Gift to Columbia Engineering and Columbia Global Center Athens will Bring Pioneering Brain Cancer Research to Greece
Nikolas D. Pateras makes $500,000 donation in memory of his sister Maria D. Pateras to advance medical innovation and collaboration with Greek hospitals
Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (Columbia Engineering) and the Columbia Global Center in Athens today announced a $500,000 gift from Greek shipowner Nikolas D. Pateras to launch Breaking Barriers: Innovative Therapies for Brain Tumor Survival in Greece, a new program that will bring Columbia's pioneering work in focused ultrasound drug delivery to Greece through training, research and clinical collaboration with leading Greek hospitals and physicians.
Mr. Pateras, who is making the gift in memory of his sister, Maria D. Pateras, said: “It is a privilege to be able to help advance innovative medical research in Greece and to support my community in any way that I can. I am making this gift in memory of my sister, Maria, who shared the same values.”
The program builds on more than two decades of research by Elisa Konofagou, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia and Director of Columbia's Center of Excellence in Focused Ultrasound.
Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive technology that can temporarily and safely open the blood-brain barrier, allowing cancer drugs to reach brain tumors far more effectively than is otherwise possible. Working with Stergios Zacharoulis, a pediatric oncologist on the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Professor Konofagou's team achieved a world first in successfully using the technique in children with brain tumors, demonstrating that it is safe and feasible in pediatric patients, and has separately shown its safety in adults with Alzheimer's disease. There are currently no operational focused ultrasound systems in Greece.
"At Columbia Engineering, we believe the most important breakthroughs are the ones that reach patients who need them the most," said Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of Columbia Engineering.
Under the program, physicians and scientists from Greece will train at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and in Columbia Engineering laboratories, while Columbia faculty from biomedical engineering, neuro-oncology, radiology and neurosurgery will travel to Greece to establish collaborations with Greek hospitals and provide on-site training. The Columbia Global Center in Athens will coordinate annual symposia and workshops in Greece to share results with the broader academic and medical community in order to facilitate adoption of the focused ultrasound technology in Greece.
“The visionary gift also acts as seed funding for a larger effort to establish a robust internationally collaborative program to be hosted in Athens and to include equipment deployment, physician and scientist training, clinical trials, and international convenings disseminating pioneering brain tumor techniques,” said Wafaa El-Sadr, Executive Vice President of Columbia Global.
About Columbia Engineering: Founded in 1864, Columbia Engineering is one of the oldest engineering schools in the country and among the top engineering schools in the nation. Columbia Engineering is dedicated to advancing fundamental engineering and applied science knowledge, and to fostering technological leadership for the benefit of society. Its research, teaching and outreach programs harness science and technology to address pressing issues facing humanity, including those related to health, climate, and the city.
About Columbia Global Centers: The Columbia Global Centers are a network of regional hubs through which Columbia University collaborates with researchers, institutions and communities around the world. The Columbia Global Center in Athens supports research, dialogue and partnerships between Columbia faculty and students and counterparts across Greece and the broader region.
About Nikolas D. Pateras: The Donor is a prominent Greek shipowner representing the sixth generation of the Pateras family in shipping. His activity in the shipping industry spans more than 40 years and throughout his career he has owned more than 200 ships. He is dedicated in giving back to his community and has undertaken substantial philanthropic work supporting hospitals, churches, schools and various social sectors in Greece. He has been honored by the Ecumenical Patriarch with the title of Archon “Eftaxias.”