A research professor at Rutgers University, Andrew Brooks, who led the development of the first FDA-approved Covid-19 saliva test, died suddenly on January 23, according to a Monday, February 1 statement by the university.
Brooks, 51, was the chief operating officer and director of technology development at RUCDR Infinite Biologics, the lab that developed the saliva test used for covid-19 diagnosis. The test, which was approved in April 2020, was authorized for use at-home a month later.
According to Janet Green, who is sister to Brooks, the cause of his death was a heart attack. She called him “an intellect, an amazing scientist, an amazing father … an amazing family man.”