Gary Koretzky, PhD, Advisory Council Chair
Interim Vice Provost for Research
Gary Koretzky is interim vice provost for research, a professor emeritus of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, and a professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.
Koretzky oversees research and compliance for programs across Cornell’s Ithaca, AgriTech and Cornell Tech campuses, including more than 30 interdisciplinary research centers and specialized user facilities that support research collaborations, education, workforce development and fee-based use by companies. As interim vice provost, he reports to Provost Kavita Bala.
Koretzky previously served as dean of the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and vice dean of research at Weill Cornell Medicine, then served as vice provost for academic integration at Cornell and as the founding director of the Cornell Center for Immunology. He helped establish Cornell’s COVID-19 testing program and was instrumental in steering the university through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Koretzky’s research focused on immune cell signaling, specifically the molecular events important for immune cell development and function, with a particular interest in the signaling events initiated by surface receptor engagement. He translated his basic investigation with explorations into the impact of modulating key signaling pathways in the host response to malignancy. His research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for three decades, and he’s served on multiple NIH councils, including the Council of Councils.
Koretzky has published more than 300 peer reviewed papers and has been recognized for his scientific contributions with election to the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and as a Master of the American College of Rheumatology. Koretzky served as president of the American Association of Immunologists from 2021-22 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
Koretzky received his undergraduate degree from Cornell in 1978 and his medical degree and doctorate in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984. After residencies and fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, Koretzky was on the faculty of the University of Iowa for eight years. Starting in 1999, he was a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and then vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He joined Weill Cornell Medicine in 2013.
Marcus Smolka, PhD
Professor, Interim Director of the Biotechnology Insititute, Director of NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology (CAT)
Marcus Smolka is Associate Vice Provost for Research and Innovation at Cornell, a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and a member of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. He received a Ph. D. in Brazil, at the State University of Campinas, and worked as a FAPESP fellow at the Institute for Systems Biology (Seattle, WA). In 2003, Dr. Smolka moved to San Diego, CA, for a post-doctorate at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. He joined Cornell in 2008.
Smolka pioneered the use of mass spectrometry for the study of kinase substrates and mapping of phosphorylation signaling networks. With grants and awards from the NIH, ACS, Emerson Collective and various Cornell Initiatives, his lab has been applying proteomic approaches, in combination with genetics and biochemistry, to investigate fundamental mechanisms of genome maintenance, and their connections to cancer and reproductive biology. The Smolka Lab mapped the action of DNA damage signaling kinases in yeast and mammals, leading to the understanding of the mechanisms by which kinases control DNA repair, checkpoints, cell cycle and transcription. As a Research Scholar for the American Cancer Society, Smolka uncovered novel mechanisms for deactivation of DNA damage checkpoint signaling kinases, establishing novel paradigms for signaling regulation. Current work in the Smolka Lab continues to expand the network of DNA damage signaling in the context of cancer biology and meiosis. Smolka also engages in a range of collaborative efforts using quantitative proteomics to elucidate fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic control, cell polarity, protein trafficking, neurodegenerative diseases and bacteria-host interactions.
Ying Yang, Advisory Council Secretary
Interim Director, Center for Life Science Ventures
In July 2019, Ying Yang joined the Center for Life Science Ventures (CLSV) as an Assistant Director and later was promoted to Associate Director supporting both CLSV and Praxis Center. In 2025, Ying became the Interim Director of CLSV.
Ying is a skilled strategist and a trusted mentor with a strong background in business strategy, project management, and executive coaching, complemented by a decade of global consulting experience at McKinsey & Company’s life science practice and an MBA in healthcare management from the Wharton School.