Israel Simon Kleiner, Ph.D., served as acting dean of New York Medical College (NYMC) from 1921-1922 and dean from 1922-1925.
Born in New Haven, Conn., Dr. Kleiner graduated from Yale University with a Ph.B. (1906) and Ph.D. (1909) in physiological chemistry. He is credited as being the first to demonstrate the effect of extracts from the pancreas causing hypoglycemia which eventually helped lead to the discovery of insulin.
Dr. Kleiner came to NYMC in 1919 as a professor of physiological chemistry. After retiring from the deanship in 1925, he continued to serve on the faculty and in 1948 he became the director of the Department of Physiological Chemistry. Dr. Kleiner co-authored highly regarded textbooks such as Human Biochemistry (with James M. Orten) and Laboratory Instructions in Biochemistry (with Louis B. Dotti). Prior to joining NYMC, Dr. Kleiner worked at the Rockefeller Institute and served on the faculty of Tulane University.
He was the 1959 recipient of the Van Skye Award in Clinical Chemistry from the New York Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Kleiner passed away in New York City on June 15, 1966, at 81 years old.