100 Years of Advancements in VA Research

100 years ago in 1925, the Veterans Bureau initiated the first hospital-based medical research studies to address Veteran-specific issues like mental health, tuberculosis, cancer and toxic exposure. The program has since made significant medical breakthroughs and innovations, impacting the world.

The Veterans Bureau Medical Bulletin

(1925)

The Veterans’ Bureau Medical Bulletin, first published in 1925, was the first medical journal focused on Veteran specific issues including mental health, tuberculosis, and cancer. (books.google.com)

Poison Gas Study

Dr. Philip Matz (1933)

Dr. Philip Matz, served as the Veteran Bureau’s first director of research. He co-conducted one of the earliest VA research studies exploring the connection between poison gas exposure and tuberculosis. One of the earliest VA research studies explored the connection between poison gas exposure and tuberculosis. (Department of Defense)

First Laboratory to Study Cancer

Hines VA Hospital (1932)

The Veterans Bureau established the first cancer tumor research lab at Hines Hospital in 1932.

Mapping Radioactivity in the Thyroid

Dr. Herbert Allen, Los Angeles VAMC (1948)

Dr. Allen at West Los Angeles VA, using a Directional Scintillation Detector with Calcium Tungstate Crystal. (VA)

Hypertension Study

Dr. Edward Fries, Washington, D.C. VAMC (1964)

Dr. Edward Fries conducted a landmark study on the impact of medication for treating high blood pressure. (VA)

"Father of Modern Cardiovascular Surgery"

Dr. Michael DeBakey, Houston VAMC (1950s)

(Left) Dr. Michael DeBakey pioneered new cardiovascular surgical techniques. His procedures revolutionized the treatment of stroke patients and lowered cardiovascular mortality rates. (VA) - (Right) Dr. Michael E. DeBakey in surgery. (Baylor College of Medicine)

Spinal Cord Injury Research

Dr. Ernest "Pappy" Bors, Long Beach VAMC (1945)

(Left) Dr. Ernest “Pappy” Bors an early pioneer in spinal cord injury research, was one of the doctors who helped popularize recreational treatments, including wheelchair basketball, for paralyzed veterans. (VA) - (Right) Wheelchair basketball star Jack Gerhardt, a paratrooper who was paralyzed in the fighting at Normandy in 1944. He landed on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1948 after his standout shooting led Halloran to victory in an exhibition game played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Newsweek Magazine)

Nuclear Reactor for Medical Research

Omaha VAMC (1959)

In the early 1960s, the Omaha VA hospital emerged as one of the centers of radioisotope research and diagnosis thanks to the nuclear reactor buried in its basement. (Omaha World Herald)

The Early Clinical Studies on Suicide

Drs. Norman Farberow and Edward Shneidman, Los Angeles VAMC (1956)

Dr. Shneidman and Dr. Farberow conducted one of the earliest studies on Veteran suicide. As a result of their work, what was once regarded as a taboo topic became recognized as a vital public health threat. (IMB.com) - (Right) Title page of their seminal research paper on suicide in 1956. (NIH)

CT Scanner Prototype

Dr. William Oldendork, Los Angeles VAMC (1960)

(Left) William Henry Oldendorf carried out studies and introduced ideas that laid the groundwork for the MRI and the CT scan. The two medical imaging techniques are among the major scientific advancements of the 20th century. (VA) - (Right) CT scanner prototype built by VA neurologist William H. Oldendorf to demonstrate the potential of using X-rays to create cross-sectional images of the body’s internal features. (VA)

Cardiac Pacemaker

Drs. Chardack, Gage, and Greatbatch, Buffalo VAMC (1960)

Dr. Chardack and his team meet with one of the first patients to receive the implantable cardiac pacemaker. The pacemaker transformed the field of cardiac medicine. (American Journal of Cardiology)

Battery pack and circuitry of one of the first implantable cardiac pacemakers. (American Journal of Cardiology)

Linking Cigarette Smoke and Cancer

Dr. Oscar Auerbach, East Orange VA (1964)

Cover page of the final report on smoking and health, which linked cigarette smoke with cancer for the first time. (NIH)

Dr. Oscar Auerbach studied changes in lung tissue to prove cigarette smoke led to cancer. (VA)

"Gleason Score" to Predict Aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer

Dr. Donald Gleason, Minneapolis VAMC (1966)

(Left) Dr. Donald Gleason a VA pathologist created a scoring system that predicts aggressiveness of prostate cancer. (VA) - (Right) To find a Gleason score, doctors used a biopsy of a patient’s prostate and examined cells under a microscope. The pattern of cancer cells was ranked with one resembling normal levels and five signaling cancer cells were more widespread. (VA)

First Successful Liver Transplant

Dr. Thomas Starzl, Denver VAMC (1967)

Dr. Thomas Starzl in the operating room at the Denver VA hospital, where he performed the first successful human liver transplant in history on March 5, 1963. His decades of pioneering research and surgical work brought the highly experimental procedure into the medical mainstream by the early 1980s. (starzl.pitt.edu)

Nobel Prize in Medicine for the Development of Radioimmunoassay

Dr. Rosalyn Yalow, Bronx VAMC (1977)

Dr. Rosalyn Yalow developed a groundbreaking scientific technique called radioimmunoassay or RIA. Which harnessed the power of radioisotopes to follow how antigens reacted with antibodies. (VA)

Nobel Prize in Medicine for Research on Peptide Hormone Production in the Brain

Dr. Andrew Schally, New Orleans VAMC (1977)

Dr. Schally's research paved the way for the preferred treatment of advanced prostate cancer, and contributed to significant advancements in contraception, diabetes, and depression. (Tulane University School of Medicine)

Nicotine Patch

Los Angeles VAMC (1984)

The nicotine patch, developed by UCLA and VA researchers releases small, but continuous medicinal nicotine through the skin. This helps reduce withdrawal symptoms while quitting smoking. Researchers tested the patch on themselves and used their own physiological responses to demonstrate that the patch was safe for human subject testing with smoking volunteers. (wikicommons)

Seattle Foot Prosthetic

Dr. Ernest Burgess, Seattle VAMC (1985)

The Seattle Foot employed a novel energy storage system that propeled the user forward to allow for running, jogging, and other high intensity movements. (American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association)

Dr. Ernest Burgess (VA)

NASA’s First Space Mission Dedicated to Biomedical Studies

Dr. Millie Hughes Fulford, San Francisco VAMC (1991)

Millie Hughes-Fulford, a trailblazing astronaut and VA medical researcher became the first female payload specialist to fly in space for NASA, studying the effects of space on the human body. (NASA)

Early Telehealth Cart

Popular Bluff VAMCA (Late 1990's)

Telehealth cart used in the late 1990s by the virtual dermatology clinic at the VA hospital in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The positive outcomes reported by Poplar Bluff led to the rapid expansion of the VA’s telehealth activities. In 2022, the cart was transferred to the National VA History Center collection. (VA)

Shingles Vaccine

VA Cooperative Studies Program Trail (2005)

The VA spearheaded clinical trials that led to the approval of the shingles vaccine by the FDA. The VA's research also helped identify the vaccine's benefits and how it can be used most effectively. (VA)

Million Veteran Program

National Research Project (2011)

VA's Million Veteran Program is a national research program looking at how genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures affect health and wellness in Veterans. Blood samples collected from Veteran participants are sent to a state-of-the-art biobank at the VA Boston Healthcare System, where machines extract DNA, proteins, and other molecules for genetic analysis. (VA)

LUKE/DEKA Arm Prosthetic

VA Cooperative Study (2017)

The LUKE arm, the product of eight years of research and development by DEKA Integrated Solutions. The design marked a significant advance over existing prostheses, with innovative features like pre-programmed hand grips and powered joints capable of simultaneous movement. (darpa.mil)

Much decorated Vietnam Veteran and former VA executive Frederick Downs, Jr., gives a thumbs up while demonstrating the fluid movements possible with the LUKE arm. At an event hosted by VA in 2017, Downs and another Veteran became the first recipients of the artificial arm. (darpa.mil)

3D Printed Kidney Tumor

Dr. Beth Ann Ripley, Seattle VAMC (2019)

Pre-surgical 3D model of kidney and tumor now in the National VA History Center collection. VHA’s integrated 3D printing network has steadily expanded since it was launched in 2017. The printing of 3D models has branched out beyond kidneys and been applied to treat many different conditions. (NVAHC)