Iron deficiency
Finch's research on how iron metabolizes in the blood helped with blood disorders characterized by either an excess or inadequate supply of iron in the blood stream, such as anemia and hemochromatosis, and also focused his work on further understanding Erythropoiesis, a process by which red blood cells are produced. During a period in which little was known about iron-deficiency anemia, how often it occurred or the principles of iron metabolism, Finch made significant findings in his research at the University of Washington throughout his 60-year tenure using radioisotopes to measure the body's production of red cells and their life span. He was able to discover how iron is incorporated in hemoglobin, and was able to aid doctors in expanding their abilities from simply detecting iron-deficiency anemia to detecting different types of anemia in an increasingly accurate manner. Finch has published Scientific Journal articles specifically pertaining to Erythropoiesis and anemia such as "Erythropoiesisin Pernicious Anemia" (1953), "Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia in the Adult" (1957), "The Diagnosing of Iron deficiency Anemia" (1964), "Pathophysiologic Aspects of Sickle Cell Anemia" (1972), and "Erythroid Marrow Function in Anemic Patients" (1987). Additional articles included: "The Effect of Erythroid Hyperplasia on iron balance" (1988), and "Intact Transferrin Receptors in Human Plasma and Their Relation to Erythropoisis in blood" (1990).