I just came back from Blog World Expo (why do I keep thinking of Wally World?!), in Las Vegas.

Other than the location, it was great. Lots of interesting vendors offering widget, aggregation and monetizing applications. And I came back with several pounds of tee shirts.

But the main reason I attended was to meet with Kim of Emergiblog.

Kim is a blogging emergency room nurse whose enthusiasm is matched only by her smarts. We had originally met at the BlogHer Conference in June of this year. Kim was blown away by the energy and expertise at BlogHer, but noticed there was no “track” for medical or health care bloggers, certainly a worthy topic for this audience of 1000 women. So she decided that she wanted to create one, if not at BlogHer, then somewhere else. Kim, not wasting any time, contacted Rick Calvert at BlogWorld, and for a start, asked if she could arrange for a luncheon for bloggers she knew might be interested in this concept. Johnson & Johnson was happy to sponsor it, and during a 2-hour lunch, the group came up with the Big Idea of running an entire track for health care blogging and social media at next year’s BlogWorld. Health care bloggers have much to talk about – and the fact is, people are increasingly turning to blogs and other online communities to share healthcare information, ideas and best practices. The time, as they say, has come – and I’m really looking forward to it.

Kim, who doesn’t hesitate to take the ball and run with it, has already generated a lot of interest in this, and ideas about topics, as you can see from her Wheels Are Turnin’ post.

Kim is already talking about an entire Health Care BlogWorld! Whoa, Kim, one thing at a time!

By Srikant Ramaswami, Senior Director, Global R&D Communications, CNS Internal Medicine

I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Paul Janssen – or “Dr. Paul” as he was affectionately known. But I feel like I knew, on a more personal level, who he was and what he stood for following two events honoring this year’s recipients of The Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. (This year’s winners were Professor Marc Feldmann and Emeritus Professor Sir Ravinder Maini of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London.)

Dr. Paul — the legendary researcher who founded Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutica business — was a man of vision, humility, humanity and keen intellect. I suspect he would have been proud of this prestigious event held annually in his honor — as well as the discussion it spurred in the scientific community.

On Tuesday, September 9, I joined esteemed members of the scientific community, media and other Johnson & Johnson colleagues for a gala reception and dinner at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) to honor Dr. Paul’s work and the impact it had on both the scientific community and patients worldwide. Against breathtaking views of the downtown Manhattan skyline, members of The Dr. Paul Janssen Award Independent Selection Committee and Johnson & Johnson leadership discussed the impact of Dr. Paul’s work and the meaning of The Dr. Paul Janssen Award.

The significance of Feldmann’s and Maini’s role in the discovery of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) as an effective therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions was crystallized by the remarks made by our own Harlan Weisman, M.D., Chief Science & Technology Officer, Medical Devices & Diagnostics. After discussing several invaluable lessons he learned from working directly with Feldmann and Maini, Weisman expressed his gratitude to the researchers for their discovery in the development of the TNF inhibitors.

On day two of the celebration, I returned to NYAS to join more than 250 other individuals for lectures from experts on novel anti-cytokine therapies. The Wall Street Journal’s Shirley Wang, who attended the event along with journalists from The New York Times, Nature and many other publications, posted about the symposium and that posting — in perhaps the true spirit of who Dr. Paul was — has sparked a lively discussion about the value of close collaboration between industry and academia.

All in all, both the Dr. Paul Janssen Award gala and symposium reflected the importance of scientific excellence and underscored the enduring legacy of Dr. Paul.

This morning, news came out that Christine Poon, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and Worldwide Chairman of the Pharmaceuticals Group, will retire on March 1, 2009.

I’ve known Chris for many years. We often run into each other while commuting on the New Jersey Transit service from New Brunswick. On the train, we’ve talked about all manner of things — from work, to the state of the media, to our families. So I when I heard the news, I wanted to learn more.

Chris informed the BOD earlier this week about her plans, and, as is standard practice under SEC guidelines when there are changes to the senior leadership of a public company, a press release was issued today to announce this change.

The release – as well as a letter to employees – talked of Chris’ accomplishments in shaping the company and explained that although succession plans for who will assume Chris’ responsibilities for the pharmaceuticals group have not yet been announced, they will be in a timely way.

Chris shared her thoughts about her time at Johnson & Johnson and what she plans to do now in a note to employees. She said:

Dear Friends at Johnson & Johnson,

With Bill Weldon’s understanding and support, I wanted to communicate directly with you about my decision to retire from Johnson & Johnson effective March 1, 2009. Over the next six months, I will work closely with Bill, the Executive Committee and the pharmaceutical leadership team to successfully close 2008, complete plans for 2009 and provide assistance for an orderly transition.

It has been my great good fortune to have worked at Johnson & Johnson during a period of fundamental change in the health care industry. Together with Bill and our management group, I have had the chance to be part of setting the stage for what will be one of the most exciting chapters in the Corporation’s long history. In pharmaceuticals, I believe our late-stage development pipeline is stronger than it has ever been; our recently-introduced products are already transforming medical practice to advance the care of patients with cancer, pain, schizophrenia and HIV; our early development pipeline is promising; and our pharmaceutical leadership team and depth of talent is best in the industry. All that has been accomplished is due to the dedicated efforts of people throughout our wonderful organization.

Nevertheless, at this time in my life, I find myself drawn by the irresistible forces of family and, still, a deep desire to take on new challenges and find opportunities to advance society and health through my continuing involvement with science, technology, innovation and business. So I leave with mixed emotions, but with the satisfaction of knowing that, together, we have made a positive difference both in terms of lives saved and better patient outcomes, as well as having helped position Johnson & Johnson for many opportunities in the future.

The field of human health and well-being is a significant calling for people who want to make a difference. The rewards of our profession are hard-earned, but generational in impact. I sincerely appreciate all of the support and encouragement I have received from so many of you through these years. I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to have served with you and I wish you the very best for the future.

Sincerely,
Chris Poon

BTW — As a colleague – and occasional NJ Transit travel buddy – I wish Chris all the best in the years to come. I know you are around for the next few months, but I’ll miss catching up with you on the train!