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Our Legacy

 

Professor Allan H. Conney, Ph.D.

In 1987, Professor Allan H. Conney joined Rutgers University from Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc. with a vision to build a strong research enterprise within the University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. Since its founding, the Department of Chemical Biology has centered its research on understanding the causes of cancer and developing strategies for its prevention. Under Professor Conney’s leadership, new teaching programs were established for both undergraduate and graduate students in molecular biology, microbiology, nutrition, and disease prevention. He served as Director of the Laboratory for Cancer Research from 1987 to 2013 and as Chair of the Department of Chemical Biology from 1987 to 2002.

Professor Conney, a world-renowned cancer researcher, dedicated his career to uncovering how everyday activities—such as drinking green tea and engaging in regular exercise—can help prevent the development and spread of cancer. He passed away on September 10, 2013, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy as a scientist, mentor, and leader in cancer chemoprevention. A distinguished pharmacologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Conney was respected and admired throughout the world for his groundbreaking contributions to cancer research.

Following Professor Conney’s tenure, Professor Chung S. Yang served as department chair from 2002 to 2010, followed by Professor Renping Zhou from 2010 to 2020, and Professor Suzie Chen from 2020 to 2025. The current chair is Professor Wei-Xing Zong.

Our Home

An annex to the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Building was constructed in 1990 and named the Laboratory for Cancer Research. In 2000, with generous support from Dorothy C. Treisman, her children and her father Joseph F. Cullman III, the estate of Carl Krauss, and Rutgers University, a second floor was added to the original facility. The building was renamed in honor of Mrs. Treisman’s mother, the late Susan L. Cullman. The new addition provides expanded space for advanced research on cancer causation and prevention.