l e t t e r f r o m t h e d e a n Dear Colleague, n our second year as part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will continue to build on existing collaborations in education, research, clinical care, and community health. We look forward to expanding these partnerships while developing important new ones. As one of 14 health-care-related schools and programs in Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS), the medical school is working to create a more effective model of health care delivery. Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, the inaugural chancellor of RBHS, provides outstanding leadership and inspires us to strive for the level of achievement that will rank our medical school among the nation’s best academic health centers. “State of the Arts,” the cover story in this issue of Robert Wood Johnson Medicine, offers a self-guided tour of public art at the medical school. Indoors and out, we enjoy these works of art every day. Now, thanks to this comprehensive account of their history, their donors, and their creators, we will appreciate them all the more. New approaches to anesthesia are transforming the patient experience, as described in “Expanding Options for Pain Management.” Among the highly successful techniques offered by the Department of Anesthesiology is regional anesthesia, which numbs only the area involved in surgery. Gaurav Gupta, MD, assistant professor of surgery and neurosurgery, is featured in “Advanced Treatment of Brain Aneurysms.” Dr. Gupta joined the multidisciplinary neurosurgery team last year, adding new expertise in advanced techniques, including brain bypass and arterial reconstruction. “Medicine That Brings the World Closer” introduces readers to faculty and students who work in clinical and research sites worldwide. From one-on-one patient care in underserved areas to broad epidemiological studies, we are helping to close the gap in global health. “Jeffrey Brenner, MD ’95, Receives MacArthur ‘Genius Award’” reviews Dr. Brenner’s extraordinary achievements in primary care and community health. The article describes the pioneering work of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, founded by Dr. Brenner in 2005. “Exploring the Far Reaches of the Brain” features the research focus of M. Maral Mouradian, MD, William Dow Lovett Professor of Neurology. Her molecular-level research targets regulation of the Parkinson’s disease–linked protein alpha-synuclein. In addition, she is investigating the repurposing of an approved drug to control the symptoms of the disease. These are exciting times for Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. We hope you will enjoy this issue of Robert Wood Johnson Medicine. Sincerely, I JOHN EMERSON Vicente H. Gracias, MD Dean (Interim) Robert Wood Johnson I MEDICINE 1