VA research helps drive patient care

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) scientific and health-centered research is unique in that it focuses on veterans. VA is the nation’s largest integrated health-care system which serves approximately nine million enrolled veterans with demographic and geographic diversity.

VA has 102 active research sites nationwide. With a total research budget of more than $2 billion, they can actively fund more than 7,300 research projects and more than 3,600 principal investigators. Their mission is to cover the full spectrum of health research including biomedical lab studies, clinical trials, data analyses, and studies on the delivery of health care and how it can be improved. Many of these studies also involve partnerships with VA leaders who work to translate the research findings into everyday patient care.

VA research has five strategic priorities:

·      Increase veterans’ access to high-quality clinical trials

·      Increase the real-world impact of VA research

·      Put VA data to work for veterans

·      Actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion

·      Build community through VA research

During the last fiscal year, some of VA’s clinical priorities included COVID-19, precision oncology, toxic military exposures, and diversity, equity and inclusion.

VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) is one of the world’s largest genetic research programs. It collects genetic, military exposure, lifestyle and health information from veterans who volunteer to donate DNA samples. More than 870,000 veterans have joined the program to date.

The data collected by MVP is used to better understand issues such as predicting the risk of breast cancer, complications of diabetes, managing mental illnesses like PTSD and depression, as well as studying cardiovascular disease.

To learn more about enrolling in MVP visit their website or call 866-441-6075. For more information about VA research, including MVP, visit VA’s Office of Research and Development.