Research

Kirsner’s early research involved studying peptic ulcers, stomach acid secretion, and body chemistry. His interest in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) began in 1936 when he met a young woman who was suffering from the ravages of ulcerative colitis and died from the then-little-known disease. Kirsner focused on studying IBD, which included ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, for the next several years until he had to put his studies on hold to serve during World War II.

After returning to the University of Chicago Medical Center in the late 1940s and completing his military service, Kirsner returned to studying IBD. He was able to research and show that patients with IBD, even mild cases, lost prominent levels of protein, a discovery that placed new emphasis on nutrition. He developed the first animal models of IBD, demonstrated the influence of the immune system and genetics on this disease, and documented the increased risk of colon cancer in patients with IBD.

Kirsner has written over 750 scientific papers and over 20 books based on his research. His most prominent authoritative textbook is Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which is in its sixth edition as of 2004.

Books by Joseph B. Kirsner

(not all books written by Kirsner are listed here)

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • The Early Days of American Gastroenterology
  • Handbook and Atlas of Gastrointestinal Exfoliative Cytology
  • Crohn's Disease of the Gastrointestinal Tract (Clinical Gastroenterology Monographs Series
  • Diseases of the Colon, Rectum, and Anal Canal
  • The Growth of Gastroenterology Knowledge During the Twentieth Century
  • Origins and Directions of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Early Studies of the "nonspecific" Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Articles by Joseph B. Kirsner

(not all articles written by Kirsner are listed here)

  • "The Pain of Peptic Ulcer", Gastroenterology Vol. 10, No. 3, March 1948
  • "The Current Treatment of Peptic Ulcer", The Iowa State Medical Society, June 1954
  • "The Problems of Ulcerative Colitis-A Blueprint for Research in Gastroenterology" Illinois Medical Journal Volume 112 Number 1, July 1957
  • "Observations on the Medical Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease", Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 243 No. 6, February 8, 1990
  • "The Scientific Growth of Gastroenterology During the 20th Century", The 1994 G. Brohee Lecture, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Vol. 40, No. 9, September 1995
Kirsner giving a presentation on gastroenterology. Date and photographer unknown.
Kirsner giving a presentation on gastroenterology. Date and photographer unknown.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 68, Folder 7, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
"The Current Treatment of Peptic Ulcer" by Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Iowa State Medical Society, June 1954.
"The Current Treatment of Peptic Ulcer" by Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Iowa State Medical Society, June 1954.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 26, Folder 3, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
"The Pain of Peptic Ulcer", Joseph Kirsner, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology, Vol. 10, No. 3, March 1948.
"The Pain of Peptic Ulcer", Joseph Kirsner, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology, Vol. 10, No. 3, March 1948.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 22, Folder 28, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Page 1.
"The Pain of Peptic Ulcer", Joseph Kirsner, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology, Vol. 10, No. 3, March 1948.
"The Pain of Peptic Ulcer", Joseph Kirsner, MD, PhD, Gastroenterology, Vol. 10, No. 3, March 1948.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 22, Folder 28, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Page 2.
"The Problems of Ulcerative Colitis-A Blueprint for Research in Gastroenterology", Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Illinois Medical Journal, Volume 112, Number 1, July 1957.
"The Problems of Ulcerative Colitis-A Blueprint for Research in Gastroenterology", Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Illinois Medical Journal, Volume 112, Number 1, July 1957.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 28, Folder 9, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Kirsner working on an experiment with various scientific equipment in a lab. Date and photographer unknown.
Kirsner working on an experiment with various scientific equipment in a lab. Date and photographer unknown.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 66, Folder 3, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Kirsner working with scientific equipment in a lab. Date and Photographer unknown.
Kirsner working with scientific equipment in a lab. Date and Photographer unknown.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 72, Folder 8, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
"Observations on the Medical Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease", Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 243, February 8, 1980.
"Observations on the Medical Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease", Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 243, February 8, 1980.

Kirsner, Joseph B. Papers, Box 43, Folder 18, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.