Leaders in Science, Sports and Entertainment Celebrate Downstate:
Mar 23, 2009
Gala Fundraiser to Benefit Medical Research
Brooklyn, NY - Some of the most exciting names in sports and entertainment will be on hand for the second annual Celebrate Downstate gala, to be held Saturday, May 2nd at the Plaza Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Spencer Ross, sportscaster for the Knicks, Rangers, Jets, and Giants will MC the event, which celebrates SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s proud history of achievement.
NBA sports great Earl Monroe, hip-hop superstar LL Cool J, and actor Steven Schirripa, known for his role on “The Sopranos,” have joined the growing list of celebrities attending the event.
Celebrate Downstate brings together top scientists, health professionals, and business and community leaders for an evening of recognition of Downstate’s role in advancing medical education, scientific research, and patient care. It also pays tribute to those who have made extraordinary contributions to health and science.
This year’s honorees include Carl Zimmer, whose award-winning books and essays have enriched our understanding of the natural world; Anthony S. Fauci, MD, internationally acclaimed for his pioneering research on HIV/AIDS and its treatments; and leading cardiologist Jeffrey Borer, MD, head of the Howard Gilman Institute for Heart Valve Disease and chief of cardiovascular medicine at SUNY Downstate.
Proceeds from the event will help advance basic and clinical research at Downstate, birthplace of some of the major breakthroughs in modern medicine. It was here that the first human images were made using MRI and Dr. Robert Furchgott performed his Nobel Prize-winning research. Downstate is also recognized for neuroscientific research and as a center for the development of biomedical technology.
Douglas Lazzaro, MD, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and event chairman, is confident that this year’s fundraiser will equal and even exceed last year’s successful event. “Additional research funding may help us to unravel the causes of Alzheimer’s and epilepsy and find new treatments for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, and other serious diseases that are on the rise in our communities.”
Please call 718-270-4403 for details.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.