In Memoriam

Alumni

’59, M.D. — R. Gordon Douglas of Princeton, N.J., Sept. 8, 2025; chair emeritus, Weill Department of Medicine and physician-in-chief emeritus, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. A 1959 graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Douglas was a leading authority on viral infectious diseases and led both industry and nonprofit efforts to develop and distribute new vaccines. He completed residencies in internal medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, where he was chief resident, as well as Johns Hopkins University. After serving as head of infectious diseases at the University of Rochester, Dr. Douglas returned in 1982 to New York City, where over the next eight years he grew the Weill Department of Medicine’s grant support, faculty development and student training. Over the next decade, during his tenure as president of Merck’s vaccine division, the company developed and distributed new vaccines for Haemophilus B, hepatitis A and B, and chickenpox. He also served as founding chair of the nonprofit biotech Aeras, which was dedicated to developing a tuberculosis vaccine. Dr. Douglas was widely published, and he also co-edited leading medical textbooks, including “Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases,” considered a standard reference in the field. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, notably the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases’ Maxwell Finland Award and Weill Cornell Medical College’s Alumni Award of Distinction. A devoted scientist, clinician, and mentor, Dr. Douglas had a notable impact on Weill Cornell Medicine’s and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell’s evolution into a leading academic medical center. Dr. Douglas was predeceased by his first wife, Ann Moses Douglas. He is survived by his second wife, Sheila Mahoney; his children, Robert G. Douglas III, Catherine L. Douglas and Timothy S. Douglas; his sister, Lynne Douglas Hargrove; Sheila’s son, Robert Mahoney; and their extended family and friends.

’59 M.D. — Richard Kossmann of Tenafly, N.J., April 11, 2025; ophthalmology. Dr. Kossmann served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant commander while at the National Institutes of Health. He held faculty positions at Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University and the New Jersey College of Medicine, and conducted extensive research in neuromuscular and neuro-ophthalmologic diseases. His training included internal medicine, neurology and neuro-ophthalmology. Recognized for his scholarly contributions, he published widely and received multiple honors. He enjoyed sailing, the arts, athletics and wine tasting. Dr. Kossmann was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He is survived by his four daughters, 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and his brother. He is predeceased by his wife, Geralyn Smyth Costantin.

’60 M.D. — Thomas Older of Loudonville, N.Y., Aug. 13, 2024; cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Older performed Albany’s first coronary artery operation. He trained as a surgical resident at Mount Sinai West and as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Albany Medical Center. He later established cardiac surgery practices at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany and Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, and also practiced at the VA Albany. In 1956, he met his future wife, Anne, while touring Europe with his parents. He enjoyed woodworking and the arts. As a physician and a father, he was known for his exacting standards, strong work ethic, high integrity and sense of humor. He is survived by his wife, Anne Gillett Older, their four children and 10 grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister and brother.

’75 M.D. — Robert “Bob” George Robinson of Eastham, Mass., Dec. 25, 2024; psychiatry. Dr. Robinson completed an internship at Montefiore Einstein and the first year of clinical psychiatry residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health, where he met his wife, Gretchen. He fulfilled military service with the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health before completing his residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he remained as faculty in the psychiatry department for 15 years. In 1991, Dr. Robinson became the chairman of the department of psychiatry at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center. A leading researcher on stroke, depression and brain injury, he authored numerous books and publications. He enjoyed golf, pickleball and running, but most especially enjoyed cultivating his wine collection, from which he curated the best bottles to share with his sons.  

’82 M.D. — David Altchek of New York, July 25, 2025; orthopedic surgery. Dr. Altchek was an orthopedic surgeon and expert in sports medicine, widely known for his contributions to the evolution of Tommy John surgery, having performed more than 2,400 procedures. He completed an internship at Weill Cornell Medicine and a residency at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), where he also completed a fellowship and later served as co-chief of the sports medicine and shoulder service. During his career, he served as head team physician and medical director for the New York Mets, as well as the North American medical director for the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour and U.S. Davis Cup team. He was the recipient of Columbia University’s John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement and HSS’s Lifetime Achievement Award.  

’97, M.D. — Apostolos John Tsiouris, of New York and Southampton, N.Y., March 11, 2025; chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and professor of clinical radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine. After completing his undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Tsiouris graduated from Weill Cornell Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed a residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in neuroradiology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and joined the faculty of Weill Cornell Medicine, where he remained for the entirety of his career, distinguishing himself as an outstanding clinician-scholar and dedicated educator. His gifts as a teacher and mentor were recognized through multiple awards including the Robin C. Watson Radiology Teacher of the Year and similar awards from the Departments of Neurosurgery and Ophthalmology. He was also the namesake and inaugural recipient of the A. John Tsiouris Award for Excellence in Neuroradiology Fellowship Training and received the American Society of Neuroradiology’s prestigious 2025 Outstanding Contributions in Neuroradiology Education Award. Dr. Tsiouris made significant contributions to the field of neuroradiology with his research on cerebrovascular disease, traumatic brain injury, quantitative susceptibility mapping and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, authoring more than 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts, numerous book chapters and a textbook on brain imaging. He is survived by his wife, Justine, and daughters, Elisabeth and Annabel.

Faculty

Daniel Alonso, M.D., of Norfolk, Va., July 31, 2025; dean emeritus, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and professor emeritus of pathology and laboratory medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine. An esteemed physician, administrator and teacher, Dr. Alonso served Weill Cornell Medicine with distinction for more than 40 years, joining the institution in New York in 1969 following his residency in pathology at what is now NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Profoundly passionate about training the next generation of doctors, he directed the institution’s pathology course and introduced the use of computers and digital images in medical education. In 1982, he was appointed associate dean of admissions and five years later was named the inaugural senior associate dean for academic affairs, overseeing all aspects of medical education. Dr. Alonso spearheaded a major redesign of the medical education curriculum, which Weill Cornell Medicine implemented in fall 1996, coinciding with the opening of the Weill Education Center. The curriculum blended basic and clinical science, exposed students to primary care and doctoring courses, and championed problem-based learning and office-based preceptorships. Dr. Alonso’s educational leadership culminated in his 2001 appointment as inaugural dean of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. As dean, Dr. Alonso developed excellent relations with Qatar Foundation and welcomed the Qatar location’s first students to Doha in 2002, overseeing their education until their graduation in 2008. Retiring a year later to become dean emeritus, Dr. Alonso’s legacy endures in the 641 new doctors who have graduated from the institution he helped build. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Powers Peterson; his children, Daniel R. Alonso and Jennifer Alonso-Albert; and four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Dr. Maria Lita Alonso, who was an associate professor of clinical pathology and laboratory medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Steven Gross, Ph.D., of New York, Sept. 1, 2025; professor of pharmacology. With a career spanning five decades, Dr. Gross was a beloved faculty member, supportive mentor and trusted advisor. He joined the Department of Pharmacology in 1982, first as a postdoc, then as faculty in 1984 before receiving tenure in 1996. He was an active faculty member in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Science’s Ph.D. program in pharmacology, the BCMB Allied Program in Biochemistry & Structural Biology, and the Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Ph.D. Program. A prolific researcher and publisher, Dr. Gross was an authority and pioneer in the role of nitric oxide as a signaling molecule, receiving an NIH MERIT award in 2007. Dr. Gross believed that he was the luckiest man alive because he never had to work; his job was his passion, and he loved doing scientific research at Weill Cornell Medicine every day. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Kandy, and their children, Nicole, Noah and Ethan.