Fall 2025

On April 9, more than 420 members of New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) attended the second Integration Summit Meeting at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Clinical Academic Building in New Brunswick — 200 of them in person, and more than 220 virtually. The summit was jointly hosted by RWJMS Dean Amy P. Murtha, MD, and NJMS Dean Robert L. Johnson, MD, FAAP. Its purpose was to review the progress made in creating the future Rutgers School of Medicine (RSM); present elements of the Strategic Planning Framework; and define the next integration tasks.

"Did You Know?" is a new column in which we share information about the medical school—its history, current events, and people. In this issue, in advance of our 60th anniversary, we look back at a few tidbits of information from the school's beginning.

For decades, scientists have sought to understand how the brain monitors internal energy states and uses that information to influence behavior. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has launched the Center for NeuroMetabolism in its Child Health Institute of New Jersey to advance the understanding of how the brain and body interact to regulate metabolic health, with a focus on disorders such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and gastrointestinal, vascular, and inflammatory conditions.

Launched by two medical students in 1992, HIPHOP has evolved to also include the Community Health Initiative (CHI), through which medical school students participate in service-learning activities; the Promise Clinic, where student doctors provide free primary care to clients of Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen in New Brunswick; and a community garden program with Ozanam Family Shelter to address food insecurity while promoting indoor and outdoor gardening and healthy eating habits.

Who's afraid of neurology?  Not Dr. Igor Rybinnik's students. He is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology and clerkship director at the medical school, who is demystifying one of medical education’s most intimidating subjects and transforming how future doctors approach the treatment of hundreds of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injuries.

Dr. Steven Stylianos brings more than 30 years of leadership experience to Rutgers, along with a vision for expanding and emphasizing multi-specialty pediatric surgical care. His commitment to pediatric surgery is matched by his deep compassion for families. “When a mother hands me her baby and says, ‘Please save my child,’ it’s one of the most powerful forms of human interaction,” he said. “It’s an incredible responsibility and a tremendous privilege.”