Future of Innovation Dependent on Funding, Collaboration and Idea Exchange

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Investment in basic research, convergence across disciplines and better engagement between academia and industry are key to the future of innovation, according to a panel of renowned thought leaders speaking at the celebration of the 2013 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research.

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"Basic research is crucial to advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying human health and disease, and investment in basic research has helped us solve some of the most complex medical needs of our time," said David Julius, PhD, chair of the Department of Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), winner of the 2013 Dr. Paul Janssen Award.

Dr. Julius joined TEDMED's Jay Walker, Scientific American's John Rennie, nanobiophysics leader Dr. Anita Goel and Johnson & Johnson's Chief Scientific Officer and Worldwide Chairman Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Paul Stoffels, in the panel discussion at the New York Public Library. Panelists shared perspectives on the must-do's necessary to fuel transformational innovation and allow science to serve humanity. Video highlights of the discussion are available here.

"It's important to continue to make society aware that an investment in research is a good investment for quality of life, for universities and scientists, for industry and for the economy," said Dr. Stoffels. "Twentieth century advances such as vaccines and antibiotics have greatly advanced years of life and quality of life. We now have to bring these advances to the rest of the world."

"In the last century, most of our breakthroughs happened in silos. In this century, some of the greatest leaps in science, technology and business are poised to happen at the nexus of these disciplines. The Internet has decentralized access to information and broken down these silos... and we are a part of that; we can take ownership and help shape it," said Goel, MD, PhD, chairman and CEO, Nanobiosym.

Today at the New York Public Library, Dr. Julius participated in a public scientific symposium on the biology of pain, co-hosted by Johnson & Johnson and the New York Academy of Sciences. An independent committee of renowned scientists chose Dr. Julius as the 2013 winner of the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for discoveries in understanding the underlying biology of the sensation of pain through the study of common ingredients in food, such as capsaicin and menthol. His research could lead to more effective treatments for pain.

About The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research
Known to his colleagues as "Dr. Paul," Janssen was one of the 20th century's most gifted and passionate researchers. He helped save millions of lives through his contribution to the discovery and development of more than 80 medicines, four of which remain on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines. The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research was established by Johnson & Johnson to honor the memory of Dr. Paul. Past winners include Craig C. Mello, Marc Feldmann and Sir Ravinder Maini, Axel Ullrich, Erik De Clercq and Anthony S. Fauci, Napoleone Ferrara, and Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun. Learn more at www.pauljanssenaward.com.

About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world, one person at a time, inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science – bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Our approximately 129,000 employees at more than 250 Johnson & Johnson operating companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. For more information, visit www.jnj.com.

Contact:
Seema Kumar
Johnson & Johnson
908-218-6460 or skumar10@its.jnj.com

Diane Pressman
Janssen Global Services, LLC
908-927-6171 or dpressm1@its.jnj.com

Frederik Wittock
Janssen Global Services, LLC
+32 14 60 57 24 or fwittock@its.jnj.com

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson