DEAN'S NEWSLETTER W IN T ER 2 019
Research Reaches Record Heights With faculty members bringing in a record $47 million in NIH grant awards and over $80 million in total research grants and contracts in 2018, the NJMS Research Office has responded by expanding operations and increasing its support staff to eight. “This past year, we’ve had over a 10 percent increase in NIH grants funds awarded compared to 2017,” says Deborah A. Lazzarino, assistant dean for research. “This is significant – we generally hold steady – and it’s been in all signature Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences research and complementary research programs -- neurobiology, cancer, immunology and infectious diseases, and clinical research.” The spike in the funding stems from the hiring of additional NIH-funded faculty members as well as the success of current faculty in getting large multi-investigator grants, which is expected to be an increasingly large contributor to the research portfolio over the next several years. “NJMS has built research core facilities for our research faculty programs,” she says. “In the past year, we have grown our cores and have developed new core services, including a germ-free animal facility.” These moves, she says, as well as investments by the chancellor and dean combined with NIH awards for new cutting-edge equipment, including imaging systems, protein analysis and a genome sequencing system, have allowed the school to “attain the highest level of excellence in our research.”
Message from the Dean Looking back, 2018 brought remarkable highpoints for me. In early November, RBHS Chancellor Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, asked me to assume the additional role of interim Dean of RWJMS upon the departure of its current Dean Sherine E. Gabriel, MD, MSc, in January. Also, 2018 marked my 50th year at NJMS, where I trained as a student and came into my own as a physician, educator, researcher, and administrator. We’ve accomplished so much while holding firm to our values, particularly to those that celebrate personal respect for others and diversity. This year, I’m thrilled about the Accelerated Three-year Primary Care MD Program. Starting this summer, enrolled students can earn MD degrees in primary care within three years and will receive conditional acceptance into Rutgers-sponsored residency programs in internal medicine, combined internal medicine/pediatrics, and pediatrics.
Creating a ‘Vibrant Atmosphere’ in MSB This past fall, the public spaces of the NJMS Medical Science Building underwent a facelift with the installation of new furniture, quickly making them go-to spots among staff and students alike. Located on B and C levels of the MSB, the more than 100 furniture pieces include banquettes, bar-height tables, tandem seating, and study carousels in bold color schemes of red and gray; red and copper; as well as red and black. En masse, the pieces encourage a sense of community while offering students, faculty, staff, and visitors more places to meet, study, or simply grab a bite to eat, says NJMS’s interim Director of Facilities, Pamela Edwards. “As an administration, we believe that students and staff are important and we want to continue to provide them with the best.” In place since October, the newly furnished areas will eventually be outfitted with USB ports and additional electrical outlets, adds Edwards. In an email to Edwards, one enthusiast wrote, “the new furniture is amazing. These new installations make the building student-friendly, encourage community, and create a vibrant atmosphere.” “I’ve gotten emails not only from NJMS family, but from students in others schools, and from our friends at University Hospital. Everybody has the same reaction. They love the way it makes the building look now,” says Edwards.
Of course, we remain devoted to innovative medical care and research. Toward that end, we’ve pushed forward in our efforts to help develop Rutgers Health into New Jersey’s largest academic health system. Furthermore, with areas of research excellence spanning infectious disease, immunology, and cancer/oncology, among others, our research programs remain wellrespected, garnering hefty sums in coveted funding from federal, state, local, and private sources. NJMS is an esteemed leader in medical education, healthcare, and research because of your dedication. For that, I extend to you my heartfelt thank you. Happy New Year. In Health,
Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP ‘72 The Sharon and Joseph L. Muscarelle Endowed Dean Rutgers New Jersey Medical School