When you think of veterans’ health care, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the doctors, nurses or other front-line staff you encounter during a visit to your VA medical center or clinic.
Did you know that for every person you see during a visit, there are countless others working behind the scenes to enhance your experience and even improve the science behind the care you receive?
This month we celebrate our VA researchers for their work in refining the quality of life of veterans across the country by highlighting how science and innovation across the health care system directly improves veterans’ lives.
Research has been a part of VA for more than 90 years, and VA researchers have helped developed effective treatments for tuberculosis, invented the computed tomography (CT or CAT) scan and performed the first successful liver transplant.
One example of VA research currently underway is the Million Veteran Program (MVP), which includes genetic studies to learn how genes, lifestyle and military exposures affect health and illness.
MVP aims to enroll its one millionth veteran in 2023. It will be the first research program in the world with a million people, greatly advancing the ability to study genetics and health in the veteran population.
“The thought of reaching our goal is extremely exciting,” said Shawna Lacey-Tucker, MVP research coordinator. “Even after we reach our goal, the ongoing research with this program will continue to give us key information about health and genetics for decades.”
Ultimately MVP research can lead to advancements in the identification, treatment and prevention of disease on an individual, or personalized, basis.
“Veterans are a very diverse group coming from all backgrounds, ethnicities and regions,” said Lacey-Tucker, citing the “extremely rich source of information” MVP provides. “Every veteran that participates is contributing to a wealth of knowledge that will be used to better understand human genetics, lifestyles and exposures — that information can then be used to create more effective treatments and better screening for prevention.”
By collecting DNA from as many veterans as possible, researchers are beginning to answer important questions:
• Why does a certain treatment work well for some veterans but not others?
• Why are some veterans at greater risk for developing an illness?
• How can we prevent certain illnesses in the first place?
If more women and diverse populations enroll, MVP researchers can discover new medical breakthroughs that work for all veterans.
“The feedback I encounter when speaking to veterans who have enrolled has been positive and hopeful,” said Lacey-Tucker. “They are happy to participate in the pursuit for better health care for themselves, their children and grandchildren.”
To learn more about VA research, visit www.research.va.gov. For more questions about MVP, explore their FAQs at www.mvp.va.gov/pwa/faqs or speak with a staff member at (866) 441-6075.
Once enrolled, you may be contacted on a periodic basis if additional information is requested. You will also receive newsletters at least once a year about the program and updates about research findings and other topics of interest.
Read More: Veteran Connection: VA Research program close to achieving 1 million