Nearly $24,000 has been collected by The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation (CINJF) through their "Quarters for the Cure" campaign, which had students collect pocket change to support cancer research, patient care, education, and community outreach at CINJ. The effort - which concluded last month in 27 elementary, middle and high schools in 12 counties throughout the state - featured various fundraising activities so that the students could fill their five-gallon water jugs with quarters.
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Noting that reform, rejuvenation, and progress depend on the quality and commitment of the Board of Trustees, Board Chair Robert Del Tufo outlined a number of important reforms and initiatives underway at UMDNJ. In a status report from the Board dated June 15, a series of "significant successes" were highlighted including the hiring of Dr. Owen as UMDNJ's President, creation of the Office of Ethics and Compliance, hiring of the General Counsel, authorization of an active Audit Committee of the Board, adoption of the "whistleblower" policy, and creation of sweeping changes to purchasing policies and practices.
The report recognizes past deficiencies but underscores the "significant remedial and forward progress" that has been made since March 2006, when Mr. Del Tufo was appointed Board Chair and Dr. Bruce C. Vladeck was engaged as Interim President. It confirms that the Board is committed to taking whatever action is necessary to support continued progress under the new administration of Dr. William F. Owen.
The document was sent to members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation, as well as all members of the New Jersey Legislature and the Governor.
UMDNJ researchers received more than $5.7 million in Stem Cell Research Grants from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology (NJCST) to fund crucial lines of inquiry on projects that include bioengineered human stem cells, new therapies for heart disease and lung cancer, and the development of techniques that use stem cells to deliver biotherapeutics to attack cancerous tumors.
Along with the awards for new research, the NJCST provided a $500,000 grant that matches the amount the Foundation Venture Capital Group, LLC, recently invested in Snowdon, Inc., a start-up company launched by a prominent UMDNJ researcher who pioneered new procedures to streamline the drug discovery process. The NJCST awards also include a $300,000 matching grant to the UMNDJ Office of Patents and Licensing to encourage the development of start-up technologies at the University.
A faculty member at UMDNJ-School of Nursing received an award for best article of the year for her work published in a national nursing journal. Della Campbell, PhD, APRN-C, received the Best of 2006 Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Writing Award from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses at its annual meeting.
The award-winning article reports the results of a clinical trial conducted to determine whether having a female friend trained to act as a lay "doula" helps a woman through labor and improves the childbirth experience. A professional doula provides continuous one-to-one physical, emotional and informational support for a woman during labor.
