Kelly, Adam, Alyssa & Joshua Leight
Visionary Award

Kelly and Adam Leight founded the Congenital Adrenal hyperplasia Research, Education and Support (CARES) Foundation Inc., in 2000, after they learned that one of their children had the non-classical form of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). For the first eight years of CARES Foundation’s existence, Ms. Leight served as its Executive Director and Board of Trustees President .  Ms. Leight currently acts as an advisor and board member at large for the organization.

Under Ms. Leight’s leadership, CARES Foundation succeeded in persuading all 50 US states and many countries abroad to implement life-saving newborn screening for the disease and to expand screening for many other diseases as well. She organized seven CAH conferences that educated over two thousand people about living with CAH. Several editorials written by Ms. Leight were published in medical journals. She was recognized for her work with CARES by Pfizer, Inc. in April, 2005 receiving their first “Unsung Hero” award presented by soccer star, Mia Hamm. Ms. Leight is a sought after speaker and recognized lay expert on newborn screening for adrenal hyperplasia.

Adam Leight served on the CARES Board of Trustees for eight years, serving in various capacities on the Executive Board, including Vice-President and Treasurer. Mr. Leight is Managing Director and Head of High Yield Research at RBC Capital Markets. He joined RBC in 2008, and has logged almost 30 years of experience covering the Oil & Gas industry. In recognition of his strong client franchise, he has been named to the Institutional Investor “All-America Fixed Income Research Team” 19 times, including six times as the #1 ranked Energy analyst.

Mr. Leight is a member of the Executive Board of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, has been a member of the University of Wisconsin School of Business ASAP Fixed Income Advisory Board, and has served as an officer or director of other non-profit organizations.  

Joshua and Alyssa Leight have been integral participants in CARES since it began in the Leight’s basement 10 years ago. Alyssa became the inspiration for CARES Foundation after she was diagnosed with CAH at the age of 7. Ever since then, CARES has been a family venture with both Josh and Alyssa helping out whenever needed.  Alyssa wrote stories for the newsletter, shared her story with others by speaking on the telephone, meeting or corresponding with other kids with CAH and spoke at events. Josh and Alyssa held bake sales, sold CARES bracelets, babysat and entertained kids at CARES conferences, stuffed envelopes and cooked dinner when Mom had to work late. 

Alyssa is now a senior in high school at Newark Academy, and has been accepted to Barnard College of Columbia University for next fall.  Joshua graduated from Brown University last May. He lives in New York City and is an associate at Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management in New York.

Maria I. New
Pioneer Award

Dr. Maria I. New has been a member of the scientific and medical advisory board member of CARES Foundation since its inception and has been a speaker at many CARES sponsored events.

Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Adrenal Steroid Disorders Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. New is one of the nation's leading pediatric endocrinologists. She has conducted pioneering research in the area of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a term used to describe a family of monogenic autosomal recessive disorders of steroidogenesis in which enzymatic defects result in impaired synthesis of cortisol by the adrenal cortex. In addition, Dr. New discovered a new form of hypertension, apparent mineralocorticoid excess, which opened a new field of receptor biology. She was also the first to describe dexamethasone ­suppressible hyperaldosteronism, another form of low-renin hypertension. In 1999, she reported what may be the first example of transcription factor defect in human beings.

Dr. New earned a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her house staff training and postgraduate work was at Cornell-Weill Medical Center. She was chair of the department of pediatrics at Cornell from 1980 to 2003, and was founding director of the Children's Clinical Research Center at Cornell.

Former president of the Endocrine Society and a member of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, Dr. New has edited or co‑edited 12 medical textbooks. She has also written or co-written more than 500 research papers and served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. She has trained more than 100 fellows in pediatric endocrinology.

Dr. New is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous honors including: the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Leadership Award; the Rhône-­Poulenc Rorer Clinical Investigator Award from the American Endocrine Society; the University of Pennsylvania Distinguished Graduate Award; the 1996 Dale Medal, the highest award given by the British Endocrine Society; and the 2003 Fred Conrad Koch Award, the highest award given by the American Endocrine Society.  Dr. New has been inducted into the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Hall of Honor.

Perkin Elmer
Corporate Partner Award

PerkinElmer is a global company focused on improving the health and safety of people and their environment. From earlier medical insights and more effective therapies to cleaner water and safer homes, PerkinElmer touches the lives of millions of people around the world every day.  At PerkinElmer, we’re taking action to make people healthier. Our Human Health business develops research and diagnostic instrumentation technologies as well as clinical resources and support services, all to fight illness proactively, provide medical insight more accurately and develop therapies more quickly. We know that the vision of a healthy tomorrow begins with what we do today.

PerkinElmer has been a strong supporter of CARES Foundation’s mission since 2002.  PerkinElmer continues to partner with CARES Foundation in support of newborn screening efforts and educational conferences for individuals and families affected by CAH.

Accepting this award on behalf of Perkin Elmer with be Mr. Scott Palubiak, Vice President of Newborn Screening and Child Health for the genetic screening business unit of PerkinElmer, Inc.  He joined the company in 1990 after holding several senior level sales and marketing positions with multinational corporations and venture capital backed start-ups.   Mr. Palubiak specialized in clinical laboratory diagnostics and quickly identified the need to supply innovative technologies for the high volume newborn screening laboratory community.  With the implementation of the internet and the proliferation of organizations, such as the CARES Foundation, Mr. Palubiak was instrumental in providing seed grants to fund educational programs in support of newborn screening.  Among his most notable achievements Mr. Palubiak is recognized for leading a highly effective lobbying campaign at both the state and federal level for the expansion of newborn screening.  This culminated in the Children’s Healthcare Act of 2000, signed by President Clinton, which included contributions to the newborn screening section by Mr. Palubiak.