Research

An Impressive Track Record

School of Medicine has a record of success and expertise in innovation, discovery and commercialization of therapies, drugs and medical devices. Our faculty members translate basic sciences into medical breakthroughs that help people around the world. 

Anschutz Medical Campus researchers, the bulk of whom work for the School of Medicine, attracted more than $770​ million​ in grants in 2021.


Firsts

  • CU researchers developed both the new, more effective shingles vaccine, and the older one, too.​
  • A low supply of ovarian eggs is not an indication that a woman will have fertility problems, CU doctors say.​
  • Down syndrome can be categorized as an immune system disorder based on a study involving thousands of blood samples, CU researchers say.
  • CU studies show that celiac disease is much more prevalent than previously believed, leading some proponents to push for routine screening to prevent health complications.
  • Researchers at the School of Medicine have designed mice that do not get fat when on a high-fat diet – a breakthrough that could address obesity in humans because humans have the same gene.
  • A CU Cancer Center study published in 2013 shows that bitter melon juice restricts pancreatic cancer cells from metabolizing glucose, thus cutting their energy source. 
  • School of Medicine professor Iñigo San Millán, PhD, is applying his research by working with the Colorado Buffaloes football team to improve player performance.
  • School of Medicine research, published in 2013,  found that dietary supplements of choline – a nutrient in liver, fish, nuts and eggs – during pregnancy lowers physiological risk factors of schizophrenia in infants. The first human liver transplant was performed by a surgical team from the CU School of Medicine.
  • School of Medicine researchers led the identification of child abuse with the publication in 1962 of their paper The Battered-Child Syndrome.
  • The “Visible Human Project,” a detailed, digital-image, 3-D representation of the human body, was led by the School of Medicine.

Research Leadership

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs 
Peter Buttrick, MD

Administrative Assistant 
Vanessa Valesquez

Research Support

Senior clinical research specialists at the Clinical Research Support Center provide free one-on-one help to clinical research professionals trying to navigate regulatory rules. 

The Research Studio Program offers a collaborative, expert roundtable discussion for investigators.