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Stem Cell Initiative
in memoriam
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| Robert J. Weiss and Allan Rosenfield |
An obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Allan Rosenfield served as dean of the Mailman School of Public Health for 22 years, during which time he conducted groundbreaking work in women’s reproductive health and human rights, family planning, the prevention of maternal mortality during pregnancy-related complications, and the care and treatment of HIV-infected women and children around the world. At the same time, Dr. Rosenfield raised the profile of the Mailman School of Public Health and transformed what was once a single department into one of the preeminent schools of public health. Beyond his work at Columbia, Dr. Rosenfield – a 1959 P&S graduate – chaired the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York State’s AIDS Advisory Council, and the Program Board of the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Dr. Rosenfield died Oct. 12, 2008, at age 75.
Robert J. Weiss, MD, the former dean of the School of Public Health, died in September at age 90. Dr. Weiss, a 1951 P&S graduate, trained as a psychiatrist and became founding chairman of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School before serving as associate director of the Harvard University Center for Community Health and Medical Care.
In 1975 he returned to Columbia as director of the Center for Community Health Systems and served as professor of psychiatry and social medicine at P&S before being appointed dean in 1980. Dr. Weiss served as dean until 1986 and was credited with enhancing the school’s curriculum, strengthening its research reputation, and attracting top faculty.
I. Bernard Weinstein, MD, DSci (Hon.), director emeritus of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, died in November. He was 78. Dr. Weinstein served as director from 1985 to 1995 and established the center as an NIH-designated comprehensive cancer center.
An international leader in the study of chemical carcinogenesis and multistage carcinogenesis, Dr. Weinstein created the underpinnings for the field of molecular epidemiology, a new approach to discovering the causes of specific human cancers. He conducted work that led to the discovery of products now being tested for cancer prevention, notably green tea derivatives. Throughout his career, Dr. Weinstein wrote and contributed to more than 600 scientific papers and mentored a successful group of students, post-doctoral students, and junior faculty, including one Nobel laureate. In addition, Dr. Weinstein received several prestigious awards for cancer research and helped established the journal of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. Dr. Weinstein served as Frode Jensen Professor of Medicine, Environmental Health Sciences, and Genetics & Development.
