Hackensack Meridian Health and Stevens Institute of Technology to Increase Research Collaboration
New Jersey institutions to pool expertise for advances of the future
HOBOKEN, N.J., October 8, 2026 — Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, and Stevens Institute of Technology have agreed to coordinate research efforts to innovate a healthier future.
The health network and university have had a partnership since 2009, and this new agreement expands the collaboration.
“This strategic partnership produces an incredible synergy,” said Ihor Sawczuk, Hackensack Meridian Health’s president of academics, research and innovation, founding chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Research Institute, and associate dean of clinical integration and professor and chair emeritus of urology at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “These two world-class institutions bring realms of expertise which will accelerate new understanding of what’s possible in critical niches of healthcare.”
“Pairing our strength in biomedical engineering, systems science and artificial intelligence with Hackensack Meridian Health's clinical depth and patient reach is exactly the kind of complementary expertise that will enable us to advance the boundaries of knowledge in the field of medicine,” said Edmund Synakowski, vice provost for research and innovation at Stevens. “We look forward to the next chapter of this longstanding partnership.”
This agreement creates opportunities bridging the health network and the university. Visiting research faculty appointments will be created at each institution, and research faculty from the partner institutions will allow HMH and Stevens to foster and promote joint studies.
“This expanded partnership creates exciting opportunities to build multidisciplinary teams that bring engineering and clinical expertise together to address complex healthcare challenges, including healthy aging,” said Jennifer Kang-Mieler, director of the Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens.
The ongoing work brings together Stevens' engineering and technical expertise, with HMH’s clinical experience and health research. The partnership will advance multidisciplinary research and innovation across healthcare.
About Hackensack Meridian Health
Hackensack Meridian Health brings together leading‑edge care, research, and medical education to deliver the best outcomes, and care shaped around the unique needs of every patient we serve. By connecting prevention, specialty care, and life-saving discoveries, we improve every aspect of healthcare — from routine visits to the most advanced treatments, close to home and across the globe.
Home to New Jersey’s first and only top-20 hospital in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report 2025-26, we ensure people can count on exceptional care today and benefit from the cures of tomorrow. Our not-for-profit network of 18 hospitals, more than 500 care locations, and over 40,000 team members extend the horizon of health for all. And because medicine is never finished, we Keep Getting Better for every patient, family, and community who counts on us. Learn more at HackensackMeridianHealth.org and to donate visit GiveHMH.org.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark of Stevens’ education and research. Within the university’s four schools, more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. Academic and research programs spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other disciplines actively advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. The university continues to be consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in career services, post-graduation salaries of alumni and return on tuition investment.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Research Institute (HMHRI)
HMHRI leads and organizes a connected ecosystem bringing together clinicians, scientists, and educators to respond to the health problems of our time, in real-time. HMHRI is dedicated to accelerating discovery, innovation, and translation of scientific breakthroughs that address unmet clinical needs.
Stevens Media Contact
Kara Panzer
Director of Public and Media Relations
Division of University Advancement
845-475-4594
[email protected]
