Following the University Bylaws the franchise for these elections encompasses the tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Candidates for the Faculty Senators Council

The faculty will elect two (2) senators and three (3) alternate senators to represent the School in the Faculty Senators Council and in the University Senate.

The Candidates are: Black,  Donahue,  Goldring, Schacht, Simon, Smith, and Vanderberg.

Virginia Black, PhD
Cell Biology

Dr. Black has been member of NYU School of Medicine's faculty since 1967. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology. Her research over thirty-some years has been supported by the NIH, American Cancer Society and Philip Morris External Research Program and has resulted in at least as many publications. She is currently analyzing molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression of cytochrome P450s involved in steroid metabolism and has discovered a new puzzle to pursue, the function(s) of translocon components, surprisingly abundant in the SER of adrenocortical cells. She participates actively in professional societies (American Society for Cell Biology; Endocrine Society, Editorial Board, ENDOCRINOLOGY; American Association of Anatomists, Executive Committee, Nominating Committee; New York Society of Electron/Experimental Microscopists, Treasurer, Board of Directors, President). She has served as a reviewer for many journals (20+) and several funding agencies (NIH, NSF, VA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, March of Dimes, Philip Morris External Research Program).

Dr. Black participates in several courses: "Environmental Carcinogenesis", "Cell Biology in Medicine" and "Cell Biology of Tissues and Organs", and has been instrumental in the development of the latter, serving as course director (1972-81) and editor of the syllabus (1972-present). She is a mentor for the Lewis Thomas Society and for students in her laboratory. Recently, she received a Teacher Tribute from Stanford University recognizing her mentoring of young scientists (undergraduate and high school).

Dr. Black has a broad perspective on Medical Center and University functioning. She served as the Cell Biology Department representative on the School of Medicine Faculty Council during its formative years (1970-73; Secretary 1972-73), then represented the School of Medicine in the University Senate (1973-79). In the Senate, she chaired the Committee on Organization and Governance when it generated the Resolution on Termination and Reorganization of Programs, cited during the merger discussions. She has served on many School of Medicine Committees: Grievance Committee (1970 - 2003), Faculty Council Committees on Curriculum (1972-74) and Housing (Co-chairperson, 1988-present) and Dean's Committees on Admissions (1971-92), Curriculum (1974-82), Planning and Budget (1977-80), Academic Equal Opportunities (1974, 1976) and Women in Medicine and Science (1982-present).

Bernadine R. Donahue, MD
Radiology Oncology

Dr. Donahue graduated from the Boston University Six Year Medical Program in 1984, served her medical residency at University Hospital/Boston City Hospital and then trained in radiation oncology at NYU where, after completing her chief residency, she joined the faculty in 1990. She is boarded in both Internal Medicine and Radiation Oncology. She is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the New York University School of Medicine and the Co-Director of The Gamma Knife Center at NYU. She has been the Program Director of the residency program in radiation oncology since 2001. Dr. Donahue's clinical and research interests have focused on pediatric and adult CNS tumors and HIV-related malignancies. She has been an active investigator on multiple committees of the Children's Oncology Group, as well as on the Brain Tumor Committee of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. She has been a grant reviewer for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. She is past president of the radiation oncology section of the New York Roentgen Society and the New York Cancer Society. She serves on the Radiation Oncology Committee and the Resident Section Advisory Committee of the New York State Radiological Society. She is a member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee, the Data Safety Monitoring Committee and has served on several search committees.

Roberta M. Goldring, MD
Pulmonary Medicine

Dr. Goldring graduated from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, served her residency training on the Columbia Division of Bellevue Hospital, and then trained as a clinical research fellow in cardiopulmonary diseases at Presbyterian Hospital. She joined the faculty at New York University School of Medicine in 1966, and developed the Pulmonary Laboratory as a teaching, patient service and clinical research facility. She is currently a Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine and Director of the Pulmonary Laboratory at Bellevue Hospital. Dr. Goldring's research interests have focused on clinical cardiopulmonary physiology with particular reference to the control of ventilation in health and disease. She is the author of numerous scientific publications and textbook chapters. She has served on advisory committees and Board of Directors of a number of national organizations including American Heart Association, New York Heart Association, American Thoracic Society and New York Lung Association. She has served as a member and/or chairperson of research and training committees of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and has recently completed a term of membership on their National Advisory Council.

Robert G. Schacht, MD
Pediatric Nephrology

Upon graduation from Creighton University School of Medicine and completion of his Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at NYU, Dr. Schacht joined the Homer W. Smith Laboratory in the Department of Medicine as a laboratory fellow in Renal and Hypertensive diseases.

Here, he developed strong academic, clinical and collegial relationships centered on his interest in the renal genesis of hypertension and the progression of renal diseases. As a member of the Renal Consultation Group he has supervised the laboratory training of numerous fellows in medicine and has rounded with them at the Medical Center's Hospitals for twenty years. During this period he was an active member of the Pediatric Faculty, serving as Director of Pediatric Nephrology, Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Bellevue, and Director of the Pediatric Residency Program.

Appointed Professor of Pediatrics in 1982, Dr. Schacht has authored over 30 peer reviewed articles and 8 chapters as well as having won 5 “Best Teacher” awards in Pediatrics.

He has served on the Admissions Committee, the Executive Committee of the Medical Board of NYU Hospital, the Faculty Council, the Benefit and Tenure Committee of the Faculty Council, the Peer Review Committee, the Post Graduate Education Committee, Research Committee, the Executive advisory committee for the General Clinical Research Center, and as alternate Senator of NYU. He is a member of AOA, the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Society of Nephrology, the International and Pediatric Nephrology Societies, and has served twice as a member of the National Study Group on Pediatric Education.

Eric J. Simon, PhD
Psychiatry and Pharmacology
Dr. Simon received his B.S. in Chemistry from Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland, Ohio and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Organic Chemistry from the University of Chicago. He did post-doctoral training in Biochemistry in the laboratory of Prof. David Shemin, Department of Biochemistry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at NYUMC and has been a member of the Faculty since 1959.

Dr. Simon's laboratory has long been doing research on the mode of action of narcotic analgesics. In 1973 his laboratory discovered opiate receptors in the brain. He and his collaborators have continued to work on opiate receptors and endorphins (a name he coined) and have published 250 papers in excellent journals. He is P.I. of a research grant, director of a training grant, and recipient of a Research Scientist Award, all from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For his laboratory's research on opiate receptors, Dr. Simon received a number of honors, including the Louis and Bert Freedman Foundation Prize from the New York Academy of Sciences and an Honorary Doctorate (1982) from the University of Paris (Sorbonne).

Dr. Simon has served on several NIH Study Sections. He was a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He belongs to several professional societies, including the Society for Neuroscience, the American Society of Pharmacology and the American Society of Biological Chemists.

Dr. Simon has been active for many years in NYU governance. He served a 3-year term as representative from the Medical School to the NYU Senate. He was a member of the Dean's Search Committee for the Biochemistry Chair, is a long-time member of the Admissions Committee and is a member of the Grievance Committee. He served on the Faculty Council of the Medical School as full time representative of the Dept. of Psychiatry for 6 years. He is a member of the Budget and Planning Committee and Co-chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.

Ross Smith, PhD, MD
Cell Biology
Dr. Smith completed his undergraduate training at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, UK, in High Energy Physics and an M.D. from New York University. He completed Postdoctoral training in Medical Imaging and Microbiology at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Smith was appointed as an Associate Professor of Cell Biology in 1987. He is currently Head of the Research Computing Resource and an Associate Program Director for NYU's General Clinical Research Center.

Dr. Smith's research interests include structural studies from electron microscopy, image processing software development and aspects of biomedical informatics. He has had a long interest in the development of shared computing resources through the RCR and the Informatics Resource of the GCRC. He was the school's first webmaster and the first Chief Information Officer for the school.

Dr. Smith has been involved in Faculty Council activities since 1992 and has been a University Senator since 2001. He is a long-time member of the Academic Affairs and Budget and Planning Committees in the school. He also serves on the Academic Affairs committee of the University Senate and the Personnel and Affirmative Action committee of the Faculty Senators Council. His primary concern in the context of the Faculty Council is, and has been, revising the FC's election procedures and the protection and strengthening the interests and role of the school's faculty, both within the School of Medicine and at the University.

Jerry Vanderberg, PhD
Medical & Molecular Parasitology
Dr. Vanderberg received his Ph.D. degree from Cornell University and did post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University. He has been a member of the faculty of the NYU School of Medicine since 1963 and is Professor of Medical & Molecular Parasitology. His research interest is in malaria transmission by mosquitoes and in protection from malaria by vaccination. In 1973, he initiated the first successful trial on malaria immunization of human volunteers.

Dr. Vanderberg has served as President, Vice-President and Secretary of the Faculty Council of the School of Medicine. In January 2002 he was asked by the Dean to take over as Interim Chair of the Department of Medical & Molecular Parasitology. To assume this position he was required to step down from the Presidency of the Faculty Council and from an unfinished term as an NYU Senator from the School of Medicine. Now that his Department has a new Chair, he has rejoined the Faculty Council in the position of “Immediate Past President”. Dr. Vanderberg has served on many School of Medicine Committees; he currently is a member of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee and the Institutional Animal Care and Usage Committee (IACUC). He also served as Course Director of the Parasitology Course and Co-Director of the Host-Defense Teaching Module for several years. Last year, he was honored as “Teacher of the Year” by the first year medical students.

Dr. Vanderberg has lived at Washington Square Village for many years and has had a strong interest in University – Medical School interactions. As a former member of the NYU Senate he was especially interested in maintaining ties with the University, particularly with regard to tenure issues as they apply to the School of Medicine, joint academic relationships with the University, and housing support for School of Medicine faculty. He is currently the School of Medicine member of a University-wide Faculty Tenure Committee that meets with the University Provost.