Our researchers secured record National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, influenced national health policy, and pioneered technologies improving addiction recovery, cancer treatment, and veterans’ care—turning evidence into action that advances health, equity, and lives.
Grants Funded
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Increase in NIH awardsÂ
At Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP) our research moves beyond discovery—it drives better care. Our faculty pursue science with purpose, creating evidence-based solutions that improve health for individuals, communities, and entire populations. They are developing tools, therapies, and technologies that translate into real outcomes.
Four years ago, a SHP professor received a federal grant to work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a database of evidence linking toxic exposure from burn pits to diseases such as cancer and respiratory illnesses.
That work, led by Scott Parrott, director of SHP’s Methodology and Statistics Support Team, helped push forward the 2022 PACT Act—a landmark law that significantly expanded health benefits for veterans exposed to airborne toxins during their service.
Named for a decorated combat veteran who died from a rare lung disease after deployment in Iraq, the PACT Act marked a turning point for veterans suffering from conditions linked to toxic exposure.
Faculty member and researcher Antonina Mitrofanova was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers—the U.S. government’s highest recognition for exceptional emerging scientists and engineers.
“This award is a tremendous honor,” said Mitrofanova, an associate professor and associate dean for research at Rutgers School of Health Professions who also serves as a research member at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
MEET SOME OF OUR TOP RESEARCHERS 
SUCHISMITA RAY
EXPLORING NEW PATHS TO ADDICTION RECOVERY
When Suchismita Ray joined the School of Health Professions in 2018, she arrived with a National Institutes of Health grant that led to a groundbreaking study using brain imaging and advanced data analysis to distinguish individuals with opioid use disorder from those without it.
DAVID KIETRYS
HONORED FOR RESEARCH ADVANCING CARE FOR THOSE WITH HIV
Dave Kietrys, associate professor and vice-chair of the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences, is receiving national recognition for his research on rehabilitation and disability issues for people living with HIV and HIV-related neuropathy.
