David M. Rubenstein
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) community extends our congratulations to Board of Trustees member David M. Rubenstein, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — earlier this month. During a ceremony at the White House, Rubenstein was hailed as a “transformational business leader and philanthropist” whose wide-ranging generosity has made a profound impact on historical and cultural institutions, as well as higher education and healthcare.
“This is a tremendous recognition of all that David has accomplished throughout his extraordinary lifetime,” says Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, President and CEO of MSK. “We are proud that MSK is among the institutions that benefit from his visionary leadership and grateful for his longstanding support of our mission of ending cancer for life.”
Mr. Rubenstein joined the Board of Trustees in 2005 and has been a dedicated supporter of initiatives across MSK. In 2014, he established the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, an interdisciplinary hub for laboratory and clinical research aimed at improving the lives of people with one of the most challenging cancers. With funding from the center, MSK physicians and scientists developed and tested the world’s first mRNA vaccines to prevent recurrence of pancreatic cancer in a series of groundbreaking clinical trials that continue to make headlines around the world. The center is also pioneering new surgical techniques that can lead to better outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer and advancing new targeted therapies for the disease.
“This well-deserved honor reflects David’s dedication to making a difference in the world, both at MSK and well beyond,” says Scott M. Stuart, Chair of the MSK Board of Trustees. “We are thrilled to celebrate this moment with him.”