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The Jakurski Family Directorship

School of Medicine

Established in 2015

JakurskiIn 2010, ANDRE and MARIA JAKURSKI of Rio de Janeiro changed the future of the Brady Institute with their commitment to establish the Jakurski Family Directorship.

Mr. Jakurski serves as managing director for JGP Asset Management, a company he founded in 1998. JGP is one of the largest independent asset management companies in South America and one of the top five asset management firms in Brazil. The company has delivered positive returns every year since its inception and is the only firm of its kind in Brazil that has been awarded an MQ1 rating by Moody’s. Mr. Jakurski focuses on fixed income, equity, and currency trading in global markets and supervises all trading activities for these groups. He is widely considered to be one of the best global hedge fund managers in the world. Maria Jakurski also has an extensive background in finance. She worked as a sales trader for Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1982 to 1990 and subsequently served as a superintendent at La Salle Comercio Exterior Ltda, a firm specializing in commodities trading.

Mr. and Mrs. Jakurski are international philanthropists, supporting organizations that provide direct services in Brazil, as well as leading educational institutions around the world, like Johns Hopkins. The Jakurskis were generous supporters of Dr. Partin’s work since their first meeting in 2004, when their family established the Patana Fund for Research to help fund Dr. Partin’s biomarker research. Additionally, the Jakurskis helped to underwrite the cost of renovating a portion of the second floor of the Park Building into a state-of-the-art facility, combining laboratory and clinical research space with offices and workstations for scientists, surgeons and nursing and administrative teams.

Maria and Andre’s interests reach far beyond the world of business and investments. They share a passion for hiking and trekking, and Maria is an accomplished decorator. Andre is a wine enthusiast, an amateur astronomer and historian, and an avid sports fan. The Jakurskis are deeply devoted to their five children: Andre Lago, Roberta, Alejandro, Carolina and Paulo.

Held by Mohamad E. Allaf

MOHAMAD E. ALLAF, M.D., is professor of urology, oncology, and biomedical engineering, director of the Department of Urology and the Brady Urological Institute, urologist-in-chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and director of minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Born in Lebanon, Dr. Allaf grew up in Kuwait and immigrated to the United States at age sixteen. He graduated summa cum laude in biomedical engineering from the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering in 1996, earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2000, and completed his residency at the Brady before joining the Brady faculty in 2006. He was appointed as director of minimally invasive and robotic surgery in 2009, executive vice chair of the department in 2017, and director of the department in 2022.

Dr. Allaf is widely respected as a skilled, caring surgeon who specializes in cutting-edge procedures for prostate and kidney cancer. He is amongst the busiest robotic surgeons in the world, having performed over 3,500 robotic operations. His research concentrates on decreasing the morbidity of cancer diagnosis and treatment through imaging, molecular, and technical advancements. His publications all include a medical student, resident, or fellow as a co-author, underscoring his commitment to teaching and mentoring.

Dr. Allaf’s research actively pursues successful collaborations with radiology, oncology, biomedical engineering, and other surgical disciplines. He has evaluated the outcomes of novel minimally invasive procedures and techniques to improve patient care, and most recently has focused on kidney and prostate cancer risk stratification. He has published over 200 articles, co-authored a chapter in Campbell-Walsh Urology, and is considered an international authority on prostate and kidney cancer as well as minimally invasive surgery.