Steve W. Miller, a widely respected 30-year employee of Johnson & Johnson Consumer, died in 2020 of liver cancer caused by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). His friends, family and former colleagues honored him last week at the dedication of the new Steven W. Miller Laboratory at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute.

Scientists at the lab will work on tests to better diagnose liver cancer, MAFLD and other related diseases. Dianna Miller, Steve’s wife of 28 years, decided to support these scientists by starting a fundraiser. So far, more than $80,000 has been raised.

“We were thrilled to contribute to demonstrate how much we all appreciated Steve,” Jenean Janeski, senior manager at Johnson & Johnson Consumer, said in a Blumberg Institute article. “Steve had such a monumental impact on so many of his colleagues’ lives and careers, and our organization will always be a better place because Steve was part of our J&J family. We’re especially satisfied that the research is being done at the place where Dianna is employed and, going forward, in a lab named after Steve—he always put his people first, so we believe it is only fitting to have this lab named in his honor so even after his death, this lab will allow his legacy of helping others live on in a hugely epic way!”

Aejaz Sayedd, PhD, an associate professor at the Blumberg Institute, will run the Steven W. Miller Laboratory. Sayedd and his team are working to develop a noninvasive biomarker test for liver disease surveillance and early detection of liver cancer. Their hope is to identify high-risk patients and aid them in choosing treatment paths.

“Dr. Sayeed’s research shows tremendous potential for producing innovative and revolutionary testing technologies that could enable us to catch liver disease earlier,” said Randall N. Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH, president of the Blumberg Institute and a former pharmaceutical industry executive. “I am so moved by the outpouring of love and support for Steve Miller, which further drives us to solve liver cancer. This funding will significantly boost Dr. Sayeed’s research.”

To contribute to the Steven W. Miller Fund, contact Jean Holmes at 215-479-4946 or jean.holmes@bblumberg.org.