Visionary donors to Mount Sinai are making a significant impact on the health and well-being of our local and global communities. Here we highlight three stories of this vital generosity. From funding groundbreaking research to supporting the education of future medical leaders, these narratives reveal the profound influence of charitable giving.
Steve Katelman, who has cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, or CADASIL, an inherited brain disorder caused by a genetic mutation, with Fanny Elahi, MD, PhD, his neurologist. At top, Mr. Katelman with this friend and fellow philanthropist Jeff Green.
A Serendipitous Bond Inspires Funding for Research Into a Rare Genetic Brain Disorder
Jeff Green and Steve Katelman have known each other for nearly 20 years. Their professional lives intersected, and they soon found they had similar views on how to improve the digital advertising ecosystem. Their friendship grew closer when they discovered they were both devilishly competitive.
What happened when they channeled that competitive drive into something societally beneficial? A transformative grant to establish a first-of-its-kind translational center dedicated to studying cerebral small-vessel diseases—led by Mount Sinai physician-scientist Fanny Elahi, MD, PhD, who is also Mr. Katelman’s neurologist.
Continue reading about their journey together and the disease that has changed all of their lives.
Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, left, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, plays during a family music therapy session at Mount Sinai's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She is co-leader of a project with Rachel Reed, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Newborn Medicine, to explore the impact of music on the respiratory function of preterm babies.
Mount Sinai’s Tiniest Patients Receive the Gift of Music Therapy
Supported by a generous donation from TMCity Foundation, Mount Sinai’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is exploring the benefits of parent-supported music therapy for preterm babies. In this research initiative, parents or caregivers select a piece of music that is personally or culturally meaningful to them, which therapists then play live for the infant.
The hypothesis is that this stabilizing therapeutic intervention will strengthen the baby’s breathing and improve brain development. In addition, the practice has been shown to reduce parental stress. The outcome of this research has the potential to advance the standard of NICU care.
Learn more about this exciting project and about TMCity Foundation.
Scholarships Create Opportunities for Purpose-Driven Students
When Ramone Brown first arrived at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, he received a journal that featured the words “Icahn School of World Changers at Mount Sinai.” That message made an indelible impression. “It’s a powerful statement,” Mr. Brown says, “and one that captures the spirit of the institution.”
That spirit resonates strongly for Mr. Brown, who is a beneficiary of Mount Sinai’s Enhanced Scholarship Initiative, or ESI, which is aimed at expanding opportunities for students from underprivileged or disadvantaged backgrounds with a demonstrated financial need.
A second-year student and native of Jamaica, Mr. Brown speaks eloquently about how impactful ESI is—and continues to be—for recipients like him.
Watch a personal video from Mr. Brown and read more inspiring stories here.
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