Faculty members of Rutgers University and the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School have undertaken an initiative in endocrine research. The program primarily focuses research on the environmental factors that affect the endocrine system.
Many diseases affecting New Jersey residents and others throughout the world are endocrine related. These diseases include obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid diseases, and cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, and thyroid. The incidence and death rates of many of these endocrine-related diseases are much higher in New Jersey than they are nationwide. This research initiative will allow the Endocrine Program, comprising Rutgers and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School scientists, to conduct groundbreaking research that could significantly improve human health.
The goals of the program are to:
- Provide research on how environmental factors and genes influence endocrine function and health
- Deliver community-based education about environmental factors and health
- Establish core laboratories so that associates of the Endocrine Program can share cutting-edge technologies
- Build collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry that will ultimately lead to the discovery of cures for endocrine diseases
This initiative is a broadly based collaboration among teams of investigators that combines cutting-edge research on topics such as the influence of environmental factors, alcohol, and diet on the initiation and progression of endocrine diseases. Experts from the entire Rutgers University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School endocrine research community have developed a strategic vision that focuses on research interaction among scientists, research training, and state and federal funding to enhance research and promote public awareness.