“Mr. Ruggles has truly been an invaluable partner in our quest to build a state-of-the-art research program in order to improve the current standards of patient care,” said Dr. John Murphy. “His expertise and dedication have been essential to advancing our innovative translational research mission.”
DANBURY, Conn. (PRWEB) April 12, 2018
Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) has received a transformational gift from Rudy L. Ruggles, Jr. of Ridgefield, CT to advance patient-centered translational research at the Network’s Biomedical Research Institute. The Institute will now be named the Rudy L. Ruggles Biomedical Research Institute.
Founded in 2009, the Research Institute in Danbury features a state-of-the-art, 17,000-square-foot open-bench laboratory dedicated to improving the health of the community through innovative translational research. Also called bench-to-bedside, this research method applies scientific findings to create new therapies, medical procedures, and diagnostics that benefit patients. Benefits include the development of new techniques to identify people at risk for disease or who are likely to resist certain treatment regiments.
Mr. Ruggles has been a longtime supporter of Danbury Hospital and WCHN. He served on Danbury Hospital’s Board of Directors and its Foundation Board during the 1980s and 1990s. His investment in research at Danbury Hospital began nearly 10 years ago after an initial conversation with John M. Murphy, MD, President and CEO of WCHN, about establishing a research hub at the hospital. Mr. Ruggles and his wife Sally were the first investors in the Research Institute, and Mr. Ruggles served as the founding chair of its Advisory Council. He will now chair WCHN’s new Scientific Research Committee.
“Mr. Ruggles has truly been an invaluable partner in our quest to build a state-of-the-art research program in order to improve the current standards of patient care,” said Dr. Murphy. “His expertise and dedication have been essential to advancing our innovative translational research mission.”
“I am happy to be a part of the exciting medical developments that are being achieved at WCHN’s Research Institute. The research is an important part of WCHN’s care evolution because it is focused on translational medicine — it is not research for the purpose of conducting research. The overarching goal is to ultimately improve patient care,” said Mr. Ruggles.
A longtime supporter of Danbury Hospital and WCHN, Mr. Ruggles has a lifelong passion for research. A former tenured IBM physicist and past president of the Hudson Institute, one of the oldest and most respected national-security think tanks in the world, Mr. Ruggles currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the J. Craig Venter Institute, where he serves as an adjunct professor in its Genomic Medicine division.
WCHN’s team of renowned physicians, scientists, and researchers are devoted to the pursuit of personalized medicine that tailors therapies to reflect an individual’s unique genetic profile. The Research Institute is equipped with leading-edge equipment including a high-precision functional proteomic platform, DNA gene sequencer, and genomics lab to ultimately establish effective personalized drugs based on an individual’s unique makeup. The Research Institute is also home to a biorepository, which is critical to WCHN’s research program as clinical trials require access to patient specimens.
Potentially lifesaving research is currently being conducted at the Research Institute, including:
- A new screening process for people at high-risk for pancreatic cancer
- An improved way to detect Lyme disease earlier and with more accuracy
- Enhanced gynecologic cancer prevention and treatment protocols
Colorectal cancer, metabolic diseases, and multiple myeloma are also being studied at the Research Institute.
CONTACT:
Andrea Rynn
Director, Public & Government Relations
203-739-7919
Andrea.Rynn(at)wchn.org
Amy Forni
Manager, Public Relations
203-739-7478
Amy.Forni(at)wchn.org
About the Rudy L. Ruggles Biomedical Research Institute
The Rudy L. Ruggles Biomedical Research Institute at Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) encourages scientific collaboration and clinical partnerships with leading research organizations to pioneer new discoveries in precision medicine technologies and foster creative thinking. The Research Institute’s translational research programs focus on diseases concerning our immediate community such as cancer and Lyme disease and complement ongoing epidemiologic studies and clinical trials conducted at WCHN’s hospitals in Danbury, New Milford, and Norwalk. The pioneering research conducted at the Research Institute will put into practice concepts of personalized medicine to advance the health of the community and improve current standards of patient care.
About Western Connecticut Health Network
Western Connecticut Health Network is the region’s premier, patient-centered healthcare organization serving residents of western Connecticut and adjacent New York. WCHN is anchored by three nationally recognized hospitals, Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital, and Norwalk Hospital. We have an integrated network of more than 1,300 employed and community physicians and specialists, 70 Western Connecticut Medical Group medical and sub-specialty practices across 16 communities, and Western Connecticut Home Care. Our nationally renowned Biomedical Research Institute is leading innovative research, especially for cancer and Lyme disease. Many of our advancements have been made possible by generous donors from our community and through the Danbury Hospital & New Milford Hospital Foundation and the Norwalk Hospital Foundation. As an academic institution, we are proud to shape the future of care through our partnership with the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. WCHN employs nearly 6,300 employees including about 1,900 clinical staff. For more information, visit wchn.org. Share your comments with us at Facebook.com/DanburyHospital, Facebook.com/NewMilfordHospital, and Facebook.com/NorwalkHospital.