Vascular Cures was established in 1982 as the Pacific Vascular Research Foundation (PVRF) by Ronald J. Stoney, MD and William K. Ehrenfeld, MD, vascular surgeons at the University of California, San Francisco. PVRF initially supported vascular surgeons who conducted research to develop innovative treatment strategies for vascular diseases. In 1990, the foundation also began supporting basic vascular science, focusing on the causes and mechanisms of vascular disease. In the second part of the decade, Vascular Cures established the Wylie Scholar program, designed to develop vascular surgeons into first-rate research scientists who would pursue discovery of new treatments while continuing to work directly with patients. In 2000, Vascular Cures founded the Laboratory for Accelerated Vascular Research at UCSF, a unique collaboration of scientists and physicians who work side-by-side to generate new knowledge in vascular biology and device technology that improves the treatment of vascular diseases.

Vascular Cures is at the forefront of vascular research. Our advances include gene therapy to develop new blood vessels, medical devices to avoid major surgery, and human tissue-based grafts to improve outcomes. Vascular Cures’ latest initiative is the Vascular Cures Research Network, a collaborative research consortium of world class investigators focused on solving the most urgent problems of patients with vascular disease. This collaborative network of researchers will share resources, including Vascular Cures' national vascular biobank, to accelerate research outcomes and, ultimately, save lives.

Picture: William K. Ehrenfeld (left) and Ronald J. Stoney (right) with their mentor Edwin Jack Wylie (circa 1973)