Supporting the Next Generation of Physicians
Medical student scholars and Feinberg leadership expressed their gratitude to generous alumni, faculty, and friends who support scholarships during the annual Commitment to Scholarships Luncheon held this spring at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.
“We remain eternally grateful as each year our scholarship donors continue to provide support while new donors join the scholarship family,” said the luncheon’s emcee, Diane B. Wayne, ’91 MD, vice dean for Education, chair of Medical Education, and the Dr. John Sherman Appleman Professor of Medicine. Wayne also is a supporter of the Lynda Singshinsuk Class of 1991 Scholarship.
Providing scholarship support for exceptional students is a top priority for Eric Neilson, MD, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, and of We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern Medicine. Through this campaign and well into the future, the medical school hopes to provide some type of tuition support to all students who have educational debt, which would require an $800 million endowment for scholarships. So far, the Feinberg scholarship endowment stands at an approximate value of $191 million, thanks to thousands of generous supporters who give to this priority area of need.
Wayne shared that 12 scholarships have been established since last year’s luncheon, including the Class of 1969 Scholarship, created by a generous group of Northwestern medical school alumni celebrating their 50-year reunion.
“The scholarship is a real tribute to what we can do as a class and how proud we are of Northwestern,” said luncheon speaker Louis Fazen III, ’69 MD, who shares his unique path in medicine in our Perspective column on page 40. “It’s great to see the students here today — they are the future of medicine. We wish the students well and think this is a great opportunity to lower tuition for them.“Fazen’s father and grand-father also earned their medical degrees at Northwestern, and today their descendants fund a scholarship in the family’s name.
Student Scholars Share Their Stories
I thank you for giving me this freedom and the gift of education.
Ramael Ohiomoba
During the event, two first-year Feinberg students, Ramael Ohiomoba and Dane Sannes, spoke about their pathways to medical school, their experiences so far at Feinberg, and their aspirations for the future. They also emphasized how thankful they were to everyone in the room for their essential support.
“Because of your generous donations, I have been able to develop lasting relationships with world-renowned mentors, engage in an abundance of research opportunities, and gain fulfillment through community service projects
in one of the most vibrant cities in the world,” said Ohiomoba, who holds the Medical Alumni Scholarship.
“I stand before you today with the great honor of sharing my classmates’ and my own gratitude to the donors both present here today and afar. It is in no small part due to your support that many of us have been able to take advantage of the wonderful experiences provided at Feinberg,” said Sannes, the Jerold A. Lein Scholar.
“I realize how fortunate I am to be able to focus on taking advantage of these opportunities without having to constantly worry about my personal financial limitations. I thank you for giving me this freedom and the gift of education,” she added.
Northwestern Top Recipient of Research Funding from the AHA
At an annual reception last spring honoring the longtime partnership between Northwestern Medicine and the American Heart Association (AHA), attendees had more to celebrate than ever: Feinberg is now the top recipient in the U.S. of research funding from the AHA, receiving nearly $17 million for active awards.
This funding includes competitive grant awards for five AHA Strategically Focused Research Network centers, each part of a national consortium focused on a single urgent cardiovascular health issue. Northwestern’s centers focus on prevention, disparities in cardiovascular disease and stroke, atrial fibrillation, children’s health and vascular disease.
“We are No. 1. It’s a privileged place to be; we’ve earned it; and we intend to deliver on the promises made,” said Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, the Magerstadt Professor of Medicine and chief of Cardiology.
Lu Invested as the Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor of Dermatology
Kurt Lu, MD, a highly regarded clinician, scientist, and educator whose research focuses on understanding and controlling inflammation in the skin, was formally invested this April as the Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor of Dermatology. This prestigious academic position provides protected time for Dr. Lu to pursue research projects and other scholarly pursuits.
The new professorship was established in honor of Eugene A. Bauer, ’67 MD, and his wife, Gloria Bauer, ’67, a graduate of Northwestern’s former nursing program. The two previously established the Ruth K. Freinkel, MD, Research Professorship in Dermatology in admiration for Bauer’s early mentor, now held by Jaehyuk Choi, MD, PhD. “[Department chair] Dr. Amy Paller has built what I believe to be the most balanced dermatology department in the country,” said Dr. Bauer, explaining why they support the medical school in this way.
A New Home for the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease
In May, donors joined Northwestern Medicine leadership and experts in neuro-degenerative disease to celebrate new state-of-the-art space for the Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, located on the eighth floor of the Tarry Research and Education Building.
Guests toured a neuroimaging suite for advanced brain analyses, an electrically and acoustically shielded space for electro-physiological recordings, video-linked testing rooms, and an enlarged basic research laboratory. The lab, now officially known as the Ruth D. and Ken M. Davee Research Laboratory to recognize landmark support from The Davee Foundation, includes a brain bank and special area for cognitive morphometry — measuring changes in the structure of the brain — as well as a microscopy suite with specialized equipment for visualizing cellular images.
“None of this would have come without the dedicated philanthropy of The Davee Foundation and so many other families,” said M. Marsel Mesulam, MD, director of the center, which is featured here.
