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A Decade of Discovery: Celebrating the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease

Updated on Feb 7, 2025 | Donor Profile, Events, Featured

Daniel S. Loeb, Mount Sinai Health System Trustee

More than 250 members of the Mount Sinai community and guests recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, founded through a generous donation from Mount Sinai Trustee Daniel S. Loeb and his wife, Margaret Munzer Loeb. The center is named for Daniel’s father, who passed away from Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

At the event, Mr. Loeb spoke eloquently about his family’s personal experience with AD and his father’s continued legacy. “I tell his story because this is a disease that doesn’t care how kind you are or how decent you are. It is indiscriminate. And the pain that it’s caused has been severe,” he told the audience, which included leading AD clinicians and researchers. “Ultimately, you are scientists, and you look at the disease, and this is a disease that profoundly affects individuals and their families. Seeing this group come together to make such great progress over the last 10 years is really inspiring. So thank you very much for all you do.”

Today, nearly 7 million Americans have AD, a number that is expected to rise to 13 million by 2050.

The inaugural director of the Loeb Center—whose recruitment was made possible by the family’s philanthropy—is Alison Goate, DPhil, the Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics and Chair of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences. Dr. Goate has recruited a roster of outstanding faculty, and their research on AD and other neurodegenerative diseases—in many cases, groundbreaking—have helped establish it as a preeminent center, known worldwide. Dr. Goate told the attendees that during its first decade, faculty recruits have doubled and National Institutes of Health funding has more than tripled.

Specifically, the Loeb Center has been at the forefront of exploring the role of microglia—the brain’s immune cells—in the development of AD, and by integrating large-scale molecular data from patients using artificial intelligence (AI), they have been able to identify new drug targets. In the next decade, Dr. Goate believes their work holds great potential for uncovering possible new treatments for patients.

Alison Goate

Alison M. Goate, DPhil, Director of the Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease; Jean C. and James W. Crystal Professor of Genomics; and Chair of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences

The Loeb Center has become a leading force in translational research, assuring that patients have access to the latest laboratory breakthroughs. These are often made possible by insights gained from its deep repository of human brain tissue, which has yielded new knowledge into the underpinnings of neurodegenerative disease. It has also recently made gains by developing novel blood biomarkers that will help toward improving early diagnosis.

Presentations from faculty also focused on the role of genomics in studying new therapeutics and highlighted their commitment to training the next generation of scientists, featuring a poster presentation from students and trainees who showcased their most recent work. Keynote speaker Jim Ray, PhD, Director of the Belfer Neurodegeneration Center at MD Anderson Cancer Center, spoke compellingly about the challenges of finding a cure for neurodegenerative diseases, but he also projected optimism, saying that research built on AI, genomics, and new disease models holds greater promise.

While the science is complex, it was made clear that the first 10 years of the Loeb Center have been pivotal in making the discoveries that will bring scientists everywhere many steps closer to improved diagnosis and treatment. These advances would not have been possible without the visionary philanthropy of Daniel and Margaret Munzer Loeb, says Dr. Goate, and it is upon that success that the Loeb Center has positioned itself as a leader in the field for decades to come.

 

 

Learn More About Exciting Discoveries in Alzheimer's Research

A Night of Inspiration: The Dubin Breast Center Annual Benefit Honors Jill Martin

Updated on Jan 23, 2025 | Events, Featured

On December 9th, the Dubin Breast Center of the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai hosted its annual benefit at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan, celebrating the extraordinary patients, physicians, staff, caregivers, and supporters who have contributed to the Center’s success since its founding 14 years ago. Jill Martin, NBC’s TODAY lifestyle contributor, was honored for her advocacy in breast cancer awareness, testing, and wellness.

Since her diagnosis in 2023, Jill has used her broadcasting and social media platforms to share the story of her breast cancer journey, displaying strength and resilience through numerous surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments. As she has done so, millions of Americans have learned about BRCA and other genetic testing and how knowing one’s cancer risk can help lead to life-saving prevention and early detection. As Jill shared, “With my platform, I felt I had a responsibility to not only raise awareness but also to acknowledge other people going through something similar who may not have the ability to share in the way that I can.” That selflessness and vulnerability inspired both her television audience and her health care team at the Dubin Breast Center.

“Jill is an entrepreneur and a multi-Emmy Award-winning television broadcaster—an amazing woman as you have seen,” said Elisa Port, MD, FACS, Chief of Breast Surgery for the Health System, Director of the Dubin Breast Center, and Jill’s physician. “Her courage and passion were inspiring to watch. Jill exemplifies the idea that the airwaves should serve the public trust. Through her resolute insistence on sharing her journey, advocating for genetic testing, and maintaining an inspiring attitude, Jill fulfilled her highest calling both to herself and her profession.”

Perri Peltz, the Emmy Award-winning journalist and filmmaker served as master of ceremonies for the evening, and the event included performances from country singer Will Moseley, and Broadway actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer Jared Grimes, and featured a special performance by Grammy- and Academy Award-winner, Ms. Lisa Fischer, accompanied by Michael Mitchell and Friends.

Some notable guests included tennis great Mary Joe Fernández, Academy Award-nominated producer and film director Shawn Levy, SoulCycle founding senior master instructor Stacey Griffith, and fashion models Molly Simms and Karlie Kloss. Seven patients who shared their breast cancer experiences in a video capturing their remarkable stories were also in attendance.

Dr. Port and Center Co-founder and Mount Sinai Health System Trustee Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, received a standing ovation before expressing their gratitude to the event’s Co-Chairs, Benefit Committee, and Advisory Board for their dedicated efforts in supporting the Dubin Breast Center’s mission.

“Building a top-tier cancer center within a full-service hospital, equipped to address all the medical needs of a patient, was a novel idea,” Dr. Dubin said. “We wanted to build a cutting-edge breast cancer treatment facility within a caring, nurturing environment—and most importantly, open it to all regardless of ability to pay. The idea was new and now it has succeeded beyond our dreams.”

Jill says of her time at the Center, “I felt like it was home for me. I still feel like that. I feel like everyone, from the doctors to the nurses, to the front desk, it was like a club that you never wanted to be a part of, but when you went to it you were just regarded with such love. When I picture my time here at Dubin, I just picture safety. I mean, they saved my life. So if you have to go through something like this, having Dubin as your anchor is incomparable.”

Mount Sinai Health System Chief Executive Officer, Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, also addressed the audience. “Breast cancer is personal for me, as it is for many in this room. It has impacted many members of my family and has taken several from us far too early,” said Dr. Carr, Professor and Kenneth L. Davis Distinguished Chair. “I’m proud to recognize Dr. Dubin and Dr. Port for their leadership and vision in the creation and the growth of the Dubin Breast Center over the last 14 years. Thank you to the donors and supporters for helping make our center a trailblazer in breast cancer care.”

The 2024 gala raised a record $3.8 million.

 


Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, affecting one in eight over a lifetime. The Dubin Breast Center stands as a symbol of progress, providing world-class care to all patients while advancing early detection and treatment innovations. Since its founding 14 years ago, the Center has become an internationally renowned beacon of hope and innovation in breast cancer care. The Center is on track to surpass 400,000 patient visits by 2025, encompassing imaging, surgery, and treatment services. Early detection efforts and the survivorship program continue to deliver better outcomes for patients, embodying the Center’s commitment to comprehensive, compassionate care.

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Steve Miller Band Plays Benefit Concert for the Kyabirwa Surgical Center in Uganda

Updated on Jan 23, 2025 | Events, Featured

On November 5th, 2024, the Steve Miller Band performed a benefit concert for Mount Sinai’s Kyabirwa Surgical Center in Uganda, thrilling a crowd of more than 200 people at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Many members of The Ruth J. and Maxwell Hauser and Harriet and Arthur H. Aufses Jr., MD, Department of Surgery Advisory Board at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai were on hand for the show, which raised $3.2 million.
The event spoke to the compelling story of the Kyabirwa Center, which opened five years ago in response to the fact that as many as five billion people worldwide lack access to basic surgical care. The Center’s mission is to bring advanced outpatient surgical therapy to an underserved community in rural Uganda.

“Kyabirwa is a story of giving hope to the most vulnerable people in our communities here in eastern Uganda,” said the Center’s Director, Anna Turumanya Kalumuna, MBA. “The people living in Kyabirwa right now can testify to the fact that they no longer have to sell off their property to get basic surgical care.”

The Center is now thriving. Since its launch, approximately 6,370 procedures have been performed there, and some patients travel from as far as 12 hours away to receive safe, quality, effective treatment—regardless of their ability to pay. The Center is also expanding its efforts to allow for more surgery-related services, fostering research and community education, and enhancing its ability to provide laparoscopic procedures, cancer screenings, pathology services, and so much more. And this all takes place in a facility designed to maximize energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

“When we began this program five years ago, everyone—including me—was unsure as to whether or not we’d be successful here,” said Michael L. Marin, MD, Dr. Julius H. Jacobson II Chair in Vascular Surgery, Chairman of the Maxwell-Aufses Department of Surgery at Icahn Mount Sinai, and Surgeon-in-Chief for the Mount Sinai Health System. “Five years later, having seen so many pieces of it come together is a source of great pride for me and many of the others who are so important in making it successful.”

In 2023, the Center established a Women’s Health Clinic that has already provided much-needed gynecologic services to nearly 400 women, including 50 surgical procedures. The gynecology department is breaking down barriers and creating a genuine sanctuary for women to receive comprehensive and compassionate health care by offering a wide range of services, including a burgeoning wellness program.

Telesurgery technology is a key feature of the Kyabirwa Center. This cutting-edge technique allows surgeons at the Center to benefit from the experience and expertise of surgeons at Mount Sinai in real-time, a collaboration that helps with complex cases, improves patient outcomes, enhances research initiatives, and provides educational opportunities for surgeons in East Africa.

“Digital technologies, video communication in the operating room—the ability to do that in a dynamic fashion has been a game-changer,” said Dr. Marin. The Center is also now home to a state-of-the-art simulation center and is expanding its footprint to enhance its ability to provide additional services to even more patients.

Philanthropic support is crucial to the Kyabirwa Surgical Center’s ability to provide care to a remote community who would otherwise have no options. The dedication of the Center’s supporters sustains its mission and provides it with the resources needed to strengthen its outreach efforts, bring additional relief to more people, and serve as a model for bringing greater access to quality affordable health care throughout the world.

“This is something the world really needs,” said Miller, who, along with his wife Janice, is a Mount Sinai Department of Surgery Advisory Board member and a generous supporter of the Kyabirwa Center. “You very rarely run into that kind of an idea. Just immediately, we wanted to do anything we could do to help.”

Learn More About the Kyabirwa Surgical Center

A Celebration of Community and Compassion at Mount Sinai’s Annual Children’s Center Foundation Benefit

Nov 10, 2024 | Events, Featured

On November 10, 2024, Mount Sinai hosted its 37th Annual Children’s Center Foundation (CCF) Benefit with a performance of the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center. Gathered beneath the big top, the event brought together faculty, staff, families, and supporters to celebrate their shared commitment to pediatric health care.

This year’s fundraiser exceeded expectations, raising over $1 million to support Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics. The funds will help renovate hospital facilities, enhance therapeutic programs for hospitalized children, and advance pediatric research.

The event honored the Food Allergy Treatment and Research Center at the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, which has transformed the lives of thousands of children with food allergies since its founding in 2016. The 2024 CCF Annual Benefit Co-Chairs Madi Rothenberg Karpova and Ivan Karpov shared, “With our daughter CoCo as a patient, the Center’s compassionate and family-centered approach has been an invaluable source of support for our family.”

The evening also celebrated the exceptional surgeons at Kravis Children’s Hospital, whose expertise, precision, and unwavering dedication improves the health of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients. From performing intricate, life-saving procedures to offering emotional support to families in their darkest hours, these surgeons embody the highest standards of medical care and compassion. Their innovation and excellence continues to drive Mount Sinai’s reputation as a leader in pediatric surgery, inspiring hope for countless families.

Fashionably Fighting Multiple Sclerosis at NY Fashion Week

Sep 7, 2024 | Events, Featured

During New York Fashion Week, hundreds of attendees gathered for Project Lab Coat—a showcase of custom-designed, colorful lab coats created and designed by Anthony Rosa, founder and CEO of Runway 7 Fashion, a Fashion Week production company. More than 30 faculty, staff, patients, and families from The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai attended the event, hosted by Runway 7 Fashion on Saturday, September 7, at Sony Hall in Times Square.

 

“We created Project Lab Coat to use our platform of Runway 7 Fashion for a greater cause,” said Mr. Rosa, who also serves on the Center’s Advisory Board. “The goal of the Project is fighting multiple sclerosis. It’s a first in many ways for us and could be a model for fighting additional important health battles—cancer, Lyme disease, or others. Our slogan is ‘Project Lab Coat at New York Fashion Week with Mount Sinai… Elevating awareness, fashionably fighting against multiple sclerosis, and uniting for a cause that truly matters.’”

In memory of his late brother, Ralph, who battled multiple sclerosis for 23 years, Mr. Rosa designed fashionable lab coats to raise multiple sclerosis awareness. In a unique touch, Mr. Rosa enlisted doctors, nurse practitioners, and families from the Center to model the coats. Amid a thumping soundtrack by DJ Tone Experience, staff from the Center and professional models alike took to the runway, spinning, strutting, and creating an atmosphere that was both lively and emotional.

Ilana Katz Sand, MD

Before the models began their runway walk, Elizabeth Rosa, mother of Mr. Rosa and Ralph, presented Fred Lublin, MD, Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at Icahn Mount Sinai and Director of the Center, with a $25,000 donation to support the Center’s critical work.

Walking the runway to support the cause were Ilana Katz Sand, MD; Stephen Krieger, MD; James Sumowski, PhD; Sammita Satyanarayan, MD; Sarah Levy, PhD; and Nurse Practitioner Gretchen Mathewson, alongside administrative staffer Lady Navia and research coordinator Claire Wigley, and several professional models. Adding a family touch, Michelle Fabian, MD’s daughter Julia Fabian, Fred Lublin, MD’s granddaughter Avery Lublin, and Social Worker Ilona Silva Alvarez’s daughter Isabella Veliz-Silva also joined.

“All of us at the Center are deeply appreciative of the remarkable and unique opportunity that Anthony Rosa has afforded us in raising awareness of multiple sclerosis and the Center, and in raising needed funds for our goals,” said Dr. Lublin. “I was especially appreciative of having my granddaughter, Avery Lublin, walk the runway and model Anthony’s reimagining of the laboratory coat.”

Ilana Katz Sand, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Icahn Mount Sinai, and a physician from the Center who walked the runway, shared her experience. “Participating in the fashion show was an amazing experience. Although I was completely terrified while we were standing backstage, I looked around at my wonderful colleagues and was reminded how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such dedicated and caring professionals. We were all there to raise awareness and resources for the Center and all people living with multiple sclerosis; this inspired me to step out onto the runway with my head held high. We are extremely grateful to Anthony for this incredible opportunity and his generous support.”

Stephen Krieger, MD, FAAN

For Stephen Krieger, MD, FAAN, Professor of Neurology, Icahn Mount Sinai, the evening also meant getting a little uncomfortable. “I was thrilled—terrified, actually—to walk the runway at Fashion Week to support the Center and the Mount Sinai Community,” he said. “It was fun to step out of my comfort zone for the cause. My lab coat said, ‘Find the Cure for MS: Someone I Love is Waiting.’ I think this is an incredible message, our north star at the Center, where we focus every day on both caring for our patients and making advancements in the field.”

The event offered a space not only to enjoy the fashion show but also to connect and celebrate with each other. Attendees from the Center had reserved tables to relax, catch up over drinks and appetizers hosted by Runway 7 Fashion, and cheer on their colleagues as they showed off these meaningful designs.

“A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Rosa and Runway 7 Fashion for creating such a memorable night and for their unwavering support of the Center’s dedicated staff and their work,” said Dr. Lublin.