Food for the Rutgers Community

The RBHS food pantry opened its doors in September 2021, dispensing food, hygiene products, and other necessities to anyone in the Rutgers community. Joachim Sackey, PhD, assistant professor at Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP), and Fabricio Salas, SHP program assistant, lead a group of volunteers in serving all comers with a Rutgers ID every Tuesday from 12:30 to 3 pm.

“The medical field is made up of more than physicians and nurses,” says NJMS student and volunteer Ashley Eng. “Custodial staff, students, teachers…there is plenty of opportunity for people to experience food insecurity.”

By September 2022, the pantry had served some 15,000 people, distributing more than 115,000 pounds of food. But while reducing food insecurity is its primary goal, this needed service also benefits Rutgers by bringing people together.

“I really enjoy the people,” says Eng. “It’s great getting closer to the Rutgers community.”

Academic Inventor Gennaro Honored

Maria Laura Gennaro, MD, NJMS professor of medicine and professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, was named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow, the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors. Gennaro is recognized for her development of methods and platforms to diagnose tuberculosis and detect antibodies related to SARS-CoV-2 infection that causes COVID-19.

“Our work has always looked for connections between basic and translational research, and I have been lucky to work in institutions that have promoted novelty and innovation,” says Gennaro.

Onajovwe Fofah, MD, Named Chair of Pediatrics

Onajovwe Fofah, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of the division of neonatology, has been named the new chair of pediatrics. Fofah served as vice chair from 2013 to 2019, and has been interim chair since 2019. He has been with the department since 2005, when he became assistant professor and attending neonatologist.

Fofah earned his medical degree in 1984 in his native country, Nigeria, and completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, part of RWJBarnabas Health. He did a fellowship in neonatal and perinatal medicine at New York’s Montefiore Medical Center.

Fofah’s clinical focus is on improving outcomes for infants born prematurely. Outside of research, he is intent on educating the next generation of clinical leaders, frequently acting as a mentor to students at all levels. He has made significant contributions to scientific literature in neonatal medicine and has been the principal investigator on high-profile clinical trials. Additionally, he serves the Newark community as a member of the State of New Jersey Pediatric Palliative Care Committee and as associate director for the Neonatal Palliative Care Program Circle of Life Children’s Center.