- The hepatitis studies provided another telling example of ethically questionable research on institutionalized children. Located on Staten Island, Willowbrook was a New York State-run facility for children and adults with mental retardation. Severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions led to this rapid. Experiences at Willowbrook State School. Lancet. 1971, 1 7706 966-7. doi:10.1016s0140-67367191462-0. Lecture by Ghadir Ali, Rahi on Microbiology Tuskegee Syphilis Study and Willowbrook Hepatitis Study, Ethical Dilemma of History The Tuskegee Sy. The discovery of five hepatitis A to E viruses followed distinct definable phases. Human experiments at Willowbrook have identified two forms of hepatitis, namely infectious hepatitis and serum hepatitis. The discovery of the Australian antigen led to rapid scientific progress in the field of viral hepatitis. The SH antigen was detected in the serum of - hepatitis studies provided another telling example of ethically questionable research on institutionalized children. Located on Staten Island, Willowbrook was a New York State-run facility for children and adults with mental retardation. Severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions led to this rapid. Experiences at Willowbrook State School. Experiences at Willowbrook State School. Lancet. 1971, 1 7706 966-7. doi:10.1016 s0140-6736 71 91462-0. In the 1956-1971 Willowbrook Hepatitis Study, NYU medical researchers intentionally infected residents ages five to ten with hepatitis to study the viral disease. They justified this by claiming that hepatitis infections were already high among residents and that children would be infected anyway.