When Ellen Davis joined the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows in 2015, she embarked on a decade of discovery and support for two of her passions – research and women’s health – then found a way to weave them together. In 2022, Ms. Davis became the inaugural chair of the Weill Cornell Medicine Women’s Health Council, which is helping to transform research, education and patient care for women. She also serves as the vice chair of the Board’s Committee on Research & Entrepreneurship and serves on the Development, Clinical Affairs, and Membership & Governance Committees.
A graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Davis has made philanthropy a central part of her life. Together with her husband, Gary, a Cornell University trustee and alumnus of the class of 1976, and has been a generous supporter of Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University. In 2016, they made a foundational gift to drive research in immunotherapy, launching the Ellen and Gary Davis Immune Monitoring Core. Ms. Davis is a member of the Board of Directors of the Melanoma Research Alliance and the Advisory Board of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management at the University of Pennsylvania. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the JCC/UJA Greenwich Board of Directors.
Ms. Davis recently sat down with Lucille M. Ferraro, Weill Cornell Medicine’s assistant vice provost for development, to speak about the importance of philanthropy and her inspiration for giving.
Thank you for your extraordinary dedication to Weill Cornell Medicine. How did you first become involved with us?
About 15 years ago, I was successfully treated for invasive melanoma, and my experience led me to get involved with cancer research. I joined the board of the Melanoma Research Alliance and met scientists who were doing groundbreaking work in cancer. The first investigator my husband and I funded was Dr. Jedd Wolchok, a giant in the field who is now director of the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. We continue to support the Center’s exceptional cancer researchers and marvel at their groundbreaking discoveries. Once I joined the Weill Cornell Medicine Board of Fellows, my engagement broadened, and I enthusiastically jumped in with both feet.
You’ve been so generous to Weill Cornell Medicine. What inspires you to give?
Research is my passion – it’s where the action is and where change really happens. As an investor, I value great intellectual capital. The talent and brainpower are extraordinary at Weill Cornell Medicine, and I am confident our investment in research will continue to have an impact on millions of people. I don’t know of a return that could be any better than that. It’s a privilege to be able to give back, and profoundly fulfilling to be involved with the Weill Cornell Medicine family – and it is a family!
What has drawn you to women’s health?
Over time, I’ve become involved with the health journey of women around me – my mother, sister, daughter, friends – and I realized that these women with access to terrific care had health questions that couldn’t be answered by their physicians. And in many cases, they didn’t even know what questions to ask, or what kind of physical and mental health issues should be addressed. For women in poor socioeconomic communities, it’s even worse: They don’t have access to basic screening, simple medications, or mental health support. Since the beginning of modern medical care, women have been told, “Your issues are just anxiety-related – it’s all in your head.” Women deserve answers, better research and better care.
At Weill Cornell, the faculty leadership in areas that comprise women’s health are a dream team – providing treatment backed up by outstanding science. They’re unbelievably enthusiastic and committed to changing the status quo for women.
And now, you’ve inspired the formation of the Women’s Health Council, a truly ambitious effort. What inspired you to take things to the next level?
I am in the process of bringing together a council of influential doctors and thought leaders who can act as evangelistic ambassadors for the initiative, communicating our mission to diverse groups of women and donors across the tri-state area. Our grassroots approach is already generating momentum and cultivating a strong, connected community of donors and supporters who love the concept and want to work with and support our exceptional doctors and researchers. We have a great backbone. The Council’s going to be very impactful.
What are the programs that interest you most within women’s health? What do we do especially well, in your eyes?
Our new initiative treats the whole woman, from puberty to the end of life – it’s unique and the way care should be. Our approach emphasizes continuity, expertise and prevention at each inflection point in a woman’s life; we’re well-situated to do this because we are leaders in primary care, OB-GYN, in vitro fertilization and cancer care. In addition, we’ve woven mental health care into every aspect of a woman’s medical journey – the goal is to treat mental health issues earlier and more effectively. Weill Cornell Medicine is uniquely qualified to do this: We have the premier psychiatry department in the country, which features a comprehensive women’s mental health program including outpatient, inpatient and collaborative care components and the finest eating disorders inpatient unit in the tri-state area.
All the pieces are in place to create an innovative and exceptional women’s health enterprise.
Why is comprehensive care, backed by evidence-based research, so important for women’s health?
First of all, women are unique to men and that fact – often ignored elsewhere – drives our program. We also know that coordinated care leads to better health outcomes, and that treating the whole person is the best way to care for patients. Our hope is to create an environment that brings together specialists who understand how women’s biology affects every aspect of their health and how they deal with illness. Patients will also have greater access to clinical trials, allowing their experience to inform new avenues of discovery – it’s a much more efficient feedback loop for research. Overall, we will build a seamless and better experience for each patient.
What inspires members of the Women’s Health Council to support our research and clinical programs?
It’s a priority for our membership to support the research that will change lives. They recognize that the pieces are all in place for leading-edge research to work synergistically with exceptional patient care. Nowhere else in New York City has such a talented team of primary care doctors, fertility, midlife, heart, brain and mental health specialists been put together to focus on women. Add to that the emphasis on clinical research, prevention and advanced imaging for early detection and you have a world-class women’s health program. Our group is excited to back a proven and winning team.
The Council’s dynamic work will be transformative. As the initiative takes shape, we will amplify impact and generate donor support – and because of our dedication, this group is poised to make a lasting difference. There’s nothing like the power of women helping women, on behalf of women! And this is why the Women’s Health Council will ultimately be a game-changer.
If you’re interested in learning more about involvement with the Women’s Health Council, please contact Principal Gifts Officer Emily Anderson at ema2020@med.cornell.edu or (646) 962-7687.
