News & Media

December 4, 2007
Director's Corner - Christmas, 1983

Twenty four years ago this month, I set up my laboratory - my first - at the New York University School of Medicine. I was doing my best to outfit my office and lab as inexpensively as possible, so as to stretch what minimal start-up funds were available in those days. I desperately tried to save money at every turn. An unfinished pine door bought at the Butler Lumber Yard for $11.95, once polyurethaned and mounted on 2 small wooden file cabinets would serve as my desk. I scrounged discarded glassware from my more established colleagues - chipped or cracked Erlenmeyer flasks, graduated cylinders and Pyrex beakers. These I had repaired at unbelievably low cost by the master glassworkers at the Rockefeller University machine shop. In hindsight, I think they felt sorry for me, and so kept the bills small.

So, imagine my surprise when, one day in mid-December, I received a handwritten note from Dr. Michael Heidelberger, one of the founders of the field of Immunology, asking me to meet him in his office in the Pathology Department, at my convenience.

I had never spoken to him, but I knew who he was and I knew of his profound contributions to his field. In 1983, he was in his mid-90's, and still coming into work every day.

And so a few days before Christmas, I went to see Dr. Heidelberger. I vividly remember this diminutive, white haired fellow sitting at his desk, writing a review of a paper submitted to one of the immunology journals. He was happy to be interrupted, I think, and he said that he had heard that I was starting up my lab, and needed some supplies. He chuckled, said he was not likely to be doing too many more experiments, so I should help myself. He led me to a storage room, and proceeded to place in my arms glassware of all sorts, and an ancient but functional scale for weighing milligram quantities of chemicals. I was stunned and absolutely delighted. But best of all - he wheeled out from a corner a stainless steel water bath that reminded me of a 1950's Cadillac Eldorado - sleek, streamlined, and very big. The bath, filled with dark green antifreeze, weighed in at well over 250 pounds - and once set, it would hold any temperature from 0 to 100 degrees Celsius with rock-stable accuracy.

It was the best present I have ever received. I used it for twelve years at NYU and then at Columbia, and that machine worked tirelessly all the while. When I moved my lab to Mt. Sinai, I gave it to a young Assistant Professor, just starting out at Columbia, who like me appreciated the sleek steel lines and the noisily rhythmic compressor. For all I know, it is still chugging away somewhere in the bowels of the Black Building at the College of Physicians of Surgeons.

I think quite often about Michael Heidelberger, his out-reaching generosity of spirit and his well-rounded, long professional life. He was active in science for more than seven decades, and in addition to being a giant of a scientist, he was a prodigiously talented musician, and an early and vocal opponent of nuclear weapons. He never received the Nobel Prize that he deserved in my view, and even wrote an amusing commentary on this ("My Idea of Why I Failed To Win A Nobel Prize").
He died in 1991, at the age of 103. At his 100th birthday party, he was asked how many papers he had published during his career. With a characteristic twinkle, he answered, "Three hundred and four...so far..."

Please send any comments about the Director's Corner to David Colman

Recent News & Events

Faculty & Staff Campaign: Putting our heads together
The Neuro launched the second annual Faculty and Staff Campaign, “Putting our Heads Together” on November 15th, National Philanthropy Day. Campaign co-chairs Hanna Pappius and Gilles Bertrand, along with more than 100 volunteer canvassers are leading this year’s effort. Thanks to your generosity, last year we raised a grand total of $94,390 for greatest needs, research, patient care, capital campaign priorities, and the Rasmussen Neurosurgical Fellowship.
"Let's put our Heads Together!" and show the community our spirit of giving and dedication to The Neuro.
For more information, please contact Véronique Geoffrion at 514-398-2274 or by email.

Corporate Challenge
The success of last year's internal campaign inspired a corporate challenge. Astra Zeneca and Merck Frosst are the first of our corporate partners to each commit $50,000 to the campaign. Four other companies have been sent proposals. Thanks to Dr. Edith Hamel and all our faculty members for helping us connect with our corporate partners.

Calling all nurses
More than 30 nurses and nursing students attended the the Neuro’s nursing recruitment event. Erik De Agostinis and Josée Lizotte organized the program and with help from many of their nurse colleagues offered tours and information to small groups. Marking it a success, Josée commented on the many interested participants who they hope to recruit into the Neuro community.

Discovery Day at the MNI
One hundred ten Montreal area high school students and educators participated in the MNI’s recent action packed Discovery Day. For the third year, the MNI hosted this national program organized by the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and sponsored by Pfizer. Keynote lectures were delivered by former Director William Feindel and neuro-radiologist Donatella Tampieri. The students attended hands-on workshops and were inspired by a career panel moderated by graduate student Rosanne Aleong. Panelists included research scientist Ed Ruthazer, neurology residents Michael Sidel and Alexandre Henri Ram-Bhargava, graduate students Penelope Koustopoulos and James Tsui, clinical nurse specialist Diane Lowden, and Dr. Patrice Roy, our Pfizer host and Executive Director, Rx&D Health Research Foundation. As always, this was great fun for all participants.

Upcoming events

Francis McNaughton Lecture, December 7
On December 7, George Karpati will host Thomas Rando, Stanford University School of Medicine and the Stanford Center of Longevity, who will deliver the Francis McNaughton Lecture at 9 am in the Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre. His talk "The expanding spectrum of myogenic progenitor cells" will describe research focused on the molecular biology of muscle development and ageing. This lecture honours Francis McNaughton, neurologist-in-chief at the Neuro from 1951-1969, who was known for his kindness and his commitment to improving basic science education of medical residents and fellows.

The Reitman Holiday Luncheon, December 13
Cyril and Dorothy Reitman and their family will again host the Reitman lunch for Neuro staff. For more than 60 years, the family has brought us this delightful holiday celebration to thank the staff for the kind care they gave to Cyril’s mother, Ruth. With the lunch starting at 11:30 am, the Neuro Choir will sing for their supper at noon and other shifts will dine throughout the day and evening. In keeping with their family commitment to the Neuro, Dorothy Reitman has joined the MNI Advisory Board. The Cyril & Dorothy and Joel & Jill Reitman Family Foundation recently donated $1 million to the MNI's Thinking Ahead Campaign, to support the growth and development of research and clinical activities.

Director’s Holiday Celebration, December 19
MNI Director Dave Colman will host the annual holiday celebration at 3 pm on December 19 in the Jeanne Timmins foyer – all are welcome to join us for a glass of cheer and to exchange wishes for the season.

Congratulations to …..

Alain Beaudet, MNI Professor and President of the Fonds de la recherche en santé, who received the Docteur Honoris Causa from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris.

Wayne Sossin, MNI Professor, who was awarded a grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to purchase new equipment for imaging the biochemical mechanisms underlying memory formation.

Director - David R. Colman, PhD
Senior Management - Mark Angle, MD; Phil Barker, PhD; Rob Dunn, PhD; Tom Gevas; Marilyn Kaplow; Elizabeth Kofron, PhD; Patricia O'Connor; Catherine Rowe
Neuro News: Elizabeth Kofron, PhD & Sandra McPherson, PhD

Please send any items for the Neuro News to Sandra McPherson or Beth Kofron.