The Department of Animal Sciences of Cook College, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, requests funds for the development of endocrine research laboratories in an extension to Bartlett Hall, the department's principal facility. The purpose of developing this research facility is to address the substantial challenges in the treatment of endocrine-related disease facing both patients and health care professionals. Specifically, matching funds are requested for construction of 11,800 sq. ft. of a new research complex that will house endocrine researchers in one central facility. Many faculty members in the Department of Animal Sciences currently conduct research in the area of endocrinology. Additionally, several faculty members of the Rutgers' Department of Nutrition, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Center for Alcohol Studies, and the Physiology and Biophysics Department in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) with endocrine research interests actively participate in the Animal Sciences graduate teaching and research programs. The research objectives of these endocrine researchers include the study of the influence of environmental factors and diet on the initiation and promotion of endocrine diseases. The existing endocrine research program at UMDNJ, the Environmental Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), and the Laboratory for Cancer Research offer outstanding potential for collaboration and continued growth. Building on collaboration with clinical and basic research in endocrine areas in UMDNJ, the Rutgers University endocrine program will become a national and regional resource for education and patient care relevant to the treatment of various endocrine diseases.
