It is with sadness and in reverence that I share with you of the passing of Dr. Maria New. Perhaps you’ve strolled by her portrait on the 6th floor and wondered about her. Dr. New has roots at Cornell, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and went on to serve for 22 years as the first woman chair of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, one of the first women in the country to hold such a role. Dr. New paved the path for many as a physician, a leader, and as an internationally renowned physician scientist.
As a pediatric endocrine researcher, she defined the spectrum of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Specifically, she studied steroid hormone production during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Additionally, as chair, Dr. New founded and directed the Children's Clinical Research Center, a clinical research center in pediatrics with groundbreaking research in pediatric endocrinology, hematology, and immunology. Thanks to her expertise and mentorship to leaders in this field, we continue to have a Comprehensive Center for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia at Komansky Children’s Hospital led by field-leaders who she mentored and trained. During a 43-year period, she held the longest continuously funded National Institutes of Health grant, "Androgen Metabolism in Childhood.”
Dr. New was most recently at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai. She served there and in our department with unwavering dedication, vision, and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on our institution and the countless lives she touched. She helped to define and pave the physician-scientist pathway, in particular for women and pediatricians. Her innovative approach to research and clinical care and tireless advocacy for children’s health will leave a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire us all. You can read her obituary here.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Dr. New’s family during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Sallie Permar