young, you sharedyour knowledge of complex obstetricalproblems and were my tutor in thirdyear obstetrics (I hope you have finallyforgiven me for missing the first ses-sion because I was too busy learninghow to deliver a baby); to Leon Tancer,a great surgeon and caring physician;to Chuck Debrovner, quiet, steady,always teaching, ever respectful topatients and students; and, to BobPorges, my doctor of 34 years, youdelivered my children and saved mylife in the process—you were also myresidency director and a great rolemodel who helped me develop myobstetrical and surgical skills.

There are so many others that Iwould like to thank: Manny Blum, mythird year tutor in Medicine; FrankSpencer; Tony Grieco; Marty Kahn;Saran Jonas; and, Matthew Harris to

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name a few. I also must mention thosefaculty members who have passedaway, but who have been in mythoughts as I have contemplatedreceiving this award, my teachers andfriends: Drs. Paul Esserman, StephenGumport, Howard Richman, ArthurTessler, Joe Ransohoff, GordonDouglas, Mark Beckman, LewisShenker, and my special partnerthroughout medical school and dearfriend until her untimely passing,Linda Laubenstein.

To my wonderful children Stefanieand Andrew, you have brought memuch joy and I want to thank youfor sharing me with my patients. Iam honored that my daughterStefanie and her husband, AdamHellegers, and my son Andrew arehere with me tonight.

Finally, I would like to thank Carl,my husband of almost 38 years foralways supporting my goals, for work-ing two jobs to pay my medical schooltuition, for watching Stefanie when Iwas never home during my residency,for sharing our professional livestogether, for caring for our parents,and for being my best friend in life.

Thank you for this great honor.

Remarks by Dr. AmelarLucky—very lucky and grateful am I—to be standing here tonight, surround-ed by family and friends. As far back asI can remember, I wanted to be a doc-tor. Not just a doctor, but the best doc-tor I could ever be. Two opportunitiesallowed me to realize my ambition.The first came on Valentine’s Day in1946 in the form of an acceptance let-ter from NYU Medical School. Theother, in 1950, when Dr. Harold BrownKeyes, Chief of Surgery and head of

the admissions Committee at FrenchHospital, put his arm around myshoulder after my interview for aninternship, and said, “My boy, we wantyou here.” I rushed home to tell myparents the good news that I had beenaccepted for a rotating internship atthis small, general and maternity hos-pital on West 29th and 30th Streets.

Before University Hospital (now

Tisch Hospital) opened in 1963, therewas no provision for private obstet-rics at the old NYU PostgraduateHospital on East 20th Street. Most ofour medical school teachers deliveredtheir patients at French and I appliedfor an internship there because Ithought I wanted to be an obstetri-cian. A number of our surgeons oper-ated there as well. When I scrubbedwith Dr. Sam Standard, a splendidsurgeon who had been our Professorof Surgery at medical school, I want-ed to be a surgeon too.

I really loved my medical studentrotation on Obstetrics deliveringbabies. I changed my mind aboutbecoming an obstetrician, however,when one memorable night I helpedDr. Myron Goldblatt with five of his

patients and their babies. One womanhad twins. Three were doctor’s wivesand Dr. Goldblatt did not charge doc-tors’ wives. As a result, he had closetsfull of liquor and luggage at home.Some time after midnight, heremarked to me that he hoped theywould all deliver by morning, so as notto interfere with his office hours dur-ing the day. In those days, obstetricians

did not have partnership practices.When the next first-year urology

resident was drafted into the Army, Iwas offered his place. I seized thechance to be a urologist and neverlooked back. In 1951, French Hospitalhad a fully approved three-year urolo-gy residency. The first year was spent,by special arrangement, working part-time at NYU Medical School, its Post-Graduate Hospital and Bellevue. ThereI came under the tutelage of Dr.Robert Hotchkiss, who impressed mewith his enthusiasm and prominencein the field of Male Infertility. I decid-ed to learn as much as I could aboutthis exciting young specialty of helpingcouples to have the children theydesired. Dr Sophie Kleegman, my

(L-R) The Amelar family: Daughter Sarah, wife Alice, Coles honoree Richard Amelar, daughterJessica, and her guest Ken Gaylin.





remarkable professor of obstetrics andgynecology said, “The infertile coupleis not sick, but they are heartsick andthe help they need is to them as urgentas any in medical practice.”

My guide was Dr. Hotchkiss’ text-book Fertility in Men, published in1944 and the only one available at thetime. In order for me to get clinicalexperience in the field, Dr. Hotchkissintroduced me to his friend, Dr.Abraham Stone, the Director of theMargaret Sanger Research Bureau, apioneering, private, family-planningcenter. Dr. Stone’s message as theperipatetic World Ambassador ofFamily Planning was, “Every child awanted child.” The Sanger Bureau, at17 West 16th Street, had the firstinfertility clinic in the country wherethe records of both husband and wifewere kept together in the same folder,so that each physician, whether gyne-cologist, urologist or endocrinologist,was aware of the evaluation, treat-ment and progress of both husbandand wife.

The husbands of the infertile cou-ples often found it difficult to taketime off from work to attend a day-time clinic session. I eagerly acceptedDr. Stone’s offer to set up a regularThursday evening male infertility clin-ic, with a nurse to act as my reception-ist-helper. The patient would comewith his semen specimen and I woulddo his history and physical examina-tion, urine and semen analysis. I couldsee three or four patients in anevening and get the lab work donebefore I left for the night. I continuedthese clinic sessions throughout my 3-year urology residency, swappingThursday nights with the other GUresidents when necessary.

Dr. John MacLeod, who directed thelaboratories at the Sanger Bureau,invited me up to his lab at CornellMedical College on my Saturdays off,to learn to do semen analyses and tointerpret testicle biopsies, sitting tête-à-tête at a binocular microscope. I washaving a fabulous time, with remark-able mentors. My next two years as the

full-time junior and then senior urolo-gy resident at French Hospital weredemanding and exciting, working witha group of wonderful urologists whowere splendid clinicians. I loved thecollegiality of the medical profession.

I met my wife, Alice Zinman, whileI was at Bellevue and married her inDecember, 1952, while she was still asenior at Vassar. At the table with usthis evening are two of my medicalschool classmates: Austin Schlecker,who was my best man, and GordonJonas, who was one of the ushers atour wedding. I’m also pleased to havewith us this evening, Dr. Larry Dubin,who joined me in practice after fin-ishing his NYU Urology Residency in1965. We had a partnership, sealedwith a handshake, and stayed togeth-er through thin and thick for 35years. None of the satisfactions ofbeing a physician could surpass thejoy I’ve had of being a husband, afather and a grandfather. I’m delight-ed to have two of our three daugh-ters, Jessica and Sarah, here tonight.Susanna and the Minnesota contin-gent couldn’t make it.

I owe much of what I have to mydevoted parents for their love, encour-agement and financial support. I wastheir only child, born in the tenth yearof their marriage. My father, Joseph,born in Oran, Algeria in 1884, was theyoungest of 13. My mother, Theresa,born in Transylvania in 1897, was theoldest of eight. Some of you know thatmy mother was almost 108 years old,when she died this past January, and incase any of you didn’t recognize metonight, it was after my mother’s peace-ful death, that Alice urged me to keepthe beard I grew originally during myperiod of religious mourning.

And now, I thank you, indeed, for thishonor tonight.


Before the Plaza Opens…Your name can be etched into the newAlumni Plaza, a restful outdoor areabetween the buildings of NYU Schoolof Medicine, adjacent to the new Joanand Joel Smilow Clinical ResearchCenter.

Individual gifts of $10,000, payable overone to four years, will be recognized bybronze insets in the terrazzo of AlumniPlaza, inscribed with the donor’s name.

After the Smilow Center opens, the costof inscribing the plaques will rise to$15,000.

To purchase a plaque, check off theAlumni Plaza option on the envelopeattached to this newsletter.



1930sSeymour W. Meyer ’39 is very goodwith his hands — both as a surgeonand a sculptor. He is former

DirectorofSurgery attheDeepdaleGeneralHospitalandQueensMemorialHospital.He took asculptureclass inthe early1960s and

has been sculpting in plastilene eversince. His sculptures are in the per-manent collections of the N.Y.Institute of Technology, C.W. PostCollege, the Fine Arts Museum ofLong Island, Temple Beth-El of GreatNeck, and Temple Sinai of Roslyn,Long Island. International collectionsinclude the Museum of Modern Artin Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Bat YamMuseum and the Tennis Center inIsrael, and the Trafalger GalleryPrivate Collection in London, England.He has exhibited in over 50 solo andgroup shows in galleries and muse-ums throughout the U.S. and abroad.

1940sMelvin Hershkowitz ’45 wrote thearticle ‘Time Stresses in the Lives ofPhysicians’ which was published in theApril 2005 issue of Rhode IslandMonthly magazine. Since retiring inMay 2004 from the Voluntary ClinicalFaculty in the Department ofMedicine at Brown Medical School, he

has time to reflect on his career andfeels strongly that ‘time stress’ was afrequent counterweight to the manypositive factors which give meaningand value to doctors careers. Hedefines time stress at the dilemma ofhow to meet not only the regularlyscheduled, but often intrusive, unex-pected professional responsibilities ofa doctor, while trying to participate inother aspects of daily life, includingtime with spouse and family, pursuitof interests in music, film, theater, art,sports, politics and travel, and takingan active role in community affairs.Dr. Hershkowitz regrets that he neverfound a way to achieve a sense of bal-ance between the demands of workand the leisure activities he so intense-ly desired.

1950sHerbert I. Goldman ’50 received aMaster of Science degree in nutritionin May 2005 and became the oldestgraduate of Columbia University’sInstitute of Human Nutrition, asreported in The Great Neck Record. Hehas been a pediatrician and neonatol-ogist for more than 40 years.Currently in private practice in NewHyde Park, New York, Dr. Goldman isan Associate Clinical Professor ofPediatrics at Albert Einstein MedicalSchool and an Attending Physician atLong Island Jewish Medical Center. Hewas head of Long Island JewishHospital’s Neonatal Unit when itbegan in 1961 until 1973. He partici-pated in several National Institutes ofHealth research studies related toinfant nutrition over the course of hiscareer which resulted in the removalof lactic acid milk from American gro-cery store shelves, the addition ofVitamin K to all infant formula to pre-vent bleeding that sometimes occurred

in babies with diarrhea, and endingthe use of high protein formula forpremature infants which was associat-ed with lower IQ scores and eye prob-lems. Dr. Goldman states “All of myprevious professional studies had beenin the area of nutrition. I felt thatearning a masters degree would bringme up to date with the latest scienceand research developments in thefield. . . there has been a sea change inthe professional as well as the publicattitude toward nutrition. Now almosteveryone is aware of the close relation-ship of nutrition to health.” Ira J. Gelb’51 was the subject of a July 3, 2005article in the Boca Raton/Delray BeachNews for being honored by membersof the Charles E. Schmidt College ofScience for his tireless work towardthe development of the medical edu-cation program at Florida AtlanticUniversity (FAU) where he is ClinicalProfessor and Director of ClinicalProgramming. For the past two yearsDr. Gelb has been the Chair of theCommittee of Community ClinicalAdvisors and was instrumental inrecruiting the necessary community-based faculty for teaching at theUniversity of Miami Miller School ofMedicine at FAU Regional MedicalCampus in Boca Raton. Dr. Gelb willnow focus his work on developing thecardiovascular teaching program forfirst year medical students and lead theDepartment of Biomedical SciencePatients Simulator Program. In June2005 he was guest lecturer at MercyHospital in Rockville Centre, New Yorkand in October 2005 he spoke at the6th CRIAD International Conferencein Shanghai, China. Dr. Gelb was alsorecently appointed Associate Editor ofCardiology, the world’s oldest peerreview cardiology journal, published inBasel, Switzerland. Eugene Braunwald’52 was featured in an August 23,

Have You Heard?

Up an’ Away




2005 article distributed by KnightRidder-Tribune Information Services.Dr. Braunwald put together a panelof physicians for Scios, a unit ofJohnson & Johnson, to evaluateNatrecor, a biotech substitute fornitroglycerine, which determined itshould only be used in hospital set-tings. Edwin S. Robbins ’52, a psychi-atrist, and his wife, Lillian Robbins,Ph.D., a psychologist, made two pre-sentations at the Oxford Round Tableon Women’s Leadership in August2005: ‘Reflections on the CurrentStatus of Women in American HigherEducation’ and ‘The Pitfalls andPleasures of an Academic Marriage.’In the first presentation they notethat though American women havegained much greater access to highereducation, with women now 56% ofundergraduates, approximately halfof medical and law school students,and 49% of Ph.D.s, men still earnbetter pay, have greater access toresources, and continue to predomi-nate as senior faculty. At the personallevel, many women feel ambivalentabout working when they have youngchildren and potential conflicts withspouses. In the second presentationthey share their own personal experi-ences on the subject. Salvatore V.Ambrosino ’53 recently purchased aplaque in Alumni Plaza that honorsall the NYU Med graduates in hisfamily: himself, his daughtersAntoinette Ambrosino ’80 andBarbara Ambrosino ’84, and sonMichael Ambrosino ’82. Paul R.Packer ’55 is Associate ClinicalProfessor at Albert Einstein Collegeof Medicine in the Bronx, NY andhas patented a balloon device to con-trol post partum hemorrhage whichis currently in clinical trials. Ralph G.DePalma ’56 had his memoir,Practicing and Other Stories, pub-lished in 2005. In it he divulges that

he ‘met the love of [his] life at twen-ty-one years of age, when [he] began[his] studies at New York UniversitySchool of Medicine. [He] left thecrystalline certainty of physics for alife-long affair with a bewilderingmistress…Medicine, and later sur-gery, became [his] life and provedexceptionally rewarding.’ Stephen C.Finestone ’56 has retired as ProfessorEmeritus in the Department ofAnesthesiology at the University ofPittsburgh School of Medicine and isPast President of the PennsylvaniaSociety of Anesthesiologists. HaroldT. Becher ’59 has retired after 39years of psychiatric practice and livesin Boulder, Colorado. Sandra R.Wolman ’59 ran a large diagnosticservice lab, has written over 200research papers, mainly on geneticmarkers in cancer, and edited severalbooks during her career. She lives inPotomac, Maryland.

1960sMark A. Belsey ’60 has spent most ofhis professional career at the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) inGeneva, Switzerland. He was initiallyresponsible for epidemiological andpublic health research on abortion,infertility, and oral contraceptives inthe WHO Special Programme ofResearch and Training in HumanReproduction. During the past 15years there he was Chief MedicalOfficer and Program Manager ofMaternal and Child Health andFamily Planning. Since 1996 he hascontinued to work in internationalhealth and development as a consult-ant to WHO, the People’s Republic ofChina, the World Bank, the AsianDevelopment Bank, UNICEF, theUN, and a number of internationalnongovernmental organizations eval-uating, planning and monitoring

MCH/FP programs, and addressingsuch issues as the commercial sexualexploitation of children, child laborand efforts to eliminate the effects ofharmful traditional practices. Mostrecently, as a consultant to the UnitedNations Department of Economicand Social Affairs (UNDESA), he pre-pared a background document onAIDS and the family for the UNGeneral Assembly discussions on the10th anniversary of the internationalYear of the Family which became thebook, AIDS and the Family: PolicyOptions for a Crises in Family Capital,published by UNDESA. Henry Roth’60 was given the Marriott LifetimeAchievement Award at the ArthritisFoundation’s 2005 Arts for ArthritisGala in Washington, D.C. onNovember 19, 2005. Howard E. Voss’61 is Medical Director of theVolunteers in Medicine Clinic atMartin Memorial Medical Center inStuart, Florida. Eugene Wallsh ’61retired in 2004 as Professor ofSurgery and Chief and Professor ofthoracic and cardiovascular surgeryat Texas Tec University in Lubbock,Texas. He lives in Tenafly, New Jersey.Richard F. Edlich ’62 was selected bythe University of Minnesota AlumniAssociation as its 2005 DistinguishedAlumni Award recipient. Dr. Edlichcompleted an eight year general sur-gery residency there in 1971. He wasa Ford Foundation Scholar whogained early admission to LafayetteCollege at age 15, and three yearslater was accepted as an early admis-sion student at NYU School ofMedicine. After completing a twoyear plastic surgery residency at theUniversity of Virginia he spent muchof his career in plastic surgery andemergency medicine there andfounded the University of VirginiaBurn and Wound Healing Center.





Collaboration with colleagues at theUniversity of Virginia resulted innumerous innovative products, surgi-cal techniques and tests used through-out the world. In 1986 Dr. Edlich wasselected as the first Editor of the BurnRehabilitation Forum of the Journal ofBurn Care and Rehabilitation. In 2001he became Editor-in-Chief of theJournal of Long-Term Effects of MedicalImplants and Director of TraumaResearch, Prevention and Educationat Legacy Emanuel Hospital inPortland, Oregon. In 2004 he becameDirector of Trauma Research,Prevention and Education at TraumaSpecialists LLP. Dr. Edlich views hisgreatest contribution to medicine tobe his more than 2,000 students whowill continue to make dramaticadvances in medical care. John Kastor’62 recently had his latest book,Specialty Care in the Era of ManagedCare: Cleveland Clinic vs. UniversityHospital of Cleveland published byThe Johns Hopkins University Press.Stephen G. Silberstein ’62 has been adiplomate in psychiatry, and a gradu-ate in community psychiatry at theMasterson Institute. Currently he isretired and is a gentleman farmer inVacaville, California. Felicia B.Axelrod ’66, Director and CarlSeaman Family Professor inPediatrics of the DysautonomiaTreatment and Evaluation Center atNew York University Medical Center,will be honored by the DysautonomiaFoundation by the creation of theFelicia B. Axelrod Professorship forDysautonomia Treatment andResearch at NYU Medical Center.The position will be in place by thesummer of 2006 if an additional$2,000,000 is raised with taxdeductible donations. A Wall ofRecognition will be established in theCenter to recognize supporters of theProfessorship. Dr. Axelrod has dedi-

cated herself for the past 35 years toimproving the health and generalwell-being of children affected withfamilial dyautonomia and other com-plicated pediatric autonomic disor-ders. Maurice D. Levy ’66 retiredafter 23 years with the department ofVeterans Affairs. He lives inTallahassee, Florida. Alan L. Rubin’66 authored the books Diabetes forDummies, Diabetes Cookbook forDummies, Thyroid for Dummies andHigh Blood Pressure for Dummies. Helives in Tiburon, California. RobertA. Morantz ’67 is a Clinical Professorof Neurosurgery at the University ofKansas School of Medicine inMissouri. Thomas E. Strax ’67 is the2005 recipient of the Frank H.Krusen Award from the AmericanAcademy of Physical Medicine andRehabilitation. Recipients of this goldmedal are selected on the basis oftheir outstanding contributions tothe field of PM&R in the areas ofpatient care, research, education, lit-erary contributions, community serv-ice, and involvement in theAcademy’s activities. Dr. Strax accept-ed the award on October 27, 2005 inPhiladelphia at the PennsylvaniaConvention Center. Alan F.Schatzberg ’68 was the subject of anAugust 2005 article in the PsychiatricTimes. Dr. Schatzberg has beenChairman of the Departments of psy-chiatry and Behavioral Sciences at theStanford University School ofMedicine since 1991. In the 1970s hehelped found one of the first compre-hensive treatment programs for affec-tive disorders in the United States. Hehas spent his career identifying andproviding effective treatments forpatients with major depression. Thisyear, Dr. Schatzberg won theDistinguished Service in PsychiatryAward presented by the AmericanCollege of Psychiatrists.

1970sRobert O. Bates ’70 is the local countyhealth officer and a consultant tomaternal and child health programs inDavis, California. Jordan Goodstein’70 is Chief of Surgery and Chief ofStaff at Brotman Medical Center inCulver City, California. John L.Schwartz ’70 was the subject of a June2005 article in Psychiatric Times. Hefounded the publication in 1985 andis its Editor In Chief. He began hisprofessional career with a clinicalpractice in Orange County, California.Early in his practice he worked exten-sively with children, then later withadolescents and adults. He startedCME, Inc., a continuing educationmeeting company, in 1978 and sold itin 1999. In 1988 he closed his privatepractice and started the U.S.Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress.Dr. Schwartz serves on the board ofgovernors for the University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, the board ofUCLA’s Center on Aging, and on theadvisory board for an adult stem cellcompany. He has also been mentoringseveral biotech entrepreneurs, includ-ing one whose company is developingteaching and learning software to helppatients with dementia by slowing thedisease’s progress. Victor M. Zion ’71has retired from retinal surgery at theage of 55. He lives in Miami Beach,Florida. Mark Ehrman ’72 is not inmedical practice but is active in busi-ness, the arts and family life. He livesin Boston, Massachusetts. Joan Gluck’72 is president of the Miami PediatricSociety and Florida Allergy Society.Paul Gluck ’72 is president of theDade County Medical Association, theFlorida Ob/Gyn Society, MiamiOb/Gyn Society Florida section, andACOG chair of the National PatientSafety Foundation. He lives in Miami,






Florida. Martin J. Blaser ’73 the Chairof the NYU Department of Medicine,has been elected President of theInfectious Diseases Society of America(IDSA) for a one-year term. TheIDSA’s 8,000 members are physicians,scientists, and other healthcare profes-sionals who specialize in infectiousdiseases. The organization seeks toimprove the health of individuals,communities, and society by promot-ing excellence in infectious diseaserelated patient care, education,research, and public health. Currentissues include avian flu, AIDS, antibi-otic resistance, and tropical diseases.Susan R. Horowitz ’74 started rota-tions in family violence for the pedi-atric residency program at the NavalMedical Center in San Diego,California. She put protocols in placeand teaches physicians, attorneys,judges, and law enforcement about themedical aspects of child abuse.Marilyn Cozzens Kessler ’74, after 21years in private Ob/Gyn practice inStamford, Connecticut, is currentlyfull-time faculty at NorthwesternUniversity/Memorial Hospital inChicago, Illinois which is walking dis-tance from her home. Steven R.Goldstein, M.D. ’75, Professor ofObstetrics and Gynecology, Directorof Gynecologic Ultrasound, and Co-Director of Bone Densitometry at theNYU School of Medicine, has beenelected to the Board of Trustees of TheNorth American Menopause Societyand as first Vice President of TheAmerican Institute of Ultrasound inMedicine. Dr. Goldstein is also theimmediate past president of the NYUSchool of Medicine AlumniAssociation. Theodore A. Stern ’75has been selected by the AlumniAssociation Honors and AwardsCommittee as the Boston reunionhonoree in recognition of his scientificand professional achievements to be

held Sunday, March 19, 2006 at theFour Seasons Hotel in Boston,Massachusetts. Donald H. Hulnick ’77married Nancy Moore on July 2, 2005at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, NY. Thegroom is a radiologist and partner inthree radiological offices in Carmel,New York, Danbury and Newtown,Connecticut. The bride was, until lastDecember, an editor at Yale UniversityPress in New Haven, Connecticut, andis now a freelance editor and painter.This is the second marriage for both.Betty W. Chang ’78 is Service Chief ofthe Department of Allergy at KaiserPermanente Medical CenterMidatlantic States and the mother ofone of our future alumni, ChristopherChang, class of 2007, and his brotherRobert Chang who will be in the classof 2007 at Wesleyan University. RuthFalik ’78 is the recipient of the 2005Fulbright and Jaworski Award forExcellence in Teaching and Evaluationat Ben Taub General Hospital/BaylorCollege of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

1980sEllen Roy Elias ’80 is a chamber musicviolinist as well as a doctor in Denver,Colorado. Scott D. Woogen ’81 ofMechanicsville, Virginia is the HarnessRacing Museum and Hall of Fame2005 Amateur Driving Champion.This title is won annually by the ama-teur driver donating the most driver’scommissions to the Harness RacingMuseum and Hall of Fame. While inhis teens and as an undergraduate atColumbia University he attended theLou Miller Driving School on LongIsland. He sold programs at racetracksand became a groom when he was 16.For the past four years Dr. Woogenhas been taking time from his gas-troenterology practice to participate inamateur harness races in the United

States and Europe. He has won 32races with career earnings of $121,414and owns parts of 40 horses, includingbroodmares and foals. In 2004 he wonthe Delvin Miller Memorial Gold Cupat the Meadowlands in EastRutherford, New Jersey. Edward D.Agura ’82 is director of bone andmarrow transplantation services atBaylor. He lives in Arlington, Texas.Deborah A. Driscoll ’83 has beenappointed Chair of the Department ofObstetrics and Gynecology at theUniversity of Pennsylvania School ofMedicine. She is a Professor in Penn’sDepartment of Obstetrics andGynecology and has been on the fac-ulty of the School of Medicine since1989, most recently serving as Vice-Chair for Education and AcademicAffairs. Dr. Driscoll’s areas of clinicalexpertise include prenatal geneticdiagnosis, genetic screening and coun-seling, adolescent and pediatric gyne-cology, and polycystic ovary syn-drome. She has appeared annually onPhiladelphia Magazine’s “Best Doctorsin Philadelphia” lists, including the2005 listing, as well as on similar listsat the regional and national levels. In2004 she received the Christian R. andMary F. Lindback Award forDistinguished Teaching. Lee AnnBaggott ’84 says that she enjoys men-toring and would welcome hearingfrom any graduates in Augusta, Maine.Her specialty is Pulmonary CriticalCare and she is a board member ofthe National Lung Association.Michael Levin ’84 specializes in childand adolescent psychiatry and pedi-atric psychopharmacology, teaches atU.C. Berkeley, and wrote the book,The Reading Lesson. Michael J.Giordano ’86 happily informed usthat he moved back to the East coast.As of October 1, 2005 he assumedthe position of Assistant Professor at





the University of Connecticut. Hehas also assumed the role of studentat Yale University where he is one of22 people selected for the first classin an Executive M.B.A. programinvolving training future leaders inhealth care issues. He looks forwardto attending this spring’s alumnireunion on April 22, 2006. C.(Charlotte) Joy Steele ’86 says thatafter earning a Ph.D. she returned toPediatrics and settled inIndianapolis, Indiana. She currentlyenjoys being a stay at home mom toher three children: Isaac (4), Aaron(3), and 1 year old Hannah. Herhusband, Dan, is an EnglishLiterature Professor at Purdue, andJoy will be director of her commu-nity’s religious school for Jews in thegreater Lafayette area. Jerome R.Potozkin ’88 is a dermatologist whohas become proficient at changingthe diapers of his two young sons.Douglas H. Barlow ’89 was featuredin a September 10, 2005 lead story inthe South Florida Sun-Sentinel aboutskilled volunteers ignoring bureau-cratic red tape and helping out afterHurricane Katrina. Dr. Barlow flewfrom Boca Raton, Florida to BatonRouge, Louisiana and became partof one of the largest MASH units inU.S. history, set up on the floor ofan athletic center arena where hehelped save a paramedic who wasbleeding internally.

1990sBrian Herts HS ’92 is section head ofabdominal imaging at the ClevelandClinical Foundation. He ‘still fondlyremember[s] many moments from[his Radiology] residency and fellow-ship training. . . I still find myselfquoting NYU staff when I am teach-ing.’ Danielle Ofri Ph.D. ’92, M.D. ’93

has had her second book published,Incidental Findings: Lessons from MyPatients in the Art of Medicine. Thetitle is inspired by her realization, dur-ing her own amniocentesis, that con-ditions that seem minor to doctors aremonumental when they happen toyou. It describes her life as an attend-ing physician at Bellevue Hospital inNew York City. Stephanie R. Bialek’96 married Mr. Richard P. Winston inStaatsburg, NY on August 28, 2005, asreported in The New York Times. Dr.Bialek is a commander in the UnitedStates Public Health Service, serving asa medical epidemiologist in the divi-sion of viral hepatitis at the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention inAtlanta. The groom is an independentappraiser in Atlanta, Georgia. Edith R.Lederman ’97 is enjoying her job asan EIS Fellow at the Center for DiseaseControl (CDC). She has projectsinvolving many poxviruses includingmolluscum, orf, monkeypox, and vac-cinia. She is also in an MPH program.Fellow alumni she has seen at CDCinclude Stephanie Bialek ’96 andFelicia Lewis ’98, who is a second yearin EIS. Gena M. Cobrin ’98 recentlycompleted her training at Mount SinaiHospital in New York where she wasChief Fellow in Gastroenterology.Prior to that she was Chief Residenthere at NYU. She recently joinedGastroenterology Associates ofFairfield County and is on staff at St.Vincent’s Medical Center inBridgeport. Eric D. Fliser ’99 marriedJennifer L. Tudisco on November 5,2005, as reported in The New YorkTimes. The groom is a Senior Fellowin Reproductive Endocrinology andInfertility at New York UniversityMedical Center. The bride is a publicschool kindergarten teacher inQueens, NY. Eugene K. Hong ’99recently completed a residency inUrology at NYU and is now a

Urologist at Kaiser PermanenteMedical Center in Walnut Creek,California.

2000sShirley Bassiri’02 announcesthat she andher husband,OmidRahmani ’95,are the proudparents ofGabriel, bornon August 8,2005. Dr.Bassiri is aPGY-4 in a

diagnostic radiology residency at BethIsrael Medical Center, and Dr.Rahmani is a vascular surgeon in pri-vate practice with Vascular Associatesof Long Island. Mike Pollack HS ’03 isin private practice in Montclair, NJand works with several NYU residentalumni (HS) including Matt Reuss,Ron Reese and Chuck Whelan. Heremains involved with the radiologyresidents at NYU and would like toorganize opportunities for residents togain exposure to and knowledge in theissues involved in private practicewhile still in their training. JennieJohnson, Ph.D. ’03, M.D. ’04 marriedTom Byrne on October 15, 2005according to The New York Times. Sheis a second-year resident in psychiatryat Mount Sinai Hospital where she isconducting her own PMRI study onattention and memory in schizophre-nia, and he is an associate with French& Rafter law firm in New York. Shehas taken the last name Byrne. JoelBauman ’05 waltzed beautifully withMelissa Rethy at their recent wedding,partly due to his attendance at this

Shirley Bassiri ’02 with son Gabriel





past March’s young alumni dance les-son, demonstration and reception.The couple has moved toPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. Joel enjoysworking at Penn and seeing manyNYU SOM alumni including JasonLeibowtiz ’05 and Diana Chavkin ’05.

Brian Yeh Ph.D. ’04, M.D. ’05 hasmoved with his wife and daughter,Heejin and Hannah, to PacificPalisades, California.

PassingsMeyer Texon ’34 passed away onJanuary 10, 2006 at the age of 96 asreported by his son-in-law Tom Rogers.Dr. Texon was a renowned cardiologist,Associate Professor of ForensicMedicine at New York UniversitySchool of Medicine, and formerPresident of the New York CountyMedical Society. Author of the bookHemodynamic Basis of Atherosclerosiswith Critique of the Cholesterol - HeartDisease Hypothesis, he proposed thatthe law of fluid mechanics is the pri-mary causative factor in the localiza-tion and progressive development ofatherosclerosis rather than cholesterollevels or diet. He encouraged researchinto velocity of blood flow – ideally todecrease velocity without impairing themetabolic requirements of vital organs.He was the leading proponent within

the medical community for the viewthat the cholesterol-diet hypothesis wasbased on government and other studiesthat were seriously flawed and based onmisleading and faulty statistical extrap-olations. His clinical research was con-ducted on human autopsies as anAssistant Medical Examiner of the Cityof New York. In 1958 he was the recipi-ent of the American MedicalAssociation’s Hektoen Medal for hisresearch into atherosclerosis. Amonghis other books was Can the CardiacStand Trial? and he was the inventor ofthe ‘Texon cocktail,’ which was amethod of treating alcoholics by givingthem a salt water solution to calm alco-hol cravings. Dr. Texon is survived byhis wife of 64 years, Ami, two children,and four grandchildren. Joseph H.Hersh ’35 passed away on August 7,

2005 at the age of96, as reported byhis son Stephen P.Hersh ’67. For 50years Dr. Hershtaught head andneck surgery, andotorhinolaryngol-ogy at NYUSchool ofMedicine andBellevue Hospital.

He served as Clinical Professor ofOtorhinolaryngology from 1967through 1997 and Adjunct ClinicalProfessor until the time of his death.He served as the Head of the ENTDepartment for the French Hospital ofNew York and as a Fellow of theAmerican College of Surgeons. He con-tinued to practice medicine until age80. Dr. Hersh served twice in the U.S.Army Medical Corps, from 1935-1936in Oklahoma, and from 1942-1945 ris-ing to the rank of Major. He had anumber of his sculptures exhibited androde horses until the age of 72 when hewas thrown from a horse and suffered a

spinal cord injury. He is survived by hiswife of 74 years, Lillian B. Hersh, twosons, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Tibor J. Greenwalt ’37passed away on July 17, 2005 at the ageof 91, as reported by the AmericanCollege of Physicians. Manuel D. Zane’37 passed away on September 30, 2005at the age of 92, as reported in The NewYork Times. A pioneering clinician,inspired educator, founder and directoremeritus of The Anxiety and PhobiaTreatment Center at White PlainsHospital. He is survived by his wife of61 years, Judith Zane, two daughters,

and two grand-sons. EmmettStevensonLupton, Sr. ’38passed away onAugust 14, 2005at the age of 92 atMoses ConeMemorialHospital inGreensboro,

North Carolina, after a very positiveand productive medical career of 42years, as reported by his son, EmmettStevenson Lupton, Jr. A life-long resi-dent of North Carolina, Dr. Lupton wasin New York City for two significant lifeevents: attending NYU School ofMedicine for the last two years of hismedical training, and in 1948 to do adermatology residency at ColumbiaUniversity (after seven years of generalmedical practice in Graham, NorthCarolina). From 1951 until his retire-ment in 1980, he maintained a medicaloffice specializing in dermatology inGreensboro, North Carolina. From1952-1980 he served as a ClinicalAssociate Professor in Dermatology inthe Department of Dermatology in theSchool of Medicine at Duke Universityand at the School of Medicine at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel

Emmett StevensonLupton, Sr. ’38

Joseph H. Hersh, ’35

Brian Yeh Ph.D. ’04, M.D. ’05 and family.





Hill. After retiring Dr. Lupton spent agreat deal of time visiting sick and eld-erly shut-ins exemplifying his belief in“Christianity in action.” He is survivedby one daughter, three sons, and fivegrandchildren. H. Harold Friedman’39 passed away on January 2, 2005, asreported by the American College ofPhysicians. Aaron (Bob) Kaycoff ’40, aretired urologist, passed away in PalmBeach Gardens, Florida at the age of 90on July 2, 2005 as reported in The NewYork Times. He is survived by his wife,Leila Kroll, two daughters, and threegrandsons. Amy Cattley Rock ’41passed away on November 22, 2004 atthe age of 94 as reported by her daugh-ter, Ida Noll. Clifford J. Sager ’41passed away on August 13, 2005 inSouthampton, New York at the age of88 as reported in The New York Times.He was a Professor of Psychiatry atCornell Medical Center in New Yorkand a past president of the AmericanGroup Psychiatry Association. He pio-neered modern approaches to couplesand family therapy by developing keyconcepts around making conscious theimplicit individual contracts that cou-ples utilize in relationships, asdescribed in his book MarriageContracts & Couple Therapy. He alsowrote or coauthored four other books.He was an avid swimmer, sailor, and,until a few years ago, was activelywindsurfing. Dr. Sager is survived byhis wife, Anne, four children, fourstepchildren, and two grandchildren.Walter Ira Spinrad ’41 passed away onMay 26, 2002, as reported by his wife,Carol Spinrad. Jack J. Kirschenfeld’43D passed away on September 26,2004 at the age of 85, as reported bythe American College of Physicians.Dr. Kirschenfeld was EmeritusProfessor of Medicine at the Universityof Alabama School of Medicine. LeroyS. Lavine ’43D passed away on July 25,2005 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at

the age of 86, as reported in The NewYork Times. Dr. Lavine received bothhis undergraduate and medical degreesfrom NYU. Dr. Lavine was Chief ofOrthopedic Surgery at Long IslandJewish Hillside Medical Center (1956-1981), Professor and Head ofOrthopedic Surgery at SUNYDownstate Medical Center (1964-1981), and Associate Director of theBiophysics Research Lab at NYU(1967-1981). After retiring as a sur-geon he began a second career inBoston in 1983 that lasted nearly 20years. He was Professor at theMassachusetts General HospitalInstitute of Health Professions, Chiefof Orthopedic Rehabilitation atSpaulding Hospital and Lecturer atHarvard Medical School. Dr. Lavinewas active in many professional organ-izations: Chairman of the Orthopedicsection of the New York Academy ofMedicine, President of the BioelectricRepair and Growth Society, advisor tothe NIH, member of the OrthopedicDevices Panel of the FDA, andExaminer for the American Board ofOrthopedic Surgery. He kept his wrysense of humor until the end. He issurvived by his wife of 59 years,Dorothy Kopp Lavine, two children,and three grandchildren. Daniel S.Martin ’44 passed away at the age of83 on July 5, 2005 after being struck byan out-of-control vehicle as reportedby his daughter, Gail Trano. Dr.Martin, pioneer cancer investigator,was still seeking new directions in thefight against cancer and had beenawarded a new research grant from theNational Institutes of Health just twoweeks before his death. Dr. Martinbegan his career as a surgeon and wasthe first scientist to combine differentchemotherapy drugs to treat solidtumors in mice in the 1950s.Beginning with transplanted breastcancer, he showed that administration

of chemotherapy led to tumor shrink-age. Combination chemotherapy isused in patients with many types ofsolid tumors today. He then studiedmice which developed breast cancerspontaneously – a much better modelof human disease. He excised theirtumor and then gave combinationchemotherapy. This work was translat-ed to the clinic and is now the stan-dard of care for patients with breastcancer. Dr. Martin’s seminal work onthis adjuvant use of chemotherapyafter surgery, published in 1962, pre-ceded adjuvant chemotherapy ofbreast cancer in women by more thana decade. Former Director of Researchand Chief of Surgery at the Universityof Miami School of Medicine,Chairman of the Department ofSurgery at the Catholic Medical Centerin New York, and most recently aVisiting Investigator at MemorialSloan-Kettering Cancer Center, at thetime of his death he was pursuing anew line of research to address the stillunsolved problem of drug resistantcancers. Over his career Dr. Martinpublished more than 200 papers,describing his work, especially onmodulating the effects of known anti-cancer drugs to increase their effective-ness and diminish their toxicity. Dr.Martin is survived by his wife, Lisa,four daughters, one son, and threegrandsons. Joseph C. Mucci, Jr. ’46passed away on September 8, 2001 asreported by his daughter. David J. Rose’46 passed away at home on June 21,2005 as reported by his wife, EdithRose. Eugene V. Calvelli ’47 passedaway at the age of 81 on June 20, 2005in Orlando, Florida as reported by hiswife, Jacqueline Calvelli. He wasamongst a long line of physicians inhis family, both in New York and Italy.He served in World War II and theKorean War in the U.S. Army and was




in charge of hospital trains transport-ing the seriously wounded from thefront lines. In 1953 he began practic-ing medicine in Port Washington, NewYork, as his father had. Dr. Calvellienjoyed volunteer civic involvementand was chairman for many years ofthe Nassau/Suffolk CountyEmergency Medical ServicesCommittee, organizing ambulanceservices, introducing cardiac monitor-ing of patients, and training its AMTsand EMTs. He was active in the LionsClub, the school board, and for manyyears was surgeon for the PortWashington Volunteer FireDepartment. After retiring to Orlandoin 1987 he served nine years as a vol-unteer on the Central Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council,including a two-year term as chair-man. This group investigates patient’scomplaints in nursing homes andother long-term care facilities, withmembership requiring an appoint-ment by the governor. He and his wifealso organized golfing fund-raisers forGive Kids the World, an organizationproviding all-expense paid holidays inOrlando for desperately ill childrenand their families. He is survived byhis wife, six children, two stepchil-dren, twelve grandchildren, and onegreat-grandchild. Edward R.McGovern ’47 passed away on June16, 2005 as reported in The New YorkTimes. Dr. McGovern was a pioneer inneurosurgery and was affiliated withthe Catholic Hospitals of Brooklynand Queens, New York. A U.S. Navyveteran of World War II and Korea,avid bridge player, and director ofduplicate bridge clubs. He is survivedby his wife of 54 years, FloraDelVecchio McGovern, two children,four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Leonard Hollander ’48passed away on May 18, 2005 at theage of 86 in Gardiner, New York as

reported by his son, Seth Hollander.His career was spent in child psychia-try balancing therapeutic work inclinics and private practice withteaching at Albert Einstein, Emory,and Rutgers Medical Schools. Dr.Hollander was a life member of theAmerican Psychiatric Association andthe American Academy of Child andAdolescent Psychiatry. He was alsowell known for his “Uncle Len” jokes.He is survived by three sons. MorrisZiff ’48 passed away on August 22,2005 in Dallas at the age of 91, asreported by Richard I. Levin ’74 andThe New York Times. Dr. Ziff was anearly expert in the causes and molec-ular mechanism of rheumatoidarthritis and similar diseases. Hetraced the source of the rheumatoidfactor, and was co-discoverer of othermarkers in the bloodstream of dam-age to the joints caused by rheumaticfever and other diseases. Dr. Ziffearned his bachelor’s, Ph.D. and M.D.degrees from NYU. Dr. Ziff practicedat Bellevue Hospital and at theVeterans Administration Hospital inNew York City. An NYU facultymember from 1950-1958, he was anAssociate Professor and head of theRheumatology division. After movingto the University of Texas HealthScience Center in 1958, now knownas UT Southwestern, he was named aProfessor of Internal Medicine. Hewas appointed Director of theUniversity of Texas Arthritis ResearchCenter in 1983 and continued topractice into the 1990’s. From 1965-1966 he was President of theAmerican Rheumatism Association.He was awarded the Joseph J. BunimMedal of the Pan-American Congressof Rheumatology in 1982. His son,Professor Edward Ziff, Ph.D. inBiochemistry, joined NYU MedicalFaculty in 1981. He is also survivedby his wife, Jacqueline Miller Ziff,

another son, a stepdaughter, fourgrandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Edmund J. Brennan,Sr. ’51 passed away on March 2, 2005at the age of 87 while vacationing inScottsdale, Arizona, as reported by hiswife of 53 years, Eileen Brennan. Heserved as Captain in the Army AirCorps and was stationed in thePacific during World War II, after dis-charge he entered NYU School ofMedicine. He enjoyed years of prac-tice in Waterbury, Connecticut, wherehe served as chief of Obstetrics andGynecology at Waterbury Hospitaland was Clinical Professor ofObstetrics/Gynecology at YaleUniversity Medical School. Afterretirement in 1982 Dr. Brennan stud-ied at Yale University Law School andflew small planes out of OxfordAirport. He is survived by his wife,two sons, a daughter, and six grand-children. Vincent J. Fontana HS ’52,specialist in Pediatric Allergy, passedaway on July 5, 2005 at the age of 81while vacationing on Block Island,Rhode Island, as reported in The NewYork Times. Dr. Fontana was MedicalDirector of the New York Foundling,a service agency for abused and neg-lected children and their families,since 1959. He wrote books and manyarticles on the problems and magni-tude of child neglect in the UnitesStates, and organized a variety ofshelters since the early 1970s. Hestarted the Vincent J. Fontana Centerfor Child Protection, an adjunct ofthe Foundling, in 1998 to further theunderstanding and detection of childabuse and neglect, and to teach theirprevention and treatment. His workprovided guidelines for saving chil-dren through similar initiatives acrossthe country. Dr. Fontana served aspersonal physician to PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower while in the






Medical Corps at the Naval Hospital,Bethesda, Maryland during theKorean War, and later to CardinalFrancis Spellman of New York whilein private practice in New York.During his long career he was chair-man of the New York City Mayor’sTask Force on Child Abuse andNeglect under John V. Lindsay,Abraham D. Beame, and Edward I.Koch. He held teaching and clinicalpositions at St. Vincent’s Hospital,NYU, and St. Albans Naval Hospital.He is survived by a brother and sister.Eric (Benjamin) Bobrow ’53 passedaway on October 1, 2005 at BellevueHospital, as reported by his classmateIra J. Laufer ’53. David K. Jordan ’57passed away on October 14, 2005 atthe age of 73 as reported by Dr. WalterW. Tuchman and The New York Times.Leonard C. Thomas ’72 passed awayon October 5, 2005 at the age of 59 asreported by H. Paul Gabriel ’60 andthe American College of Physicians.Dr. Thomas was the son of StellaChess ’39 and the late AlexanderThomas ’36. He is survived by hiswife Patti, a parasitologist, and theirdaughter who is in college at RushUniversity near Houston. During thePol Pot regime, Leonard and Pattivolunteered at a camp just acrossfrom Cambodia. They found sevenchildren ages 5 to 16 and their moth-er at the camp and brought the fami-ly home with them to New Orleans.After Hurricane Katrina this familyhelped to care for Dr. Thomas and hedied at their home. Kevin S. Young’87 passed away on July 23, 2005 athome in Easthampton, NY as report-ed in The New York Times. Dr. Youngpracticed internal medicine, special-izing in HIV/AIDS for the last 15years in New York City. He is sur-vived by his partner GeorgeLaskaris, his parents, a brother, andthree nieces and nephews.

I’m sure every doctor can namethose few patients they met early intheir training that will always stay

with them. Bellevue has already intro-duced me to several such patients: ateenage girl in her fourth pregnancy, ayoung man with rheumatic heart dis-ease, an older man frozen byParkinson’s Disease. But taking care ofMs. M taught me more than I couldwrite on these pages. I could writeabout the pathophysiology of liver dis-ease I learned while caring for her; Icould write about the satisfaction I gotfrom doing my firstprocedure, a therapeu-tic paracentesis torelieve her abdominaldiscomfort. But I amchoosing to writeinstead about theimmense sadness ofrealizing that mypatient’s life is beyondthe reach of even thegreat social mission of Bellevue.

I met Ms. M whenshe came to Bellevuebecause of her swollen belly. A 37 year-old woman, she had been diagnosedwith autoimmune hepatitis seven yearsago when she noticed her eyes and skinwere yellow. The disease held itself atbay for several years, but recently herliver function began to deteriorate rap-idly. She had been coming to theBellevue emergency room once everycouple of weeks for a therapeutic para-centesis. Diuretics helped somewhat,but in turn had made her dangerouslyhyponatremic. (Her sodium had fallento 118 at times.) On this admission, shewould get a therapeutic paracentesisand some IV furosemide.

Ms. M, whose liver-friendly dietconsists of vegetables, grains, and oneliter of water, has the liver of someonewho had been drinking for forty years.She has Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis,meaning that she has poorly controlledascites, high bilirubin, low albumin, anda very prolonged prothrombin time.What it really means is that without aliver transplant, she has about a year oflife left. She is a perfect candidate for atransplant: she is young, compliant withmedications and diet, otherwise healthy,and has a supportive family to help her

through. But there is onecatch to this dream trans-plant candidate: Ms. M isan illegal immigrant fromMexico City. She came tothe U.S. twenty years ago,met her husband, had ason who is now fifteen,and spent her life workingin New York City. I wastold on rounds thatbecause of her status, shewould be ineligible for a transplant.

At first I thought,perhaps naively, that I could find a wayaround this roadblock. After all, hadn’tJesica Santillán, the 17-year-old undoc-umented immigrant from Mexico, got-ten two heart-lung transplants in theU.S.? (The first one had been of thewrong blood type, and althoughSantillán quickly got a second trans-plant, she died of brain damage, ignit-ing a debate about the right of undocu-mented immigrants to get organ dona-tions.) Armed with that one bit ofhope, and a one-liner in a note from theGI consult (“consider University of ElPaso for transplants on illegal immi-

The Almost-Perfect Candidate

Continues on page 19

Third year NYU School of Medicine student Nancy A. Levy authored the followingarticle and The Grapevine invites you to share your opinions on the subject.Please e-mail us at [email protected] or send a fax to 212-263-6690.

“The

physicians are

the natural

attorneys of

the poor . . .”

–Rudolph Virchow



(All names listed left-right)

1. Honoree Stephen P.Hersh ’67 and DeanRobert M. Glickman.

2. Tony Grieco ’63,Brunch Vice Chair Shari L. Targum ’82,Brunch Chair Bruce P. Pfeffer ’70,and Brunch AssociateChair Peter J. Everett ’01.

3. Standing:Arthur Frank ’62,Gilbert P. August ’62,Bernard Grand ’62, andSumner G. Sandler ’62.

Seated: Bernice Augustand Joyce Grand.

4. Robert S. Wilkinson ’55,Carmen M. Williams ’74,and Ralph G. DePalma’56.

5. Ada U. Ibe ’98, Tony Grieco ’63, and Ikenna Offurum.

6. Carolyn Cooper,her husband James N. Cooper ’63,and Paul D. Leber ’63.

17th Annual Washington D.C. Alumni Brunchhonoring Stephen P. Hersh, M.D. ’67Sunday, October 2, 2005, Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, D.C.Photographer: Carl Cox

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1. Honoree Frederic M.Waldman, M.D., Ph.D.’80 and his daughter,Sarah Waldman.

2. Corazon L. Thompsonand her husband, Leonti H. Thompson ’55.

3. Dalvinder S. Dhillon ’99and his wife, Rupinder K. Dhillon.

4. Enid Rubin, her husband Lunch Acting Chair Alan L. Rubin ’66, and Dean Robert M.Glickman.

5. Lunch Vice ChairsRachel D. Canning ’98and her husband,Soheil Motamed ’98.

6. Kevin J. Denny ’80, hiswife Susan B. Denny’81, and Russell H.Reiff ’81.

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7th Annual Northern California Alumni Lunch honoring Frederic M. Waldman, M.D., Ph.D. ‘80.Saturday, October 22, 2005, Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco, CaliforniaPhotographer: Phil Schermeister


22nd Annual Southern California Alumni Brunch honoring Nancy S. Cetel, M.D. ’78Sunday, October 23, 2005, Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaPhotographer: Dick Thompson

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1. Nancy Cetel’s family:Mother Clara, daughterDanielle Weiss ’05, sister Mindy, guestCourie Plotkin, son Jeremy, honoreeNancy S. Cetel ’78,and husband Joseph Weiss, M.D.

2. Renee Reiff and Sharon Mass Achs.

3. Brunch Associate ChairsIrene K. Ho ’92 andher husband, BenjaminC. Tam ’92.

4. Brunch CommitteeChair Robert M.Davidson ’66, DeanRobert M. Glickman,and Susan Davidson.

5.Tony Grieco ’63,Lichuan Fang ’94 andher guest, James Wang.

6. Catherine Wu, her husband Henry H. Wu’92, and Eric Kahn HS.




1. Robert A. Press ’71,’73G, Steven Z.Brandeis ’75, DeanRobert M. Glickman,Alice Z. Amelar, Coleshonoree Richard D.Amelar ’50, Herbert A.Goldfarb ’60,Lawrence Dubin, andTony Grieco ’63.

2. Dean Robert M.Glickman, Leidesdorfhonoree Beth W.Lieberamn ’73, TonyGrieco ’63, Robert A.Press ’71, 73G,Anthony C. Mustalish’66, and Kevin E.Harrison ’81.

3. Davida Herschkopf with her father,Isaac S. Herschkopf ’75.

4. Roselyn L. Kolodny '63with her husband,Chairman of theDepartment of Neurology,Edwin H. Kolodny '62.

5. Robert S. Roth, Ph.D.and his wife MichelineMathews-Roth ’61.

6. Standing: Manfred Blum ’57 withhis wife, Linda Blum.

Seated: Son-in-law,David G. Cziner ’86,and daughter Leslie F. Blum ’89.

7. Former Dean Saul J.Farber ’42, SoshanaTuchman, her husbandMarcel Tuchman, andDoris Farber.

8. Helene Roses with her husband,Daniel F. Roses ’69.

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5

7

6

8

Alumni Awards Gala honoring Richard D. Amelar, M.D. ’50and Beth W. Lieberman, M.D. ’73Thursday, November 17, 2005, The Sky Club, New York CityPhotographer: Teri Bloom


PresidentRobert A. Press, M.D. ’71, ’73G

President-ElectH. Paul Gabriel, M.D. ’60

Vice PresidentsMitchell H. Charap, M.D. ’77Nancy H. Coles, M.D. ’85Seymour L. Halpern, M.D. ’44Julie S. Mitnick, M.D. ’72Jon R. Snyder, M.D. ’72

Recording SecretaryLoren W. Greene, M.D. ’75

Corresponding SecretaryCheryl S. Kaufmann, M.D. ’72

TreasurerPeter L. Hong, M.D. ’78, ’73A

HistorianBertram M. Charap, M.D. ’41

Member at LargeDoreen Addrizzo-Harris, M.D. ’89Leslie F. Blum, M.D. ’89Rena S. Brand, M.D. ’83Ilona V. Brandeis, M.D. ’75Tracy L. Breen, M.D. ’97Delores A. Danilowicz, M.D. ’60Joseph Feldschuh, M.D. ’61Fritz Francois, M.D. ’97Loren J. Harris, M.D. ’87Lloyd D. Lense, M.D. ’77Mary Leong, M.D. ’78, ’74AShari I. Lusskin, M.D. ’86Hal J. Mitnick, M.D. ’72Ivan Oransky, M.D. ’98Esperanza B. Papadopoulos, M.D. ’82Mariano J. Rey, M.D. ’76Herbert H. Samuels, M.D. ’65Michael S. Simberkoff, M.D. ’62Robert S. Spira, M.D. ’75Gerard J. Tepedino, M.D. ’00David A. Tice, M.D. ’55Joseph H. Willner, M.D. ’70Judith P. Willner, M.D. ’71Orie M. Wittek, M.D. ’94Sondra R. Zabar, M.D. ’91

Regional Members at LargeElliot E. Abbey, M.D. ’75Howard A. Cohen, M.D. ’70Robert M. Davidson, M.D. ’66Dorothy M. DiNardo-Ekery, M.D. ’63Harry W. Eichenbaum, M.D. ’61Arthur I. Feinberg, M.D. ’65Robert M. Friedman, M.D. ’58Gordon J. Gilbert, M.D. ’57Michael D. Goldfield, M.D. ’66James A. Greenberg, M.D. ’88Stephen P. Hersh, M.D. ’67Jay A. Levine, M.D. ’66, ’62Herbert L. Lippsett, M.D. ’44Shirley M. Lippsett, M.D. ’44Robert W. Mackler, M.D. ’78Edward J. Martin, M.D. ’66Micheline Mathews-Roth, M.D. ’61Kenneth C. Nieberg, M.D. ’58Roberta S.K. Nieberg, M.D. ’61Abner L. Notkins, M.D. ’58Bruce P. Pfeffer, M.D. ’70Joseph S. Schwartz, M.D. ’65Martin Spatz, M.D. ’40Rishon H. Stember, M.D. ’59Lloyd A. Tabb, M.D. ’72Jacob Weissman, M.D. ’50Jeffrey A. Wolf, M.D. ’72James R.S. Zager, M.D. ’65

Alumni DirectorsGary Giangola, M.D. ’80Steven R. Goldstein, M.D. ’75Elayne K. Mustalish, M.D. ’66

Presidents EmeritiRichard D. Amelar, M.D. ’50, ’46WEdward L. Amorosi, M.D. ’59Felicia B. Axelrod, M.D. ’66Manfred Blum, M.D. ’57, ’53AHoward R. Brown, M.D. ’59Charles H. Debrovner, M.D. ’60Allan E. Dumont, M.D. ’48Kenneth Eng, M.D. ’67Saul J. Farber, M.D. ’42, ’38WCharles P. Giel, M.D. ’49Anthony J. Grieco, M.D. ’63, ’60AIsaac S. Herschkopf, M.D. ’75Martin L. Kahn, M.D. ’63

Ira J. Laufer, M.D. ’53, ’48WRichard I. Levin, M.D. ’74Beth W. Lieberman, M.D. ’73Joseph H. Press, M.D. ’41, ’37WRobert F. Raicht, M.D. ’67Daniel F. Roses, M.D. ’69Alan A. Scheer, M.D. ’46Vicki L. Seltzer, M.D. ’73M. Leon Tancer, M.D. ’40, ’36ABruce K. Young, M.D. ’63

Alumni Plaza Naming Gift CommitteeIsaac S. Herschkopf, M.D. ’75, ChairBeth W. Lieberman, M.D. ’73,

Vice Chair

Arnold and Marilyn GreenbergHall Naming Gift CommitteeSimon D. Fink, M.D. ’68, ChairEdwin S. Robbins, M.D. ’52, ’48A,

Vice Chair

The Jerome S. Coles AssociatesHerbert A. Goldfarb, M.D. ’60, ChairSteven Z. Brandeis, M.D. ’75,

Vice Chair

The Samuel D. LeidesdorfAssociatesAnthony C. Mustalish, M.D. ’66,

’62W, ChairKevin E. Harrison, M.D. ’81,

Vice Chair

The Dean’s ClubIrwin Sharkey, M.D. ’62, ChairJerome R. Klein, M.D. ’79, Vice Chair

Young Alumni ClubScott A. Fink, M.D. ’98, Chair

Student RepresentativesLaura Meyer ’07Kevin Small ’08

BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2005–2006




grants”), I went looking for help.Searching articles about Santillán,

undocumented immigrants, and theethics of organ donation, I found, firstof all, a good deal of animositytowards the young girl, who had“taken” organs from American citi-zens. But I also found the names ofpeople who seemed as though theycould help me—experts who werequoted in articles supporting the girl’stransplant. Through the miracle of theinternet, I was able to speak to awoman from the SouthwestTransplant Alliance, who shed furtherlight on my patient’s situation.

What I discovered was that illegalimmigrants are not necessarily barredfrom organ waiting lists. Hospitals areallowed to do up to 5% of their trans-plants on non-U.S.-citizens. In fact,undocumented immigrants donate 2%,and receive 1%, of all transplantedorgans in the U.S.

Trying not to give them falsehope—but absolutely unable to sup-press my own rising hope—I talked toMs. M and her husband. There may bea way, I told them. Just let me makesome phone calls. Maybe El Paso.Maybe California. I was certain that Icould find a surgeon to donate thetime; Ms. M’s kindness, her loving fam-ily, and her striking youthful beautyhad quickly made her the darling of thehouse staff. Nobody could meet herand not want to help her, I thought. Wedischarged her shortly afterwards.

She was re-admitted only a weeklater because her sodium had dippeddown to 117. By then, I had discoveredthe real issue keeping Ms. M off of awaiting list: the prohibitive cost of theimmunosuppressive medications shewould have to take for the rest of herlife—drugs that can run up a yearly billof $13,000. Without Medicaid, themedicines would be impossible for herto afford. Before this, I had naively

thought that Bellevue could just supplymedicines endlessly to whomevercouldn’t pay for them. It had neveroccurred to me that it wasn’t the opera-tion itself, or the shortage of livers, thatwould keep her from a life-savingtransplant. I could no longer solve thisby arranging a one-time act of charity.I was not surprised when I sat downand asked Ms. M if she had a rich fami-ly member in Mexico, and she laughedat the thought.

At first, I thought Ms. M and herhusband had only been humoring mynaïve liver-finding antics. But twoweeks later, when Ms. M’s husbandcame to Bellevue to give me an articlehe had printed out on live liver dona-tions, I realized that I was hopelessly,inexorably involved. I am now shootingin the dark, calling social workers, won-dering how far I am supposed to go.

Do I think that Ms. M will get aliver in time to save her life? No. But itstrikes me as unfair that a youngwoman should die within the bordersof this wealthy nation because of thecost of medicines. I know that if I wereto die today, I would want my organsto go to a 37-year-old mother (or a 17-year-old girl)—but perhaps that is myown bias as a young person, whothinks that youth should be king in allmatters of bioethics.

New York City streets are filledwith undocumented immigrants bikingthrough the rain to deliver food, clean-ing our offices, and hocking wares onthe street that make our own lives funand frivolous. And yet we seem to bepart of a tacit agreement to pretendthat we don’t actually want or needthem here. I am not proposing a newpolicy on undocumented immigrantsand organ donations. But I do think weneed to take another look at this invisi-ble population of people, who havebecome much more real to me duringmy time at Bellevue.

The Grapevineis published by the Office of Alumni Relations

John Sexton, J.D., Ph.D. President, New York University

David W. McLaughlin, Ph.D. Provost, New York University

Robert Berne, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for Health,New York University

Debra La Morte Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, New York University

Ada Meloy Acting General Council

Robert M. Glickman, M.D. (Hon. ’99)Dean, NYU School of Medicine

Anthony J. Grieco, M.D., ’63, ’60AAssociate Dean

Brad W. McLelandDirector

Special thanks to:Patricia Finerty, Elizabeth King, Evens Lubin, Ida Myers and Melissa Vasquez

Send all correspondence and inquiries to:

NYU School of Medicine Office of Alumni Relations550 First AvenueSLH, 4-40-0New York, NY 10016

Phone: (212) 263-5390 Fax: (212) 263-6690

Website: www.med.nyu.edu/alumni/

Email: [email protected]


Alumni Activities & Programs 2006February

19/Sunday24th Annual Florida Alumni BrunchHonoring Ira J. Gelb ’5111:00 am, Boca Raton Resort and Club,Boca Raton, FL

28/TuesdayYoung Alumni EventAn Evening of Magic and Chocolate7:00 p.m., NYU School of Medicine

March

16/ThursdayNational Match Day12:00 noon,Alumn Hall, NYU School of Medicine

19/SundayEighth Annual Massachusetts/Rhode Island Alumni Brunch11:00 am, Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA

April

6/ThursdayNYU School of Medicine Alumni/Facultyand New York Chapter ACP Reception8:30 p.m., Philadelphia MarriottDowntown, Philadelphia, PA

21/FridayNational AssemblyNYU School of Medicine

22/SaturdayMedical Alumni ReunionNYU School of Medicine

May

11/ThursdayGraduation Ceremony for the Class of 20062 p.m., Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY

18/ThursdayBoard of Governors Dinner Meeting6 p.m., NYU School of Medicine

Office of Alumni RelationsNYU School of Medicine550 First Avenue, SLH 4-40-0New York, NY 10016

For information on any of the above events please call 212-263-5390

2-grapevine spring 04...began to fulfill my lifelong dream. the days were long; the work was hard,...

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