Chancellor Brian Strom Receives Heart of BioNJ Award
A founder of the field of pharmacoepidemiology, the chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is recognized by trade association BioNJ
Brian Strom, the chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) and executive vice president for health affairs at Rutgers, was among members of New Jersey's life-sciences community whose unprecedented medical innovations were honored at BioNJ's 29th Annual Dinner Meeting & Innovation Celebration.
Strom received the Heart of BioNJ Award from the New Jersey-focused, life-sciences trade association during the awards dinner attended by more than 500 on June 9 for his leadership in the fight against COVID-19 at Rutgers and beyond.
BioNJ referred to Strom and other recipients of the award as “New Jersey COVID-19 heroes” whose innovation, partnerships and dedication impacted the state and the world in the fight against the pandemic. The association credited Strom as a go-to expert and epidemiologist in educating the community.
BioNJ also posthumously awarded Andrew Brooks, a Rutgers research professor who led the creation of the first coronavirus saliva-based test, at the dinner.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized by your peers,” said Strom.
Strom said the university took early, decisive, and scientifically information action in response to COVID-19, aided by the university’s important work of communicating to the community during the pandemic.
“Universities like Rutgers can play a critical role in keeping communities safe,” he said.
Strom is a founder of the field of pharmacoepidemiology, which applies epidemiological methods to the study of drugs and their effectiveness within populations. He helped develop the International Clinical Epidemiology Network, responsible for fostering the establishment of epidemiology units in medical schools throughout the developing world. He is a leading expert in outbreaks such as SARS, MERS and seasonal influenza.
Interviewed by Rutgers magazine in May, Strom said the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic “should be a point of pride for the entire Rutgers community.”
Strom oversaw the establishment of RBHS following the integration of the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey into Rutgers in 2013. Since the merger, RBHS has developed into one of the nation’s premier academic health-care centers.
RBHS this year released its new strategic plan, “One RBHS: The Way Forward,” which outlines the vision and framework to guide New Jersey’s largest academic health center over the next half-decade.
