The University has received notification that U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has dismissed the criminal complaint filed against UMDNJ in 2005. The criminal charges pertained to fraudulent Medicaid billing by University Hospital and were the catalyst for the establishment of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement and the installation of the Federal Monitor.

"The withdrawal of the criminal complaint against UMDNJ is a major milestone for our institution, as we move forward. While we still have work to do," said President William F. Owen, Jr., "we do so without the specter of a criminal charge."

In his final report, the Monitor described UMDNJ as a "much changed institution." The report continued that "from the top down, UMDNJ has undergone major personnel, policy, and cultural changes. Perhaps most importantly, we believe that UMDNJ can now conduct its business honestly and legally."

A study headed by a UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School researcher has rendered conclusive proof, for the first time, that a toxin produced within certain bacterium kills the bacterium's cells.

By identifying the genes involved, Dr. Masayori Inouye's lab clearly demonstrated programmed cell death in bacteria. The discovery could potentially lead to development of antibiotics for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus and other pathogens with similar toxins, according to Dr. Inouye, professor in the Department of Biochemistry.

A page-one story in the January 23 edition of The New York Times revealed the high level of mercury in tuna sushi, based on analysis by Dr. Michael Gochfeld, professor of environmental and occupational medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The article ranked number one in the paper's "most emailed" category.

Dr. Gochfeld analyzed the sushi with Dr. Joanna Burger, professor of life sciences at Rutgers University. He is a former chairman of the New Jersey Mercury Task Force and also treats patients with mercury poisoning.