| 1939 | Harold P. Rusch showed that a high-fat or high-calorie diet accelerated the production of cancer in mice. |
| 1940 | McArdle Laboratory was established as the first basic cancer research facility in an academic institution in the United States. |
| 1941 | Harold P. Rusch found the wavelength of ultraviolet light that produces skin cancer. |
| 1950s-1970s | Elizabeth C. and James A. Miller's discovery that most carcinogens must first be converted to "active" forms is the single most far-reaching explanation for how diverse chemicals cause cancer. This knowledge is fundamental to our understanding of how the common cigarette or the rare fungal toxin causes cancer. |
| 1951 | Van R. Potter's theory of "enzyme inhibition and sequential blocking" led to the use of multi-drug therapy for cancer patients. |
| 1956 | Fluorouracil was first synthesized by Charles Heidelberger and developed by Hoffmann LaRoche; this drug has been used extensively to treat breast, ovarian, stomach, and colon cancers. |
| 1960s | Roswell K. Boutwell illuminated the role of high-fat diets in the development of cancer, especially breast cancer. Boutwell was the first to propose that vitamin A plays a role in preventing cancer; clinical trials have now shown that high does of a vitamin A derivative prevent lung, throat, and mouth cancer. |
| 1970 | Howard M. Temin discovered reverse transcriptase (independently discovered by David Baltimore at MIT). The discovery of this enzyme helped to explain how retroviruses cause cancer and AIDS. |
| 1984 | Bill Sugden and coworkers discovered the mechanism by which the cancer-causing Epstein-Barr virus grows in infected human cells. |
| 1990 | William F. Dove and Amy Moser isolated the mutant Min mouse, the first animal model for familial colon cancer; this has provided a tractable route for the study of this common human tumor. |
| 1970s-90s | Alan Poland's identification and characterization of the TCDD receptor has revealed how a large class of environmental contaminants contribute to cancer. |
| 1940s-2000s | McArdle faculty have trained over 1300 pre- and postdoctoral students in basic cancer research, many of whom are leaders in the field today. |
McArdle faculty have received numerous national and international prizes and awards in recognition of their scientific achievements. The McArdle faculty also have been instrumental in affecting cancer policy in this country beginning with Dr. Rusch's activities in the 1940s. A well-known leader in cancer research, Dr. Rusch served as a member of the Yarborough Committee that drafted the National Cancer Act of 1971. McArdle faculty have continued to play a significant role in NCI and American Cancer Society (ACS) review panels and study sections, committees, and in scientific advisory boards. Faculty also are active in many professional activities, serving as members of numerous editorial boards and professional organizations. A few of their activities are listed below.
