The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF DR. ANDREW BROOKS
______
HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Monday, March 8, 2021
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with Congressman Soto, to honor the life of Dr. Andrew Ira Brooks, a hero of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Brooks, a longtime Research Professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, passed away on January 23, 2021 after a vibrant life filled with numerous professional and personal accomplishments.
Dr. Brooks led the effort to develop the Rutgers COVID-19 diagnostic assay in early 2020. This COVID-19 rapid test received FDA Emergency Use Authorization in March 2020 as the first approved saliva diagnostic and was the first test approved for home use. It is particularly important because this low-contact collection method helps protect our frontline medical workers. To date, there have been over four million clinical tests, undoubtedly saving the lives of many around our country and providing a practical tool for pandemic control.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Brooks went on to receive his Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester and became their Director of Medical Center Core Facilities. Four years later, he returned to his home state to direct the joint Rutgers/UMDNJ EOHSI Bionomics Research and Technology Center with an appointment as Research Professor in the Rutgers University Department of Genetics.
In 2009, Dr. Brooks became Chief Operating Officer and Director of Technology Development of RUCDR, Infinite Biologics, a Rutgers public/
private partnership. He also served 17 years as an advisor to the Food and Drug Administration, as Director of the Harlan GeneScreen Laboratory and as Co-Founding Director of the BioProcessing Solutions Alliance. In June 2020, Dr. Brooks founded Infinity BiologiX and became its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Brooks also made significant academic contributions to the improvement of human health and the field of biomedicine which can be seen in the 70 publications he coauthored, several with over 1000 citations in the literature.
Dr. Brooks loved golf, playing the sport throughout his life. He was an extraordinarily accomplished amateur, winning international tournaments with his skill, concentration, and friendly competitive spirit. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Phyllis Brooks, his sister, Janet Green, his children Lauren, Hannah and Danielle, and his loving wife, Jil Brooks, as well as many dear friends and colleagues.
Madam Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring Dr. Andrew Brooks for his dedication to the medical field and the countless lives he saved by leading the effort to develop the Rutgers COVID-19 saliva test.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 43
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