EDITION 3.2

Winter 2025

Rutgers Health Hub

Dear Rutgers Health Community,

As I reflect on my tenure and the calendar year winds down, I am reminded of all we have accomplished as a leading academic health center not just in 2025, but over the last twelve years.

I recently accepted an Educator of the Year Award from the Research and Development Council of New Jersey. This award, which is rooted in education, innovation, and collaboration, was a great reminder of why I entered medicine in the first place.

At the core, I wanted to do work that was relevant, meaningful, and directly impactful to people’s lives. But throughout my career, one truth has remained constant: teaching and mentorship have been the most fulfilling and joyful part of my work. Seeing our trainees grow into leaders who elevate their fields has always been the legacy I value most.

As I prepare to step away from my role at Rutgers Health, I am immensely proud of the remarkable institution we have built together; from the largest health education merger in history to creating New Jersey’s premier academic health center. None of this progress happened in isolation; it has always been our shared commitment to collaboration that moved us forward.

It has been an honor to serve this community, and I remain deeply grateful for all we have achieved—and all the future leaders we have trained—together.

Warm regards,

Brian L. Strom, M.D., M.P.H.

Chancellor

Honoring a Legacy: Chancellor Strom's Impact on Rutgers Health

For Rutgers Health’s First Chancellor, Mentoring Was the Mission

When Brian Strom looks back on his years as the first chancellor of Rutgers Health, he could easily point to major achievements – attracting billions in research support or building a top-tier academic health system – as defining his legacy.

But as he readies to leave his post in December after 12 years in the role, Strom said the truest measure of his work lies in the new generation of health care workers and researchers he has guided and mentored.

"Science doesn’t end when our careers end. We need to think about who is going to succeed us, who is going to follow us, who is going to do better than we did. We want people who are smarter and better and trained in different ways to carry the fields to the next stage."

A Look Back at the Celebration of 10 Years of Rutgers Health: A Rutgers Biomedical Research Powerhouse Turns 10

Remembering the Largest Higher Education Merger in U.S. History

Policy Changes at Local, State and National Levels Under Chancellor Strom’s Leadership

Med Students Earn Prestigious Chancellor Scholarship

AI In Healthcare

AI Center of Excellence: Mindful Advancement for Safer, Smarter Care

Video courtesy of the American Hospital Association

Learn More about this systemwide initiative between RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health that is dedicated to the responsible development and integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Research Teams Awarded Funding by BMIHAI to Support Postdoc Health AI Research (PAIR) Fellows (BMIHAI)

The Rutgers Center for Biomedical Informatics & Health Artificial Intelligence (BMIHAI) announced the recipients of funding for multidisciplinary projects to support Postdoctoral Health AI Research (PAIR) Fellows.

“We’re excited to support the advancement of informatics research through these pioneering projects," Leslie Lenert, director of BMIHAI and professor in the Department of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Learn which four research teams were selected.

Top Hits of 2025

👷‍♀️ Rutgers Health and University Hospital Break Ground on First Phase of Sweeping Newark Campus Redevelopment

🩸 FDA Clears First Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis, a “Turning Point” in Early Detection

🏅 Pharmacy Student Is Named a Rhodes Scholar

❤️‍🩹 Physicians and Staff Inspire a Movement for Compassion in Health Care

📣 Landmark Data from Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health Show Long-term Complete Responses of T Cell Therapies for HPV-Related Cancers

And that's a Wrap! Inaugural Wellbeing Summit Marked a Success

The inaugural Rutgers Health Well-Being in Healthcare Summit: The Wealth of Well-Being brought together more than 120 participants and leaders from over 18 organizations, uniting a truly interprofessional community committed to advancing well-being in healthcare.

With 18 expert speakers and panelists sharing evidence-based strategies and real-world experience, the Summit sparked thoughtful dialogue and a renewed commitment to building healthier systems for both providers and patients. In the spirit of service, attendees also contributed to a food drive benefiting the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, a meaningful reminder that well-being extends beyond the workplace and into the community.

Have you heard? The new Rutgers Health Happenings newsletter is your one-stop-shop to our new internal events SharePoint site at Rutgers Health!

On the first Tuesday of each month, this newsletter will highlight events and activities happening across our community; from Chancellor-led programs to conferences and gatherings open to all of Rutgers Health. Think of it as your go-to for opportunities to connect, learn, and engage with colleagues across our mission areas.

While this newsletter will be sent monthly, bookmark our new, internal SharePoint site and be sure to submit your events using the link below!

Submit Your Event

A Research Powerhouse

🤒 As RSV Season Ramps Up, Here’s What Parents and At-Risk Adults Should Know

🧐 Parental Monitoring Is Linked to Fewer Teen Conduct Problems Despite Genetic Risk

⚠️ Unregulated and Unsafe: Expert Warns of Risks in Substance Use Reduction Apps

👥 How Social Support Impacts Firearm Carrying and Secure Storage