Supercomputing in Vaccine Development
The NIH has utilized supercomputing instruments to accelerate medical research, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced computations enabled researchers to determine the efficacy of four COVID-19 vaccines, informing timely decisions on initial authorizations that later received FDA approval. This technology has paved the way for future public health emergency responses.
Collaborative Care Model
NIH-supported research has demonstrated the effectiveness of the collaborative care model in treating mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety in primary care settings. This approach has led to improvements in quality of care and depression outcomes, resulting in the development of billing codes for reimbursement.
Mobile Health Interventions
The NIH has funded the development of mobile health interventions, including smartphone apps like Calm and FODMAP Diet, which provide digital health tools ranging from medication reminders to mindfulness practices. These apps have been used by millions across the U.S.
Advances in Liver Transplantation
The first successful human liver transplantation was performed by an NIH grantee in 1967. Since then, over 7,000 liver transplants are performed annually in the U.S., with a one-year survival rate of up to 86%. Common reasons for liver transplantation include alcoholic liver disease, cancers, and cirrhosis.
Improvements in Knee Surgery
NIH-supported research led to changes in clinical practice for ACL reconstruction surgeries, favoring the use of patients’ own tissue over donor tissue, especially in young athletes. The FDA-approved bridge-enhanced ACL restoration (BEAR) implant has shown promising results in ACL healing.
Automatic Blood Counters
The development of automatic blood counters in the 1950s revolutionized hospital laboratories’ ability to characterize and count human blood cells, leading to countless diagnoses and treatments.
Functional Brain Imaging
NIH-funded researchers pioneered imaging techniques like PET and fMRI, which are now essential in detecting and diagnosing brain disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and schizophrenia.
Global Health Initiatives
The NIH-supported emocha platform, now rebranded as Scene, has been deployed in multiple countries to improve public health by enabling health workers to track diseases and manage patient care remotely.
Ommaya Reservoir
The Ommaya reservoir, invented at the NIH Clinical Center in 1963, provides direct access to cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic tests and medication delivery, treating conditions like brain tumors and infections.
Osteoporosis Treatment
NIH research supported the development of romosozumab, an antibody treatment for osteoporosis that increases bone formation by inhibiting sclerostin.
At-Home Pregnancy Tests
NIH researchers developed the first at-home pregnancy test based on the discovery of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as an early marker of pregnancy.
Pathogen Detection Program
The NIH Pathogen Detection Program enables rapid identification of bacteria causing foodborne illnesses, preventing numerous hospitalizations and deaths.
Acupuncture for Lower Back Pain
NIH-supported research led to CMS covering acupuncture for chronic lower back pain treatment in Medicare patients, improving pain management for older adults.
