Science Council Member Profiles

Ann Marie Assumma, MS has been Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and an officer at Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative therapeutics for patients suffering from cancer and related conditions, since 2008. She began her career in research at Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center formulating experimental design for the purification of chemotherapeutic enzymes. After transitioning to the pharmaceutical industry, for over thirty years she has been dedicated to the regulatory sciences, particularly product development and life-cycle management. Ms. Assumma held positions of increasing responsibility in regulatory affairs and compliance in companies including Dov Pharmaceuticals, Emisphere Technologies, Bayer and American Cyanamid. She has been responsible for leading the regulatory strategy and activities for numerous new drug and biologics applications which received market approval. She has received several company awards for her excellence in quality work. Ms. Assumma earned her BS in Biology from Fordham University, Rose Hill and her MS in Pharmacology from New York Medical College.

Charles J. Casamento, MBA has been the Executive Director and Principal of The Sage Group, a health care advisory group specializing in strategies and transactions for health care companies since 2007. Early in his career Mr. Casamento held a number of marketing, sales, finance and business development positions with Novartis, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Johnson & Johnson and American Hospital Supply Corporation where he was Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning for the Critical Care Division from January, 1983 until May, 1985. The later part of his career has focused on commercializing science through establishing and building start up biotechnology companies. He then joined Genzyme in 1985 as Senior Vice President and General Manager while it was an early stage venture backed company and was there through 1989 during which time Genzyme was taken public. In 2011 Genzyme was acquired by Sanofi for an estimated $20 Billion. In 1989 he co-founded and later took public, Interneuron Pharmaceuticals (Indevus) which eventually was acquired by Endo for nearly $1 Billion. In 1993 Mr. Casamento co- founded RiboGene as Chairman, President and CEO. He took the Company public and completed a merger with another public biotech company in 1999 to form Questcor Pharmaceuticals, where he was Chairman, CEO and President until 2004. Questcor now has a market valuation of nearly $2.0 Billion. From 2004 until 2007 he was CEO of Osteologix a start up pharmaceutical company based on an innovative osteoporosis product that had been developed by a scientific group in Denmark. Osteologix, which he took public, was his fifth biotech start up company. He is a Director and Board member at Vivus, Inc., Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Astex Pharmaceuticals and International Stem Cell Corporation. During his career he has served on the boards of nine public companies. He was previously Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Audit Committee of The Catholic Medical Mission Board, a large international not for profit organization providing health care services to third world countries. A graduate of Fordham University College of Pharmacy and Iona College, Mr. Casamento has a degree in Pharmacy and an MBA.

Frank A. Corvino has been at the forefront of healthcare innovation in such areas of patient safety, integrative medicine, wellness programs, care for the aging and the “green” movement during his tenure as president and chief executive officer of Greenwich Hospital. He has been president and chief executive officer of Greenwich Hospital since 1991. He joined the hospital in 1988 as senior vice president and chief operating officer. During his 25-year leadership, the hospital has experienced unprecedented growth, including the opening of two major buildings that completely replaced the main Greenwich Hospital campus that existed in 1996. Mr. Corvino is responsible for instituting an “enhanced service excellence culture.” Under his stewardship, Greenwich Hospital has consistently ranked among the top hospitals nationwide since 2000 in patient satisfaction, according to Press, Ganey Associates, the nation’s leader in healthcare satisfaction measurement. Moreover, his ability to work effectively with physicians, patients, trustees, advocacy groups, hospital staff and others has been instrumental in establishing Greenwich Hospital’s reputation as the premier regional healthcare facility. Before coming to Greenwich Hospital, Mr. Corvino was an executive vice president at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., where he also held other management positions. He received his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy at Fordham University and completed his graduate training at St. John’s University. During his long health care career, Mr. Corvino has received numerous awards and recognition including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition in 2006. Last year he was honored by the American Hospital Association with its Grassroots Champion Award for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community support for issues of importance to hospitals and healthcare. Mr. Corvino and his wife, Maura, live in Greenwich. They have four grown children, Timothy, Aimee, Erin and John.

John DelliSanti, BSc Fordham College '88 and MBA Graduate School of Business '97, is Chief Operating Officer for ArisGlobal, a provider of drug safety, regulatory and clinical trials management software and data management technology. He is responsible for the company’s global operations with emphasis on corporate growth. Prior to ArisGlobal, Mr. DelliSanti was President of Carestream Health’s molecular imaging business and a member of the company’s senior leadership team. He was responsible for complete oversight of Carestream’s Molecular Imaging business. John has deep experience in life sciences with a strong track record of building and leading successful commercial operations and driving growth. Prior to joining Carestream Health, Mr. DelliSanti served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Caliper Life Sciences, a life sciences technology provider. In this role, he led Caliper’s global sales, distribution, marketing, marketing communications, customer service and technical support. He was also previously Vice President and General Manager of Invitrogen Corporation’s U.S. Commercial Operations. Invitrogen offers products and services to support disease research, drug discovery and commercial bio-production.

Thomas J. Fahey, Jr., MD, a native New Yorker, graduated from Regis High School in 1959, Fordham College (AB 1955), and Cornell University Medical College (MD 1959). After serving as a Flight Surgeon in the USAF from 1960 -1962 during which he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, he completed his training in Internal Medicine at the Cornell Division of Bellevue Hospital and the Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases in 1964. He then spent two years as a Clinical Research Trainee and Chief Resident at Memorial. He joined the attending staff in the Department of Medicine in 1966 and, in addition to caring for patients with Breast Cancer and other endocrine tumors, he was appointed to a succession of administrative posts, including Director of Intramural Education, Director of Ambulatory Services, and in 1981, Deputy Physician in Chief of the Cancer Center. In 1996 he was appointed Senior Vice President for Clinical Program Development for MSKCC and Medical Director of the MSKCC International Oncology Program, positions he held until assuming Emeritus Status in 2011.Throughout his career he held academic appointments at the Weill Cornell Medical College and the New York Presbyterian Hospital and served as an Associate Dean of the Medical College for MSKCC. He was the first incumbent of the Anne Burnett Windfohr Chair of Clinical Oncology at MSK. He was a President of the New York State Society of Internal Medicine, the Damon Runyon/Walter Winchell Cancer Foundation, and serves on a number of non-profit Boards,including the American Austrian Foundation, ArchCare, the East Hampton Health Foundation and Calvary Hospital where he Chairs the Hospital Board. Among many other honors, he received a citation as a Distinguished Alumnus in Medicine by Fordham in 1972. He lives with his wife, Eleanor in Manhattan, and credits her with the fact that his four children all have doctorates – two in Medicine, one in Law and one in English Renaissance Literature.

Philip M. Falcone, MD received his undergraduate degree from Fordham University and his medical degree from the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center. He graduated with honors and was named to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha medical honors society. He then completed his ophthalmology residency training at the St Luke’s/Roosevelt Medical Center of Columbia University, and retina fellowship training at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard Medical School. He has been in practice in Connecticut for over fifteen years. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine and volunteers at the Veterans Hospital in West Haven. Dr. Falcone has numerous major publications to his credit and has been at the research forefront participating as the Principal Investigator in many national trials including current therapies for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He treats all aspects of retinal disease but surgery is his primary area of concentration. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and 4 children.

Paul Freiman's career spans 55 years in healthcare. Starting as a salesman for Syntex in 1962, Freiman held numerous positions of increasing responsibility and was named Chairman and CEO in 1989. He is considered the founder of the OTC product Aleve in the United States, forming a Joint Venture with Procter & Gamble. Freiman was responsible for spreading the Syntex footprint on a global basis and ultimately sold the company to Roche Holdings. He was elected chairman of the board of directors of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association of America in 1992. Additionally, Freiman worked with the International Pharmaceutical Association (IFPMA), a Geneva based group representing the European and Japanese segments of the industry as well as the Dolder Group, a Swiss based discussion group dealing with the CEO's of the major companies. He was a member of the Jackson Hole Group, a think tank involved in reforming US health delivery and has served on numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical boards including Otsuka America Inc and Otsuka. Recently, Freiman helped to initiate and fund a nascent Brazilian biotech industry as well as the delivery of healthcare in Brazil. Freiman serves as the Chairman of Chronix Biomedical and Neurotrope, Inc and is on the Board of NovaBay, and America Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Armando E. Giuliano, MD, is Executive Vice Chair of Surgery for Surgical Oncology, Co-director of the Saul and Joyce Brandman Breast Center - A Project of Women's Guild and Associate Director for Surgical Oncology at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. Additionally he is the Linda and Jim Lippman Chair in Surgical Oncology and serves as Program Director for both the Complex Surgical Oncology Fellowship and Breast Oncology Fellowship. He is a recognized authority in breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and parathyroid disease. Dr. Giuliano has served on the editorial boards of prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including the Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of the American College of Surgeons and Breast Cancer Online. A prolific researcher, he is the author of more than 450 scientific papers and has written book chapters and a textbook. Dr. Giuliano has earned numerous teaching awards as well as the Hadassah Medical Organization Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Oncology, the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh ad hominem, the National Summit on Breast Cancer Outstanding Medical Advances in Breast Cancer Award and the Umberto Veronesi Award for international recognition of contributions to the field of breast cancer and the introduction of sentinel node biopsy for the treatment of breast cancer. In 2011, he was one of only three physicians to receive the national clinical Excellence Award from Castle Connolly. Recently he was awarded the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Clinical Research, their highest award for clinical research. In addition to serving as Chairman of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Breast Organ Site Research Committee, Dr. Giuliano served as Chairman of the Breast Fellowship Program Directors Committee for the Society of Surgical Oncology. He recently completed his term as President of the International Sentinel Node Society and currently serves as Secretary for the Society of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Giuliano's work on nodal metastases has changed the treatment of breast cancer worldwide.

Richard Juelis has extensive experience as an executive, consultant and board member. During his career, he held domestic and international finance and general management positions with Life Science companies. He is currently a board director and angel investor with emerging technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Juelis was a director and multiple committee member for Adept Technology, a public robotics company, and two other biotech companies. He currently serves on the Board of a private immunotherapy cancer company and is a Board Finance Committee member of El Camino Hospital, a leading Silicon Valley health care institution. He was an executive at two major pharmaceutical companies and four emerging biotech and medical device companies. He currently invests in and sponsors early stage technology companies through a prominent Silicon Valley angel investing group. Mr. Juelis has a BS in Chemistry from Fordham University. He recently sponsored two computer science student interns at a leading robotics company and previously established an endowed scholarship with Fordham’s Global Outreach program. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and is a student mentor with their Entrepreneurial program.

Mary Jane McCartney served as Con Edison’s Senior Vice President, Gas Operations, from 1993 until her retirement in 2009. Before joining Con Edison in 1980, Ms. McCartney held a variety of trading and analytical posts at Royal Dutch/Shell. Ms. McCartney earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Fordham University and did graduate work in Math and Computer Science at New York University. In 1996, she earned a Certificate in International Business at INSEAD University in Fontainebleau, France. In addition to other parish and non-profit board posts, Ms. McCartney has been a trustee of the New York Hall of Science for over 20 years, serving as a Vice Chair for over a decade. She has also served on the Fordham College Board of Visitors since 2004, which she chaired for three years. She is currently a member of the President’s Council and a founding member of Fordham’s Science Council. Ms. McCartney and her husband of forty years, George McCartney (FCRH’68), endow a research fellowship at Fordham promoting undergraduate research.

Jeanne C. Myers, PhD earned a BS in Biology and Chemistry from Fordham University (Thomas More College) in 1969, and a Doctorate in Virology/Enzymology/Molecular Biology from Columbia University in 1976. After a 3 year research staff position at Columbia in the Institute of Cancer Research, she joined the Biochemistry Department at Rutgers Medical School as an Assistant Professor to begin studies on human collagen genes and inherited diseases of connective tissue. In 1983, she moved to the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Medicine and in1989 joined the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics as an Associate Professor. During her 28 years at Penn, Dr. Myers directed government grant supported research projects focused primarily on the molecular structure, expression and function of two newly discovered collagen genes. Retirement from active biomedical research has created time for new activities. Dr. Myers is a member of the newly launched Fordham University Science Council, serves on the Executive Council of the Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty at Penn, and holds an adjunct appointment as Associate Professor of Pathology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Robert D. Russo, MD graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1969. He has been a practicing radiologist in Eastern Fairfield Country, Connecticut, for nearly forty years. Three generations of his family have attended Fordham University, including his father, Dr. Robert D. Russo, Sr. and his son, Dr. Greg Russo, both radiologists. Dr. Russo and his wife Kathleen have four sons, and live in Fairfield County. Following his graduation from Fordham in 1969, Dr. Russo attended Tulane Medical School and did his residency in Radiology at Yale Hospital in New Haven. He has been an officer in medical specialty societies including the American College of Radiology, and Country and State AMA. He has also served as president of the medical staff at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Dr. Russo is currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Fairfield College Preparatory School. He is actively involved in promoting the basic sciences at Fordham College through the “Science Council,” and states, “Fordham can only have superior liberal arts education with excellent basic science programs."

Robert J. Schaffhauser, PhD earned a BS in Chemistry from Fordham University and a Doctorate from Princeton. After serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army (with a Top Secret clearance), he joined Allied Corporation (now Honeywell) where he was responsible for managing its Engineering Plastics businesses. He subsequently became Corporate VP and Chief Technical Officer at American Standard, ITW and Engelhard corporations. Since retiring from Engelhard, Dr. Schaffhauser has been active in consulting and board work including S.C. Johnson Corp. Other positions held in past include: President, Society of Plastics Engineers Chairman, R&D Council of New Jersey President, Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni Member of the EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Council.

Anthony J. Tortolani, MD is Professor of Clinical Cardiothoracic Surgery and Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and serves as Chairman of the Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Surgery at New York Methodist Hospital. A graduate of Fordham University, he obtained his medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. and after becoming a General surgeon, he served as a Major in the Air Force and completed his Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship training at New York University Medical Center. Dr. Tortolani is listed as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in the 11th Edition of Americas Top Doctors and has been in the 1st through the 15th Editions of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area. He is active in the practice, educational and administrative aspects of surgery. He has participated in multiple research studies, is the author of over 100 academic and scientific publications and abstracts; and, is a member of several national medical societies and has served as a Governor of the American College of Surgeons and President of the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery. He also provides consultation to hospitals and health systems for the implementation, development or improvement of their Cardiothoracic Surgery Programs.

Christine A. Walsh, MD, FAAP, FACC is a Pediatric Cardiologist at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Dr. Walsh is Co-Director of the Montefiore/Einstein Center for CardioGenetics which provides families with a multidisciplinary approach to the identification and treatment of individuals at risk for sudden unexpected cardiac death. Dr. Walsh has been listed in several publications as an outstanding medical scholar and physician. Dr. Walsh graduated from the Yale University School of Medicine and did her Internship and Residency in Pediatrics at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. She has edited and contributed to a number of medical publications, including the Textbook of Pediatric Care and Textbook of Adolescent Health Care. Dr. Walsh is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She has received the Lewis M. Fraad Award and the William Obrinsky Award for excellence in teaching residents and medical students, respectively, and has been named a Master Teacher by the Department of Pediatrics of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Walsh has held office in professional organizations, including past President of the Pediatric Cardiology Society of Greater New York and Chairman of the Governance Council of the Department of Pediatrics. She is currently President of the Yale Association of Alumni in Medicine, and is a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of the Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome Educational Foundation.