Rutgers Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science - PETS

07/20/2026

Check out new research in Annals of Internal Medicine led by PETS core member Dr. Chintan Dave.

A new study analyzing U.S. insurance claims data found that people with who started GLP-1 receptor agonists had a modestly higher rate of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), a condition causing sudden vision loss, compared with those taking SGLT2 or DPP-4 inhibitors. However, the absolute risk was very low, suggesting the findings may be influenced by differences in patient health characteristics rather than the medications themselves. https://bit.ly/4ymYCMj

12/16/2025

PETS core faculty Greta Bushnell led research finding that the number of controlled medications - drugs at risk for misuse - prescribed to young people is declining.

Dr. Bushnell says, "Multiple factors could contribute to the changes in prescribing trends, such as changes in state and federal policies, changes in diagnostic practices, increased recognition of safety concerns, and shifts in patient and clinician preferences."

The number of controlled medications – those classified to have the potential for misuse or dependency – prescribed to young people is declining, according to Rutgers Health researchers. 

09/24/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Greta Bushnell, PETS core member!

Four distinguished members of the Rutgers School of Public Health community have been recognized with 2025 Rutgers Health Chancellor Awards for their outstanding contributions. These awards honor exceptional achievement in research, education, mentorship, service, and lifetime contributions.

06/16/2025

PETS researcher Dr. Monica D'Arcy led new research exploring risks of lung cancer for those who have never smoked, pointing to long-standing inflammatory disorders as contributors to heightened risk.

Learn more in Physician's Weekly:

Long-standing inflammatory disorders, including COPD and GERD, signal heightened risk for lung cancer among never-smokers, according to research.

04/22/2025

New research led by PETS core member and associate professor Robert Wood Johnson Medical School & Rutgers School of Public Health Dr. Daniel Horton finds that frequent use of antibiotics in infants and young children could increase the risk for asthma and allergies later in life due to the impact on the gut microbiome.

Read more ↴

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to young children to combat conditions such as ear infections and pneumonia. But the drugs may disrupt the digestive microbiome at a significant time in a child’s development.

02/17/2025

The use of biologic and targeted therapies for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) surpassed more typical therapies in recent years, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

02/17/2025

Research on diagnoses of sedative, hypnotic and anxiety use disorder in young adults by Greta Bushnell, Tobias Gerhard and Kristen Lloyd of PETS was featured in MSN - take a look! 🔎

The prevalence of diagnosed disorders from recurrent use of sedative, hypnotic and antianxiety medications in adolescents and young adults has increased sharply since 2001, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

11/13/2024

Congratulations to Dr. Soko Setoguchi who was named a 2024-2025 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Climate and Health Scholar, to be hosted by National Cancer Institute!

The program connects climate and health scientists with NIH researchers to share their knowledge and expertise.

Dr. Setoguchi, a general internist and epidemiologist, is a PETS faculty member at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers School of Public Health, and a co-director of the Rutgers Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Science. She directs multiple climate, health, and healthcare sustainability initiatives at Rutgers, co-leading the Rutgers Health Climate Action Group and the RWJBarnabas Health Health Sustainability Committees.

Read more: https://ifh.rutgers.edu/highlight/soko-setoguchi-named-nih-climate-and-health-scholar/

10/21/2024

Check out the latest edition of The Cancer Letter featuring PETS, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers School of Public Health faculty, Dr. Benjamin Bates, discussing his new National Cancer Institute-funded research examining the effects of storms and weather events ⛈️ on breast cancer treatment 🏥.

Ivan Borrello, medical director of the Myeloma, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cell Therapies Program at Tampa General Hospital’s Cancer Institute, watched as flood waters from Hurricane Helene heaved against a contraption called the AquaFence, which is, as the name suggests, a water-impermeable barri...