Jean-Pierre Issa, President & CEO, Coriell Institute for Medical Research

In an interview with Invest:, Jean-Pierre Issa, president and CEO of the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, discussed how partnerships and innovations build growth in the life sciences sector. “Each dollar brings in additional dollars in research from the government, and eventually, many more dollars from investors interested in the next generation of drugs and technologies,” Issa added.

What recent changes have most impacted Coriell Institute for Medical Research? 

We formed a partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create a new state-designated biomedical Strategic Innovation Center, which will be housed in our new headquarters facility in Camden. The Center will provide incubator space for at least 15 emerging biotech companies with additional space to accommodate their growth. It’s one of the innovation centers that has been promoted by Gov. Phil Murphy, and I believe it’s the first innovation center to be announced in South Jersey. That has been game-changing for us, as well as potentially game-changing for Camden and South Jersey. We’re expecting to break ground for the building in the fall of this year, and the space is expected to be fully occupied in the fall of 2027. Then, we will hopefully begin recruiting new biotechs and pharmas to relocate to South Jersey. They can take advantage of the excellent environment for research, including collaborating with Coriell scientists, and business development.

How does the new innovation center align with Camden’s eds and meds goals?

It takes the eds and meds corridor into a new direction toward life sciences research, which has been brewing for the past few years. Between Rutgers-Camden, Rowan University, and the expansions of Cooper University Healthcare and Virtua Health, many students and graduate students are strengthening the corridor. Now, we would like to add a third pillar to that corridor, which is research. The Coriell Institute is the oldest and perhaps best-funded research institute in South Jersey. We’re proud to be a part of this effort to expand the eds and meds corridor into research, allowing for potentially exponential growth. 

How have changes at the federal and state levels impacted your organization?

We are in the midst of substantial changes in the way the federal government has decided to fund the research. The federal government has not decided on its goal for the next few years. There is an ongoing debate between Congress and the White House over how to prioritize research, how much funding should go to research, and how institutes and universities should be funded for research. At present, the only impact we have seen is the delay in awarding some of our grants, but we’ve had no grant cancellations, at least in my institute, which is relatively small. We are hoping the changes introduced into the system will positively impact us. 

What recent trends have been shaping the medical research and biotechnology sector in New Jersey?

At Coriell, we have accelerated the development of our innovation center and the interaction with potential biotech companies. While the cuts in research might affect some of the fundamental ongoing research in universities and institutes, we believe it will not have as much of an impact on the translational research and the formation of new companies. Therefore, our innovation center could potentially benefit from the current environment, which focuses more on human research, translation, and developing drugs and new treatments. There is a worry about fundamental research and cuts to the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, which could impact the amount of research done by institutions. At the same time, we are seeing continued interest, and potentially renewed interest lately, from investors coming into new biotech, including from angel investors and new companies. We are seeing a refocusing of investment back into the life sciences sector. The Greater Philadelphia corridor, including southern New Jersey, has established itself as a real presence in the biotechnology and life science industry. The area has climbed up the national ranking as a hub for research, and I hope it expands to create strong new jobs, companies, and tax revenues that support South Jersey’s economy. 

How has Coriell’s cancer research, as well as genetics and epigenetics research, evolved in recent years?

Our genetics research has led to the development of a new biopharmaceutical company called Coriell Life Sciences, which was acquired by a Boston-based company last year. The genetics effort, led by my predecessor, saw remarkable uptake in routine clinical practice. What was fundamental research 20 years ago is now applied to patients across the country and internationally. We’re pleased to see the uptake in using genetic information to help patients and doctors decide which drugs are appropriate for their diseases. On the epigenetics side, research is still going strongly. 

On the cancer side, we’re particularly pleased with the completion of the Camden Cancer Research Center, which was started two years ago. It already has 45 members, as well as over $10 million of funding per year from the National Cancer Institute and other funding agencies. It is becoming a research hub in Camden, even attracting new researchers from out of state. Each new job comes with multiple additional jobs, because the faculty hire trainees and staff. We have seen over 30 new jobs created in our small center as a result of the research center’s opening. The goal is to see that develop into hundreds of jobs once we have the new building, which will have more space to accommodate these folks. 

How have partnerships added value to the medical research ecosystem?

The Camden Cancer Research Center is a partnership between Rowan University’s Cooper Medical School, Cooper University Hospital’s MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Coriell, which currently hosts the cancer center. This endeavor is truly a multi-institutional effort formed to remedy the lack of fundamental research and applied research in New Jersey, compared to some of our adjacent states. New Jersey is fantastic for the clinical aspect of things. All of the large biopharma and pharmaceutical companies here are amazing for the state, but we do not have the strong base for research infrastructure that Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, or Massachusetts have. Both the governor and the New Jersey Legislature have recognized that this is an important endeavor for the state, in general, and I suspect our efforts will translate to more funding for research across the state. Fundamental research is an essential engine for the development of early and innovative startups. I always tell my partners on the political side that basic science is an investment that works. Each dollar brings in additional dollars in research from the government, and eventually, many more dollars from investors interested in the next generation of drugs and technologies.

What are the next stages for Coriell as a business?

As a not-for-profit research institute, our focus is on growth in many research areas. Our partnership with NJEDA allows us to potentially fund this growth, and the new building we are planning will allow us to house this growth. I am confident that there is room in South Jersey for many more researchers than there currently are. We can easily double or triple the number of researchers at Coriell, just in the next five years. We are also taking additional steps to support this vision. The Cooper Medical School at Rowan University is considering forming a new graduate program in cancer research, in collaboration with Coriell. It will bring in more students who want to get master’s degrees and PhDs, enabling them to get jobs, develop careers, potentially make discoveries, and start companies here.