Centers & Institutes

The W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience was established with a specific mission: to bring effective treatments to people with spinal cord injury. Based on a commitment to collaboration, all Center facilities and programs are designed to enable cooperative projects and enhance external relationships to combine the knowledge and expertise of academic, corporate, government, public and private partners, and the community.

Dr. Selman Waksman made significant contributions to society and to Rutgers. In 1944, his team discovered several "antibiotics." In 1951, from the royalties of their patents he created the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology and funded the construction of the Institute of Microbiology on Rutgers, Busch Campus in Piscataway, NJ. In 1952, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. In 1973, the Institute was renamed in Dr. Waksman's honor following his death. In 1985, the American Chemical Society (ACS) named Waksman Institute as a National Historic Chemical Landmark.

The primary mission of the Rutgers Center of Quantitative Biology (CQB) is to enable scientific exchanges and collaborations between faculty residing in different academic departments who are interested in quantitative modeling of biological phenomena. Research interests of CQB faculty members comprise both experimental and theoretical approaches and range from evolutionary dynamics, stochastic processes in biology, and single-molecule biophysics to modeling onset and progression of cancer. CQB facilitates these activities by holding a weekly seminar series as well as providing travel support for faculty and affiliated students and postdoctoral researchers to attend national and international scientific meetings.

The mission of the Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey (HGINJ) is to operate a world-renowned institute of excellence in human and medical genetics, to collaborate with and enhance research and training programs in the life sciences of Rutgers, and to facilitate scientific relationships with the private sector.

The goal of the Brain Health Institute (BHI) is to develop neuroscience at Rutgers to become a highly translational and internationally preeminent research enterprise. New tools are transforming neuroscience, and these afford an unprecedented opportunity to create new treatments for central nervous system disorders. Neuroscience has been identified by Rutgers University as one of five signature areas for future focus and development. As part of this strategic plan, the BHI was established to become an internationally recognized center for basic, translational, and clinical research into the biological bases of human brain function and dysfunction. The BHI is the home for the overall Rutgers neuroscience initiative, and is a growing interdisciplinary institute consisting of more than 250 principal investigators with neuroscience laboratories across various campuses of Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. By supporting and coordinating neuroscience across all campuses, the BHI will unite Rutgers University’s dynamic and diverse neuroscience community toward common goals: To create research programs focused on the biological underpinnings of the central nervous system’s function and dysfunction. To develop treatments for these disorders using novel neuroscience tools. To establish a rich neuroscience resource in New Jersey that educates the public, clinicians, faculty, and students, as well as state, national, and international health officials.

The Child Health Institute of New Jersey is a comprehensive biomedical research center dedicated to improving child health through the study of mechanisms underlying children's diseases. The groundbreaking research of the Institute's scientists is integrated with the clinical approaches of pediatric physicians to understand the causes, and improve the therapy and prevention of childhood illness. The Institute is the cornerstone of the children's academic health campus in New Brunswick and collaborates in its research initiatives with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Clinical Research Center, The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital. Together, they form a unique partnership of world-class institutions representing an exciting opportunity for the translation of research findings into improved pediatric care.

From doctor to nurse to social worker and others, our comprehensive team guides both patient and family through their cancer journey. As one of the National Cancer Institute’s designated cancer centers, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey provides access to the latest medicines through clinical trials. Cancer research is one of the pillars of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Our physician-scientists engage in innovative techniques to unlock the mysteries of cancer, helping to make unique advances in the field.