Accented by a sparkling springtime sunset overlooking the Hudson River, the Mount Sinai Health System held its 40th annual Crystal Party celebration at Pier Sixty in Chelsea Piers on May 20th.
The evening was a smashing success, raising $5M and bringing together more than 960 guests including family, friends, Health System leadership, Trustees, staff, and other supporters. This year’s event, which was chaired by Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz and Jana Pasquel de Shapiro and Adam Shapiro, honored Dennis S. Charney, MD, who will step down on June 30th after 18 years of leadership and service as the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs.
“Dennis has been a transformative leader for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,” Trustee Joel Ehrenkranz told the crowd. “When he became Dean in 2007, the School was well-respected. Today, after 18 years of Dennis’ leadership, the Icahn School of Medicine is one of the best medical schools in the country.”
During the event, it was announced that the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at Mount Sinai would be renamed the Dennis S. Charney, MD Depression and Anxiety Discovery Center to honor Dr. Charney, a preeminent expert in neurobiology who has made fundamental contributions to the understanding of human anxiety, fear, depression, and resilience. Having played a key role in the discovery of new treatments for mood and anxiety disorders, Dr. Charney was recently named one of the 2025 TIME 100 Most Influential People in Health for his breakthrough treatments for depression.
Attendees were captivated by a video tribute that painted an intimate and inspiring portrait of Dr. Charney’s remarkable journey and impactful legacy.
Dr. Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair of the Mount Sinai Health System, saluted Dr. Charney as someone who “personifies Mount Sinai’s sense of mission and our spirit of invincibility,” adding that “his success is widely recognized, far beyond the halls of Mount Sinai.” Much to the delight of Dr. Charney—an avid New York sports fan—Dr. Carr then queued up personalized video tributes from New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera and New York Knicks legend Walter “Clyde” Frazier.
Dr. Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS
Dennis S. Charney, MD
Dennis Charney, MD and Andrea Charney
“Dennis Charney is to science and medicine what every professional sports team would love to have: An all-star player, coach, and general manager—all wrapped up in one exceptional person,” said Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chairman of the Boards of Trustees at the Mount Sinai Health System. “
Mount Sinai has an extraordinary commitment to serving its community,” said Adam Shapiro, also a Trustee of the Health System. “Sinai reaches far and wide to serve over six million patients per year. It serves people in need, and it serves them with the same compassion and cutting-edge care that all patients receive. Its exemplary standards are those of a world-class academic medical center. And many of those standards were set by Dennis Charney.”
In his remarks, Dr. Charney referenced the 1904 opening of The Mount Sinai Hospital’s first building on Fifth Avenue and how its then-president, Isaac Wallach, characterized Mount Sinai as a “House of Noble Deeds.”
“This holds true today,” said Dr. Charney, who will remain on the faculty at the Icahn School and plans to continue writing, researching, and mentoring. “Our team has the talent. We have the drive. We have the spirit of collaboration. And we have the technology. These are the essential elements that will enable us to keep climbing the mountaintops of scientific discovery—and to write new chapters of biomedical innovation in the epic history of this House of Noble Deeds.”
Proceeds raised at the Crystal Party fund a variety of programs and departments across the Icahn School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Health System. Thank you for your support.
