A commitment of $3.3 million by the Marcus Foundation will continue funding for six faculty leadership positions that have transformed the Emory School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
The ongoing support of the foundation will provide $110,000 each year for five years to fund the Marcus Professorships, which have helped recruit nationally recognized leaders who have strengthened their divisions, resulting in a period of enormous growth in the department’s academic and clinical programs.
Marcus professors in pulmonology, allergy, cystic fibrosis, sleep, infectious diseases, nephrology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and neonatology are building strong programs in clinical care, teaching, and research. These talented scholars and physicians have spearheaded extraordinary progress in the patient care for the region’s children.
Chaired by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, The Marcus Foundation supports program areas including groups that focus on children and medicine.
Initially funded by a $2.85 million gift in 2005, the pediatrics professorships have helped grow the clinical and research efforts for the department and supported the work of the Emory Children's Center, the largest pediatric multidisciplinary group practice in Georgia.
Bernie Marcus, founder of the Marcus Foundation, said in 2005, "No child in this world should suffer. In order to ensure the health of future generations, we have to expand our research efforts, and it must begin today. It is my sincere hope this grant will enable the smartest researchers, the most caring physicians, and the most effective programs to come together under one roof in the Emory Department of Pediatrics."
October 2009
