The Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professorship

Established in 2014 by gifts from Janet F. Haas, MD, and John Otto Haas and from Anne and the late Jerome Fisher, the Professorship honors Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh. From 2001 to 2011, Dr. Rubenstein was Executive Vice President of the Health System for the University of Pennsylvania and Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine.

A prominent diabetes researcher, Dr. Rubenstein held leadership positions at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai before coming to Penn. At Penn Medicine, he focused the institution’s research, education, and clinical programs on the goals of accelerating new therapies and creating the best possible experience for patients.

During his tenure, research funding rose, Penn Medicine became a national and international destination for care and the Perelman School achieved an unbroken string of top national ratings. New, interconnected patient care and translational research facilities marked Penn Medicine as one of the nation’s premier locations for breakthrough research and leading-edge care. Dr. Rubenstein’s many recognitions include election to the National Academy of Medicine and the highest honors of the Association of American Physicians for research and of the Association of American Medical Colleges for contributions to medical education.

Janet F. Haas, MD, and John Otto Haas are long-time supporters of Penn and Penn Medicine, and this gift reflects their great admiration for Dr. Rubenstein. Dr. Haas is an emerita Penn Trustee and Penn Medicine Board Member, and currently serves on Penn Medicine’s Development Leadership Cabinet.

Wharton alumnus and Nine West Co-Founder Jerome Fisher (1930–2016), with his wife, Anne, was a long-time champion of the University. The Fishers supported numerous art, business, and residence life programs at Penn. Mr. Fisher served on the Penn Medicine Board and was an Honorary University Trustee Emeritus.

Current Chairholder
M. Celeste Simon, PhD

M. Celeste Simon, PhD is Scientific Director of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute (AFCRI). Dr. Simon became Assistant Professor of Medicine/Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago in 1992. In its first national competition, she was named Assistant Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in 1994, and remained an HHMI investigator for 20 years. In 1999, Dr. Simon moved to the University of Pennsylvania to lead one of the founding laboratories of the newly formed AFCRI. In 2007, she became Scientific Director at the Institute, and she was named the Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professor in 2016. Dr. Simon’s research is focused on how cells, tissues, and organisms sense and respond to changes in the availability of molecular oxygen and nutrients, and how this impacts physiology and disease.