The Heilbrunn Family
The University’s Center for Research Nursing is named in honor of the Heilbrunn family, longtime friends and benefactors of The Rockefeller University. The family’s relationship with Rockefeller began in the 1990s when New York City philanthropists Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn were introduced to the University’s work in diabetes research. Their interest grew to encompass cancer investigations, stem cell research, and clinical work under way at The Rockefeller University Hospital. They were among the University’s most generous donors.
In 2008, Robert and Harriet’s daughters, Helaine Lerner and Joan Rechnitz, provided funds to create the Heilbrunn Family Center for Research Nursing in memory of their late parents. Harriet, in particular, had a lifelong respect for the nursing profession, as well as a great admiration for, and love of, nurses.
