Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D.
I am enormously pleased that Einstein’s Board of Trustees has appointed Yaron Tomer, M.D., as the College of Medicine’s ninth dean. He has served with distinction for the past seven years as professor and chair of the department of medicine at Einstein and Montefiore, and assumed his new duties on Oct. 2.
Dr. Tomer, who was also the Anita and Jack Saltz Chair in Diabetes Research, has established an exceptional record as an outstanding visionary and inclusive leader. I am confident that he will lead Einstein into an even brighter and more successful future. You can learn more about Dr. Tomer here. I’d also like to express my gratitude to Harris Goldstein, M.D., senior associate dean for scientific affairs, who has served Einstein so capably as interim dean these past few months.
In more good news, I am delighted to report that our cancer center has been awarded “comprehensive” status by the National Cancer Institute. The newly renamed Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center began as the country’s fourth NCI-designated cancer center—and has undergone a dramatic transformation and expansion since Edward Chu, M.D., M.M.S., became the director in 2020.
Additionally, this issue of Einstein magazine contains news about our biomedical investigations. Our story, “Cannabis: From Menace to Medicine,” focuses on a group of Einstein and Montefiore researchers who are exploring medical marijuana’s potential for treating various types of pain as well as autism spectrum disorders. The researchers are also working to educate patients about the risks and benefits of medical cannabis and have established clinical guidelines for its use.
In our cover story, “A Path to Success,” we catch up with five graduates of the Einstein Enrichment Program, which has been preparing Bronx students for careers in medicine and science for more than 30 years.
Finally, the magazine pays tribute to two members of the Einstein family whom we lost in recent months: longtime fellow trustee Arnold S. Penner and pioneering scientist Fernando Macian-Juan, M.D., Ph.D. They and other members of the Einstein community listed in the “In Memoriam” section will be greatly missed.
Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D.
Chair, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Board of Trustees
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Einstein Professor Emerita of Pediatrics
