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Earlier this week, Interim Dean Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP , and Executive Vice Dean Tom Hecker, PhD , announced that Matthew Menza, MD , professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, will retire, effective June 30, 2020.

An internationally known researcher in neuropsychiatric aspects of Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Menza joined the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1986 and was appointed chair of the department in 2007.

During his tenure as chair, Dr. Menza has been a steadfast leader through the significant changes undergone by the medical school. Under his direction, the department developed successful educational, research and clinical programs, and many of the faculty are Dr. Menza’s recruits. Information regarding a search for the department’s next chair will be announced in the near future. On behalf of the faculty, staff , residents and students of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, we thank Dr. Menza for his service and loyalty. We are very sorry to see him leave, but know the department will continue to excel as a direct result of his vision and leadership.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Menza and wishing him well in retirement. Read the full announcement here .

Congratulations to Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH , chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Sara Cuccurullo, MD , clinical professor and chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, who made the ROI-NJ Influencers in Health Care list. Dr. Cuccurullo was recognized for her continued contributions to the field, specifically being acknowledged for the stroke rehabilitation program at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

The elite list is composed of politicians, executives and other leaders in health care.

Several of the medical school's partners also made the list: RWJBarnabas Health Chief Executive Officer Barry Ostrowski tied for number one on the list; and RWJBarnabas Health Board Chair Jack Morris was number 10 on the list. Also receiving the distinction, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School alumnus Anthony Mazzarelli, MD , for his role as CEO, Cooper University Health Care.

See the list here .

The New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) Community Engagement Core held a launch event earlier this month, at which members of academia and industry participated in a day-long program to promote health-related research and network. Led by Shawna Hudson, PhD, professor of family medicine and community health and chief of the department’s research division, the kick-off event featured leading researchers in community health and social determinants of health, as well as multiple panel discussions on the impact research can have to improve population health and health equity. The event also provided interactive opportunities for attendees to obtain feedback from peer and community stakeholders, and to network with potential research partners.

A recording of the program can be found here. The link expires on Oct. 31.

Pictured from left to right are: keynote speakers Geoffrey Curran, PhD, and Melissa Simon, MD; Shawna Hudson, PhD; XinQi Dong, MD, MPH, director, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Population Health Sciences and professor of medicine at the medical school, who gave opening remarks; and Alfred F. Tallia, MD, MPH, professor and chair of Family Medicine and Community Health, who moderated a panel at the event. 

The New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS) awarded four junior faculty members grant funding in support of their research projects. Congratulations goes to Ankit Shah, MD, ( standing right), assistant professor of medicine, who was awarded one of the KL2 Career Development grants to support his work in clinical and translational research. Dr. Shah, an endocrinologist, focuses on using metabolomics and stable isotope tracer infusion to more fully understand the determinants of hepatic gluconeogenesis, a key driver of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Dr. Shah’s primary research mentor is Fredric Wondisford, MD, professor and Henry Rutgers Term Chair of the Department of Medicine.

The KL2 grant awards, known officially as the Translational Scientist Junior Faculty Award Program, provide funding through a grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences awarded to NJ ACTS, a consortium coordinated by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and which includes Rutgers, Princeton University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The grants are part of the NJ ACTS career development mission, led by Sally Radovick, MD, ( standing, center) chair of pediatrics and senior associate dean for clinical and translational research at the medical school. The KL2 grants are geared to support training the next generation of scientists in research relevant to human diseases and who are committed to academic careers. 

Along with Dr. Shah, the grantees include Qiana Brown, PhD, MPH, LCSW, ( seated, right) assistant professor, Schools and Social Work and Public Health, whose primary mentor is Stephen Crystal, PhD, Board of Governors Professor, School of Social Work; Chintan Dave, PharmD, PhD, ( standing, left) assistant professor, Ernest Mario College of Pharmacy, whose primary mentor is Soko Setoguchi, MD, DrPH, FISPE, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and School of Public Health; and Elissa Kozlov, PhD, ( seated, left) core faculty/instructor, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, and School of Public Health, whose primary mentor is XinQi Dong, PhD, director, Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Henry Rutgers Distinguished Professor of Population Health Sciences and professor, Department of Medicine at the medical school. 

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The  Pain Management ECHO Program  provides evidence-based, applicable information to help you with pain management in your practice. It is a series of educational clinics on the first three Fridays of every month. Don’t miss the interesting session topics and peer-to-peer case discussions within live video-conference sessions. There are CEU credits for attendance in each session.



Friday, Oct. 18, 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

The Next Session of the Pain ECHO features a Medical Cannabis Series

Participants who attend will be able to :

For more information, questions about Project ECHO or to preview a session, contact:

Rachel Born , 732-554-9989

This initiative is being funded through a generous Cooperative Agreement with The Nicholson Foundation

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Faculty and staff are invited to take part in one of two free professional photo shoots planned for this fall. Photos are used in the school's print and online communications.

No appointment is necessary.

Digital copies of the photos are available upon request from the Department of Communications and Public Affairs approximately one week after your sitting. Please contact Lauren Marshall at [email protected] to have your photo emailed to you.

Tuesday, Oct. 15 - Procurement Presentation . Bring your lunch and ask the experts your questions. Download and share the flier.

Thursday, Oct. 17 - RU Concerned? Ask Ethics and Compliance your questions about compliance, ethics, FERPA, HIPAA, OPRA, ADA and more. Download and share the flier.

Celebrate Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month!

Join us Saturday, Nov. 16, when faculty and staff will host a fun and informative Open House and health fair promoting the range of primary and specialty health services available at our Rutgers Health practice in Monroe.

The Autumn Health Fest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 18 Centre Drive, Monroe.

In a series of mini lectures, faculty and staff will discuss a variety of health-related topics, including asthma in children, adolescent gynecology, men's health, cardiology, geriatric health and more. In addition, the event will feature tables with information about our services, giveaways and other fun activities, tours of the offices, light refreshments and raffles.

If you're interested in volunteering, or would like additional information, please contact us.

For this week, I highlight the " 16th Annual Innovations and Trends in Cardiovascular Care " Symposium led by activity co-directors  Anthony Altobelli , MD; James Coromilas, MD , professor of medicine, and Leonard Y. Lee, MD , James W. Mackenzie, MD P rofessor and chair, Department of Surgery. The event will occur this coming Saturday, Oct. 12 at The Heldrich Hotel and Conference Center , New Brunswick, N.J. from 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m .

 

Click here to view all upcoming CME activities.

 

Paul F. Weber, MD, RPh, MBA , associate dean, Continuing Medical Education

Transgender surgery linked with better long-term mental health, study shows -- Anthony Tobia, MD -- abcnews.go.com

Psychiatrists Can Do More to Help Patients Quit Smoking, Addiction Experts Say -- Jill M. Williams, MD -- psychnews.org

Crash stats compare off-roading on city streets vs. motorcycles -- Christopher Butts, MD -- Futurity.org

Former Temple fencer has Olympic aspirations -- Kamali Thompson , medical student -- The Temple News

How to stay healthy this flu season -- Tanaya Bhowmick, MD -- mycentraljersey.com , meadvilletribune.com, news.healingwell.com , among others

Health Officials: It's Time to Give Flu Vaccine Another Shot -- Patricia Whitley-Williams, MD -- wnbcmiami.com, wkbn.com , Altoona Mirror , among others

Children lead flu immunization rates, but gaps remain -- Patricia Whitley-Williams, MD -- aappublications.org

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