Weill Cornell Medicine is deeply saddened by the loss of our friend and colleague Dr. Marc Weksler. A pioneer in the then-burgeoning field of aging research, Dr. Weksler played a pivotal role in the development of Weill Cornell’s geriatric division and, as its division chief from 1978 to 1998, was one of the first chiefs of geriatric medicine in the country. He was also the first to hold the venerated Irving Sherwood Wright Professor of Geriatrics appointment, a position he held for 34 years since its establishment in 1978.
During his time as chief, Dr. Weksler initiated the division’s influential clinical and research fellowship programs, including a landmark joint course on Immunology and Aging for graduate students. Dr. Weksler's widely published work is acknowledged as paradigm-shifting in its investigation into the biology of immune senescence and the clinical immunology of the elderly. Immune senescence has since been shown to contribute to age-associated neoplasms, vascular disease, infections and Alzheimer's disease.
In recognition of his significant contributions to the field of geriatric research, Dr. Weksler was selected for a National Institutes of Health Research Career Development Award and later an NIH MERIT award. He was a past editor and associate editor, respectively, of the Journal of Clinical Immunology and Journal of lmmunology. He also served on the editorial board of Immunology and Aging. He was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the Interurban Clinical Club and the American Osler Society, and served as chair of the World Health Organization’s Aging Immunology Program. Since 2014, Dr. Weksler was a professor emeritus of medicine at Weill Cornell.
He is survived by his cherished wife of 65 years, Dr. Babette Weksler, a professor emerita of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, and two children. A memorial service in Tenafly, N.J. is planned for April.
Dr. Weksler’s full obituary can be found here. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Dr. Weksler’s memory are asked to consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Association and to designate him as the honoree of their gift.
Dr. Ronald Adelman
Co-Chief, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Dr. Mark Lachs
Co-Chief, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Dr. John Leonard
Chair (Interim), Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine
Related Links: In Memoriam
Reposted with permission from Larissa Breedlove.