OUR VETERANS DESERVE NOTHING LESS THAN THE

NCIRE
2005
ANNUAL REPORT
Our Veterans
Deserve Nothing
Less Than The
Best Health Care
We Can Provide
NCIRE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE
FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
Our Mission: To improve the health and well-being of veterans and the
general public by supporting a world-class biomedical research program
conducted by the UCSF faculty at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
United States
From the Chairman of the Board
My three year tenure as Chairman of the Northern California Institute for Research and Education
(NCIRE) Board of Directors has given me a perspective on how much the organization has changed
and grown during that short period. We continue to be the largest of all non-profit research
corporations affiliated with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and have shown
impressive revenue growth every year of our existence. In addition, we are the only VA-affiliated
research foundation to be accepted as a member of the prestigious Association of Independent
Research Institutes (AIRI). In fact, our National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding places us in the top
20 organizations within AIRI, a notable achievement for such a young institute.
With growth has come increased responsibility for Board oversight. Our Audit and Finance
committees have been greatly energized by the leadership of outside board members with business
and auditing expertise. We have recently appointed seven new members — Renee L. Binder, MD,
Leonard “Doc” Blanchard, Lilly Bourguignon, PhD, Paul Sullam, MD, Mary Whooley, MD, Judy Yee, MD,
and T.S. Benedict Yen, MD, PhD. We also honor our outgoing Board members — Mary-Margaret
Chren, MD, Ben Kaltreider, MD, Harry Lampiris, MD, and Robert Nissenson, PhD — for their service
and contributions to NCIRE. These changes ensure that the Board maintains fresh perspectives on
its goals and mission, and that the governance of NCIRE remains a participatory process.
Despite our success, the future remains challenging. Developing new research space remains
a major goal. Fundraising from private charitable sources needs to be developed; accordingly,
NCIRE continues to explore strategies for encouraging donations and raising our visibility in the
philanthropic community. An important part of this process will be to give our institute a new
name to usher in 2007, a name that better captures what we do. Nonetheless, our major goal will
remain the same — to continue to be the leading VA-affiliated biomedical research institute in the
United States.
H. Jeffrey Lawrence, MD
2
3
“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the
success of liberty.”
— President John F. Kennedy
“There is no more important task than caring for the men and
women who have put their lives on the line to defend us.” — Senator Barbara Boxer
“I believe we should be doing everything we can to protect the
health of service members and veterans.”
— Senator Dianne Feinstein
Bridging World-Class
Research and Veterans’
Health Care
Our veterans gave their best for their country. In return, they deserve the best
health care we can give them. The Northern California Institute for Research and
Education (NCIRE) helps fulfill that commitment by facilitating the work of some
of the world’s leading biomedical researchers: the University of California, San
“As anyone in uniform knows, the motto on the battlefield is that
no soldier will be left behind. We need to make sure that here at
home, no veteran will be left behind.”
— Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Francisco (UCSF) faculty at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).
NCIRE is a research bridge for SFVAMC investigators, their fiscal sponsors, our
veterans, and our active military personnel. In helping our researchers do their jobs
more effectively, we also help improve the lives of our current and future veterans
and their families.
“Our noble mission is to honor our veterans’ sacrifices and to
dignify the cause they served, by serving them.”
— Secretary of Veterans Affairs, R. James Nicholson
This Annual Report tells how we do this. We invite you to read the stories of some
of our leading principal investigators and the patients they have helped.
“A seamless transition needs to occur between soldiers and soldiers
who go into the VA system.”
— Col. Karl Friedl, PhD
Director, US Army Medical Research and Material Command
4
5
Dr. Thomas Neylan is learning about the biology
of post-traumatic stress disorder and working to
design better treatment programs.
“Tom Neylan has been
a life saver for me; it’s been
“My first episode
happened a couple of
days after I returned.”
— Robert Crawford
FACT:
Up to 20 percent of
war fighters will return
from Iraq with post-traumatic
stress disorder.
Source: Hoge CW et al. 2004. Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental
health problems, and barriers to care. New England Journal of Medicine
6
a friendship as much as it’s been
a doctor-patient relationship.”
For almost 30 years after serving in Vietnam, Robert Crawford
suffered severe, debilitating flashbacks — just one of the many
ways post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) damaged his life
and the lives of his family.
“Basically, I was crashing and burning,” he recalls. “I had
profound depressions. I had a violent streak. I would go out
looking for fights, and had no memory of them. My wife went
through hell. My kids were traumatized. I had a very well-paid
job, and had to give that up. We lost our house in bankruptcy.”
In 1998, Mr. Crawford entered the PTSD research program at the
San Francisco VA Medical Center. Dr. Thomas Neylan, currently
Medical Director of the program, became his physician.
“Bob has participated in many different studies here,” says Dr.
Neylan. “But he’s more than a participant. He’s avidly interested
in what’s happening in this field, and in what’s happening with
his own brain chemistry. He’s keenly invested in the results of
these projects.”
— Robert Crawford
Office of Special Investigations
United States Air Force
Mr. Crawford is passionately concerned about the men and
women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, “who confront
the same things we did. Their environment is very much the
same: mines and booby traps. The guy standing next to you
could be a policeman, or he could be a sapper.”
“A lot of our Vietnam vets feel very strongly that Iraq war vets
should get state-of-the-art treatment,” notes Dr. Neylan. “But
first, we need more information about the effectiveness of our
interventions — precisely because we’re at war, and we have a
new wave of people with PTSD who need help. “
As this Annual Report was going to press, it was learned that
Robert Crawford had died in a diving accident off the coast of
California. “Bob was an intensely active man and an avid diver,”
recalls Dr. Neylan. “In fact, diving was one of many ways he successfully dealt with his PTSD. There’s no question that it was
something he loved doing.”
7
The Heart and Soul Study is designed to
investigate the connection between depression
and heart disease.
“I had been depressed
before, but nothing like
the depression that followed
my first stroke.”
“Our goal is to reduce
heart disease deaths that
— Wiley Cowan
1st Marine Division
United States Marine Corps
are related to depression.”
— Mary Whooley, MD
Principal Investigator
Wiley Cowan was a high school athlete and a two-time
eight years with the goal of discovering what, if any, cause-and-
participant in the Pan American Games. For most of his life,
effect relationship exists between depression and heart health.”
when he felt depression coming on, “I could get out and ride
my bicycle for 20 or 30 miles, or swim, and that would bring me
out of it.”
“There is a very close correlation, in my view, between heart
attacks and depression,” says Mr. Cowan. “Because when you
are depressed, you cannot even get out of bed to brush your
But in 1999, following heart surgery, he had a major stroke,
teeth and shave. Heart patients need exercise, you see, and
followed by another stroke several years later. Since then,
being prostrate in bed won’t do it.”
he says, “I get out of breath if I walk more than 40 yards. It’s
difficult to do a lot of little things like go to the market and
lift the groceries. It’s difficult to do household chores.” And
when depression hits, “You have to grin and bear it or muck it
through.”
That’s one possible explanation, thinks Dr. Whooley. She notes
Combat veterans have a
30 percent higher rate of heart
disease than non-veterans.
that there are a number of other potential connections as well,
which she hopes the Heart and Soul Study will help identify. “If
we understand the mechanisms behind depression and heart
disease, we might be able to treat those mechanisms,” she
“One in five heart patients has depression,” notes Mary Whooley,
concludes. “Since heart disease is the leading cause of death
MD, principal investigator of the Heart and Soul Study. “In our
in the United States, treating depression might reduce that rate
study, we’re following 1,000 heart patients over the course of
substantially.”
8
FACT:
Source: American Heart Association.2006. 46th Annual Conference
on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention
9
Dr. Rajabrata Sarkar investigates the molecular
basis for vascular disorders.
“We hit it off. I think
he’s a great doctor.”
— Rick Rodriguez
1st Medical Battalion
United States Navy
“There’s a desperate need
for better treatments for the tissue
damage that we see in Iraq and
Afghanistan.”
FACT:
In battle, 88 percent of injuries
to blood vessels occur in
the arms and legs.
Source: Fox CJ, Gillespie DL, O’Donnell SD, Rasmussen TE, Goff JM, Johnson CA et al. 2005.
Contemporary management of wartime vascular trauma. Journal of Vascular Surgery
10
Rick Rodriguez remembers that when he first met Dr. Rajabrata
Sarkar, “I had a vein the size of a golf ball in my leg. I had been
in chronic pain for years.”
According to Dr. Sarkar, Mr. Rodriguez “was an excellent
example of a young patient with a disabling vascular problem.”
Dr. Sarkar diagnosed thrombophlebitis — an inflammation of the vein — and recommended surgery. The operation
was a success. “Today, my pain is gone and my leg is much
improved,” says Mr. Rodriguez. “I’m convinced that without Dr.
Sarkar, I would have had serious consequences down the road.
I could have lost my leg.”
Dr. Sarkar splits his days between the clinic and the laboratory,
where he studies new strategies for treating arterial blockages
as well as blood clots in veins. He is also investigating potential
new treatments “for some of the military injuries we are seeing
in some of our current theaters of operation.” He explains that
— Rajabrata Sarkar, MD, PhD
Vascular Surgeon
due to the nature of improvised explosive devices, “there is a
tremendous amount of damage to the extremities — mangled
limbs, muscles that are shredded or damaged, and a lot of
blast injury.”
Dr. Sarkar is working to understand how these wounded
soldiers might grow new arteries back. “If we had a way
to inject something into an artery or a muscle that would
promote the growth of new blood vessels,” he says, “this
treatment could potentially help civilians with poor blood flow
as well. ”
“The long-term goal of our laboratory is to identify the critical
cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the progression
and resolution of vascular disease,” says Dr. Sarkar. He cautions
that his research is still in its earliest stages. “But if we don’t understand the basics, we’re not going to come up with anything
better.”
11
Science Serving Veterans and the World
NCIRE supports the work of over 200 MD and PhD principal investigators at the San
post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic viral diseases
Francisco VA Medical Center. All are faculty members at the University of California,
such as hepatitis and HIV, and measuring and improving health outcomes. Here is a
San Francisco. Most are directly involved with patient care. Our researchers work
small sample of some of their research efforts over the last year.
on the frontiers of many fields, including brain imaging, neurodegenerative disease,
Cancer
Hepatitis B and C
Neurodegenerative Disease
Lilly Bourguignon, PhD
A potential cause is found for aggressive head
and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a highly
malignant cancer with a very high death rate. The
discovery could lead to new treatments as well.
T.S. Benedict Yen, MD, PhD
A protein produced by the hepatitis B virus can
cause liver cell death, and a protein in liver cells
is important for the reproduction of hepatitis
C. These findings may lead to new treatments
for both viruses, which affect veterans
disproportionately.
Jialing Liu, PhD
An anti-inflammatory antibiotic prevents the
death of new neurons after stroke and enhances
brain cell function as well. Related research
indicates that physical activity and enhanced
cognitive function together prolong the survival
of new neurons. Both avenues might lead to
new therapies for stroke patients.
Rajvir Dahiya, PhD
Research is focused on developing a test to
assess which prostate cancer patients have a
high likelihood of recurrence and metastasis.
Metastasis, not the primary tumor, causes most
prostate cancer deaths.
Cardiovascular Disease
Carl Grunfeld, MD, PhD
Anabolic steroid use decreases HDL or “good”
cholesterol, increases LDL or “bad” cholesterol,
and causes liver damage. The results have
implications for athletes who take steroids to
enhance performance.
Joel S. Karliner, MD
The effects of drugs and the body’s natural
defenses on heart disease are being investigated
for clues to new strategies that would prevent or
ameliorate heart damage in patients, especially
elderly veterans.
Paul Simpson, MD
A drug commonly prescribed for enlarged
prostate is found to increase the risk of heart
failure. Drugs with the opposite effect might
have potential as treatments for heart failure.
12
HIV
Paul Volberding, MD
The Center for HIV Information releases a free
CD-ROM containing more than 40 chapters
from the HIV InSite Knowledge Base. It is the first
free HIV/AIDS information tool designed for
developing nations.
Joseph K. Wong, MD
HIV in the brain and central nervous system
differs genetically from HIV in the blood, which
may explain why only some people with HIV
develop dementia.
Improving Health Care
Sei Lee, MD
A simple 12-item questionnaire accurately
predicts the risk of four-year mortality in people
50 and older – useful data in decision-making
about clinical care and medical tests.
Sandra Moody-Ayers, MD
African-American patients’ reactions to racism
may affect their health outcomes, suggesting
a possible cause for health disparities among
African-Americans and indicating a need for
greater awareness among health professionals.
Neuroimaging
Michael Weiner, MD
The Center for the Imaging of Neurodegenerative
Diseases opens. The Center’s mission is the early
detection and subsequent monitoring of brain
diseases and conditions such as Alzheimer’s
disease, PTSD, Gulf War illness, Parkinson’s disease,
epilepsy, and HIV dementia.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
William J. Marks, Jr., MD
Clinical studies are being conducted to evaluate
efficacy, safety, outcomes, and new techniques
of deep brain stimulation, an innovative
treatment for Parkinson’s disease, which affects
over 150,000 veterans and over one million
Americans.
Charles Marmar, MD
A study gets under way to determine whether
a safe, approved drug can make treatment for
PTSD quicker, more effective, and longer-lasting.
Success would aid in treating the one out of three
military personnel returning from Iraq who report
mental health concerns.
Stephen M. Massa, MD, PhD
Several new compounds are identified that
promote the survival of brain cells in culture.
The compounds could play a role in preventing
or treating Alzheimer’s disease and other
neurodegenerative conditions.
Pulmonary Medicine
Kristine Yaffe, MD
Ultra-low doses of pure estrogen, taken through
skin patches, are found to have no ill effects on
cognitive abilities or general health of older
women over the course of two years. The results
indicate that women can take estrogen safely
in very small doses, potentially helping to guard
against osteoporosis and hot flashes.
George H. Caughey, MD
Six genes have been identified that are
associated with obliterative bronchitis, the most
common disease leading to long-term failure of
transplanted lungs. The results could potentially
lead to a better, more sensitive test for chronic
lung rejection after transplant.
Virtual Colonoscopy
Judy Yee, MD
CT colonography, known as virtual colonoscopy,
can be used to diagnose significant medical
problems in organs outside the colon as well as in
the colon itself. The finding reinforces the value
of virtual colonoscopy, which is less invasive than
conventional colonoscopy, thus encouraging
more Americans to get screened for colon cancer.
13
Dr. Raymond Swanson and his laboratory staff
work on preventing and treating the effects of
stroke.
“I feel privileged.
I couldn’t get better care
anywhere else.”
— Bertram Salzman
1st Marine Division
United States Marine Corps
“How can we prevent
and repair damage to the brain?”
FACT:
15,000 veterans
are hospitalized each
year for stroke.
Source: Veterans Health Administration
14
— Raymond Swanson, MD
Chief of Neurology and
Rehabilitation Service
When neurologist Dr. Raymond Swanson first examined
Bertram Salzman, he realized that Mr. Salzman had suffered
a mild stroke at some time in the recent past. One clue was
the plantar reflex: when Dr. Swanson ran a probe along the
bottom of Mr. Salzman’s foot, the toes flexed up and out rather
than down — a sign of motor neuron damage in Mr. Salzman’s
brain.
opportunity, his best hope at present is a regimen that lowers
the possibility of a second stroke.
As a clinician, Dr. Swanson uses simple tools to diagnose
complex neurological conditions. As a researcher, he hopes to
create better treatments for those conditions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Swanson works toward the day when stroke
patients have more, and more effective, treatment options. “In
my laboratory, we are looking at ways to extend the treatment
window for stroke, and to develop new therapies that can
be used at much longer time intervals after onset of stroke
symptoms.” He says that as a physician-researcher, he has
the best of both worlds. “It allows me to target the research
questions that will really help patients.”
“Right now, the only approved therapy for stroke is the clotbuster drug tPA,” explains Dr. Swanson. “However, this drug
can only be used for patients who arrive at a hospital within
two to three hours of the onset of their symptoms.” Because
Mr. Salzman saw Dr. Swanson long after that tiny window of
“It was suggested that I take aspirin every day,” recalls Mr.
Salzman. “I’m also on statins, which lower cholesterol. And
I exercise regularly. I’m still at risk for another stroke. But as
long as I continue my treatment, the possibility is less likely.”
15
Dr. Lynn Pulliam and her research team are finding
who is most at risk for HIV dementia.
“My research focus is
HIV dementia, its prediction,
and its treatment.”
— Lynn Pulliam, MS, PhD
Associate Chief of Staff for Research
and Chief of Microbiology
About 15 percent of people with HIV develop dementia,
which impairs memory, thinking, and eventually the ability
to function at all. Dr. Lynn Pulliam’s laboratory was the first
in the world to show that HIV dementia can be caused when
white blood cells called monocytes carry HIV into the brain,
releasing toxins that kill brain cells.
“This infection of the brain occurs very early in HIV infection,”
says Dr. Pulliam. “Why do some people live with it and some
develop dementia? That’s what we’re studying now.”
She notes that there is more than one route to HIV dementia.
“In the developed world, thanks to antiretroviral drug therapy,
people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. But if you live with
HIV infection for a long time, there are proteins that HIV can
secrete into the brain.” One such protein called Tat, interferes
with the activity of the brain enzyme neprilysin. Without
neprilysin to break it down, the protein amyloid beta starts to
16
build up in the brain. Amyloid beta, in turn, is associated with
dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“We looked at brains of people who had died from HIV
infection,” reports Dr. Pulliam, “and found that there was
indeed an increase in amyloid beta in their brains — in
particular, those with long-term HIV infection as opposed to
those in old age.”
Currently, Dr. Pulliam and her team are working to develop
ways of predicting who might develop this form of HIV
dementia. One clue is a molecule called sialoadhesin (Sn),
which is elevated in the blood of individuals with active HIV
infection. “A high viral load with Sn-expressing monocytes
could facilitate HIV infection,” she explains. “We are presently
looking at whether or not those monocytes could be more
easily transported to the brain.”
FACT:
Over 55,000 veterans have
been treated for HIV at
VA medical facilities.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
17
Dr. Kenneth Covinsky focuses on ways for older
disabled veterans to lead full lives.
“We are at an age when we
know what our bodies are.
You have to listen to us when
we talk. You just can’t give
a pat answer.”
“Disability is a more
important health measure
— Joe Johnstone
82nd Airborne Division
United States Army
in the elderly than the list of
diseases that you have.”
FACT:
Over 37 percent of the
veteran population
is age 65 or older.
Source: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
18
Every day, Joe Johnstone, 85, deals with the effects of depression, Parkinson’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, and macular degeneration. Yet he leads an active,
productive life — reading, writing, and going out nearly every
day. Mr. Johnstone has no doubts about why. “I’m surviving
now because I’m at home. If I’d stayed in the hospital, I’d be
dead.”
SFVAMC Geriatrician Dr. Kenneth Covinsky says that Mr.
Johnstone is on to something. “Often, when an older person
goes into the hospital, they seem to come out worse, even
though whatever brought them into the hospital is seemingly
fixed. Our research shows this is extremely common — it
happens to a third of people over the age of 70, and over half
of people over the age of 85. We’ve also looked at why.”
— Kenneth Covinsky, MD
Geriatrics Researcher
It turns out that for the elderly, the ability or inability to do
day-to-day tasks is a better indicator of health, hospitalization,
and death “than the list of diseases that you have,” explains Dr.
Covinsky. “Mr. Johnstone is a great example of how you can
deal with disability and stay active.”
Because it predicts health outcomes so accurately, says Dr.
Covinsky, “We really need to pay attention to disability as a
fundamental health measure in veterans. How can we help
both patients and caregivers who are disabled? And how
can we help older veterans with disabilities lead high-quality
lives?”
Dr. Covinsky “is a guy who’ll fight for you,” says Mr. Johnstone.
“He’ll be there. He listens. He follows up. He understands that
people don’t all fit into the same box. I think that’s the key.”
19
Financial Report
Year ended September 30, 2005
From the Chief Financial Officer
I am very pleased to present a summary of NCIRE’s financial information for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2005. Our organization continues its participation at the forefront of medical
research while maintaining a sound and sustainable financial picture. NCIRE’s research leadership
places it first among all VA-affiliated non-profit research and education corporations.
The continued strength in research activities at the San Francisco VA Medical Center contributed
to a growth in actual grant revenues of $10.6 million over the previous year, an increase of 38%.
While revenues have grown substantially, our careful and energetic focus on financial stewardship
has kept expenditures well within resources, enabling NCIRE to close its 2005 fiscal year with
a positive contribution to net assets in excess of $1.9 Million. We encourage you to review our
Financial Statements and OMB Circular A-133 Reports, as audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, which
are presented in their entirety at www.ncire.org/administrative.htm.
As a new member of our management team, I am particularly proud to be associated with NCIRE
and its research partnerships with the SFVAMC and UCSF. These relationships, coupled with
NCIRE’s sound financial condition, will be critically important elements as we plan and implement
improvements in our infrastructure and in the eventual expansion of our research facilities.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Receivables
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Property, Plant, and Equipment - Net
Sources of Funds
$5,653,390 7,503,217 205,841 4,997,369 Total $18,359,817 Liabilities and Net Assets
Liabilities
Accounts payable
$2,956,317 Accrued expenses
3,494,716 Unearned revenue
4,626,091 Note payable
114,071 Total Liabilities
$11,191,195 Net Assets
Unrestricted
$6,717,129 Temporarily restricted
451,493 Total Net Assets
$7,168,622 Total $18,359,817
n
n
n
n
n
Federal grant funding Clinical research revenue Foundation and other grants
Other income and interest Contributions and other
89.4%
5.3%
3.3%
1.4%
.6%
20
Sources and Uses of Funds
Stephen Morange
Sources of Funds
Federal grant funding
$37,169,491 Foundation and other grants
1,366,985
Contributions and other
253,423
Clinical research revenue
2,194,687
Other income and interest
583,215
Total Sources
$41,567,801 Uses of Funds
Direct research program
$33,067,594 Management and General
4,914,374
Research support
1,531,468
Development
104,596
Total Uses
$39,618,032
Uses of Funds
n
n
n
n
Direct research program Management and General Research support Development 83.5%
12.4%
3.9%
.2%
21
Board of Directors
H. Jeffrey Lawrence, MD
Chairman of the Board
Staff Physician, SFVAMC
Professor of Medicine, UCSF
Message from the Executive Director
The heart of NCIRE’s mission is service to those who have served. This past year, some of my
most indelible memories have been of conversations between veterans and our research faculty
about the work that has improved veterans’ health — and their lives. For me, these encounters
underscore the critical role NCIRE serves in addressing the health needs of our current and former
servicemen and women.
It is my pleasure to report that NCIRE continues to be worthy of that role, with robust growth
in both the volume and number of research awards administered. Research expenditures are
up $8.9 million from the previous year, and NCIRE ranks 17th in NIH funding among independent
research institutes.* For this, we thank our UCSF faculty who are world-class clinicians and
researchers at SFVAMC.
Mary-Margaret Chren, MD
Director, Health Services Research
Enhancement Award Program, SFVAMC
Professor of Dermatology, UCSF
S. Thomas Cleveland, PhD, MBA, CPA
Certified Information Technology
Professional President and CEO,
Management & Capital Group
Neal Cohen, MD, MPH, MS
Professor of Anesthesia
and Perioperative Care, UCSF
Vice Dean, UCSF School of Medicine
Sheila M. Cullen
Medical Center Director, SFVAMC
Diana Nicoll, MD, PhD, MPA
Chief of Staff, SFVAMC
Associate Dean, UCSF School of Medicine
Interim Chair, Department of
Laboratory Medicine, UCSF
Robert Nissenson, PhD
ACOS for Basic Research, SFVAMC
Senior Research Career Scientist, SFVAMC
Professor of Medicine and Physiology, UCSF
Stephen Peary, JD
CFO, FP Technology
Lynn Pulliam, MS, PhD
ACOS for Research, SFVAMC
Chief of Microbiology, SFVAMC
Professor of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF
Mark Ratcliffe, MD
Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery, SFVAMC
Professor and Vice Chair of Surgery, UCSF
Although we enjoyed growth, we are very concerned about the decreasing NIH budget, which will
put all medical research institutions in greater competition for fewer research dollars. In response,
our distinguished research faculty will continue their active pursuit of NIH funds. However,
we must also engage in new and innovative partnerships such as the Neuroscience Center of
Excellence — a unique collaboration between the Department of Defense, SFVAMC, and NCIRE
that currently supports eighteen research projects on neurological diseases and conditions faced
by active military personnel, with six more projects pending approval. These vital investigations
will provide insight on a variety of war-related health conditions that must be addressed before
their medical and societal impacts become significant.
H. Benfer Kaltreider, MD
Chairman Emeritus of the Board
Professor Emeritus of Medicine, UCSF
Harry Lampiris, MD
Deputy ACOS for Clinical Research, SFVAMC
Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF
Paul Volberding, MD
Chief of Medicine, SFVAMC
Professor and Vice Chair of Medicine, UCSF
Co-Director, UCSF-GIVI Center for AIDS Research
A great research faculty requires a worthy infrastructure. To address the need for new and
expanded research space, we are in the formative stages of planning and developing a new
research building. We will soon embark on a major fundraising initiative to bridge the gap in
funding needed to complete this project, and also to provide essential program funds. As part
of that effort, we will acquire a new name and identity that will more accurately reflect what we
stand for: world-class research in support of veterans’ health.
Charles Marmar, MD
ACOS for Mental Health, SFVAMC
Professor and Vice Chair of Psychiatry, UCSF
Diana Nicoll, MD, PhD, MPA
Keith R. Yamamoto, PhD
Executive Vice Dean, School of Medicine, UCSF
Professor of Cellular and Molecular
Pharmacology, UCSF
Thank you for believing in NCIRE, the veterans’ health research institute. With your help and
contributions, we will continue to provide our talented researchers the means to pursue their
extraordinary work in finding solutions that lead to improved health for veterans and the world
at large.
Joel S. Karliner, MD
Vice Chairman of the Board
Staff Physician, SFVAMC
Professor Emeritus of Medicine, UCSF
Robert E. Obana
Raymond A. Swanson, MD
Chief of Neurology and
Rehabilitation Service, SFVAMC
Professor and Vice Chair of Neurology, UCSF
Officers & Advisors
Robert Obana
CEO and Executive Director, NCIRE
Stephen Morange
CFO and Director of Finance, NCIRE
Alan G. Stanford
Live Oak Consulting
Walter S. Newman
Community Leader
Lloyd Holly Smith, MD
Associate Dean Emeritus
School of Medicine, UCSF
Marvin Sleisenger, MD
Staff Physician, SFVAMC
Professor of Medicine Emeritus, UCSF
*Source: Association of Independent Research Institutes
22
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How you can help
By its very nature, science is time and labor intensive.
Experiments are planned, carried out, and reported
upon with great precision, in exacting detail. Not
every line of inquiry bears fruit. Unexpected results
open up promising new areas of research that must be
pursued. This interdisciplinary, interagency, cooperative
research enterprise needs constant, ongoing support
from as many sources as possible.
NCIRE’s job is to facilitate basic and clinical research
conducted by UCSF faculty at the San Francisco VA
Medical Center on behalf of veterans, active military
personnel, and the general public.
To learn more about what we are doing and get
involved with our work, contact NCIRE at:
Northern California Institute
for Research and Education
4150 Clement Street, 151NC
San Francisco, CA 94121
Email: helpveterans@ncire.org
Phone: 415.750.6954
www.ncire.org/helpveterans.htm
Individual Donors
25
Marc Abrahams
Robin Allgren, MD
Anne Baele
Cedric & Dorothy Bainton, MD
Arthur Berman, MD
Joane Berry
Elizabeth & Daniel Bikle, MD, PhD
James Broderick
James K. Brown, MD
Warren S. Browner, MD, MPH
Amer Budayr, MD
Martha D. Buffum, RN, DNSc., CS
Howard and Mickey Burns
Joseph and Margaret Caramucci
Ralph and Diana Cavalieri
Maggie and Eric Chow, MD, PhD
Mary-Margaret Chren, MD
Mark P. Christiansen, MD
Orlo H. Clark, MD
S. Thomas Cleveland, PhD, MBA, CPA
Fred E. Cohen, MD, PhD
Neal H. Cohen, MD, MPH, MS Sheila M. Cullen
Eleanor B. Delventhal
David and Helen Dichek
Eileen Dickerson
Diane Dillon
Quan-Yang Duh, MD
Shirley Eager
Charles J. Epstein, MD
Lois B. Epstein, MD
Sandra Erickson, PhD
Robert Farese, MD
Patricia and Kenneth Feingold, MD
Frank and Linda Ford
Daniel W. Foster, MD
Irina Foxman
John Fuller and Sandra L. Huling
Janet Funk, MD and Jeffrey Jacobs
Margarita L. Garcia
David Gardner, MD
Laurence A. Gavin, MD
Barry Gertz
Chris and Ed Gio
Lorraine Goepp
Jeanne and Alan Goldfien, MD
Lee Goldman, MD, MPH
Mrs. Ralph Goldsmith
Joseph L. Goldstein, MD
Gretchen Gooding, MD
Philip Gorden, MD
Deborah Greenspan, DSC, BDS
Francis Greenspan, MD
John Greenspan, PhD, BDS, FRCPath
Kayla and Gerold M. Grodksy, PhD
Melvin M. Grumbach, MD
Carl Grunfeld, MD, PhD
Fleurette Halpern
Ruth Heller
Pan and Juancho Herranz
Mark Holm
Frank Hsu, MD
Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD
Valeria Huneeus, PhD
Marc Jaffe, MD
Maria and Juan Carlos Jaume, MD
Deborah Jones and Brian Rood, MD
H. Benfer Kaltreider, MD and Nancy Kaltreider, MD
Mercina and John Karam
Joel S. Karliner, MD
The Honorable Marcus Kaufman
Darla J. Kilgannon
Abbas E. Kitabchi, MD, PhD
Harry W. Lampiris, MD
Heidi Lang and David Goepp
H. Jeffrey Lawrence, MD
Regina and Leon Levintow, MD
James and Beverly Lill
Corporate Donors
Jane G. Logan
Frank Longo, MD, PhD
Christopher A. Loretz
James P. Luby, MD
Anne Ludvik
Nina Lui
Susan MacCharles
Charles Marmar, MD
Jill Ann Marshall
Dennis McGarry, MD
Linda Membreno, MD
Carl Mendel, MD
Ann Midler and Mark Goldsmith, MD
Walter L. Miller, MD
Arthur Moser
Jack Nagan, JD
Diana C. Nicoll, MD, PhD, MPA
Robert Nissenson, PhD
Robert E. Obana
Robert Ockner, MD
Marge O’Halloran, MBA, MPH
Newton Ong
James and Nancy Osborn
Edward G. Panter
Carmen A. Peralta
Helen Pearl
Stephen Peary, JD
Patricia Perry and Stephen J. McPhee, MD
Robert Praetzel
Lynn Pulliam, MS, PhD
Kin Kee Pun, MD, PhD
Basil Rapoport, MD
Mark Ratcliffe, MD
Norma Raymond
Martha Rice
Susan and Jesse Roth, MD
Barbara Sater
Morris Schambelan, MD
William Seaman, MD and Maxine A. Papadakis, MD
Donald W. Seldin, MD
John Severinghaus, MD
Judy and Mark Shigenaga
Dolores Shoback,MD
Eleanor Siperstein, PhD
Lenore and Marvin H. Sleisenger, MD
Lloyd H. Smith, Jr., MD
Steven Snyder, MD
Paul Srere, PhD
Joyce and Peter Stacpoole, PhD, MD
Alan G. Stanford
Regina Stiefel and Robert Klein, MD
Gene Stollerman, MD
Bernard Stone, MD
Gordon Strewler, MD
Raymond A. Swanson, MD
Kiyo Takahashi
Alvin Taurog, PhD
L.M. Tierney, Jr., MD
Millicent Tompkins
Connie Trump
Roger H. Unger, MD
Mary Letty Upton
Barbara Verby
Maria and Riccardo Vigneri, MD
Paul Volberding, MD
Barbara F. West
Charles B. Wilson, MD and Frances S. Petrocelli
Jean D. Wilson, MD
David and Helen Wofsy, MD
Ladonna Wood and Matthew Ashby
Teresa L. Wright, MD and Frederick Dorey
Keith R. Yamamoto, PhD
Marie Zec
James D. Zerga
Morris Ziff, MD, PhD
Frank Zitzelsberger
Lora and Douglas Zlock, MD
Acusphere, Inc
American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists
American College of Endocrinology
Amgen Medical Education Services
Ann & Eric V. Brown Sr. Fund at the
Kalamazoo Community Fd.
AstraZeneca
Athersys, Inc.
Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Avon Products, inc.
Biomedical Frontiers, Inc.
Blood Systems Research Institute
Boston Scientific Corporation
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
CaP CURE
Chroma
Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Inc.
Covance Research Products, Inc.
Current Medical Directions, Inc.
E-Z-EM, Inc.
EBR Systems, Inc.
Econugenics, Inc.
Eli Lilly and Company
Estee Lauder Companies
The Endocrine Society
Expanscience Laboratories
F. Hoffmann-la Roche Ltd.
Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Genzyme Corporation
Gilead Sciences
GlaxoSmithKline
Gordon Research Conferences
Greg L. Mayer & Company, Inc.
Haarman & Reimer Gmbh
Idenix Pharmaceuticals
Institute for the Study of Aging, Inc.
Integrated Communications, Corp.
Intel Corporation, JF3-377
Intermune, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Journal of Endotoxin Research
Just Give
Kao Corporation
Laboratory Skin Care, Inc.
Masimax Resources, Inc.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Medical Surgical Nursing Conference
Medical-Surgical Nursing Consortium
MediSolutions, Inc.
Medovate
Merck & Co. Inc.
Music Festival for Mental Health
Myogen, Inc.
NeoPharm Co., Ltd.
Neurocrine Biosciences
Novartis Oncology
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc
Padma, Inc.
Pfizer, Inc.
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group
Pharma Cosmetix Research, LLC
Proctor & Gamble
Prostate Cancer Foundation
Revascular Therapeutics, Inc.
Roche Laboratories, Inc.
Sangart, Inc.
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Schering Corporation
SCS Healthcare Marketing, Inc.
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
Sigma Theta Tau, Inc.
Society for Vascular Nursing
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses
and Associates
Symrise GmbH & Co., KG.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
TAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Thomas J. Stephens & Associates, Inc.
Velocimed, Inc.
Photography
Roy Kaltschmidt
Writing
Steve Tokar
Design
Susan Dugdale
Editorial Staff
Linda Acton
Robert Obana
NCIRE
2005
ANNUAL REPORT
Our Veterans
Deserve Nothing
Less Than The
Best Health Care
We Can Provide
NCIRE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE
FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
Our Mission: To improve the health and well-being of veterans and the
general public by supporting a world-class biomedical research program
conducted by the UCSF faculty at the San Francisco VA Medical Center.