Divisions: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Cancer research continues to become increasingly data-driven. Many investigative studies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey rely upon analyzing multi-dimensional data sets, high-resolution imaging, next-generation sequencing, and other information-intensive technologies.

The Biomedical Informatics Division's shared resource, Bioinformatics, addresses these challenges by using high-throughput instrumentation, advanced data management systems, machine-learning technologies, high-performance cloud computing environments, and state-of-the-art super-computing capabilities.

The overarching mission of bioinformatics is to provide leading-edge data acquisition and analysis tools, computational informatics expertise, data analysis, and intensive training to foster advances in research and discovery in investigative oncology.

Application of these activities to genomic data from patient samples enhances patient care and nurtures productive collaborations among Rutgers Cancer Institute investigators and throughout the clinical and basic research community.

To optimize the support we provide to our basic, clinical, and population research programs, Bioinformatics is organized into the following sections:

• Computational Imaging
• Clinical and Research Information Technology (IT)
• Chemical Informatics and Drug Discovery
• Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

Chief

• David Foran, Ph.D. - foran@cinj.rutgers.edu

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Chemistry

A key ingredient to the success of the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory is our team of well-trained and dedicated medical technologists. Human intelligence and flexibility remain critical ingredients in allowing our laboratory to fulfill its mission of providing a broad array of medically useful tests, with results that are accurate, reliable, and available in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Cytogenetics

Tests performed in the Cytogenetic Laboratory involve analysis of chromosomes.  Chromosome analysis is a powerful method that provides an overview of an entire genome of single cells. On the molecular level, chromosome abnormalities can be detected with fluorescent probes that target specific chromosomes, chromosome regions, genes, or fusions.

The two approaches can be combined to provide both an overview and a targeted genome analysis. The clinical and research activities present education opportunities, either through didactic lectures or through laboratory rotation of residents, fellows, and graduate students who can shadow the laboratory personnel, learn to interpret the results and formulate a research project suited to their interests.

Immunology

The Immunology Laboratory is responsible for testing and clinical consultation in several broad areas of medicine, including diagnosis of immunodeficiencies, autoimmune disease, tumor biology, and infectious disease serology.

Microbiology

Our Microbiology Laboratory is a full-service lab, employing highly trained specialists and sophisticated instrumentation, such as automated processors for identifying antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The University Hospital - Microbiology Lab also has a state-of-the-art tuberculosis culture facility. 

Postulates:

• The microorganism must be abundantly found in all organisms suffering from the disease.
• The microorganism must be isolated from a diseased organism and grown in pure culture.
• The cultured microorganism should cause disease when introduced into a healthy organism.
• The microorganism must be re-isolated from the inoculated, diseased experimental host and identified as being identical to the original specific causative agent.

Transfusion Medicine

The blood bank at both University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick serves the community by providing life-saving blood products to our patients. The Blood Bank specializes in blood distribution, diagnostic testing, and medical services. The University Hospital - Rutgers Blood Bank supports the needs of the Rutgers Level I Trauma Center, liver transplant service, open heart surgery practice, and other busy medical and surgical specialties.

Chief

• Gratian Salaru, M.D. - salarugr@rwjms.rutgers.edu

HIV Program

• Eugene Martin, Ph.D. - martineu@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Children's Specialized Hospital and Behavioral Health Care

• Mary Carayannopoulos, Ph.D. - carayamo@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Point-of-Care Testing Program

• Gratian Salaru, M.D. - salarugr@rwjms.rutgers.edu

The Division of Experimental Pathology seeks to elucidate molecular mechanisms of complex processes, to understand biological processes in normal and disease states, and to utilize insights into mechanisms for the rational development of therapies. The Division consists of faculty, staff, fellows, and students who are engaged in basic and/or translational research, teaching, and related scholarly activities

Individual interests, efforts, and projects are as follows:

• Joseph Kramer, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor): His research, conducted under the grant support of Dr. Ruth Steward (Waksman), is focused on the role of RNA modification in the control of gene expression in the context of the Drosophila and Zebrafish model systems. Dr. Kramer also directs a course entitled Cellular Structure and Function and is a Program Director of the Masters in Biomedical Sciences in the School of Graduate Studies.
• Frederick Silver, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure): Dr. Silver has a longstanding interest in collagen fibrillogenesis and crosslinking supported by various grants and productive of many publications. Dr. Silver teaches courses to Master’s students in biomaterials and is developing a rapid skin cancer screening test that can be used in community health centers.
• Martha Soto, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure): Dr. Soto utilizes the C. elegans nematode model to gain insights in actin-dependent cell movements and cell polarity during embryogenesis. Her lab's efforts are supported by an NIH R01 grant. In addition, she is the PI and Co-Director of the NIH-supported INSPIRE Postdoctoral Career Development Program, the largest postdoctoral training grant at Rutgers. Website:https://rwjms.rutgers.edu/department/pathology-laboratory-medicine/soto-lab
• William Wadsworth, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure): Dr. Wadsworth uses the C. elegans model organism to study how extracellular molecules guide cell and axon migrations. He is the director of the qualifying exam and tutoring programs for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He serves on the University’s Appointment and Promotion Committee.
• Donald Winkelmann, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure). Dr. Winkelmann's research, funded by NIH and other agencies, has focused on the structure and function of motor proteins. His research is the study of macromolecular structure and assembly with our efforts concentrated on the analysis of the protein myosin and its interaction with actin. Actin and myosin are highly conserved proteins that participate in the determination of cell shape, cellular motility, cytokinesis, and contractility. His research uses the techniques of protein biochemistry, molecular genetics, immunochemistry, electron microscopy, and crystallography to analyze myosin structure, assembly, and function.
• Peter Yurchenco, M.D., Ph.D. (Professor with tenure). Dr. Yurchenco’s research has focused on the mechanisms of basement membrane assembly, structure, and functions, funded by grants from the NIH and other agencies. Current interests are ones of elucidating the structure of the laminin polymer node and the development of gene therapy for LAMA2-muscular dystrophy using laminin-binding linker proteins. Dr. Yurchenco is the Medical Director of Electron Microscopy and Chief of the Division of Experimental Pathology.

Vice Chair

• Peter Yurchenco, M.D., Ph.D. - yurchenc@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Confocal Microscopy Lab

• Joseph Kramer, Ph.D. - kramerjo@rwjms.rutgers.edu

The Hematopathology division provides comprehensive diagnostic services and professional expertise relating to disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues, the bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus.

In addition to conventional histology, a variety of specialized immunological, molecular, cytogenetic, and flow cytometric tests are performed routinely and are integrated by faculty into diagnostic reports.

Educational initiatives include teaching students and training residents and fellows, as well as programs for continuing medical education.

Services we provide include:

Bone Marrow Services

• Adult and pediatric care
• Same-day interpretation of peripheral blood and BM aspirate smears
• Same-day processing and review of biopsies received before 11 a.m.
• Digital images of each case included in the final report

Flow Cytometry Services

• The first institution in New Jersey to perform 5-color flow cytometry
• Work-up of leukemia, lymphomas, plasma cell disorders, PNH, and myelodysplasia
• Quantitative hemaglobin F cells
• Report sent within 24 hours

Coagulation Testing

• Routine and esoteric testing performed
• Work-up of coagulation disorders based on generally accepted algorithms

Quality, Timeliness, and Personalized Service

• Receipt confirmation faxed upon specimen arrival including contact information
• Friendly and experienced personnel ready to assist in meeting your specific service expectations
• All reports will be faxed followed by a hard copy mailed

Vice Chair and Chief

• Lauri Goodell, M.D. - goodell@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Oncology Section

• Gregory Riedlinger, M.D., Ph.D.- gr338@cinj.rutgers.edu

We provide tissues for cancer research through a seamless acquisition-processing-distribution pathway. The resource staff also provides collection, processing, and shipping for thousands of clinical trial specimens by adhering to specific protocols. Our CLIA-licensed histology laboratory delivers state-of-the-art technologies for tissue analysis along with professional tissue examination by board-certified pathologists. 

Our lab supports clinical trials, tissue banking, and basic science by collecting, cataloging, processing, storing, and distributing bio-specimens from human subjects while archiving useful medical information along with written patient consent. Each division is distinct, yet they cooperate to provide a seamless workflow and unparalleled service and are operated by highly qualified technologists and strong leadership.

The Biospecimen Repository and Histopathology Service shared resource (Biorepository) of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Cancer Center-managed shared resource whose purpose is to support transdisciplinary and translational research through cost-effective, quality-controlled tissue collection, biospecimen procurement, and processing and cancer clinical trial support.

The Biorepository follows best practices as dictated by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines. It uses state-of-the-art technologies for tissue analysis and professional interpretation under CAP guidelines. In addition, the Biorepository serves as an “honest broker” and maintains the chain of custody for patient samples and their clinical annotations. 

Core Facility Director

Gregory Riedlinger, M.D., Ph.D.
gr338@cinj.rutgers.edu

Histopathology and Imaging

Lauri Goodell, M.D.
goodell@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Marina Chekmareva, M.D.
chekmam1@rwjms.rutgers.edu

David Foran, Ph.D.
foran@cinj.rutgers.edu

Tissue Biorepository

Marina Chekmareva, M.D.
chekmam1@rwjms.rutgers.edu

Hematopathology Biorepository

Lauri Goodell, M.D.
goodell@rwjms.rutgers.edu