Founder of Victor Centers for Jewish Genetic Diseases Honored by Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation
Philadelphia, PA, January 24, 2008 – Lois B. Victor, founder of the Victor Center for Jewish Genetic Diseases at Albert Einstein Medical Center, was recently
honored by the Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation at its annual “See the Light” awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The
Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation promotes education, counseling and research to help prevent and cure children’s genetic diseases
of the brain.
Shown from Left: Kevin Romer, Mathew Forbes Romer Foundation President; Lois Victor with a “See the Light” award; and Lisajane
Romer.Lois Victor lost both of her children to a Jewish genetic disease, and has made it her mission to make sure that other children
and families are protected from the heartache of preventable diseases. Victor spent time in the Philadelphia area for a while
and currently lives in Delray Beach, Florida.
It is through Lois Victor’s hard work and philanthropy that the Victor Center for Jewish Genetic Diseases was established
in 2002 at Albert Einstein Medical Center. Adele Schneider, MD, Einstein’s Director of Clinical Genetics, played a pivotal
role in launching the Center, and continues to oversee its activities.
The mission of the Victor Center is to offer education, testing, and genetic counseling in order to prevent Jewish genetic
diseases, including Tay-Sachs disease, Familial Dysautonomia, Bloom syndrome, Canavan disease and others. A prime focus of
the Victor Center at Albert Einstein Medical Center is preconception testing of men and women, including students on college
campuses, so these young adults will know if they are at risk of having a child with a Jewish genetic disease.
With one simple blood test, the Victor Center program screens for nine Jewish genetic diseases. Approximately 2,000 young
men and women have been screened since the inception of Einstein’s program. These free screenings were made possible by Victor’s
generosity and the growing support of many others who have recognized the importance of this work. In response to the success
of the program, the Victor Center expanded in 2006, with a new program at Tufts-New England Medical Center Floating Hospital
for Children in Boston. Expansion is continuing with the recent opening of a Victor Center at the University of Miami’s Miller
School of Medicine in Florida.
Honored along with Victor at the “See the Light” awards ceremony, held at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort
Lauderdale, was Walt Mickens, Chief Executive Officer of West Boca Medical Center/Tenet Healthcare Systems.
Lois Victor also serves as a member of the Board of Overseers of Albert Einstein Healthcare Network.
CONTACT: Judy Horwitz
Communications Specialist
Albert Einstein Healthcare Network
215-456-6767 horwitzj@einstein.edu
Publish date: January 24, 2008
