Frorm left: Dennis Charney, MD, Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, and Robert F. Smith
The Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hosted its annual Prostate Cancer Research Gala on Tuesday, March 7, at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center.
Ash Tewari, MBBS, MCh, Chair of the Department of Urology at the Mount Sinai Health System and the Kyung Hyun Kim, MD Professor of Urology at Icahn Mount Sinai, started the gala with the goal of raising money for the Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer within the Department of Urology. Its mission is to eliminate prostate cancer through programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and education for students, trainees, professionals, and the public.
With nearly 200 people in attendance and more than $1 million raised, the event was a success by any measure.
The first honoree to be recognized was Burton Wallack, a three-time cancer survivor who received the Patient of Courage Award.
Burton Wallack, left, and Robert F. Smith
“Go to the end…and you can still win. And that’s the story of Burt Wallack,” said Dr. Tewari in a video shown at the event. Mr. Wallack, the founder and Chairman of Wallack Management Company, also serves on the Chairman’s Urology Board, partnering with his doctor to advance research.
Dennis Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Icahn Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System, received the Champion of Excellence Award. As Dr. Tewari noted in a video: “I wanted to start a program in prostate cancer. Dr. Charney turned that into a prostate cancer Center of Excellence…He made it one of the most comprehensive programs and not just by telling us how to do it, but by providing every support.”
“I’m proud of where we have come, but I’m not satisfied,” said Dr. Charney, embodying his tireless pursuit of improved outcomes for patients before continuing: “Am I still being innovative? Am I still being inspiring to others? Am I still working with our teams to come up with great ideas? That’s what I think about all the time.”
The event also saw the bestowal of the inaugural Steven Southwick, MD Memorial Award, named in memory of a leading expert on trauma and resilience who passed away from prostate cancer in 2022. Dr. Southwick, Glenn H. Greenberg Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, PTSD, and Resilience at the Yale School of Medicine, was also mentor and friend to Dr. Charney. “Steve was my buddy, my brother,” said Dr. Charney. “He was brilliant, but that doesn’t capture him. He was the finest person I’ve ever met,” Dr. Charney continued before detailing Dr. Southwick’s contributions to our understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Steven Southwick, MD Memorial Award recognizes the recipient’s dedication to prostate cancer research and was given to Sujit S. Nair, PhD, an Assistant Professor and Director of Genitourinary Immunotherapy Research in the Department of Urology at Icahn Mount Sinai. Dr. Tewari praised his innovation and hard work, while Dr. Nair noted, “The long-term goal, the fact that we can cure cancer, is the motivation—that’s what excites me.”
Sujit S. Nair, PhD, and Dennis Charney, MD
The final honoree was Robert F. Smith, the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, who was presented with the Visionary Award for his commitment to addressing the disparity that sees higher rates of prostate cancer—and death—among Black men. Through his collaboration and funding, the Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening unit was launched, a state-of-the-art “doctor’s office on wheels” that takes specialized staff and equipment into the neighborhoods of the men who need it most.
“We’re honoring Robert for being a kind human being,” Dr. Tewari remarked, “a philanthropist, a person who really wants to make an impact, a person who is touched by human lives, a person who cannot take his eyes away from a problem, and if he can make a difference, he does it. He has made a tremendous difference in this cause for prostate cancer.”
Graciously accepting the award, Mr. Smith said, “I’m very hopeful that this is going to be one of those sparks that really leads to a platform of access to health care for the African American community—and save lives.”
With an ambitious goal to reduce deaths from prostate cancer by 25 percent in the Mount Sinai community, this is a spark that will have far-reaching implications. While the event was a celebration of many accomplishments at the Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer, its true significance may lie in the ongoing inspiration to keep pushing forward at the boundaries of research and patient care.
The Milton and Carroll Petrie Department of Urology at the Mount Sinai Health System has more than 190 urologists on staff, more than any other health care system in New York City. Its robotic surgery program is among the most robust in the country. Genomic testing and advanced imaging are routine for patients with prostate cancer, providing personalized and precise treatment protocols.