Developed and tested effective therapies for tuberculosis following World War II. Multi-center clinical trials led to development of the Cooperative Studies Program, which has since produced effective treatments for diseases and conditions including schizophrenia, diabetes, depression, heart disease and stroke. (1946)

Established the standard for developing better-fitting, lighter artificial limbs through studies of human locomotion, enhanced surgical techniques and modernized design and manufacturing methods. (1946)

Introduced the first mobility and orientation rehabilitation-training program for blind
persons. (1947)

Invented the implantable cardiac pacemaker, helping many patients prevent potentially life-threatening complications from irregular heartbeats. (1958)

Pioneered the concepts that led to development of computerized axial tomography (CAT scan). (1960)

Conducted groundbreaking work with radioisotopes that led to development of modern radioimmunoassay diagnostic techniques. (1961)

Performed the first successful liver transplants and developed techniques for suppressing the body’s natural attempt to reject transplanted tissue. (1968)

Expanded understanding of how brain hormones interact with the endocrine system. (1970)

Developed the nicotine patch and other therapies to help smokers give up the
habit. (1984)

Invented a computer system that provides patients on ventilators with more accurate respirator settings, fewer medical complications, and better patient outcomes. (1989)

Contributed to development of the first standards for wheelchair prescriptions. (1990)

Development of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) systems that allow patients to move paralyzed limbs. (1991)

Demonstrated that early treatment with corticosteroids reduces damage from spinal cord injury. (1993)

Developed and tested a new device that has lead to improved wheelchair designs by enhancing assessments of upper extremity pain in manual wheelchair users. (1993)

Demonstrated that one aspirin tablet a day reduced by half the rate of death and nonfatal heart attacks in patients with unstable angina. (1994)

Conducted the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, which is instrumental in identifying ways to improve surgical care. (1995)

Identified the gene that causes Werner’s syndrome, a disease marked by premature
aging. (1996)

Developed clinical practice guidelines on cholesterol screening for the American College of Physicians. (1996)

Found that an implantable insulin pump offers better blood sugar control, weight control and quality of life for adult-onset diabetes than multiple daily injections. (1996)

Identified a gene associated with a major risk for schizophrenia. (1997)

Identified a gene that causes a rare form of dementia, providing a potential target for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. (1998)

Found that less expensive, more conservative treatment of a common type of heart attack is superior to the standard heart catheterization and balloon angioplasty. (1998)

Demonstrated that administering erythropoetin under the skin is as effective and less expensive than intravenous administration for treatment of severe anemia in hemodialysis patients. (1998)

Started the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative that is rapidly translating research results into clinical practice for conditions prevalent among veterans. (1998)

Found that a chemical messenger and a neurotoxin can shut down neurons associated with chronic pain while leaving intact those needed for a normal pain response. (1999)

Conducted the first treatment trials for Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses. One study is testing an antibiotic, and another is testing exercise and behavioral therapy for effectiveness in treating unexplained symptoms reported by veterans. (1999)

Showed that colonoscopy is superior to the more widely used sigmoidoscopy as a primary screening mechanism for colon cancer. (2000)

Conducted the first large clinical trial of hearing aids, showing that the devices can help the hearing-impaired in both quiet and noisy environments. (2000)

Began the first clinical trial under the new Tri-National Research Initiative. Researchers from the VA are collaborating with colleagues from Canada and the United Kingdom to determine the optimal antiretroviral therapy AIDS and HIV infection. (2001)

Initiated a landmark clinical trial that will assess the effectiveness of implanting deep brain stimulators as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The study will be conducted at the VA’s six new Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers. (2001)

Found that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who underwent mock surgery were just as likely to report pain relief as those who received the real procedure. These results challenge the usefulness of a common procedure on which Americans spend more than $3 billion each year. (2002)

Developed the first oral drug to halt the deadly action of smallpox and related viruses in cell cultures and in cowpox-infected mice. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases is evaluating the drug for human use. (2002)

Determined that the Medicare system could save up to $142 million annually by changing the way doctors administer the drug epoetin, used to boost the red blood count of patients with advanced kidney disease. VA researchers found that delivering the expensive drug under the skin rather than intravenously produced the same result at lower doses. (2002)

For additional information, you may visit the VA Research and Development Web site.