UMDNJ President William F. Owen, Jr., will provide the keynote address in a seminar on The State of Healthcare in New Jersey and the Role of the Public Medical University at Princeton University on May 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. Dr. Owen will offer a sweeping assessment of the present status of health care in New Jersey, as well as articulate his vision of the public medical university’s role in the provision of care, research and education.
Several distinguished basic and clinical investigators from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) showcased advances in laboratory, clinical and translational research at the five-day American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in San Diego, which concluded earlier this month. The annual gathering attracted more than 17,000 researchers, healthcare professionals, and patient advocates from around the globe.
Among this year's abstract presentations was a study testing the effectiveness of the drug Riluzole on those diagnosed with Stage III or Stage IV advanced melanoma, who are slated to have their lesion surgically removed. Riluzole is used in those being treated for ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The investigative team included CINJ surgical oncologists Dr. James S. Goydos and Dr. Jonathan H. Lee. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Edgar P. Simard, a PhD candidate in epidemiology at UMDNJ School of Public Health (SPH), has been appointed to a two-year Cancer Research Training Award Predoctoral Fellowship at the NIH-National Cancer Institute, where he will conduct his dissertation research on HIV/AIDS- related malignancies.
Simard will work with a research team under the direction of Dr. Patricia Fleming, professor of preventive medicine and community health at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School and professor of epidemiology at SPH, and Dr. Eric Engels, an NIH senior investigator.
To prevent oral cancer and curb oral cancer related deaths, UMDNJ offered adults a free oral cancer screening on April 24 at UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School in Newark and at the University Dental Center at Somerdale Square, in Somerdale.
The screening consisted of a comprehensive oral exam completed by a dental professional in less than 10 minutes. If deemed necessary, participants underwent a painless brush test to check any abnormality found during the exam.
