Northwell Celebrates Newly Endowed Chairs and Professors

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NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 3, 2025--

Northwell Health announced recipients of nine endowments, including several inaugural chairs and professorships in specialty areas including biomedical sciences, nursing, geriatrics and palliative care, psychiatry research and cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

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Northwell Health’s newest recipients of endowed chairs and professorships at the 2025 Celebration of Excellence event in New York City.

The new appointments were honored at the seventh annual Celebration of Excellence, held recently at The New York Historical in New York City, bringing together philanthropists, physician-scientists and clinical leaders who are shaping the future of health care through excellence in academic medicine.

Generous donors gave more than $18 million this year in endowed gifts, which provide financial stability in perpetuity and allow Northwell to make strategic investments to propel new research, advance medical breakthroughs and enhance patient care.

“Northwell is driven by a culture of collaboration, and this includes our donors who partner with us on a shared purpose to improve health for all,” said John D’Angelo, MD, Northwell’s president and chief executive officer. “An endowed gift signifies a firm belief in Northwell’s mission to pursue innovation and scientific discovery that will create a better future.”

Endowed chairs and professorships carry significant prestige in scientific, academic and medical fields and are awarded to clinicians, researchers, educators and scientists who are considered among the best in their areas of expertise.

The inaugural recipients of newly endowed chairs and professorships are:

• Kevin P. Browne, DNP, RN, CNS, FNAP, CCRN – Appointed the Dr. Ning Zhao Chair of Nursing at Lenox Hill Hospital, endowed by the Ge Li and Ning Zhao Family Foundation. Dr. Browne has been a nurse for 38 years and is vice president and chief nursing officer across Northwell’s three Manhattan campus hospitals – Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital.
• Maria Torroella Carney, MD, MACP, AGSF – Named the Nancy and Neal S. Kaplan Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Carney is executive director of the Northwell Aging Institute and president of Glen Cove Hospital. A geriatrician with public health experience, Dr. Carney has dedicated her career to advancing healthy longevity and advocating for vulnerable populations.
• Sangeeta S. Chavan, PhD – Named the Tatyana and Alan Forman Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Chavan is a professor at the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine within Northwell’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. A trailblazer in bioelectronic medicine, she is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and holds numerous patents.
• Jill Kalman, MD – Named the Victoria and Lloyd Goldman Professor and Chief Medical Officer. She is executive vice president, chief medical officer and deputy physician-in-chief of Northwell Health. A nationally recognized cardiologist and health care leader, Dr. Kalman has helped shape Northwell’s vision for equitable, patient-centered care and expanded programs that empower physicians and elevate women across medicine and research.
• Anil K. Malhotra, MD – Appointed the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Chair of Psychiatry Research. Dr. Malhotra is co-director of the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. One of the country’s most renowned psychiatry physician-investigators, his groundbreaking work studies the biomechanical mechanisms behind neuropsychiatric conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• S. Jacob Scheinerman, MD, FACS – Named the Dan and Edna Purjes Chair in Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery. He is chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and vice president for Northwell’s western region. Over the course of his career, his department has consistently achieved some of the most impressive quality metrics in the United States.

Newly installed recipients of existing endowments include:

• Frank A. Chervenak, MD, MMM – Named the Florence and Robert Kaufman Professor of Medical Ethics. He is the system chief of ethics at Northwell Health, where he champions ethical standards across the health care spectrum, and associate dean of international medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Chervenak is an internationally recognized expert in obstetrics and gynecology.
• Michael L. Nimaroff, MD – Appointed the Hugh R. K. Barber, MD, Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology, named in honor of a renowned physician in the field of gynecologic cancers and endowed by the Hugoton Foundation. Dr. Nimaroff is chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Lenox Hill Hospital and senior vice president and executive director of obstetrics and gynecology for Northwell, overseeing 10 birthing hospitals across the health system, which collectively account for 1 percent of all births in the United States. He is a nationally known expert on minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
• Samir S. Taneja, MD – Appointed the Robert S. Waldbaum, MD – Robert B. Gardner, Jr. Professor of Urology. Dr. Taneja is senior vice president, system chair of urology and chair of the Smith Institute for Urology. He is a global expert in the diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancers and a pioneer in MRI-guided prostate cancer diagnosis and focal ablative therapies.

Recipients also typically hold academic positions at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, teaching and mentoring a new generation of health care practitioners.

“An endowment is not just about funding, but about giving our brightest minds the tools they need to change lives,” said David Battinelli, MD, executive vice president and physician-in-chief, Northwell Health, and the Deborah and Lawrence Smith Dean of the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. “The Zucker School of Medicine is the academic powerhouse it is today in part because of individuals who have poured years of dedication into their work — and the steadfast donors whose stand behind them.”

Endowed gifts have fueled Northwell’s growth as a leading academic health system, helping to retain and attract world-class talent and elevate the scope and standards of research and education. Donors currently support 60 endowed positions.

“Donor support allows us to move forward in areas that would otherwise remain underfunded and allows our researchers to pursue bold ideas that may hold the promise of tomorrow’s cures,” said Brian Lally, president of the Northwell Foundation and chief development officer for Northwell. “Endowed gifts are transformative, setting the standard for the scientific innovation, visionary teaching and compassionate care that defines Northwell.”

To learn more about endowment support, visit give.northwell.edu/endowment.

About Northwell Health

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State’s largest private employer with over 104,000 employees – including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners and Nuvance Health Medical Practices – who are working to change health care for the better. Northwell is making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell is training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visitNorthwell.eduand follow us @NorthwellHealth onFacebook,X,InstagramandLinkedIn.

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CONTACT: Neena Samuel

516-321-6298

nsamuel3@northwell.edu

KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RESEARCH GENERAL HEALTH PHILANTHROPY PHARMACEUTICAL CONTINUING HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY FUND RAISING EDUCATION SCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY NURSING HEALTH

SOURCE: Northwell Health

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PUB: 11/03/2025 12:30 PM/DISC: 11/03/2025 12:31 PM

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