CPMCRI History

A year before the Presbyterian Medical Center opened, the San Francisco Institutes of Medical Sciences was established as an independent institute to continue medical research when Stanford moved to Palo Alto.

Since its inception, California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute has continued to make many important contributions to biomedical and behavioral research. Many of our achievements have been described in California Pacific Currents, a yearly publication reporting on groundbreaking medical research and technologies, as well as academic medical programs at California Pacific Medical Center.

Here are some highlights of CPMC Research Institute’s contributions:

Timeline

1959

The San Francisco Institutes of Medical Sciences is established with headquarters at Webster and Clay streets. This non-profit California Corporation is created to engage in medical research and to further post-doctoral medical education. The original incorporators and Board of Directors are Frank Gerbode, M.D., Knox Finley, M.D., Arthur Jampolsky, M.D., Fred H Merrill, M.D., Henry W. Newman, M.D., John J. Osborn, M.D., Arthur Selzer, M.D., and Mrs. Harley Stevens. Dr. Gerbode is the first president of the Institute of Medical Sciences.

By 1961, research at the medical center was supervised by the Research Committee of the Medical Staff. Frank Gerbode, M.D. was chairman of the committee. Others serving on this committee are Knox H. Finley, M.D., Arthur Jampolsky, M.D., John J. Osborn, M.D., Victor Richards, M.D., Arthur Selzer, M.D.

The Institutes of Medical Sciences became the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco in 1982. In May 1993, the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco merges with California Pacific Medical Center to create the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute.

1962

The Heart Research Center is established through a National Institutes of Health grant of approximately $2 million. Officers are Frank Gerbode, M.D., president; Arthur Jampolsky, M.D., vice-president; and John J. Osborn, M.D., secretary-treasurer.

1964

Institutes of Medical Science moves into new building at Clay & Webster (two floors added in 1967) Affiliated with the Institutes of Medical Science Heart Research Institute, Research Data Facility, Smith Kettlewell Institute of Vision Sciences, Institute of Health Research and Institutes of Neurological Sciences.

1969

Research Institute of Laboratory Medicine opens Oct. 1 as a department of the IMS.

Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences Research Building is dedicated on Nov. 11. This building site is adjacent to the IMS research building.

1981

The largest clinical research program in the country for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), headed by Forbes Norris, M.D., begins at the Pacific Campus.

1982

Institutes of Medical Science becomes Medical Research Institute of San Francisco.

1985

Medical Research Building is renamed Frank L.A. Gerbode Research Building.

1986

Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Vision Sciences separates from Medical Research Institute of San Francisco in December.

1988

The Joint Program on Research Development is charged with developing research on the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center campus and promoting communication among researchers. The Joint Program on Research Development is managed by the Joint Council on Research Development (comprised of staff members of Medical Research Institute, Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center and Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute).

1990

Geraldine Brush Cancer Research Institute laboratories are officially dedicated on Jan. 24.

1991

David Fielder is appointed executive director.

1993

The Medical Research Institute of San Francisco merges with California Pacific Medical Center to create the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in May. David Fielder becomes California Pacific's vice president of Research.

1997

CPMCRI launches its research program in complementary medicine.

2000

Warren S. Browner, M.D., MPH, is appointed scientific director and vice president for academic affairs.

2003

The CPMC Research Institute launches the Centers of Research in Clinical Excellence, which benefits patients by coupling state-of-the-art clinical care with advanced information gathering.

2005

New laboratory space at Brannan site opens.