About PHRI - History
From Grass Roots to Global Impact
1960-1974: Early Years
In 1960 a group of physicians from Honolulu’s Straub Clinic and other civic leaders established the first organization in Hawaii dedicated to medical research. The founders, led by Dr. Joseph E. Strode, believed that health research is the foundation of cutting-edge healthcare. Established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization independent of Straub Clinic, the organization was called Straub Medical Research Institute (SMRI).
Under the leadership of Dr. Fred I. Gilbert, Jr. and Dr. Robert A. Nordyke, SMRI conducted many small, locally funded projects with Investigators drawn primarily from Straub Clinic. Then, in 1966, Dr. Gilbert obtained SMRI’s first large grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the ensuing years, SMRI conducted many NIH-funded research projects. Gradually, SMRI matured from a small, locally focused organization into an internationally recognized research center with investigators from Hawaii’s leading medical and academic institutions.
1974-1995: Steady Growth
In 1974, the Board of Directors decided to rename SMRI. The new title, Pacific Health Research Institute, was believed to better reflect the organization’s growth in stature and widening research focus.
In the same year, the NIH National Cancer Institute chose PHRI to undertake the “Breast Cancer Detection and Demonstration Project.” PHRI screened 10,000 women per year for five years and prospectively monitored their health to assess the effectiveness of mammograms in the early detection of breast cancer. The resulting recommendation that mammograms be made part of a woman’s annual physical examination had a major national impact.
Also in 1974, PHRI, in collaboration with the Queen’s Medical Center, won funding for the “Aspirin Myocardial Infarction Study,” an important investigation into the propensity of small doses of aspirin to prevent heart attacks.
In 1992, the National Cancer Institute awarded PHRI its largest and most enduring project. The multi-center “Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial” was originally awarded as a nine year, $7 million project. It has now grown into a 19 year, $27 million effort that has spun off numerous ancillary studies as investigators continue to research this cohort.
1995-present: New Directions
Starting in 1996, PHRI established mechanisms to compete more effectively for funding, and its workforce grew rapidly. Since then, PHRI has focused on continued improvements to its business practices and on recruitment of Investigators, management, and a Board of Directors who have the capacity to help PHRI succeed in a rapidly changing research environment.
PHRI is now a leader in health research in the Pacific. Indeed, its researchers are engaged in studies aimed at conquering some of the most debilitating and lethal diseases that afflict humankind - cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease, and longevity, among others. In these and other projects, PHRI collaborates with partners in the Pacific, Asia, and mainland US that have complimentary capabilities. The synergies created through these partnerships facilitate interdisciplinary research that could not be duplicated by a single research institution working alone.
PHRI currently has approximately 30 major long-term studies with a combined annual budget of about $8 million. The majority of funding comes from the federal government with additional support from foundations, private industry, and individual donors. PHRI is located close to the major medical centers in Hawaii, the University of Hawaii, and the University’s new medical campus in Honolulu.