The William Smilow Professorship

Joel SmilowFounded in 2012 by William Smilow and his father the late Joel Smilow, the Professorship reflects the Smilow family’s deeply rooted commitment to supporting impactful medical research. The Professorship was created as part of their landmark gift to name the Smilow Center for Translational Research, an integral part of Penn’s medical campus that has become one of the nation’s premier research facilities.

William Smilow is President and Founder of Great Oak Holdings, Inc., a premier builder, restorer, renovator, and seller of fine homes and businesses based in Chestnut Hill. Joel Smilow served as the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playtex Products, Inc. In their wide-ranging philanthropy, the Smilow family has supported biomedical research with a number of leadership gifts to institutions such as Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital, Memorial Sloane Kettering, and NYU Langone Medical Center. At Johns Hopkins University they founded the William S. Smilow Center for Marfan Syndrome Research. William Smilow is a member of the Penn Medicine Board, as well as the Penn Cardiovascular Institute Leadership Council, Penn Orthopaedics Leadership Council, and Penn Medicine Development Leadership Cabinet.

 

Thomas P. CappolaCurrent Chairholder

Thomas P. Cappola, MD, ScM

Thomas P. Cappola, MD, ScM is the William S. Smilow Professor and Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine. He earned his AB in Chemistry at Princeton University in 1991, his MD at Harvard Medical School in 1995, and his ScM in Clinical Investigation from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in 2004. He performed his internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and completed his Cardiology Fellowship, including specialty training in Heart Failure and Transplantation, at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Cappola has been a member of the Penn Faculty for 17 years. His research focuses on the genomic and molecular basis of heart failure and cardiomyopathy and seeks to identify new treatments. His research was recognized in 2008 with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which he received from President Obama at the White House. This is the highest honor bestowed by the US Government for scientists and engineers in the early stage of their independent careers. To date, Dr. Cappola has published over 130 manuscripts and lectured extensively nationally and internationally. Dr. Cappola is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the Interurban (Osler) Clinical Club, the Association of American Physicians and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. He sees patients as a member of Penn’s world-renowned heart failure/transplant program and promotes a culture of research and innovation throughout Penn’s Cardiovascular Programs.

Previous Chairholders

  • Reed Pyeritz, MD 2013-2020