Cardiologist Named VA’s Chief of R&D

WASHINGTON – Dr. Joel Kupersmith, a research cardiologist, has been named Chief Research and Development Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

“Our research programs have benefited veterans and all Americans for 75 years,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “We are fortunate to have Dr. Kupersmith to continue this proud tradition.”

VA, which marks its 75^th anniversary in July, has one of the nation’s largest health research programs, with $1.6 billion in annual funding and more than 3,000 researchers at 115 sites nationwide.

Most recently, Kupersmith was dean of the Medical School and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Texas Tech University.  He is a scholar-in-residence at the Institute of Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

He takes the helm of VA’s research program from Dr. Stephan D. Fihn of the Seattle VA Medical Center, who had been acting chief of research since July 2004.

“Our research program allows us to apply results rapidly toward the care of our veteran patients,” said Dr. Jonathan Perlin, VA’s Under Secretary for Health.  “Dr. Kupersmith is an accomplished physician, researcher and administrator, with the experience and expertise to guide this critical part of veterans’ health care.”

A former lieutenant in the Navy Medical Corps and a graduate of the New York Medical School and a former fellow of the Harvard Medical School, Kupersmith is the author of 150 scientific articles and two books.  He has served on the editorial boards of three medical journals.

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