Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) recently announced a $25 million gift from Louis V. Gerstner, Jr, to create the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr Physician Scholars Program. Designed to support the innovative research of physician-scientists who are early in their career at MSK, the program will advance promising scientific research and further the careers of outstanding junior faculty.
“Recruiting and retaining the next generation of physician-scientists in cancer research is one of our most urgent priorities,” said Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD, MSK’s Physician-in-Chief. “We are grateful for Louis V. Gerstner, Jr’s generous donation and continued commitment to education that will help MSK attract, support, and champion talented early-career physician-scientists who will make discoveries and pursue the increasingly complex questions posed by cancer science.”
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr
Lisa M. DeAngelis, MD
Connecting Research to Clinical Care
Each year, a group of MSK physician-scientists will be named Gerstner Physician Scholars and receive the resources needed to validate their emerging research concepts and translate these concepts into clinical applications. The program will support early-career lab-based physician-scientists, who will be eligible to receive funding of up to $150,000 per year for 3 years to advance their work, recruit talented junior lab members, and develop preliminary data in projects that can provide the basis for applications to other outside sources for further funding. After this period, they will be eligible to receive additional support open to all MSK faculty to continue their research. To help guide the program and provide a clear sense of direction, MSK will form a multidisciplinary selection committee under the leadership of Dr. DeAngelis.
