History & Timeline
1946 - Concerned with the management of 10,000 veterans with tuberculosis, Drs. John Barnwell and Arthur M. Walker
initiate a study to evaluate the efficacy of various drugs in the treatment of this disease, including the antibiotic,
streptomycin. The results of the study not only revolutionize the treatment for tuberculosis, but also lead to the
development of an innovative method for testing the effectiveness of new drugs: the multi-site VA Cooperative Study.
1955 - The Central Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory at the Perry Point VA Medical Center develops a program
for conducting cooperative studies in psychiatry. This program emphasizes the design and conduct of the randomized
trials for the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.
1960 - Dr. William Tucker, Chairman of the first Cooperative Studies Evaluation Committee (CSEC), publishes a
monograph entitled, The Evolution of the Cooperative Studies in Chemotherapy of Tuberculosis of the Veterans
Administration and Armed Forces of the USA. His summary outlines the "essential elements" of a controlled clinical
trial.
1962 - Four regional research support centers are established to provide VA investigators with access to
techniques and specialized help such as research design, statistical methods, data management, computer programming,
and biomedical engineering. Under the leadership of Lawrence Shaw and in conjunction with VA Central Office,
these four centers (West Haven, CT; Hines, IL; Little Rock, AR; and Sepulveda, CA) coordinate VA clinical research
studies.
1970 - Dr. Edward Freis and the VA Cooperative Study Group on Antihypertensive
Agents publish the results of a landmark cooperative study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) indicating that use
of antihypertensive drugs help prevent or delay serious cardiovascular events. This
work eventually leads to Dr. Freis winning the Lasker Award and receiving a nomination
for a Nobel Prize.
1972 - The CSP is established as a division of VA Medical Research Service (MRS) to coordinate multi-center
clinical trials to evaluate novel therapies or new uses of standard treatments. The first CSP Coordinating Centers
are established at Perry Point, MD and West Haven, CT. The
CSP Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center (CSPCRPCC) is also created in Washington, DC.
1974 - The third CSP Coordinating Center is established at the Hines VA medical center
1977 - The CSPCRPCC moves to the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM.
1978 - The fourth CSP Coordinating Center is established at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System.
1990 - The Cooperative Studies in Health Services (CSHS) is created in partnership with the VA Health Services
Research and Development Service.
1996 - CSHS is integrated into the CSP. CSP is detached from the Medical Research Service (MRS) to form a fourth independent research service
within the VA Office of R&D.
1998 - Three Epidemiological Research and Information Centers (ERICs) are established within CSP to conduct
observational population-based research. These centers are located in Boston, MA, Durham, NC, and Seattle, WA.
1999 - The Health Economics Resource Center at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System is established as the health
economics coordinating center for CSP studies.
1999 - A DNA Bank at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System and a Biospecimen Repository at the Boston VA Medical Center are established.
2003 - A fifth CSP Coordinating Center is established at the Boston VA Medical Center by expanding the capacities
of the Massachusetts Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (MAVERIC).
2003 - The CSP is integrated as part of the new Clinical Science Research & Development Service. With its
expertise in clinical trials and epidemiology, the CSP plays a key role in clinical research efforts sponsored by VA.
2004 - The West Haven CSP Coordinating Center expands to include the Clinical Epidemiology Research Center.
2007 - A Pharmacogenomics Analysis Laboratory is initiated at the Little Rock VA Medical Center.