PHOTO CREDIT: Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamaal Dozier (via Good Shepherd Services)
Gerstner Philanthropies focuses on biomedical research, educational opportunities, environmental sustainability, and assistance for people who have suffered a temporary setback and could use a “helping hand” to restore their equilibrium.
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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Announces 2026 Cohort of Gerstner Scholars
June 11, 2026
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has announced the 18th cohort of the Louis V. Gerstner Scholars, honoring four outstanding early-career physician scientists: Joshua Cook, MD, PhD; Brian Gill, MD; Ian Mellis, MD, PhD; and Alexander Nectow, MD, PhD. Established in 2008, the program supports investigators conducting innovative translational research to improve human health. 2023 scholar Edmond Chan recieved the 2026 Gerstner Merit Award, which provides an additional year of funding to scholars demonstrating exceptional research progress. Since its inception, the program has named 72 scholars and awarded 11 Merit Awards. Congratulations to this year’s scholars and Merit Award recipient on this recognition and their commitment to advancing biomedical discovery.
Read more at cuimc.columbia.edi
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MSK Honors Graduates at 2026 Convocation and GSK Commencement
May 18, 2026
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center held its Academic Convocation and Commencement on May 13, 2026, celebrating new graduates and award winners. This year, 15 students earned doctoral degrees from the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSK), alongside graduates from MSK’s clinical and translational research programs. During the ceremony, MSK leaders also honored our late Chairman Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., for his role in establishing GSK. “Over nearly four decades of service as a trustee on the MSK boards, Lou helped shape our long-term vision, demonstrating how sustained leadership and philanthropy can advance science, educate future leaders, and bring an institution closer to its goals of ending cancer for life,” said President and CEO Dr. Selwyn Vickers. “Today, [GSK] continues to embody his conviction that scientific excellence is strengthened by a deep commitment to the people behind it.” Congratulations to the 2026 graduates on their achievements.
Read more at MSKCC.org
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Reflections on Helping Hands
Lou Gerstner shares the origin of and his vision for the emergency grants program, lessons learned over the past decade, and his belief in the critical importance of the work.
Watch the video