Alumni Profile

Arnold M. Gans
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences- class of 1955

Arnold Gans is an alumni of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program and entered Columbia when Dwight Eisenhower was the 13th President of the University. Mr. Gans served in the U.S. Army as a combat airborne medic, launched a publically traded company, sought therapeutic interventions and innovations to improve the quality of lives for seniors. Throughout, Mr. Gans has remained connected to public health, learning from advanced CME courses at Harvard Medical & Columbia.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Arnold Gans cites “God and Fate” in charting his career trajectory. After graduation, he was drafted in the U.S. Army as a airborne combat medic. Upon leaving service, Gans was   hired immediately by a big Pharma company to apply his  pharmaceutical sciences background to work with collagen  protein hydrolysates for treatment of diabetic/venous wounds. Thirteen years later, he founded Medical Nutrition USA, Inc.

As consistent attendee at medical nutrition seminars since 1970 covering conditions  like bedsores, protein energy mal-nutrition, low albumin levels, poor kidney function, incontinence, and urinary tract infections inspired Arnold Gans to go into business for himself. “ All of the above medical issues affect the quality of life and cause so much pain in elderly people” Gans said. Arnold Gans was the founder and became the Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Nutrition USA, Inc., mission focused on improving the Quality of Life for the elderly.
Medical Nutrition USA, Inc. grew under Gans’ leadership from three people to a team of 120. Although his organization was eventually listed on the National Nasdaq, Gans strived to maintain a “small company” ethos. Danone, a French giant international company, acquired his public company in 2010 and asked Myra and Arnold Gans to stay involved for an additional 18 months. He is pleased that so many current students and younger Mailman alumni aspire to be entrepreneurs and hopes that his success story can serve as encouragement for this path.

CONFRONTING STUBBORN PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES

“One long-term challenge in the United States is people are living longer. When I first started my business, residents in nursing homes were in their 60’s or 70’s. Now they are in 85’s and 90’s. I feel geriatrics is an overlooked discipline,” Arnold Gans cautioned. “with the elderly autoimmune situations are increasing. Disease conditions such “Sarcopenia … come from the Greek poverty of the flesh.” are now becoming main stream. It is insidious like hypertension---all of a sudden it’s here, muscle turning to fat. It makes it so you cannot get up from the table. It impacts every part of the human body, Gans recounted.

Gans is concerned that Mailman has not embraced fully the path of integrative /functional/targeted nutrient support of the elderly population.
He is passionate about developing a program that “stretch” the proceeds of the last 3 decades of life (70’s-80’s-90’s) to produce a life dividend of delaying chronic illness, postponing the entry into the disability zone and providing functional independence for older Americans. A multi-disciplinary program of exercise/good nutrition/mental vitality/adequate sleep/relaxation/antioxidant-anti-inflammatory nutrient support/good medical care/engagement with life, and of course love and intimacy.
Gans, has expressed this view that the Butler Aging Center should consider prioritizing this concept to be part of a collaborative program that promotes and expands upon a multi-disciplinary approach to aging that includes nutrient dense intervention.

OPTIMIZING QUALITY OF LIFE

To underscore the trust of his professional work, Gans has stated over and over,  “I am a great believer in integrative, translational functional medicine. I am passionate about targeted antioxidant – anti inflammatory nutrient support, that translates science into healthy product solutions”. He believes that nutrient dense products should have a definite demonstrative effect. For example, When Dean Allan Rosenfield was ill fighting ALS, he experience dramatic weight loss. Medical Nutrition’s nutrient dense protein medical food was prescribed to stabilize his weight loss to improve his quality of life.

To back-up and support the company’s nutrient  dense medical food products, lives a library of 8 US patents, 9 double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical studies conducted with IRB ratings at medical schools, including Harvard, Columbia, University for Sciences Arkansas, all published in top peer review journals.
His clients and their families continually motivated Gans. He “still gets shivers” when recalling a hug of gratitude from an 86 year old female resident of a nursing home, who was suffering the severe pain and depression of several stage 3 bed sores. The company’s hydrolyzed peptide protein   formula was prescribed and had an immediate demonstrative effect of closing and healing the wounds. “When you can reduce the burden on the family and increase quality of life, it’s such a good feeling. You cannot imagine what a great feeling,” Gans shared.
While considering himself “not a true public health person”, Gans found it important to offer his insights to the broader scientific community. His company was an approved provider for CE credits to the ANA (American Nursing Association) and the ADA ( American Dietetic Association). The company conducted over 300  CE credit seminars to these associations on topics such as “The criteria for evaluation of protein quality.”  Arnold’s wife Myra headed a CE team of doctors, nurses and dieticians. We were both ardent believers in data, data & data.

DECADES OF SERVICE TO COLUMBIA & MAILMAN

Since graduating College of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1955,  joining its alumni board in 1957 upon returning from service, then joining the then School of Public health alumni board in 1990 at then Dean Allan Rosenfield’s behest—all prior to Mailman. He is among a handful of remaining pharmaceutical sciences alumni. He now holds the title as the oldest active member on the Mailman Alumni Board.---- 60 years!- He dedicates his time to Mentoring and Special Events Committees.
In 1998, Arnold Gans received the Columbia University Alumni Medal for Conspicuous Service. This honor is bestowed to a select group each year at the University Commencement and recognizers at least ten years of service to improve the university. Arnold estimates that he has attended more alumni meeting than anyone else in University.
His advice to fellow alumni is simple….

"LOVE LIFE—BEING INVOLVED WITH PASSION IN ANY FACET OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS A REWARDING HUMAN TONIC".