Present:         Dr. Marlin R. Mattson, Dr. William A. Muller, Dr. Joseph T. Cooke, Dr. Aihao Ding, Dr. Harvey L. Goldberg, Dr. Bernice Grafstein, Dr. Lonny R. Levin, Dr. Michael D. Lockshin, Dr. Louis J. Maggio, Dr. Louise R. Howe, Dr. Teresa A. Milner, Dr. Hugh D. Robertson, Dr. Richard H. Schwarz, Dr. David A. Shapiro, Dr. Robert B. Snow, Dr. Suresh S Tate and Dr. Michael Ushay.  

Also Present: Dr. Mark A. Albano, Dr. Bruce L. Ballard, Ms. Joanne Blauer, Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Mr. Barry J. Duignan, Dr. Oliver T. Fein, Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., Ms. Ellen R. Krasik, Dr. Alvin I. Mushlin, Mr. Steven P. Rosalie, Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, Dr. H. Dirk Sostman and Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson.

Guests:          Dr. Katherine A. Hajjar.
  
3:30pm: Following the arrival of the non-voting members, Dr. Mattson convened the meeting. 

I. ACTION ITEMS

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES.  The Council approved the minutes of its meeting held April 8, 2002.

2. APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS. The Council approved the recommendations of the Committee of Review as listed in the Committee’s memorandum dated April 22, 2002.

     The Council also approved a request for an extension of time in rank for Dr. Estomih P. Mtui, Assistant Professor of Anatomy in Neurology and Neuroscience.  

3.  APPROVAL OF CANDIDATE FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOPHYSICS.  Dr. Gotto presented and the Council approved the election of Harel Weinstein, D.Sc. as Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, effective October 1, 2002.

    Dr. Weinstein will also serve as Director of a new Institute for Computational Biomedicine, which is being established pursuant to his specifications.  In conjunction with the establishment of the Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Dr. Weinstein will be proposed for appointments at Cornell University (Ithaca) for his role in the Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Program.  The Dean noted that Dr. Weinstein is highly regarded as a structural biologist by faculty and administration at both Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, many of whom were very active in the recruitment of Dr. Weinstein. 

4.  APPROVAL OF CANDIDATE FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GENETIC MEDICINE.  Dr. Gotto presented and the Council approved the election of Ronald G. Crystal, M.D., Bruce Webster Professor of Internal Medicine and Professor of Genetic Medicine, as Chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine.

5.  APPROVAL OF CANDIDATE FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS.  Dr. Gotto presented and the Council approved the election of Gerald M. Loughlin, M.D. as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, effective August 1, 2002.  

6. ELECTION OF FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE MEDICAL STUDENT HEARING AND APPEALS BOARD.  The Council re-appointed Dr. Lonny R. Levin, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, and appointed Drs. Joseph T. Cooke, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine; and Thomas J. Fahey, III (Alternate), Associate Professor of Surgery, to serve on the Medical Student Hearing Board for a two-year term, effective July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2004.  

     The Council also re-appointed Drs. Randi B. Silver, Associate Professor of Physiology and Biophysics and Chairman of the GFC; and Marlin R. Mattson, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Vice Chairman of the GFC; and appointed Dr. William A. Muller (Alternate), Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Secretary of the GFC, to serve on the Medical Student Appeals Board for a two-year term, effective July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2004. 

II. REPORT ITEMS

1. REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE AWARDS SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE RESEARCH PLANNING COMMITTEE.  Dr. Katherine A. Hajjar, Chairman of the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Chairman of the Research Awards Subcommittee of the Research Planning Committee, discussed the Subcommittee’s charge, which is to select Weill Cornell recipients for institutional funds to support research and researchers, usually for postdoctoral or junior faculty fellowships and start-up awards, and to oversee Weill Cornell nominations for external competitive awards for which the College can submit only one candidate, such as Pew, Hirschl and Revson.

     The term of Dr. Takashi Mikawa as one of three GFC recommended members on the Awards Subcommittee will expire on June 30, 2002.  At the Dean’s request, the Council is asked to propose the names of three faculty members for potential membership on the Awards Subcommittee.  From this slate of candidates, the Dean will select one individual to serve on the Subcommittee for a three-year term, effective July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2005.  Dr. Hajjar noted that faculty members proposed need not be members of the Council, but they should be faculty members with mature judgement who are generally respected at the Medical College.  She also noted that Dr. Mikawa is eligible for re-nomination.  Dr. Mattson asked the Council members to email proposals of candidates for membership on the Subcommittee to the Office of the Secretary at secretary@med.cornell.edu.

2. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT.   Dr. Mattson reported that Dr. Michael D.F. Deck, Professor of Radiology and Senior Councilor to the GFC, is coordinating the committee that will organize the GFC-sponsored course on Imaging, which will include Dr. Mattson, Dr. Paula W. Brill, Professor of Radiology and Senior Councilor to the GFC; and other members of the Council.  Council members with suggestions for the course were asked to contact Dr. Deck.  

3. ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTATIONAL BIOMEDICINE.  Dr. Gotto presented the proposal to establish an Institute for Computational Biomedicine (ICB) at the Medical College.

     The ICB will serve as a core facility for Medical College investigators and to support our important Tri-Institutional initiatives in all areas of modern biomedicine research.  Its mission will be to foster inter-disciplinary activities in all areas of modern biomedicine to which it will bring approaches from applied mathematics, computer science, and computer-based technologies.  Thus, the ICB will create and promote 1) core research in bioinformatics/computational biology/applied mathematics that is directly related to biomedical research and translational aspects in medicine; and 2) the development of novel computational research tools that make possible the application of advances in bioinformatics and computational biology, as well as modeling and simulation of integrative biological systems (e.g., cells and entire organs).

     One area of emphasis in research at the ICB will be on the computational aspects of the study of complex systems including: computational neurosciences; representation and computational modeling of cellular system and signaling networks; simulation of physiological systems (e.g. cardiovascular); computational aspects of imaging (e.g., image acquisition, data storage and image analysis); molecular simulations of structure and function; and computational and mathematical aspects of bioengineering.  Another area of emphasis will be aspects of bioinformatics and medical informatics, including genetic bioinformatics (e.g., gene expression, sequencing and diversity; pharmacogenetics) and specific applications to gene discovery, proteomics, structural and functional genomics, disease etiology and epidemiology, animal development and model design and gene expression devices.  

     The Director of the Institute will report to the Dean of the Medical College with the rights, privileges and responsibilities similar to those of a chairman of an academic department.  Dr. Harel Weinstein, approved earlier by the Council as Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, will serve as the first Director of the Institute.  In most cases the faculty appointed to the Institute will hold primary appointments in one of the College’s academic departments, however, the Institute will be permitted to give primary, non-tenure track faculty appointments.  In those cases, each faculty member will have a secondary appointment in one of the College’s academic departments.  The process for faculty appointment to the Institute will be the same as that used for academic departments and faculty with primary appointments in the Institute will be subject to all of the policies and procedures of the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.  Non-faculty academic staff members recruited to the Institute will have their primary appointments in the Institute and may or may not have secondary appointments in an academic department.  An operating budget will be provided to the Institute and will be derived from research grants, the anonymous gift to support the Tri-Institutional Project and other Medical College funds.  

     At its inception, the Institute will be composed of several different programs which will necessitate the recruitment of faculty with research interests in genomic bioinformatics, including genetic epidemiology (e.g., cancer); human diversity; structural & functional genomics; and pharmacogenetics, research interests in complex systems/modeling, including cellular networks (e.g., signaling); computational neuroscience; expression matrix analysis; and cardiovascular systems, and research interests in imaging, including: image acquisition (e.g., multiphoton); image analysis (e.g., fMRI); and database and storage.  Additionally, the institute will recruit core staff in the areas of bioinformatics, database engineering, algorithm development, systems management and programming.  Dr. Gotto noted that Dr. Weinstein will meet with several department chairmen and other Weill Cornell investigators to discuss the collaboration of the Institute’s activities with current and future programs at the Medical College, and that he will be asked to present his plans for the ICB and the Department of Physiology and Biophysics to the Council.  
 
4. MATCH DAY.  Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson, Senior Associate Dean (Education), discussed the results of the Medical College Class of 2002 post-graduate residency match.  Fifty percent of the PGY 1 and 60% of the PGY 1 and 2 appointments are at the most prestigious academic medical centers in the country, making this year’s class extremely successful.  Fifty-seven percent of the students chose positions in the New York City Metropolitan area; a large portion of whom chose to remain at the NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center.  Seven percent of the PGY 1 positions are at a WMC network affiliated institution.  In this year’s class, 39% of the students will train in primary care disciplines including Internal Medicine, Primary Care Medicine, Pediatrics and Family Practice.  Dr. Gotto noted that students continue to match at System institutions in increasing numbers, and attributed this trend to positive student experiences in System programs. 

5. COMMITTEE OF REVIEW.  Ms. Joanne Blauer, Associate Dean and Secretary, presented statistical reports of the actions of the Committee of Review for the 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 academic years. The percentage of approved submissions of faculty appointments, promotions and tenure has increased steadily from 82% in 1997-1998 to 89% in 2000-2001, which was attributed to increased attention to the policies and procedures of the Committee of Review by Weill Cornell departments.  Ms. Blauer added that additional reports on the appointment, promotion and tenure process would be provided to the Council periodically.  

6. BOARD OF OVERSEERS REPORT.  Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, full-time faculty representative on the Board of Overseers, reported on the Board meeting of May 9, 2002.

7. DEAN’S REPORT.  Dr. Gotto announced that Mr. Richard Thomas has joined the Medical College in a new position as Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives, and is working with the administration and Medical College architects to ensure that all initiatives pursued as part of the Strategic Plan remain coordinated.  Mr. Thomas will report to the Dean and will work closely with Mr. Rosalie and Dr. H. Dirk Sostman, Senior Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs), to coordinate plans for the Ambulatory Care Facility to be constructed on the southwest corner of 70th Street and York Avenue.  The Medical College is exploring zoning issues that may arise during the project, including air rights issues, and will submit an environmental impact statement for the project to New York City if required.  The Dean also reported that construction has begun on the Southtown building on Roosevelt Island, which will serve as a faculty housing facility.

     Dr. Gotto announced that Dr. E. Darracott Vaughan, Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Urology and the James J. Colt Professor of Urology, was honored on May 2, 2002 as the 26th recipient of the NewYork Weill Cornell Maurice R. Greenberg Distinguished Service Award.  Dr. Gotto extended his congratulations and thanks to Dr. Vaughan for his contributions to the Medical College.  

     Dr. Gotto reported that there has been recent debate at medical colleges across the nation and at the Association of American Medical Colleges regarding the definition of underrepresented minority students, and that the outcome of this debate could affect admissions and scholarship policies and procedures at the Medical College.  Dr. Gotto noted that the Medical College has been a consistent national leader in the recruitment and enrollment of underrepresented minorities, and that in order to maintain this distinction the Medical College will follow closely developments at the national level.  Dr. Gotto invited Dr. Bruce Ballard, Associate Dean (Student Affairs and Equal Opportunity Programs), to report such developments to the Council at a future meeting.    

8.   ADJOURNMENT.  The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 pm.