Revered Ophthalmologist Memorialized with Gift to Support Lymphoma Research
This story was published in the September 2024 issue of The Philanthropist, a newsletter for supporters and friends of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Read past issues here.
Robert Schroeder ’78, MD, of Winnetka, Illinois, was a beloved leader, educator, and practitioner in the field of ophthalmology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, known for his retina expertise and his pioneering in the field of ocular oncology.
When he passed away in 2021 due to complications from COVID-19, made worse because of a prior lymphoma diagnosis, his Northwestern colleagues remembered him for his heartfelt impact on medical trainees’ careers and for his stoic demeanor that prevailed against adversity.
“I called him my metronome. He just had this remarkable evenness,” said Deborah “Debbie” Gersh ’80, who met Dr. Schroeder while they were undergraduates at Northwestern. They married in 1984.
Many who knew Dr. Schroeder professionally might have been surprised to learn of his adventurous spirit, Debbie said. He went on extreme bike trips across the mountains of Portugal, heli-skied the slopes of Colorado, and flew small planes across the US. In fact, it was his diagnosis of lymphoma in 2015 that spurred him to obtain his pilot’s license.
“It was just something he always wanted to do. When he got into something, he knew it top to bottom, just like skiing. He went all in,” she said.
To fuel research into the cancer that marked her beloved husband’s final years—but didn’t stop him from following his dreams—Debbie made a $1 million commitment to lymphoma research in his memory. The commitment will support an endowed innovation research fund in lymphoma, an expendable research fund in lymphoma, and an endowed lectureship in lymphoma at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.
At the same time, Debbie made a separate gift to help establish the Robert P. Schroeder, MD Retina Fellowship in the Department of Ophthalmology. Many other faculty members and trainees in the department helped fundraise for this special fund honoring one of his greatest passions.
Dr. Schroeder truly loved teaching, she said. In 1988, he joined the Ophthalmology faculty at Northwestern, where he became one of only a handful of ophthalmologists in the country with expertise in choroidal melanomas and later played an integral role in leading the Vitreoretinal Fellowship program. He served as a principal investigator and co-investigator in National Institutes of Health clinical trials and wrote and contributed to many peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Schroeder is also survived by two children, Jonathan and Julia. Jonathan, Debbie said, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of his father in supporting and advising small businesses. And, following in her father’s footsteps, his daughter, Julia, is a resident at the University of California, San Francisco.
Using Nanotechnology to Target Lymphoma
Leo Gordon, MD, the Abby and John Friend Professor of Cancer Research and professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, heads the lymphoma research to which Debbie made her generous gift.
Dr. Gordon served as Dr. Schroeder’s oncologist, and Debbie said her intention is for Dr. Gordon to allocate the funds toward projects that need it most. “I really adore him,” she said of Dr. Gordon. “I trust him implicitly.”
Dr. Gordon’s team is leading exciting investigations into translational uses of nanotechnology to treat lymphoma. Specifically, the scientists are looking at a novel method of influencing cholesterol metabolism and inducing ferroptosis—a method of causing cell death using lipid nanoparticles—as a therapeutic strategy.
Debbie's gift is providing vital resources for this research until it can obtain federal funding. This private support has already helped the scientists secure three other grants related to the topic and publish several manuscripts. Her gift has also supported mentees in Dr. Gordon’s lab, including Adam Lin, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
“Debbie’s gift is a beautiful tribute to Bob that will benefit innumerable patients with lymphoma for years to come,” said Dr. Gordon, who is also the director of the Lymphoma Program at Lurie Cancer Center. “We are working hard to improve treatments and eventually find cures, and her philanthropy will go a long way toward realizing our goals.”
For more information about supporting cancer research, please contact Terri Dillon at terri-dillon@northwestern.edu or 312-503-4837.