Edward Chu, M.D., M.M.S., a treasured member of the Montefiore Einstein community, died Nov. 13, 2025, from glioblastoma at age 66. Dr. Chu was the director of the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), vice president of cancer medicine, and the Carol and Roger Einiger Professor of Cancer Medicine. He also served as interim chair of oncology until last year and held faculty positions in the departments of oncology, medicine, and molecular pharmacology.
Dr. Chu arrived on the Montefiore Einstein campus in October of 2020, while the Bronx and the country were still recovering from the first devastating wave of the COVID pandemic. Undaunted, he quickly assembled a senior leadership team, developed a comprehensive strategy, and launched a massive recruitment effort, with the goal of establishing a unified cancer enterprise and securing comprehensive designation from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the 50-year-old cancer center.
As a member of the center’s external advisory board for nearly 15 years, Dr. Chu was well acquainted with its research strength. He respected and touted the center’s long and storied history, while forging ahead with a vision for a revitalized cancer enterprise that integrated clinical care and expanded its translational and clinical research footprint.
“Dr. Ed Chu’s impact on cancer research and medicine is already monumental, yet we know the world has yet to appreciate the full impact of Ed’s work,” said Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Montefiore Einstein. “The breadth of his transformational work at the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, the speed with which he executed his plan, and the outsized results he was able to achieve are just a few examples of his enduring legacy. The entire Montefiore Einstein family mourns the loss of a true pioneer and visionary.”
As a cancer center, Einstein was previously focused primarily on research. By becoming the inaugural vice president for cancer medicine at Montefiore Einstein, Dr. Chu oversaw clinical cancer care across the entire Montefiore Health System, which serves the Bronx, Westchester County, and the Hudson Valley. Dr. Chu led the effort, in a mere two years, to build a fully integrated, unified cancer center, spanning basic science, translational research, clinical care, and community outreach, which resulted in Montefiore Einstein’s first comprehensive designation from the NCI.
“It’s hard to overstate what Ed was able to accomplish in his short time here,” said Yaron Tomer, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein. “He was a visionary leader, creating an aspirational but pragmatic plan and inspiring hundreds of researchers, clinical staff, and administrators to embrace his vision. He truly transformed cancer research and care in the Bronx.”
While monumental on its own, Dr. Chu’s list of accomplishments at MECCC is extensive: he recruited 65 faculty members, which meaningfully expanded research and clinical missions; established a phase I clinical trial program, elevating the center’s ability to develop and provide cutting-edge therapies to patients; oversaw the opening of the new Montefiore Einstein Breast Care Center in the Hutchinson Metro Center, consolidating services in a state-of-the-art facility; and super-charged its translational research program by providing millions in pilot and accelerator grants.
Dr. Chu was born on Dec. 19, 1958, in Detroit, Mich. Raised in East Haven, Conn., and Barrington, R.I., he followed in his parents’ footsteps by enrolling in Brown University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in biology.
He continued at Brown for his M.M.S. in pharmacology and received his M.D. from the Brown University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Roger Williams General Hospital at Brown, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology at the NCI. He became a senior clinical investigator at the NCI and received tenure in 1994.
In 1996, he was recruited by the Yale Cancer Center to co-lead its cancer therapeutics program. Over the next 14 years, he held increasingly senior leadership appointments, including chief of medical oncology, associate director of clinical/translational research and, subsequently, deputy director of the cancer center.
In 2010, he was recruited to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as HCC deputy director. There, he was the chief of the division of hematology-oncology, co-leader of the HCC Cancer Therapeutics Program, and leader of the HCC phase I program, before moving to Montefiore Einstein.
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American College of Physicians, Dr. Chu was a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research, the European Society for Medical Oncology, and a member of the board of directors for the Association of American Cancer Institutes. His accolades included the NCI Commendation Medal, Public Health Service Achievement Medal, and the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chinese American Hematology-Oncology Network.
He was a prolific author and educator, serving as the founding editor-in-chief of Clinical Colorectal Cancer for 25 years, and published over 195 scientific articles and 50 book chapters. He co-authored 24 editions of the Physician’s Cancer Chemotherapy Drug Manual, the essential reference guide on advances in the field.
His legacy includes his steadfast commitment to mentoring the next generation of cancer researchers, physician-scientists, and leaders across the spectrum of cancer-relevant disciplines. He mentored over 40 students and fellows throughout his career, supported numerous faculty colleagues, and advised more than 20 executive leaders of NCI-designated cancer centers.
He is survived by his wife, Laurie Harrold, M.D., and two children, Ashley and Josh, two dogs, many cousins, and countless friends and colleagues.
Milton A. Gumbs, M.D., longtime associate dean emeritus and associate professor emeritus of surgery at Einstein, died in August 2025 at age 86.
Dr. Gumbs earned his medical degree at the University of Bologna in Italy and completed his residency in general surgery at BronxCare Health System. Upon the completion of his medical training, Dr. Gumbs served in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit of the U.S. Army in Korea, where he held the rank of major. For service to his country, Dr. Gumbs was awarded a Certificate of Achievement in Surgery.
His career afterward was marked by a deep commitment to the Bronx community. He served as the chief medical officer at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, the president of the Bronx chapter of the American College of Surgeons, the president of the Bronx Medical Society, and the president of the Medical Board of BronxCare.
Beyond the operating room, Dr. Gumbs was a passionate educator. As an Einstein faculty member in the surgery department, he inspired generations of medical students, instilling in them the values of integrity, curiosity, and service. His scholarly contributions spanned a wide range of topics, from visceral surgery to global health, and he coauthored numerous influential publications that advanced the field of general surgery.
Dr. Gumbs believed deeply in the power of international collaboration and humanitarian outreach. He championed programs such as Doctors Without Borders and advocated for global surgical electives, recognizing the transformative impact of cross-cultural medical exchange.
In his personal life, Dr. Gumbs was a devoted husband to his beloved wife, Marisa, whom he met during medical school in Italy. He also took great pride in the achievements of his children—his son, Andrew Gumbs, M.D., and his daughter, Lisa Gumbs—whose successes brought him immense joy.
Dr. Milton Gumbs will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality, kindness, and integrity.
David Shafritz, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine, cell biology, and pathology, and former director of the Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, died Oct. 17, 2025, at age 85.
An internationally recognized expert in liver disease, he wrote more than 150 scientific papers and served as editor of the highly regarded textbook, The Liver: Biology and Pathobiology, a major resource for both clinicians and researchers.
His contributions to the field were honored with the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the American Liver Foundation.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sharon Kemow Shafritz, and sons Adam Shafritz, M.D., and Keith Shafritz, Ph.D.
Gary Anthony Abrams, M.D. ’90, age 72, physician and clinical professor of medicine at Baptist Medical Center South, Montgomery, Ala., previously associate professor and director of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, March 27, 2025, Birmingham.
Morton R. Axelrod, M.D. ’61, age 88, longtime practitioner of internal medicine and oncology in New York City, April 24, 2025.
Ernest Drucker, Ph.D., age 84, professor emeritus in the department of family and social medicine at Einstein, pioneering public-health researcher who established some of the world’s first syringe-exchange programs, founder of Doctors of the World/USA and its chair from 1993 to 1997, founding editor in chief of Harm Reduction Journal, founder of the International Harm Reduction Association, and senior research associate and scholar in residence at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, Jan. 26, 2025, Manhattan.
Joel W. Eisner, M.D. ’63, age 87, founder of Freedom Healthcare (HMO) and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who practiced internal medicine until age 86, July 25, 2025, Phoenixville, Pa.
Alan R. Gerstein, M.D. ’61, age 91, longtime nephrologist who operated a private practice until age 75, who established the first dialysis center at Springfield Hospital (now Baystate Medical Center) in 1968, and who was a member of the American Physicians Fellowship for Israel and a fellow of the American College of Physicians, June 7, 2025, Springfield, Mass.
Michael L. Klein, M.D. ’79, age 73, gastroenterologist in private practice in Brooklyn for more than 35 years until his 2018 retirement, March 22, 2025, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Peter D. Lowitt, M.D. ’69, J.D., age 82, internist in New York City, volunteer at free clinics in Berkeley, New York’s Chinatown, and San Diego, focusing on addiction medicine later in his career, who also earned a law degree from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in 1981 and maintained a nationwide medico-legal law practice, Aug. 4, 2025, New York City.
Gautam R. Mirchandani, M.D. ’00, age 51, former program director of neuroradiology at New York–Methodist Hospital, radiologist at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, radiologist for XRA Medical Imaging, and assistant professor of clinical radiology at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and at SUNY Downstate, Kings County Hospital Center, Oct. 11, 2025, Stamford, Conn.
Mark R. Novick, M.D. ’60, age 89, psychiatrist at Mount Sinai Health System and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, April 2025, New York City.
Jonathan H. Ostrow, M.D. ’62, age 88, internist in private practice in Seattle and fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians, whose career extended past retirement through work with Navajo communities and immigrants in Tucson, Ariz., March 27, 2025, Tucson.
Dorrie Rosenblatt, M.D. ’81, Ph.D., age 77, retired geriatrician and assistant professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Michigan, inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame for her services to seniors, who started one of India’s first multidisciplinary geriatric programs at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Cochin, and who, when she retired early due to illness, started a second career in 2014 as an interfaith minister, March 24, 2025.
Henry T. Spector, M.D. ’59, age 92, member of Einstein’s first graduating class and retired medical director of White Plains Hospital, N.Y., Nov. 24, 2025, Long Island, N.Y.
Sheila Tanenbaum, M.D. ’66, age 85, former physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist in New Rochelle, N.Y., and member of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Dean’s Society, May 4, 2025, New Rochelle.
