Giving | Penn Medicine

The impact of the Jordan Scholarship Challenge is already visible. This fall, the inaugural recipients of the John Morgan Scholarships were named: Ian Danford, M’16, Nicolette Taku, M’16, and Janqian Zhang, M’16.

“I am incredibly grateful for the Morgan Scholarship,” said Mr. Zhang. “Without donations like this, I would not have been able to attend Penn Medicine. I just want to express my gratitude for my donors’ kindness and to let them know I will not take such generosity for granted; I will work hard every day throughout my medical school career in order to become the best physician I can be.”

Answering the Jordan Challenge

Through October, alumni have generously given $1.3 million to the John Morgan Scholars Program. Through the Jordan Family Challenge, started by the late Henry A. Jordan, M’62, RES’67, and his wife, Barrie, these donations have been matched to create $2.6 million in endowment for student financial aid. The Challenge has $1.5 million in gifts as its goal and ends Dec. 31. We talked with a few recent donors about why they gave:

“My grandfather, who was a general practitioner, graduated from the Penn School of Medicine in 1886,” said John Carlisle Brown, M’62. Dr. Brown, the grandson, is the rare individual with links to the University that span parts of three centuries.

“I am proud that my grandfather and father also went to Penn Med and gratified to see how well the School is doing,” Dr. Brown said. Dr. Brown’s father, who graduated in 1920, was the only board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist in the Atlantic City, NJ area from the 1930s to around World War II and estimated having delivered over 10,000 babies in his career.

“Making a gift through the Jordan Challenge, for our class at least, feels like an appropriate memorial to Henry and tribute to his family and their strong advocacy for students.”

“I’ve been very blessed in my career and the foundation for it began at Penn,” said Doug Jacobs, M’71, GM’72.

Dr. Jacobs pursued psychiatry at Penn, signature strength when he studied here as well as today, and many families are grateful that he did. The not-for-profit he leads, Screening for Mental Health, Inc., pioneered large-scale mental health screening and education programs. Today the programs are used in schools, hospitals, and clinics for mental health issues, including depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol use disorders, eating disorders, and suicide intervention. During the last five years, the U.S. Department of Defense has used Dr. Jacobs’ work to screen families and returning soldiers. You can see the public service announcement for this program here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wagcer3twJA

Dr. Jacobs remembers Penn “as a wonderful place to go to medical school.” In choosing to give back through the Jordan Challenge, Dr. Jacobs hopes to ensure future Perelman School students will benefit in the same way he did from a Penn education: “I look at it as a responsibility to the generation coming up.”

“I was inspired early,” said Katherine Martien, M’82. “I met Dr. Walter Gamble as a young trainee and recent Penn graduate at the Children’s Hospital of Boston. Walter and Anne opened their lives to me—offering home cooked meals and a model of harmonious balance between work and family. He mentored me through those challenging, early years and my contribution to the Challenge honors his visionary philanthropy. ”

Walter, M’57, and his wife Anne endowed the 21st Century Scholars— a program that provides students full tuition for the entirety of medical school. This year’s entering class includes 14 Gamble Scholars. Like Dr. Gamble, Dr. Martien steadfastly believes that alleviating the huge debt burden of medical school frees young physicians to select the career that’s right for them.

Dr. Martien chose to become a neurodevelopmental pediatrician specializing in the autism spectrum and other disorders. For her, financial aid is also about striking that balance the Gambles personify so well.

“I want to help give recent graduates the best head start when it comes to being able to embark on family, travel, and life experiences beyond those in the medical profession.”
Finally, she is passionate that scholarships will bring the best students to medicine and to the Perelman School: “Ultimately, this is about the strength of the individuals we train, and how they will go forward and contribute to medicine and society.”

“I am who I am because of my time at Penn,” said Michael Balk, M87, RES 90.

“What attracted me the most at my interview was the diversity,” he said. “In our class we had a former commander of a nuclear submarine, a professional dancer—a really exciting mix of backgrounds and personalities.

“It was a warm and creative place to be, a place where you became a good doctor. In my first few weeks I met a group of friends who stayed very close in those years. When I saw them again at our 25th reunion it was as if no time had passed.

Today Dr. Balk is a managing partner at Northside Cardiology in Atlanta, Georgia. “My years at Penn were a defining time,” he said. “Giving to the Challenge just made sense. Your gift gets an automatic boost, and it’s a great use of the money—helping talented students to experience this fabulous institution.”

Patient Profile: An Encouraging Journey through Personalized Care

“Everyone knew the details of my diagnosis and made me feel as if I were the only patient at the Abramson Cancer Center.” —Beverly Ensor

In 2006, 72 year-old Beverly Ensor, a retired nurse and part owner of a local bed and breakfast in Philadelphia, was not feeling well and sought guidance from her family doctor. Her doctor suggested that she have a colonoscopy, and when the procedure later revealed that there was a cancerous lesion, she decided to turn to Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) for further diagnosis.

And, she is glad that she did. Beverly was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and immediately began treatment at the ACC. Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer in both men and women, and is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. Beverly received her care from Peter J. O’Dwyer, M.D., Director, Developmental Therapeutics Program and her GI medical oncologist and James Metz, M.D., Vice Chair, Clinical Division, Department of Radiation Oncology, and established a close relationship with both of them.

“Beverly presented with metastatic colorectal cancer, so we took a very personalized approach to her care,” said Dr. Metz. Her team of physicians at the ACC treated her disease very aggressively – including two surgical resections, after her initial chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

As advances continue, new treatment options are added to the arsenal of comprehensive care. Dr. Metz explains Penn’s unique ability to offer many new treatment modalities all in one location, “Now with proton therapy here at Penn, radiation for colorectal cancers is even less invasive and more targeted for hard-to-reach areas of the body. It allows us to treat tumors even more aggressively while ensuring a good quality of life.”

During her care at the ACC, Beverly was most impressed by how well-managed she thought her case was handled, and is very thankful. “From my point of entry, I knew I had a team I could rely on. Everyone knew the details of my diagnosis and made me feel as if I were the only patient at the Abramson Cancer Center,” recalls Beverly.

Today, nothing seems to slow Beverly down. She continues to manage the bed and breakfast that she helped to establish in 1985, and five years after her treatment, she is a happy and healthy cancer survivor.

Personalized Diagnostics: Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment

“Personalized diagnostics are the key to personalized medicine – and Penn has the vision to see this is the crucial next step in providing the best outcomes for patients.”
– David B. Roth, M.D., Ph.D., Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Sitting at the forefront of personalized medicine, Penn Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) are launching the new Center for Personalized Diagnostics. With its roots in the same lab where the Philadelphia chromosome was discovered, this research and patient care center will provide clinicians with critical information regarding their patient’s disease – and allow them to offer customized, safer, and more effective treatments.

There are approximately 20,000 genes encoded in the three billion DNA base pairs that make up the human genome. Current genetic testing for cancer patients searches for mutations within single genes in a limited number of cancer genes. There are more than 480 genes which are known to be mutated in cancer, with subsets of these genes acting as “drivers” of cancer development in specific tissue types. Through the new technology of massively parallel sequencing, also known as “Next Generation Sequencing,” mutations in large subsets of these cancer-associated genes can be detected in parallel through a single laboratory assay. By targeting large panels of genes with known prognostic and therapeutic implications, this technology offers clinicians the ability to make informed decisions by looking across the genomic landscape of a patient’s individual cancer.

A New Universal Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy A glimpse into the future includes a universal platform for personalized cancer therapy based on immune cells known as T cells. Researchers at Penn Medicine have devised, for the first time, a potential system for adaptable, engineered immune cells that can attack specific tumor types based on which abnormal proteins, called antigens, are expressed by an individual patient’s tumor cells. Through Penn Medicine’s Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility, physicians can harness and engineer a patient’s own cells as part of medical care to provide a targeted personalized therapy.

While this research is still in the early clinical trial phase, Penn Medicine researchers predict a future where a highly personalized platform for cancer therapy would begin with a patient’s tumor being analyzed at the Center for Personalized Diagnostics. When the antigens expressed by a patient’s tumor cells are determined, their T cells will be engineered and given back to them to attack the patient’s tumor antigens – causing an individualized tumor attack.

The new Hematologic Malignancies Translational Center of Excellence at the ACC – a center redefining diagnostics and therapeutic approaches to blood cancers to provide effective targeted therapies – will build upon cutting-edge technologies developed at Penn Medicine. The new 2 Prevent Recurrent Breast Cancer Translational Center of Excellence is focused on studying cells that remain in the body after treatment to uncover how they relate to the original tumor, where they live and grow, and how they relate to the relapsed tumor. Collaborations between the laboratory and the clinic will continue to strengthen our understanding of these diseases and bring us closer to offering personalized diagnostics and precision cancer care.

To support the Center for Personalized Diagnostics, contact Evelyn Schwartz at (215) 898-8625 or evelynsz@upenn.edu.

Prostate Cancer: The Only Treatment Option Is Every Option

“There are two commonalities that unite cancer patients – the fierce desire to overcome their illness and the need for treatment options that will help them realize this goal.”
— Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology

Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., Chair,
Department of Radiation Oncology

More than 1.1 million men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the next five years. The good news is that when detected early, prostate cancer is extremely treatable. And the news to remember is that Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) has one of the largest, multi-disciplinary groups studying this disease globally including expert physicians and scientists from the pathology, radiation oncology, urology, hematology/ oncology, epidemiology, medicine and genetics specialties.
The caliber of the ACC’s research sets the quality of care above the rest with a cadre of faculty dedicated to investigating, understanding and eradicating prostate cancer.

Our multi-faceted, comprehensive approach allows patients and families to have the whole spectrum of prostate cancer care in one place, while providing patients the tools needed to identify the most appropriate treatment plan for their cancer. From surgery to radiation to immunotherapy, the ACC provides the highest level of clinical expertise.

SURGERY
The Division of Urology is a national leader in the surgical treatment of prostate cancer and is at the forefront of developing state-of-the-art surgical techniques. Thomas J. Guzzo, M.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Urology, is trained in four innovative areas of surgery: open, robotic, laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures. With his comprehensive expertise, he is equipped to individualize surgical treatment options for prostate cancer patients. As with many of Penn’s urology physicians, his clinical reach expands beyond just one form of treatment.

PROTON THERAPY
Neha Vapiwala, M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Chief of the Genitourinary Service, has the unique ability to offer patients a full spectrum of radiation therapy treatment options, including proton therapy. With the latest pencil beam proton technology, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), Trubeam, RapidArc, and Cyberknife technologies, Penn’s Radiation Oncology Department is the most comprehensive in the world. Located within the department of radiation oncology, the Roberts Proton Therapy Center offers patients the most advanced radiation therapy treatments to more precisely deliver high doses of radiation to tumors, optimizing efficacy while at the same time limiting side effects to patients. Dr. Vapiwala’s research focuses on identifying and understanding new molecular and imaging biomarkers to more accurately diagnose, stage and treat prostate cancer.

TARGETED THERAPIES/IMMUNOTHERAPY
Naomi B. Haas, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director, Prostate and Kidney Cancer Program, has collaborated with Carl June, M.D. in an exciting new immunotherapy trial that uses the patient’s own genetically engineered T cells to treat prostate cancer. Currently being tested in animal models, the opening of a phase I/II clinical trial for patients is in the near future, in part due to generous funding from the Prostate Research Foundation, and other philanthropic resources.

GENETICS
Timothy Rebbeck, Ph.D., Director, Center for Genetics & Complex Traits is co-leading one of the world’s largest initiatives in prostate cancer research to better understand disease outcomes and factors that contribute to patient survival. While prostate cancer is extremely treatable in the United States, this isn’t true in other parts of the world. Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men worldwide. Dr. Rebbeck’s research is focused on discovering why certain populations are at an increased risk of mortality from prostate cancer. By understanding each patient’s own risks using genetics, biomarkers and other risk factors, treatments can be further tailored to identify patients who may benefit from aggressive treatments and those it is more appropriate to actively monitor in order to avoid unnecessary side effects of treatment.

ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE
Active surveillance, or diligently monitoring the prostate over time, may be an excellent treatment option for men whose cancer is not aggressive. This option is supported in the urologic cancer community and consistently recommended to many prostate cancer patients. Alan J. Wein, M.D., FACS, Ph.D. (Hon), Chief, Division of Urology, iterates the validity of active surveillance as a treatment option, saying that “surgery or radiation is not always the best option for every patient.” Active surveillance includes regular biopsies, digital rectal exams and regular Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing – a blood test to detect chemicals in the bloodstream that may cause prostate problems, such as enlarged prostate, infection or cancer.

OUTCOMES
Justin E. Bekelman, M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, studies the effectiveness of treatments for prostate cancer. His research aims to generate the evidence needed to support patients’ treatment decisions, thereby addressing the essential purpose of comparative effectiveness research. By combining data from federally-sponsored cancer registries with hospital-based registries across the United States, Dr. Bekelman’s research will track and compare the outcomes of hundreds of thousands of men with prostate cancer.

To support prostate cancer research and patient care, contact Sarah Evans at (215) 746-3005 or saraheva@upenn.edu.

Identical twins Will and Greg Kennedy spent most of their lives together through college. But after their 2012 graduation from Princeton University, slightly divergent interests in medicine led to an ocean-wide separation.

While Will began his medical education at the Perelman School, Greg traveled to the United Kingdom for a master’s degree in the history of medicine at Cambridge University.

Greg Kennedy, M'17, and Will Kennedy, M'16, at Greg's White Coat ceremony on August 16, 2013.

Throughout their college years, the Kennedy brothers worked in an oncology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic, with both clearly intrigued by research. Will first became interested in the Perelman School during a medical school information session in his freshman year at Princeton. The Penn Medicine contingent, including faculty and a student panel composed of Princeton alumni, trumpeted the team-based learning environment, early clinical exposure, and expansive opportunities for research and service.

A year-and-a-half later, Will has found all of this to be true. He counts his learning teammates (the group with whom each Perelman student is matched during the first week of the first year) among his closest friends. Also, one of his research projects was accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Ear, Nose, and Throat Advances in Children. “The research opportunities and the willingness of Penn’s faculty to mentor students is a testament to the supportive environment and sense of community that attracted me here on my interview day,” Will said.

As an inaugural Perelman scholar, he also appreciates the chance that he had last year to meet Ray Perelman and thank him personally for his generosity.

Meanwhile, Greg, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, was busy abroad poring over the history of medicine. “I am especially captivated by doctors who not only made tremendous advances in clinical medicine, but acted as powerful patient advocates and changed the landscape of healthcare on a national level, such as Sidney Farber, Virginia Apgar, and Jack Geiger,” he said.

Greg, now living with his brother again, is trying to do just that as a first-year Perelman student. Although many factors drew him to Penn, his brother’s presence and a generous merit scholarship and additional financial aid package among them, it was the school’s unique ethos that appealed to him. “I was very impressed by a culture that prioritizes team-based, patient-centered learning, tremendous opportunities for scientific research and mentorship, and a strong commitment to local underserved patient populations,” Greg said.

Penn’s emphasis on early patient contact through the LEAPP (Longitudinal Experience to Appreciate Patient Perspectives) Program was particularly meaningful. Greg was paired with a premature neonate, which deeply resonated with him since he and his brother were also born prematurely at 26 weeks. Greg offered,

“Although I had some sense of the severity of our situation through family stories, I think LEAPP has given me a fuller understanding of the physical and emotional impact of prematurity not only on the patient, but on the entire family.”

Given their collegial and altruistic natures and steady involvement in the community, both have volunteered at the United Community Clinic, it's safe to say that the Kennedy brothers' reunion at the Perelman School represents a true symbiotic relationship for Penn and Philadelphia.

Medical Alumni Weekend 2015 to Feature Black Tie Gala, Saturday, May 16

All alumni are invited to for a black-tie gala in honor of School’s 250th anniversary on May 16, 2015, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

A symposium on the future of medicine will be held during the afternoon on Friday, May 15. Plans for both, including ticket prices, will be forthcoming.

Please note that Class Reunion events will occur on Friday night in 2015.

We hope you will save the date and help make this an occasion to remember.

On December 2, 2013, over 400 people came together to celebrate the Abramson Cancer Center’s 40th Anniversary of being designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. This momentous milestone granted us the opportunity to celebrate achievements in cancer research, patient care, and education during the last four decades that continue to bring hope to patients and their families affected by cancer.

We were pleased to award Bert Vogelstein, M.D., world-renowned geneticist from the Johns Hopkins University, with the inaugural Abramson Award and hear his special lecture, Cancer Genomes and Their Implications for Research and Patients.

A special thank you goes out to our generous sponsors who are helping to ensure that we will reach even more milestones over the next 40 years!

From left: Dean J. Larry Jameson, M.D., Ph.D., Alan J. Wein, M.D., FACS, Ph.D. (Hon),

Noele Wein, and Daniel J. Keating, III, Chair, ACC Director’s Leadership Council.

From left: Bonnie Gray, Leonard and Shari Potter, Mindy Gray, and Michele Jameson.

From left: Geraldine Rosato, Jeffrey A. Drebin, M.D., Ph.D., Rafe and Tony Rosato.

Founding donors, Leonard (far left) and Madlyn Abramson, Bert Vogelstein, M.D.,

and ACC Director, Chi V. Dang, M.D., Ph.D.

Visit pennmedicine.org/ACC40th for additional highlights and a full list of our generous sponsors who made this event possible.

In medicine, diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans are considered rare, or “orphans.” Large pharmaceutical companies have little economic incentive in finding cures that will benefit so few, and academic investigators often work in isolation. Researchers focusing on one disease rarely talk with those working on another.

More than 7,000 diseases fit the “orphan” classification, affecting more than 25 million Americans.

Genetic abnormalities cause 80 percent of these diseases, giving them common elements. With this in mind, a donor came up with a powerful idea: What if we developed a “think tank” at Penn Medicine to unite scientists throughout the world? The Penn Center for Orphan Disease Research and Therapy was born.

The center operates globally as no other. With H. Lee Sweeney, Ph.D.,the William Maul Measey Professor of Physiology, as director, the Center brings together scientists, provides administrative resources and creates unusual partnerships. The center, through the donor’s generosity, has awarded $4.4 million in grants not just to researchers at Penn and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but to investigators in the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia and even at the National Institutes of Health. More than 230 scientists world-wide count themselves as members of the new center.

Penn will bring more attention to orphan diseases with a symposium May 2 and the Million Dollar Bike Ride on May 3.

How can you help? Make your gift to the bike ride and to support this important research.

In addition, you can visit this site to register as a volunteer at the bike ride event.

Four years in the making, building-wide renovations to the Scheie Eye Institute were celebrated by alumni, faculty, and friends this spring.

Focused on creating a better experience for patients, faculty, and staff, improvements were designed with input from all these groups. The result is more attractive and comfortable spaces along with improved technology for better scheduling and more convenient patient visits.

Home to the largest full-time ophthalmology faculty in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York, Penn Medicine plays an influential role in the region’s health. Today more adults face eye disease than ever before. Many people say they would prefer death to blindness, and patients take action when their eyesight is threatened. As a result, eye specialists sometimes serve as primary care providers. Glaucoma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers may be first detected through an eye exam. Scheie’s collaborative and knowledgeable faculty often refer patients to general practitioners or specialists they need.

Dr. Joan O’Brien began this ambitious project soon after her arrival in 2010 as the William F. Norris and George E. DeSchweinitz Professor, Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Scheie Eye Institute.

The large-scale rethinking of the facility and its practices very much reflects her commitment to patients and to creating an ideal environment for the pursuit of translational medicine.

Dr. Daniel Albert, M'62, a student of Dr. Scheie and mentor of Dr. O’Brien, presented the 8th Annual David M. Kozart Memorial Lecture. Dr. Albert and his wife Ellie donated a collection of antique instruments, ophthalmoscopes, spectacles, and rare medical texts, which can be seen in the new display area in the lobby of the Scheie Eye Institute.

Perelman School of Medicine Dean J. Larry Jameson helped to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Department and noted that Ophthalmology is one of Penn’s most public-minded departments, participating in outreach to the local community through SightSavers and other programs.

The strength of the faculty/student/patient relationships in the Department is reflected in the very name of the Scheie Eye Institute. In the 1960s, as the department outgrew its location in the basement of HUP, Chair Harold Scheie called on his students and patients for support to build a new facility. This tradition of community and generosity is very much alive in the department today.

Michele Volpe, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, commended Scheie as a strong partner in community outreach and in creating a culture of excellence. In closing she said, “It's wonderful to see you in an environment that so brilliantly supports and expresses your commitment to providing the best for our patients."

UPHS CEO Ralph W. Muller highlighted the excellent care provided at Scheie, which, with 14 subspecialties offers an unussual depth of expertise. He praised the collaborative design process, which included weekly meetings led by Drs. O’Brien and Alexander Brucker, noting that this way of working “involves each of us in innovation and improvement, and is vital to our future success.”

Arno A. Roscher, M.D., a world renowned physician-scientist who directed Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at two distinguished Los Angeles-area hospitals, recently gave $100,000 to support Penn Medicine’s Gene Targeting Core and Laboratory.

Directed by Tobias D. Raabe, Ph.D., the Core and Laboratory performs and enhances novel CRISPR and TALEN technologies that allow genetic modification of mouse and human stem cells for both basic research and gene therapy in patients with unprecedented efficiency and specificity.

Dr. Roscher, who “likes to acknowledge that he was born in Albert Einstein’s birthplace of Ulm, Germany,” earned his M.D. magna cum laude at the Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich, Germany. He spent most of his career in Southern California, where he served on the leadership of both the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (1975-2001), and the former Granada Hills Community Hospital (1965-2003), where he is now an emeritus director. Since 1979 he has been clinical professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

During his nearly 60 years in medicine, Dr. Roscher has helped to bring about important changes in radiation oncology, surgical oncology, and heart transplant and cardiac surgery, on which he published in more than 25 patient - centered studies and clinical trials. He also played a significant role in championing fine needle aspiration pathology and stem cell research.

With this gift Dr. Roscher continues his career-long dedication to supporting advances in science and medicine. He has made it a priority to educate surgeons on genetics, regenerative medicine, immunology, and other leading-edge fields that are changing the prospects for patients.

He organized 33 annual Arno A. Roscher symposia, which were co-sponsored by UCLA, USC and UCI, and in 2009 created the Dr. Arno A. Roscher Annual Endowed Lecture at the International College of Surgeons (ICS). He has served ICS since 1968, and earned its highest distinction, the ICS Honorary Fellow. Through his interests, he has met Nobel Prize winners and many other leading minds in science and medicine.

“It’s especially meaningful to us that this gift comes from an accomplished, knowledgeable, and forward-thinking medical practitioner and scholar, who has had a great influence on the implementation of better treatments,” said Morris J. Birnbaum, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Dean, Biomedical Cores at the Perelman School of Medicine.

“Dr. Roscher is very attuned to promising developments in medical research, and we are proud to have his endorsement and acknowledgment that this work will have a great impact on how quickly the causes of and therapies for genetic diseases are delivered in the foreseeable future.”

The gift came about when Drs. Roscher and Raabe met at a scientific conference.

“It’s the newest of the new,” said Dr. Roscher of Dr. Raabe’s work, and he enlisted Dr. Raabe’s assistance in creating an exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Sciences on ‘surgicogenomics,’ the field that is “emerging from the intersection of genetics and stem cell research and surgical practice.” The Museum is a Division of the International College of Surgeons, dedicated to improving the lives of patients through the development and education of its members and the advancement of the medical field.

Dr. Roscher’s gift will be used to speed the work of the Gene Targeting Core and Laboratory through funding an additional research specialist and materials and supplies, for the purpose of advancing ultra high efficient gene targeting in mouse and human stem cells.

“This support is making a real difference in how much we can accomplish, and comes at a pivotal time when we are working on technologies that have the potential to be game changing,” said Dr. Raabe. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”

“There were no better words than hearing ‘no cancer.’ But my road to recovery was a long one that I found both physically and mentally challenging. It takes a lot of work to get well and I want to make it easier for someone else. By giving back, I hope I can make a small difference.”
–John Mills

In February 2013, John Mills was diagnosed with a malignancy under his right jaw bone. He was told it was serious—and that he needed to consider getting his affairs in order.

But hope came when his diagnosing physician, as well as several close friends, recommended he see Dr. Gregory S. Weinstein of the Center for Head and Neck Cancer at Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC).

The source of Mr. Mills’ reversal of fortune? TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS), the revolutionary, minimally invasive robotic surgery procedure developed by Dr. Weinstein and Dr. Bert O’Malley at Penn Medicine.

“Something magical is happening at the Abramson Cancer Center,” Mr. Mills reflects. “The positivity and collegiality that lives here is powerful medicine.”

To read more of John’s Story, visit our Focus on Cancer blog.

Julia’s* cancer journey began in June 2009 when, at the age of 29, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer—a disease her mother Jane* battled and won years before. At the time of Julia’s diagnosis, Jane discovered she had Muir-Torre syndrome—a form of Lynch syndrome— an extremely rare genetic disease that makes its victims highly susceptible to cancer.

Further testing showed that Julia carried the MSH2 mutation, one of the two genes linked to Muir-Torre syndrome.

Julia found hope and answers about her rare genetic mutation at the Abramson Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program from Anil Rustgi, MD, who identified her mutation and created a preventive care regimen, and from Steven Fakharzadeh, MD, PhD, a genetic skin disorder specialist who monitors her skin for mutations that can occur with Muir-Torre syndrome.

Julia’s story didn’t end there. During her treatments, and because of her MSH2 gene, she made the difficult decision to have a total hysterectomy. While this radical procedure took away her ability to have biological children, it led to a diagnosis of early stage ovarian cancer. Fortunately she did not need to undergo radiation or chemotherapy because both cancers were detected early in their most treatable stage.

“I was very lucky,” she explained. “Most women with ovarian cancer do not know they have it until it’s progressed.”

Today, Julia is cancer-free and actively spreading awareness about this complicated, rare genetic mutation that can be a precursor to cancer. She wants to pass on the most important lesson that she took away from her experience— knowledge and preventative care are the keys to survival.

She started with her family, and has already seen positive results. Her uncle who tested positive for Muir-Torre syndrome found a benign polyp during a colonoscopy. At 49, an age below the timeframe for routine testing, he is already benefiting from getting tested early.

“If I helped just one person think twice about their own family genetic makeup or current health status, then I know, despite everything, I made a difference.”

Read Julia’s personal account of her cancer journey here.

To learn how to support research efforts for Muir-Torre syndrome contact, Katie Dewees-Detzel at kdewees@upenn.edu or 215-746-1927.

*Pseudonyms

Nearly 100 local residents and community volunteers joined forces with three event sponsors and 17 premiere restaurants from the Philadelphia area for a spirited evening of gourmet dining and wine tasting, raising more than $50,000 to support the Penn Family Planning and Pregnancy Loss Center.

At Amis--From left to right: Aurora O'Brien, Joan Earley, Mary Ann Oaks,

Brenda Gilbert, Susan Kendall (table host), Bill Rosato

Donors who purchased a table prior to the event enjoyed an exclusive dinner and wine pairing for six. Chef selected meals were generously provided by participating restaurants, including Alma De Cuba, Amis, Buddakan, Butcher & Singer, Estia, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Fork, Fountain Restaurant, Laurel, Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, Le Cheri, Mica, R2L, Savona Restaurant, Susanna Foo, The Prime Rib, and Zahav. Proceeds from the event will support a new model of care, the Pregnancy Early Access Center (PEACE), which is being established by the Penn Family Planning and Pregnancy Loss Center in an effort to better meet the needs of women in the early stages of pregnancy who require emergency care often as a result of other complex health issues.

At Buddakan--From left to right: Dr. Althier Lazer, Debbie Clower, Nancy Dubow

Michele Jameson (table host), Gail Morrison, Peggy Heldring

“Our ‘Wine and Dine’ event is now in its second year, and we are tremendously pleased with its continued success,” said Ashley Govberg, co-chair of the Penn Medicine Women’s Health Leadership Council, which hosted the event. “It’s wonderful to see so many people—from our event guests to the participating restaurants and sponsors—show support for such a pressing need in women’s reproductive health." Govberg Jewelers was one of the event's sponsors, along with [2 one 5] Creative and Leadership Council members Keith and Alix Morgan.

At LaCroix--From left to right: Dr. Gary and Bridget Crooks,

Eva and Stephen Hymowitz, Carole and Joe Shanis (table host)

The Penn Medicine Women's Health Leadership Council was established in 2008. Its membership consists of community volunteers and Penn Medicine physicians and administrators. The council aims to increase community awareness about women’s health issues and help raise funds for Penn Medicine initiatives and programs that address those issues.

“Despite the prevalence, women often feel alone when a pregnancy abnormality or miscarriage is diagnosed,” said Courtney A. Schreiber, MD, MPH, Director of the Penn Family Planning & Pregnancy Loss Center, which launched the PEACE initiative. “Caring for these women gives us unique insight into the urgency of their needs during early pregnancy. PEACE will allow us to expand our highly patient-focused approach, as well as to conduct impactful research on effective treatment strategies and whole-woman care options. In the end, a center dedicated to managing complications in early pregnancy will allow us to deliver a message of hope."

At The Prime Rib--Table host was L.F. Driscoll Co.

and guests were part of the management team:

Daniel LaRosati, Ken Innella, Matt Guinan, Colin Burke, Walter Smith, Shannon Campbell

Penn Medicine has a strong tradition of excellence. U.S.News & World Report consistently recognizes Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine as among the top five in the nation and its women’s health program is ranked fifth.

Blogger Karthik Muthuswamy

March 21, 2014, marked a highly emotional day for 161 Perelman School of Medicine students and their families, friends, and professors. Read Karthik Muthuswamy's blog posts about the event and recall your days waiting to find out your residency match, and share this once-in-a-lifetime experience in videoand photos!

Gilbert H. Kilman, M'84

Most of the knowledge that I apply in venture capital I actually learned as a medical student at Penn,” said Gilbert H. Kliman, M’84. “Investing in new medical technologies requires more clinical insight than business acumen, and I use my Penn medical education every day, from the point of care to the board room.” Whatever its origin, his expertise is now also benefiting his class and students of the future.

Trained as a retina specialist ophthalmologist, Dr. Kliman has for the past 20 years worked as a venture capitalist in health care investing, backing innovative technologies providing breakthrough patient treatments across a wide spectrum of medical fields.

A member of his 30^th Reunion Committee, he is enjoying the process of reconnecting with classmates in preparing for Medical Alumni Weekend. He is also actively encouraging his fellow alumni to contribute toward the newly established Medical Class of 1984 Scholarship Fund after making his own leadership gift to the fund.

“It’s exciting that our Class of 1984 has accomplished the feat of creating our scholarship in just a matter of months,” he said. “Penn was a great experience for me and some of my best friends today were my medical school classmates.

With his 30^th reunion approaching, Dr. Kliman is inspired to give back not only because of the many benefits of his Perelman School experience, but out of appreciation for what philanthropy means to his family. “My father and uncle came from very limited means. But through full scholarship support, they were able to complete medical school, becoming the first ever physicians in our family and subsequently devoting their careers to academic medicine.”

“Their accomplishments inspired me to follow in their footsteps and then apply medical knowledge to technology innovation, enabling new patient treatments with global impact,” he said. “I hope to pay it forward through establishing a Class of 1984 scholarship, helping deserving future students who might not otherwise be able to afford the opportunity to get a great medical education and make a positive impact on patient care.”

For information on giving to Penn Medicine or contributing to the Medical Class of 1984 Scholarship Fund, please contact Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations

Join us at the Dean’s Dinner May 16 to honor five and enjoy the company of many other exceptional alumni.

Reflecting the breadth of “We the People” are our 2014 Alumni Service Award winners:

Edward Anderson, C'65, M'69

Edward Anderson, C’65, M’69, is an interventional cardiologist who went to California for his internship and never came back -- except for countless meetings of the various University groups which he has served. A star undergraduate athlete, a University Trustee, a Medical Alumni volunteer, and generous scholarship donor, he personifies intervention.

Robert G Johnson Jr.,
C'74, GR'80, M'81

Robert G. Johnson Jr., C’74, GR’80, M’81, a consultant to the biopharmaceutical industry, who is already anticipating our School’s 250^th anniversary next year by helping kick off the 250^th Anniversary Medical School Scholarship Fund. This is only the latest of the many contributions this Penn Medicine “West of the Rockies” stalwart has undertaken on our behalf.

Ariella Poncz Golomb,
C'99, M'04, WG'04

Ariella Poncz Golomb, C’99, M’04, WG’04, is the recipient of the Young Alumni Award. As Managing Director at Healthpoint Capital she uses her multiple Penn degrees to combine life science and private equity, while advancing our School through mentoring, advising, and helping with fundraising.

During the evening, the 2014 Distinguished Graduate Award recipients, selected for their service to society and to the profession of medicine, will also be recognized:

Bill Eaton,
C'59, M'64, GR'67

Bill Eaton, C’59, M’64, GR’67, is an internationally recognized researcher on the physical chemistry of proteins. An exemplar of the importance of basic science, Bill leads a team at the NIH, where he is chief of the Laboratory of Chemical Physics.

Alan Wein, M'66, INT'70

Alan Wein, M’66, INT’70, a distinguished member of the Penn Medicine family, has built the Division of Urology into one of the nation’s leading centers for excellence in urology and urologic surgery. He now holds the Founders Professor in Urology, which was created in recognition of his leadership and accomplishments.
Read their bios and get ready to congratulate them in person -- this year food stations rather than a sit-down style dinner will assure if not a more perfect reunion, at least a more interactive one.

Professors Lisa Bellini, MD, Grant Liu, MD, and Richard Summers, MD, have been acknowledged by their peers for excellence in teaching.

The Lindback Awards annually recognize standing faculty members who promote academic excellence and demonstrate exceptional teaching at mid-Atlantic colleges and universities. The Provost’s Awards annually recognize associated faculty and academic support staff on the same principles.

Lisa Bellini, M.D.

Dr. Bellini, Professor of Medicine, received a 2014 Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Bellini has been on the faculty since 1991. As Director of the Internal Medicine Training Program, she is responsible for the education of more than 150 trainees. Both students and colleagues remarked on the depth of her knowledge in pulmonary disease as well as her keen ability to guide students towards their specialized career paths by recognizing their aspirations and interests. One student noted that “she quite frankly changed the course of my medical career, even as early as my second year of training.”

Grant Liu, M.D.

Dr. Liu, Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology, was also selected for a Lindback Award. His students and peers are impressed not only with his authorship of the neuro-ophthalmology text commonly known as “the book,” but also with the fact that he allows his mentees to contribute to the content. A fourth-year medical student stated “there is no denying that Dr. Liu is brilliant and extremely knowledgeable,” and his ability to make each of his patients feel personally cared for makes him accessible as well as well-rounded.

Richard Summers, M.D.

Dr. Summers, a part of Penn since 1985, has received the Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty. As Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Residency Training Program, he is an integral player in the Department’s highly rated training program. He not only teaches future practitioners in Philadelphia, but also participates in Penn Medicine’s unique exchange program with Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, Maine. Dr. Summers leads by example, with one colleague pointing out how he not only taught “what a psychiatrist should know, but how a psychiatrist should think.”
Congratulations to Drs. Bellini, Liu, and Summers on this terrific accomplishment!

The 2014 Edition Is Hot Off the Press

Front Row Left to Right: Akosua Nti, Rose Li. Back Row Left to
Right: Zachary Meisel, MD, MPH, MS, Peter Guyon, Lauren
McCollum, Horace Delisser, MD

Perelman School students have earned their reputation for being driven, talented, and versatile. Since 2012, some students have added a dash of artistry to the medical school experience by creating the literary journal Stylus.

As Yun Rose Li, one of the founding editors and an MD/PhD candidate, explained, "Stylus is a literary and artistic journal that provides a creative outlet for the medical and biomedical community at the University of Pennsylvania." She and co-founders MS4s Peter Guyon and Akosua Nti welcome short stories, essays, opinion pieces, poetry, photography, cartoons, sketches, recipes, and potentially other artistic forms of expression from students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

"This concept is long overdue," said Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Horace M. DeLisser, M'85, who, along with Zachary F. Meisel, GR'10, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, serves as faculty co-advisor. "The Stylus editors are some of the brightest and most eager students that I've encountered, and their publication provides students, trainees, and physicians with a much-needed opportunity to reflect on and decompress from very stressful work."

The first three editions of Stylusare available online. For next year, the editors are considering the addition of a nonfiction section partly inspired by the British Medical Journal's Medical Humanities.

The literary journal can also count Dean Jameson among its fans: "Stylus is a wonderful publication by students at the Perelman School of Medicine. Through essays, poetry, art and photography, it provides an important forum for expression of ideas, feelings and memories. I commend the contributions for preserving the important linkage between medicine and the humanities."

Stylus is an elegant reminder that every student, every patient, every practitioner, and every person has a story to tell. The journal welcomes your contributions. Please send your submission(s) to pennmedjournal@gmail.com. There is a 2,000-word limit for written submissions, and, while work need not rise to the level of an opus by William Carlos Williams, M'06, HON'52, submissions are not automatically accepted. Student editors carefully review all pieces and also offer a small monetary prize for the best selections.

The editors appreciate the Perelman School's support; the AnnualFund allows such enriching student-run programs to come to fruition.

Brett Davidson

This March, Brett Davidson became Penn Medicine's Alumni Development and Alumni Relations (ADAR) Executive Director.

You can meet him here -- and at Medical Alumni Weekend. Or catch him any time at brett2@upenn.edu

Most recently a regional director at Wharton, Mr. Davidson brings 15 years of alumni experience, previous collaborations with Penn Medicine, and a healthy curiosity about what’s on your mind to the role.

Q: Why did you choose the Perelman School of Medicine?

A: At any time, it’s inviting to work with alumni from one of the pre-eminent medical schools in the world. But now is the most exciting time to join Penn Med as we are getting ready to celebrate the 250^th and open a brand new state of the art medical education facility. These are rare occasions in an institution’s history and the chance to participate is important to me.

I’ve been at Penn for more than 10 years, and I’m a huge believer in Penn Medicine. As I’m exposed to more and more health issues, I really value the expertise and patient- friendliness of Penn physicians.

Q: What has surprised you?

A: The many and varied interests of our alumni. Just since I’ve been here, Match Day results, HOST, mentorship, networking, reunions have all been areas of focus. A very robust program has grown to support alumni interests, and my colleagues here are very knowledgeable and dedicated to their work.
From what I’ve seen, alumni want more educational content and more ways to establish relationships with their fellow alumni. We are building these not just by class but by region and by specialty or industry.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about your previous collaborations with Penn Medicine?

More and more Penn graduates have multiple degrees, so as a development officer you get to be comfortable working across schools to create the right opportunity for your donor. That might be an inter-school scholarship or a joint entrepreneurial program or lectureship.

At Wharton, I worked with Bill Bole, my predecessor in this role, who is now in charge of the development team for the health system. Our teams are working together to encourage more fellows and residents to participate in alumni programs. We also foresee communicating the funding needs of the School and of the clinical departments more widely across the entire group of interested donors.
From my Wharton years, I have experience in quite a few industries, including venture capital and private equity. I look forward to helping medical alumni and friends in those fields connect with Penn Medicine.

Q: What’s next?

Academic medicine is very competitive. I’m getting to know Senior Vice Dean Gail Morrison’s objectives and priorities. Completing the fundraising for the Henry A Jordan M'62 Medical Education Center is clearly a pressing one. We also want to offer more resources to more students. So much innovation and progress is happening here now. Keeping the funding needed constant in challenging times is important. And how much more could we do if we had the resources?

For now, I’m looking forward to meeting alumni from all over the country and representing classes from 1949 to 2009 at Medical Alumni Weekend. While I’ve become a huge fan of Philadelphia art, music, sports, and food, I still enjoy travelling, and I very much look forward to meeting more alumni that way.

Readers -- I hope we will meet in person. If not, please feel free to share your thoughts at brett2@upenn.edu

First John Morgan Scholars Named – as Deadline for the Jordan Challenge Closes in

Article 3

Answering the Jordan Challenge

Article 2

Article 1

Personalized Diagnostics: Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment

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Brotherly Love: Kennedy Twins Reunite at Penn Medicine

Celebrate the 250th!

Medical Alumni Weekend 2015 to Feature Black Tie Gala, Saturday, May 16

ACC Celebrates a Momentous Milestone

Dedicated Penn Center and New Bike Ride Fight Rare Diseases

Ribbon Cutting at Scheie Eye Institute

Gift of Arno A. Roscher, M.D., Supports Novel Gene Targeting Technology to Drive More Efficient Gene Therapy

One Man’s Journey from Desperation to Hope—and His Mission to Give Back

How a Pair of Genes Can Change a Life: Living with Muir-Torre Syndrome

Penn Medicine’s Annual “Wine and Dine for Women’s Health” Raises More Than $50,000

Match Day 2014: See All About It!

Gilbert H. Kliman, M’84, Helps Set Class Scholarship on Fast Track

Live from the National Constitution Center

Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients Announced

Perelman Students Have Stylus

The 2014 Edition Is Hot Off the Press

Q & A With Brett Davidson, New ADAR Director