September 30, 2014, 7:37 PM Last updated: Tuesday, September 30, 2014, 7:37 PM

Officials heralded on Tuesday the opening of an Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, saying it could provide a springboard for important medical breakthroughs.

Governor Christie, who attended the event, said the institute was an example of the greatness fostered by the states medical school merger last year. I want to continue to remind people of the great things that can happen as a result of this collaboration, the governor said.

Rutgers integrated most of the former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey last year, in what was thought to be one of the largest academic mergers ever. The governor overcame legislative and institutional opposition to spearhead the merger, which had failed under previous administrations.

The merger gave Rutgers coveted medical and dental schools and brought stability and prestige to the former medical university, which had been plagued by scandal and public relations problems. It also catapulted Rutgers into the top 30 universities nationwide in research funding.

Dr. William Gause, senior associate dean for research, said recruiting new scientists became easier after the affiliation with Rutgers.

The institute will boost research done at the newly merged institutions and bring together nearly 2,000 scientists and staff from throughout the far-flung university.

Even though federal financing for research is constricting, officials said they believed the institute had a good shot at getting more money from the National Institutes of Health for research dealing with such diseases as tuberculosis, AIDS, asthma, diabetes, and obesity.

In April, Rutgers researchers got a $26 million federal grant for work in developing new antibiotics. Christie touted the new institute and construction of a new chemistry building on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick as examples of a new era in biomedical research at Rutgers.

Email: alex@northjersey.com

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Rutgers opens new medical institute at Newark campus