Humble Beginnings Inspire Gary Matoren To Support Renaissance School of Medicine and Health Sciences Students

Difficult moments in people’s lives often are the catalyst to manifest positive things. Gary Matoren lost his daughter at the age of 9. Debbie Lynn was born with a heart defect he said was due to a drug his wife was prescribed for morning sickness. As a result, Gary dedicated his career to healthcare fields such as pharmacy, administration and clinical research. He is now creating a legacy at Stony Brook by leaving his estate to help graduate students continue their pursuit of researching and discovering ways to prevent genetic disorders.

Throughout his career, Gary focused on drug toxicity and the etiology of disease. He edited a book, The Clinical Research Process in the Pharmaceutical Industry, and founded the journal Clinical Research Practices and Drug Regulatory Affairs. “I stayed in the pharmaceutical healthcare field because of my youngest daughter Debbie Lynn,” said Gary. “Her mother took an approved drug, which was later taken off the market, and my child was born without a left ventricle.” Debbie Lynn had successful open heart surgery just a few months after she was born and was given an artificial ventricle. “The artificial ventricle was replaced when she was 7 years old,” said Gary. “She was living a normal life before it failed.”

Gary’s family has been the inspiration behind his philanthropy. Gary has decided to leave his entire estate to Stony Brook University in the form of two fellowships and a scholarship. “I live a frugal lifestyle,” said Gary. “And I want to give back to students to help them achieve their goals and further advance clinical research.”

“We are honored that Gary chose Stony Brook as the place for his remarkable philanthropic legacy,” said Scott Barrett, interim vice president for University Advancement. “This extraordinary gift represents more than just a visionary commitment — it establishes a perpetual support for students and their research.”

Gary’s connection to Stony Brook dates back to the 1960s, when he was interested in pharmacy schools. While Stony Brook’s School of Medicine didn’t have a department of pharmacology yet, Gary did meet with Edmund D. Pellegrino, the founder of Stony Brook University’s Health Sciences Center and the first dean of the School of Medicine. “Dr. Pellegrino told me that eventually Stony Brook would have a pharmacology program,” said Gary. “So, Stony Brook stayed on my radar. I was so happy to hear about all of the wonderful things that Stony Brook was doing in terms of advancing medicine and research.”

His estate gift will establish three different funds. The Gary M. Matoren Endowed Fellowship in Pharmacology will support graduate students in the pharmacological sciences PhD program. The Gary M. Matoren Endowed Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering will support students in the biomedical engineering MD/PhD program. And the Gary M. Matoren Endowed Scholarship for Graduate Health Sciences will support students in the graduate health sciences program. “The reason I initially chose Stony Brook is because it offers a PhD in pharmacology,” said Gary. “My hope is that these funds will enable people to find the causes of different types of diseases and work toward finding ways to prevent them.” He added that the health sciences program is important to him because he has had positive experiences with many caregivers over the years and wants to help students who are pursuing those important careers. 

“We are grateful for Gary’s support of the students within the pharmacology, biomedical engineering and health sciences programs,” said William Wertheim, executive vice president of Stony Brook Medicine. “By investing in our students, Gary is making an investment in the future in creating healthier communities near and far.”

-Christine McGrath