New DLSPH student award in melanoma research to honour David Cornfield
May 1/2015
May is Melanoma Awareness Month and melanoma, the most serious and often fatal form of skin cancer, is on the rise. In 2014, approximately 6,500 Canadians were diagnosed, and 1,050 died. David Cornfield is one Canadian who succumbed to the disease in 2005 at 32 years of age.
Following his death, David’s family, friends and colleagues established the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund (DCMF), a registered Canadian charity dedicated to saving lives through prevention and research.
In December 2014, DCMF donated $50,000 to create an award at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health that will support PhD students who are researching melanoma. U of T’s Provost’s PhD Enhancement Fund matched the gift, bringing the total endowment to $100,000.
“Disease prevention is a public health cornerstone and we are honoured to help fulfill David’s wish to educate people that melanoma is largely preventable, “ said Professor Howard Hu, Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
“DCMF is delighted to support future leaders and inspire young public health professionals to pursue melanoma research in David’s spirit,” said Sari Cornfield Goldstein, David’s sister and a DCMF board member.
“Melanoma is an important health issue and I’m certain this award will help stimulate new research in this area, “ Hu concluded.
The endowment will generate approximately $4,000 per year for the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Award. The first award will be given in September 2016. The application process will commence mid-Spring 2016. For more information, please visit the School Prizes webpage.
Photo: David and his son, Noah.