VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

Dr. Yvette Tache, Ph.D, co-director for the Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Women’s Health at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), Professor of Medicine for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center- Animal Care, is the 2014 recipient of the Middleton Award for her great research work.

The year 1962 was the last year a female researcher received the prestigious William S. Middleton Award (Middleton Award). What’s even more noteworthy, that female researcher is from “GLA”.

Dr. Yvette Tache, Ph.D, co-director for the Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Women’s Health at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), Professor of Medicine for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Director, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center- Animal Care, is the 2014 recipient of the Middleton Award for her great research work.

The Middleton Award is the highest honor awarded annually by the Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Service (BLR&D) to senior VA biomedical research scientists in recognition of their outstanding scientific contributions and achievements in the areas of biomedical and bio-behavioral research relevant to the healthcare of Veterans. 

“Our research pioneered the understanding of central nervous system control of peripheral autonomic pathways influencing gastrointestinal function,” Tache explains. “This research has implications in stress-related autonomic dysfunction including irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and gastro paresis linked with surgery. Stress being an important component of underlying several diseases and affecting the Veteran populations, unraveling these mechanisms points to new therapeutic approach targeting these pathways.

The Middleton Award was established in 1960, to honor William S. Middleton, M.D., distinguished educator, physician-scientist, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chief Medical Director from 1955 to 1963. Middleton Award recipients have achieved international acclaim for research accomplishments in areas of prime importance to VA's research mission.

VAGLAHS is the geographical base of the Digestive Diseases Research Center working together with UCLA; and the research work on integrative physiology benefited from the collaboration with basic and clinician investigators located at both organizations. Dr. Tache also stated that support from the VAGLAHS research leadership was very vital to her and her group’s work, for example, they provided the required space needed as her group expanded and diversified their approaches, which required separated labs to get the work done.

“This award means a lot to me. It is also the recognition of the new field of neuro-gastroenterology that was not as prominent when I started my research,” Tache said. “Moreover, as the research was largely conducted through a stream of talented fellows, this award will provide some cloud to the lab where they spend some training time. Lastly, the financial support associated with it, will allow me to pursue new line of research.”

Dr. Tache will be attending an official award ceremony in May 2015 to receive her award in Washington D.C.