History of NCIRE
Current Chief Executive Officer
Rebecca Rosales (1/2017 - Present)
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Former Chief Executive Officer
Robert Obana (1/2005 - 7/2016)
Jack Nagan (1/1998 - 1/2005)
Marvin Siperstein (7/1996 - 11/1997)
Albert Jones (12/1988 - 6/1996)
On December 8th, 1988, the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (NCIRE), a nonprofit corporation that was created to advance the research and educational activities of the staff of the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) under the leadership of Dr. Albert Jones, MD, Associate Chief Of Staff for Research (ACOS-R), George McAdams Research and Development Administrative Officer, and Brian Rood, Business Manager.​
(Left to right) Brain Rood, NCIRE Business Manager, George McAdams, SFVA Research and Development Administrative Officer, Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives, Albert Jones, MD, SFVA Associate Chief Of Staff for Research
NCIRE was established following Congress passing the Veterans Benefits and Services Act of 1988 P.L. 100-322 (now codified at section 7361-66 of title 38, United States Code), that permitted the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to authorize the establishment of Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations (NPC) at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (VAMCs). This Act laid the foundation for the creation of unique partnerships to conduct VA-approved research and education. The Act allowed the establishment of private, state-chartered, nonprofit entities to provide flexible funding mechanisms for the administration of funds, other than those appropriated to VA, for the conduct of VA-approved research.
Since 1988, NCIRE has grown from a small 4-person team into a bustling 30-person administrative core staff with over 237 employees in research labs and offices within the San Francisco VA campus led by Rebecca Rosales, MBA, CRA, Chief Executive Officer. NCIRE is the largest of the 78 non-profit research institutes associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs nationwide. In June 2025, the NPCs reported $357,853,666 total revenues during the 2024 reporting period including interest income and other miscellaneous receipts. This is a 6% increase from the prior year.
NCIRE plays a crucial role in supporting over 200 SFVAHCS researchers as they endeavor to improve the understanding and management of disorders affecting our Veterans. Our investigators include biologists, biochemists, cardiologists, epidemiologists, geriatric researchers, immunologists, molecular biologists, and neuroscientists. Most are directly involved in patient care in a variety of areas of research including Aging, MRI Imaging, Mental Health, PTSD, Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Alzheimer’s Disease, Infectious Diseases, Oncology, Heart Disease, and other areas vital to the health of our Veterans and our nation.
NCIRE facilitates collaborative efforts between the San Francisco VA Health Care System, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), private foundations, industry sponsors, and individual donors by administering a variety of research programs ranging from bench to bedside research.