Dr. Stephen G. Emerson Appointed Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2012) — A leading hematologist/oncologist and former president of Haverford College, Stephen G. Emerson, M.D., Ph.D., has been named director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, effective April 1. The Cancer Center is one of only three National Institutes of Health–designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in New York state.

He will also hold the Clyde ’56 and Helen Wu Professorship in Immunology at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Emerson was chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a University of Pennsylvania faculty member for nearly two decades. In the laboratory, Dr. Emerson’s research in bone marrow stem cell biology, particularly as applied to bone marrow stem cell transplantation, has led to new medical therapies used worldwide.

“Dr. Emerson’s work in stem cell biology has implications for many types of cancers. His extraordinary career as both a clinical scientist and as an academic leader makes him especially suited to lead our interdisciplinary and translational research to make fundamental changes in the ways we diagnose and treat cancer,” says Dr. Lee Goldman, dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences at Columbia University Medical Center.

“A distinguished clinician and exemplary leader, Dr. Emerson brings with him a wealth of experience that exemplifies our Cancer Center’s promise to revolutionize the study and treatment of cancer,” says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, chief executive officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. “His expertise will be critical as we continue and enhance our efforts to provide the highest-quality and most compassionate care and service to our patients and families.”

“This is a watershed moment for cancer research, when we can build upon the discoveries of the past two decades and translate that into new or improved therapies that will benefit patients and their families for untold generations,” Dr. Emerson said. “It is an honor to lead the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.”

Dr. Emerson has been actively involved with grant review and scientific program review at the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. He served on the leadership councils of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation as scientific program director for the annual meetings of each. He was a member of the Journal of Experimental Medicine and Blood Editorial Board and currently serves as senior editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Emerson graduated Haverford College summa cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and chemistry. He went on to Yale University, where he received a Master of Science degree in molecular biophysics, a Ph.D. in cell biology and immunology, and his medical degree. He served on the faculties of the University of Michigan and Harvard University before joining the University of Pennsylvania in 1994.

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) of Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is dedicated to the cure of cancer through innovative basic, clinical and population-based research and outstanding patient care. HICCC researchers and physicians are dedicated to understanding the biology of cancer and to applying that knowledge to the design of cancer therapies and prevention strategies that reduce its incidence and progression and improve the quality of the lives of those affected by cancer. Initially funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1972 and designated comprehensive in 1979, the HICCC is one of 40 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States, of which only three are in New York State. The designation recognizes the Center’s collaborative environment and expertise in harnessing translational research to bridge scientific discovery to clinical delivery, with the ultimate goal of successfully introducing novel diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive approaches to cancer. For more information, visit www.hiccc.columbia.edu.

Columbia University Medical Center

Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Established in 1767, Columbia’s College of Physicians & Surgeons was the first institution in the country to grant the M.D. degree. Among the most selective medical schools in the country, the school is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York State and one of the largest in the United States. For more information, please visit www.cumc.columbia.edu.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation’s largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,409 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including 12,797 deliveries and 195,294 visits to its emergency departments. NewYork-Presbyterian’s 6,144 affiliated physicians and 19,376 staff provide state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation’s leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.

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Contact:

CUMC Communications cumcnews@columbia.edu (212) 305-3900

Gloria Chin glc9010@nyp.org (212) 305-3900

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Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, Haverford College, New York City, NewYork, NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, United States, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University