The Marcus Foundation recently announced a new $5 million gift to the Department of Pediatrics in Emory University School of Medicine to renew support for 15 pediatric physician/researchers in the Marcus Society in Pediatrics, according to a press release.
The Society was launched in 2005, and elevated in 2012 with a $5 million gift from The Marcus Foundation. It serves as an “intellectual home” for the Marcus Professors, who practice medicine at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and conduct research in laboratories at Emory School of Medicine.
“Support for the Marcus Society has helped Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta recruit and retain exceptional physician/researchers, allowing us to identify serious pediatric diseases earlier, improve treatment, care for many more patients than ever before, and enhance quality of life and overall health outcomes for children,” says Lucky Jain, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of the Emory + Children’s Pediatric Institute.
On Oct. 3, 2018, the Marcus Society celebrated its members at the seventh annual Marcus Professor Lecture and Cellular Therapies Symposium at the Health Sciences Research Building. Visiting lecturer Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Jerome Harris Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and director of the Marcus Center for Cellular Cures at Duke University, spoke on “Extending Cord Blood to Regenerative Therapies.”
The Marcus Foundation’s contributions have helped the Department of Pediatrics grow to become a leader in research, patient care and teaching, according to officials. When the Marcus Society was created in 2005, the Emory Department of Pediatrics was ranked No. 27 in National Institutes of Health funding, and today is ranked No. 5. Thus far in fiscal year 2018, investigators at Emory and Children’s had 88 active NIH grants totaling $14.4 million. In addition to attracting research funding, Marcus Professors have served as magnets for attracting research teams that are working to improve the health of children.
Information: news.emory.edu
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