▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Department ▁of ▁M ental ▁H yg iene ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 4 - 5 5 . ▁In ▁addition , ▁she ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Psych ological ▁Association ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 1 - 1 9 5 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁Ball ▁returned ▁to ▁Maryland ▁as ▁a ▁research ▁psych ologist ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁now ▁controvers ial ▁lo bot omy ▁research ▁project ▁at ▁the ▁V eter ans ▁Administration ▁Hospital ▁in ▁Perry ▁Point , ▁Maryland . ▁Most ▁lo bot om ies ▁were ▁conducted ▁between ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁the ▁procedure ▁fell ▁out ▁of ▁favor ▁as ▁tran qu il izer ▁dru gs ▁became ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 5 0 s . ▁Ball ▁research ed ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁lo bot om ies ▁in ▁a ▁large - scale ▁study ▁and ▁was ▁lead ▁author ▁on ▁the ▁paper , ▁“ The ▁V eter ans ▁Administration ▁study ▁of ▁pre front al ▁lo bot omy ,” ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁she ▁left ▁lo bot omy ▁research ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁clin ical ▁psych ologist ▁at ▁the ▁V eter ans ▁Administration ▁Hospital , ▁foc using ▁on ▁ger ont ology . ▁She ▁remained ▁in ▁this ▁position ▁until ▁her ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁Research ▁Cont ribution s ▁ ▁Ball ▁became ▁elected ▁as ▁an ▁associate ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Psych ological ▁Association