Medical Breakthroughs
Medical Breakthroughs and Scientific Advances Through the Years at UCLA
Leading the way and creating world leaders
The mission of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is to improve health and healthcare by creating world leaders in health and science.
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is one of the premier research and educational institutions in the nation. Our dedicated faculty is committed to providing excellence in teaching our trainees who are pursuing their careers in medicine and in the biomedical sciences. Our research scientists regularly make important new advances and medical breakthroughs that improves healthcare across the world.
Investments of all sizes empower transformations through innovation.
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1961 - 1963
The CT Scan
William Oldendorf establishes the bedrock of computerized tomography.
1964
Tissue matching
Paul Terasaki develops a tissue test that transforms organ transplantation.
1978
Molecular imaging
Michael Phelps and Edward Hoffman create UCLA’s first clinical PET center.
1981
AIDS Research
UCLA physicians report and describe the first cases of AIDS.
1983
Landmark leukemia drug
Owen Witte pinpoints a genetic target crucial to the development of life-saving drugs.
1988
Genetic basis of disease
Michael Grunstein demonstrates that histones influence gene expression and disease development.
1990
Brain aneurysm treatment
Guido Guglielmi invents detachable coils that stop deadly bleeding from brain aneurysms.
1994
Metabolic genetic origin
Elizabeth Neufeld receives the National Medal of Science for research critical to treating metabolic disorders.
1998
Precision cancer treatment
Dennis Slamon characterizes an oncogene, the target for a breakthrough breast-cancer therapy.
1998
Molecular signaling
Lou Ignarro receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for demonstrating the signaling properties of nitric oxide.
2004 - 2010
Prostate cancer treatment
Charles Sawyer and Michael Jung develop a drug to fight castration-resistant prostate cancer.
2005
Alzheimer’s research
David Eisenberg’s model of amyloid fibers opens new avenues for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
2015
Successful gene therapy
Donald Kohn cures “Bubble Baby” disease using gene therapy.