erving as Interim President of UMDNJ provides many challenges, although I am continuously heartened by the dedication, commitment, and support of the Board of Trustees and the many conscientious and creative faculty, staff, and students. I also have the pleasure of learning how well UMDNJ is achieving its objectives of education, research, and service.

UMDNJ’s primary mission is to serve the people of New Jersey, but in doing so, we are also necessarily citizens of the world. AIDS, tuberculosis, and avian flu are important threats to the health of our immediate neighbors, and they are all international crises as well.

This issue of UMDNJ magazine will introduce researchers, clinicians, and other health professionals who have a world view of our University’s mission. We will
follow them to Africa, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, China, Central Asia, India, and South America.

Others featured in the magazine tackle global health issues from their home base at UMDNJ: investigators on the frontiers of stem cell research; a faculty member who lost almost 200 pounds and now helps others fight obesity; an alum who provides professional guidance for those ready to adopt abroad; and a spinal cord injury expert who plays himself in an Oscar-nominated documentary about wheelchair-bound athletes.

At New Jersey’s University of the Health Sciences, contributing to the discovery of new scientific knowledge and finding answers for patients plagued with complex health concerns are top priorities. The Discoveries and The Art of Diagnosing departments depict the quality of the work done on our campuses.

We are literally on a journey to achieve world-class academic medicine in New Jersey, the nation, and around the world.

Bruce C. Vladeck
Interim President