Columbia’s Department of Surgery Establishes the Newmyer Family Fellowship for Innovation in Surgery

New York, NY (January 30, 2018)—The Department of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) is very pleased to announce a gift to create the Newmyer Family Fellowship for Innovation in Surgery, with gratitude to donor Arthur G. (“Terry”) Newmyer III.

This two-year fellowship is focused on liver surgery research and will begin in 2018. Mr. Newmyer’s commitment was made in support of the work of Jean C. Emond, M.D., Thomas S. Zimmer Professor of Surgery, Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, and Chief of Transplantation Services at CUIMC.

Marc Najjar, M.D., the first Newmyer Fellow, will gather data on the regeneration of healthy livers and study the outcomes of using small grafts in liver transplantation. The goal of this research is to allow physicians and scientists at Columbia to better understand and employ surgical techniques for the treatment and removal of cancerous tumors of the liver

Mr. Newmyer is a philanthropist and health care activist based in Palm Beach County, Florida. He was the founding chairman of The Fair Care Foundation, a patients’ rights advocacy group, and has served on the boards of numerous health care organizations, currently including the Kanter Health Foundation. Mr. Newmyer, who has had several family members affected by cancer, says, “Dr. Emond has innovative surgical techniques worthy of study and replication.”  

Dr. Emond notes, “Mr. Newmyer and his family have experienced firsthand the impact that the latest research can have on the medical profession. Dr. Najjar will be in a position to move our work forward at an accelerated pace, bringing us closer to breakthroughs that can have a tremendous impact on patients. We are inspired by the Newmyer family’s incredible generosity and passion.”