The Detroit Institute for Cancer Research was founded
In 1943, The Detroit Institute for Cancer Research was incorporated with just $483 and 200 shares of General…
Chemotherapy was first used to treat a cancer patient
On Aug. 27, 1942, chemotherapy was first used to treat a cancer patient and the beginning of its…
Mayo research led to the development of an anti-blackout suit worn by American fliers in World War II
In 1942, the U.S. government with the military secretly tasked a small group of Mayo Clinic physicians and…
The Hormel Institute was founded
In 1942, The Hormel Institute was founded by Jay C. Hormel in Austin to research and find a…
Agriculture | Biology | Life Science History | Medicine | Nanotechnology | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics | Veterinary
The Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College’s first PhD was awarded
In 1942, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College’s first Ph.D. was awarded to Nathan Sugarman in chemistry. In…
Dr. William Hutchinson joined the Swedish Tumor Institute
In 1942, Dr. William Hutchinson began a 47 year career in Seattle, Washington when he joined the Swedish…
Biotechnology | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | Medical Device | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics
The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research was founded
On Dec. 16, 1941, the Texas Biomedical Research Institute began as the scientific dream of its founder, Thomas…
Red Cross begins National Blood Donor Service to collect blood for the U.S. military
On Feb. 4, 1941, the Red Cross began a National Blood Donor Service to collect blood for the…
Danish microbiologist A Jost coined the term genetic engineering
In 1941, Danish microbiologist A. Jost coined the term genetic engineering in a lecture on sexual reproduction in…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
Texas State Cancer Hospital (MD Anderson) was created by Texas Legislature
In 1941, Texas State Cancer Hospital, now known as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was…
The new Medical College of Virginia Hospital (MCV West Hospital) opened to national acclaim
In 1941, the Medical College of Virginia Hospital (MCV West Hospital) opened to national acclaim. The largest donation…
The first issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute was published
On Aug. 1, 1940, the first issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) was published….
Lansing strain of poliomyelitis adapted for polio studies
On Jun. 14, 1940, Charles Armstrong and V. H. Haas published Immunity to the Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Oncology | Rare Disease | Therapeutics
The U.S. government established a national blood collection program
In 1940, the U.S. government established a national blood collection program. That same year the National Research Council…
Edwin Cohn developed cold ethanol fractionation
In 1940, Edwin Cohn, a professor of biological chemistry at Harvard Medical School, developed cold ethanol fractionation, the…
Charles R Drew began blood processing program for English war victims: Plasma for Britain
In 1940, Charles R. Drew, MD, an African American surgeon and Howard University researcher, began an early blood…
American Oswald Avery isolated pure DNA for the first time, what he called the transforming factor
In 1940, American Oswald Avery precipitates a pure sample of what he calls the transforming factor; he has…
Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa pioneered fields of speech pathology and audiology
In 1940, Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa pioneers the fields of speech pathology and audiology. Throughout…
Scientists discovered how to purify and preserve penicillin
In 1940, Howard Florey, Ernst Chain and others in England discover how to purify and preserve penicillin. The…
The first metallic hip replacement surgery was performed
On Sept. 28, 1940, Dr. Austin T. Moore, an American surgeon at Johns Hopkins hospital, and Harold Ray…
The Squibb Institute obtained cultures of penicillium notatum from the UK and developed deep tank fermentation processes for production of penicillin
In 1940, Squibb obtained cultures of penicillium notatum from the U.K. and developed deep tank fermentation processes for…
The McArdle Laboratory was founded in Madison
In 1940, the McArdle Memorial Laboratory was founded in Madison. McArdle Lab was one of the first basic…
Rene Dubos isolates gramicidin, an antibiotic, from a common soil microbe
In 1939, Rene Dubos isolated gramicidin, an antibiotic, from a common soil microbe. His discovery helps cure a…
NIH scientists first identified type II cell of pulmonary alveolus as the cell of origin of the common alveologenic tumours of the lungs
In 1939, Hugh G. Grady and Harold L. Stewart first identified the type II cell of the pulmonary…
Margaret Pittman showed that sulfapyradine was effective against nontype-specific Haemophilus influenzae
In 1939, Margaret Pittman showed that sulfapyradine was effective against nontype-specific Haemophilus influenzae. Pittman discovered that there are…
The University of Iowa researcher WD “Shorty” Paul developed the concept for buffered aspirin
In 1939, University of Iowa researcher W.D. “Shorty” Paul developed the concept for buffered aspirin. In 1917, the…
Agriculture | Biology | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Therapeutics | Vaccine
Herald R. Cox discovered that rickettsiae could be cultivated successfully in the yolk-sacs of chick embryos
On Dec. 23, 1938, Herald R. Cox published: Use of Yolk Sac of Developing Chick Embryo as Medium…
Albert Hofmann synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
On Nov. 16, 1938, Albert Hofmann at Sandoz synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD-25, as originally known when…
The British Columbia Cancer Institute opened in Vancouver
On Nov. 5, 1938, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, BC Cancer’s first cancer treatment centre officially opened in…
Robert Gross performed the first successful corrective heart surgery for children
On Aug. 26, 1938, Robert Gross then Chief Resident in Surgery at Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, performed…