Case Western Reserve University

Research

Following is a partial list of major contributions made by faculty, staff, and students at Case:

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• Case was the site of the famous Michelson-Morley interferometer experiment, conducted in 1887 by A. A. Michelson of Case Institute of Technology and E. W. Morley of Western Reserve University. This experiment proved the non-existence of ether and gave circumstantial evidence to substantiate Einstein's Theory of Relativity (Profs. Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley, 1887).
• Discovered the atomic weight of oxygen, the basis for calculating the weights of all other elements (Prof. Morley, 1895).
• Performed the first full X-ray of the human body -- on himself (Prof. Dayton C. Miller, 1896).
• Performed the first modern blood transfusion using a coupling device to connect blood vessels (Dr. George W. Crile, 1905).
• Pioneered chlorination of drinking water to eradicate the source of typhoid bacilli (Dr. Roger G. Perkins, 1912).
• Developed simulated milk formula for infants (Dr. Henry J. Gerstenberger,1915).
• Pioneered surgical treatment of coronary artery disease (Dr. Claude S. Beck, 1935).
• Developed the first heart-lung machine to be used during open heart surgery (Dr. Frederick S. Cross, 1950s).
• Performed the first successful lifesaving defibrillation of the human heart (Dr. Beck, 1947) and developed the method of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) (Dr. Beck, 1952).
• Developed a test for infants to identify mental retardation within a year after birth (Prof. Joseph F. Fagan, 1987).
• Created the first artificial human chromosomes, opening the door to more detailed study of human genetics and potentially offering a new approach to gene therapy. (Prof. Huntington F. Willard of the School of Medicine and University Hospitals of Cleveland, in collaboration with colleagues at Athersys, Inc., 1997).