DR. FRED NAIDER, LEONARD AND ESTER KURTZ TERM PROFESSOR
their movement through cell membranes. sponsor of Dr. Goodman’s research. When Dr.
While at Weizmann, Dr. Naider worked Goodman left Polytechnic in 1970, Naider
closely with acclaimed chemist Ephraim Katzir, maintained his working relationship with
one of the founding scientists of the Institute, Dr. Kurtz.
Y
who in subsequent years became
the fourth president of Israel. According to Professor Naider, Dr. Kurtz
was originally a board-certified radiologist.
MMUNIT
Naider’s career path was clearly moving toward He left this profession to serve as president
CO
working for a major company as a chemical of a medical product business, Deknatel Inc.
engineer; however, he chose to pursue a career Deknatel produced a number of innovative
THE
as an educator. Naider said, “I decided that products, one of which was a combination of
my first love was the quest for knowledge synthetic Dacron and Teflon into a surgical
and sharing that quest with young minds. suture that would pull smoothly through
So, I chose academia where I would have the tissue. Eventually Pfizer Inc. acquired Deknatel
/

ENGAGING
freedom to pursue those goals.” and promoted its important medical products.
T
Dr. Kurtz and his sons then concentrated their
OR
Professor Naider remains honored by the energies on a new venture, BioResearch Inc.,
REP
longtime support of the Kurtz family and a research and development company.
AL
Fred Naider, Leonard and Esther Kurtz Term studying peptides, a family of molecules the Kurtz Foundation through the Leonard
Professor and CUNY Distinguished Professor formed by linking amino acids in a certain and Esther Kurtz Term Professorship. His Upon Leonard Kurtz’s death in 1991,
ANNU
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has had order. Peptides are ubiquitous in biological relationship with the family transcends his son Dr. Robert Kurtz took control of
an illustrious career for more than 30 years systems and are currently used in the many years. BioResearch Inc. and continued the family
TION
as a CSI faculty member. Professor Naider manufacturing of drugs. His lab at CSI builds tradition of supporting Dr. Naider’s work
A
combines the qualities of an extraordinary “designer” peptides, which he supplies to After he secured his bachelor of science through the Leonard Kurtz - Ester Kurtz Term
researcher and teacher, and remains one in a research labs around the world. and master of science degrees from Cornell Professorship at CSI, which was established in
F
OUND
handful of scientists who has had continual University in 1966, Naider continued on to 2002.
CSI
funding from the National Institutes of Health In addition to his work in the United States, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn for further
13
(NIH) for over 30 years. Naider spent many years working at Israel’s graduate studies. While there, he worked Since then, the professorship has provided
Weizmann Institute of Science. His research under Dr. Murray Goodman, a renowned continuous funding in support of the
Naider is a chemist by training who has there focused on biological projects, with a polymer/peptide chemist. During this innovative polymer and biopolymer chemistry
spent the best part of his distinguished career specialty in peptide interactions with cells and time, Dr. Leonard Kurtz was an important programs at CSI.
CSI-SIP (Staten Island Project) holds its annual conference CSI Friends holds their annual
on quality of life issues, sponsored by Councilman Michael literary brunch, featuring CSI
McMahon. The conference featured results of a major professor and author Sylvia Kahan,
survey of social capital, which was funded with a $75,000 who read excerpts from her novel,
grant from the Staten Island Foundation. Music’s Modern Muse.
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