One of my favorite places at the University is the History of Medicine room at the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences. It's a quiet spot that resonates nonetheless with the incredible journey that man has taken through the medical sciences over hundreds and hundreds of years.

Just outside is a steady progression of students grappling with the exponential growth of knowledge here and now. It's a thought-provoking juxtaposition in many ways.

What opportunities lie before us to discover in a matter of years what might have taken generations to accomplish? The human genome is now sequenced, and we can only begin to imagine the impact on understanding the causes of human disease and developing new treatments, new drugs.

New Jersey is well positioned to lead these advances. We are, after all, the nation's medicine chest, home to many of the most prominent pharmaceutical companies. As a major center of biomedical research, we at UMDNJ believe that collaborative ventures and research partnerships with industry will propel us all into a healthier future with better drugs and better information about alternatives.

This issue takes a look at 21st century medicines, knowing full well that New Jersey will have a major role in writing the prescriptions. Our feature articles explore what's new on the medicine cabinet shelves. "Top 10 Prescription Drugs in the U.S." covers the most commonly prescribed medications, with insights from UMDNJ experts. In "Children and Psychotropic Drugs" we write about medicines for young people with behavioral and emotional disorders. "You Gotta Have Heart" explores the newest therapies for preventing and treating heart attacks. In "Getting Down to Earth -- To Heal" we take an in-depth look at alternative and complementary medicines.

We hope you enjoy this issue of HealthState.