Former Chair Vittorio Defendi Designated Professor Emeritus of Pathology in Honor of His Service

Vittorio Defendi, M.D., was recently designated Professor Emeritus of Pathology for his tremendous service to the department. To commemorate thirty-five years of his service to the Department of Pathology and to NYU School of Medicine, the Department hosted a tribute in Vittorio Defendi's honor on Friday, November 6.

Dr. Defendi's multiple and wide-ranging contributions continue to this day. His wit, style and collegiality are apparent to all who have had the pleasure of working with him. He succeeded Chandler Stetson as Chair of the NYU Department of Pathology in 1974 and served in this capacity until 2002. Dr. Defendi is a distinguished viral oncologist who has presciently pursued research on the carcinogenic properties of human papilloma virus. He has been a member of the Wistar Institute, American Cancer Society Professor, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cellular Physiology.

Vittorio Defendi also served as Director of the Cancer Center of New York University School of Medicine for almost two decades. Throughout his career, Dr. Defendi was a strong proponent of graduate and medical education, particularly emphasizing the interface between cancer, immunology, and disease pathogenesis. In 2008 the Vittorio Defendi Fellowship in Pathobiology was established in his honor to acknowledge Dr. Defendi's lifelong service to science, the Department of Pathology, and graduate education. The annual fellowship is awarded to a Pathobiology training program graduate student in recognition of his or her extraordinary promise and achievement in understanding the pathologic basis of disease.

Previously, Dr. Marjorie Zucker (1919-2006) was designated Professor Emerita of Pathology in 1992.