News Archive Featured in the Media JeffNEWS

Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital will be home to more leading-edge molecular research, thanks to an alliance with Roche Diagnostics.

The department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology has signed an agreement with Roche to become a Roche Molecular Center of Excellence, which affords new opportunities for translational research and clinical trials at Jefferson. This collaboration will bring new diagnostic tests and leading-edge technology to the clinical programs at Jefferson, according to Stephen Peiper, M.D., chairman of the department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Dr. Peiper will serve as the Director of the Roche Molecular Center of Excellence at Jefferson. The primary focus of the research will be microbiology and infectious diseases, with a focus on hospital-acquired infections and oncology.

“The relationship with Roche will open the doors for funding opportunities and put Jefferson at the front-line for evaluating molecular genetic tools,” Dr. Peiper said. “Roche has been actively acquiring companies that develop state-of-the-art molecular diagnostic tools. Our collaboration will help bring these tools to the clinical arena sooner.”

According to Donald Jungkind, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Microbiology Lab at Jefferson, one of the benefits of this alliance is the opportunity for networking between other Roche Molecular Centers of Excellence. Members from the various centers meet regularly to promote the exchange of ideas, Dr. Jungkind said.

Dr. Jungkind and Zoe Wang, Ph.D., assistant director of the Clinical Microbiology Lab at Jefferson, will serve as co-directors of the Roche Molecular Center of Excellence.

“It is really an honor to be selected for the public recognition and the opportunities that being a Roche Molecular Center of Excellence brings,” Jungkind said. “The innovative research will allow us refine molecular technology so that the most useful forms reach the public.”