Gray Matters at Columbia Spring Benefit Luncheon

Gray Matters at Columbia Spring Benefit Luncheon

Gray Matters at Columbia
Spring Benefit Luncheon
NEW YORK, NY– World-renowned researcher and National Institute on Drug
Abuse Director Nora Volkow, MD, joined political blogger, author and journalist
Ana Marie Cox on Wednesday, April 29 at the Gray Matters at Columbia Spring
Benefit Luncheon at The Plaza Hotel. The nearly 400 guests surpassed last year’s
fundraising effort, raising $590,000.
Each year, Gray Matters at Columbia highlights a theme in mental illness; this year’s
luncheon focused on addiction. Dr. Volkow pioneered the use of brain imaging to
investigate the toxic effects and addictive properties of drugs of abuse and spoke
about the importance of recognizing addiction as a disease of the brain.Ms. Cox,
who was this year’s special guest speaker, spoke movingly about the struggles
of addiction and inspired the audience with her touching remarks. Past honorees
at the Spring Benefit Luncheon include Glenn Close, Andrew Solomon, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Paula Zahn, Anne Ford and JanePauley.
Dr. Nora Volkow, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman,
Ana Marie Cox, Donna Hanover
Jeffrey Lieberman, MD, chairman of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical
Center, noted, “Research continues to be critical in advancing the development
of life-saving treatments for psychiatric disorders. Support from families and
committed citizens is more important than ever given the economic pressures
and reductions in funding that researchers face.”
Funds raised by the luncheon support research fellowships to help young scientists
pursuing brain research to help solve the mystery of serious mental illnesses
like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and autism. The chosen fellows
benefit from the multidisciplinary expertise of a peerless team of clinicians and
scientists that includes two Nobel laureates.
The 2014-15 Gray Matters Fellows are Guillermo Horga, MD (Schizophrenia),
Kathleen Taylor, PhD (Schizophrenia), Sander Markx, MD (Autism, Schizophrenia),
Diana Martinez, MD (Addiction), Marisa Spann, PhD, MPH (Prenatal Epidemiology,
Infant Brain and Cognition, Early Childhood Mental Health).
Betina Farkas, Leonardo Farkas,
Matilda Cuomo, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman
As Featured in New York Social Diary
May, 2015
Donna Hanover, Ana Marie Cox, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman,
Bill Ramonas, Patricia Ramonas, Rosemarie Lieberman
Mitch Kuflik, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman
Sara Long, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman,
Margie Furniss, Aspasia Zoumas
Patricia Rosenwald, Beatrice Tusiani
Linda Coleman, Kathleen Ambrosiano, Patricia Ramonas,
Jeanine Ramonas, Andrea McNulty, Claire Renga
Pat Shifke, Donna Hanover, Matilda Cuomo,
Rosemarie Lieberman, Susan Kessler
Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman, Rosemarie Lieberman,
Betina Farkas, Leonardo Farkas
Lexie Potamkin, Dr. Brigitt Rok, Dr. Marie Dezelic
Dr. Anna Maud Chapman, Andrew Solomon,
Dr. Betsy Fitelson
Elena Patterson, Steve Rosenfeld, Lori Rosenfeld
Audrey Gruss, Barbara Bancroft, Dr. Steven Roose
Cathleen Collins, Ginny Millhiser,
Monica Volstad, Martha Ayres
Ana Marie Cox
Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman, Dana Buchman
Barbara Cates, Annabelle Mariaca, Louisa Benton
Jennifer Weis Monsky, Pat Shifke
Dr. Nora Volkow
Mela Garber, Annette Swanstrom, Patsy Kahn,
Cassidy Kahn, Joyce Hanly
Donna Hanover, Matilda Cuomo,
Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman
Suelyn Farel, Katy Briger, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman, Sally Fenton
Ana Marie Cox
Jonathan Moinian, Stephanie Moinian,
Erit Cohen, Farah Moinian
John Habich, Arlyn Gardner
Plaza Grand Ballroom
Matilda Cuomo, Sharon Bush
Dr. Nora Volkow
Drs. Anke Ehrhardt, Nora Volkow, Herbert Kleber
Jane Bernick, Maureen Bone, Dr. Estelle Bender,
Dr. Cheryl Corcoran
Karen Hsu, Susan Kessler, Pat Shifke
Betsy Gotbaum, Dr. Nancy Wexler, Matilda Cuomo
Donna Hanover, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman
Patricia Ramonas, Elena Patterson, Mary Elliott, Cathleen Collins,
Rosemarie Lieberman, Ginny Millhiser
Tracy Franks, Patsy Kahn, Cassidy Kahn
John Habich, Sarah Long
Bill Ramonas, Patricia Ramonas, Ana Marie Cox
Leonardo Farkas, Betina Farkas
Sandra Roe, Bo Bartlett
Donna Hanover, Matilda Cuomo, Ana Marie Cox
Plaza Grand Ballroom
Beatrice Tusiani, Dr. Jeffrey A. Lieberman