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A Rutgers scientist who was a crucial figure in developing the first COVID-19 saliva-based test died unexpectedly Saturday.

The university did not disclose the cause of professor Andrew Brooks' death. He was 51. "We at Rutgers offer our heartfelt condolences to his family, including his three children, and with them we take pride in his achievements that will have lasting impact," said Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor Christopher J. Malloy, Chancellor Brian Strom and Vice President of Research S. David Kimball, in a joint statement. Gov. Phil Murphy called Brooks "one of our state's unsung heroes," and the test "undoubtedly saved lives," during his press briefing Monday. "We cannot thank Andy enough for all he did...

The pioneering researcher who led the development of the first approved coronavirus saliva test died unexpectedly on Saturday.

At the time, Brooks said the "impact of this approval is significant." "It means we no longer have to put health care professionals at risk for infection by performing nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal collections. We can preserve precious personal protective equipment for use in patient care instead of testing," he said in a statement shared by Rutgers. "Saliva testing will help with the global shortage of swabs for sampling and increase testing of patients, and it will not require health care professionals to be put at risk to collect samples," Brooks continued. "Saliva testing will also be ...